Marcial set for professional boxing return in the US

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Filipino boxing star Eumir Marcial will finally return to the professional scene and is set to take on the more experienced Steven Pichardo of America to be held at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson City, California.

Manny Pacquiao (MP) Promotions president Sean Gibbons already confirmed Marcial’s next fight and added that the Filipino power-puncher will be staying in the middleweight division for his third professional fight.

Marcial is looking to extend his winning streak and is yet to taste his first pro defeat after winning his first two matches.

The Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist first scored a unanimous decision victory over Andrew Whitfield two years ago during his pro debut.

All three judges scored in favor of Marcial after the Filipino landed 120 of his 310 punches while his opponent only managed to land 46.

During his second fight, Marcial completed a comeback for the ages after hitting the canvass three times in the first two rounds against challenger Isiah Hart.

Marcial was totally down in the score cards heading into the third round and began to sense some panic but fortunately, the Filipino slugger delivered and landed three big left hooks that went straight to Hart’s mid-section and helped him seal the deal for his second-straight professional win.

Pichardo has more career fights than Marcial in the pro scene and is carrying an 8-2 win-loss record with two knockouts.

Taller and bigger than Marcial, the towering American is a technical fighter and loves the in-and-out movement to set up his jabs and combinations.

The Marcial-Pichardo fight is a featured undercard bout of the main event between Filipino Jerwin Ancajas and International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight champion Fernando Daniel Martinez of Argentina.