Marcial shifts focus to Asian Games after cancellation of 5th pro fight

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Uprising Filipino boxing star Eumir Marcial will look to add the upcoming Asian Games gold medal to his list of achievements following the cancellation of his scheduled fifth professional bout this August.

The development was confirmed by Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino last August 18, 2023.

Tolentino explained that Marcial’s fifth pro fight will be rescheduled to a later date in September so that he can train with the Philippine team in Canberra, Australia starting September 1, 2023.

“Eumir will be returning home from the US as soon as possible to join the national boxing team and initiate the process for his Australian visa,” said Tolentino.

Marcial will have a month of preparation for the global games to be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23-October 8, 2023.

Before relaying the news, Tolentino revealed that he worked hand-in-hand with Marical’s promoter, Sean Gibbons, of the Manny Pacquiao (MP) promotions to make this possible.

“Sean Gibbons promptly concurred that Marcial should focus on Hangzhou and pursue his Olympic dream,” added Tolentino.

Marcial is still undefeated in his four pro fights under the MP Promotions and is planning to skyrocket his rankings by accepting tons of fight deals.

However, Marcial previously emphasized that he will bounce back after only settling for the bronze medal during the last Tokyo Olympics.

To redeem himself, he must conquer the challenges in Hangzhou first to book a ticket to the Paris Olympics.

The competition in this edition will be more difficult after the committee decided to scrap the traditional semifinalists that can automatically clinch them a seat.

This time, Marcial will need to become a finalist to gain the same advantage as last edition, a scenario where the Filipino described as now-or-never.