Marlon Tapales is going to be the Japanese Monster Naoya Inoue’s biggest living nightmare at his own hometown in Tokyo, Japan coming this December, when they fight for the undisputed world super bantamweight belts.
Tapales, the reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion, is still undefeated in four bouts when fighting in the Land of the Rising Sun, ready to make Inoue his fifth victim in Japan.
“I will be the Japanese Monster’s biggest nightmare this coming December at his own hometown,” the 31-year-old fighter from Lanao del Norte said after finishing a few rounds of mitts with head trainer Ernel Fontanilla at the Knucklehead boxing gym in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“So glad my everyday training always goes smoothly. My condition looks good, as well as my stamina, durability, punching power and quickness. So by December during the fight night, I will be better than ever. I will be ready to be Inoue’s worst nightmare,” Tapales added.
Known for being a road warrior during his early years, Tapales has already made a remarkable name for himself in Japan for the first time when he beat Indonesian Ruben Manakane via fourth-round technical knockout victory in Kanazawa in May 2013.
He returned to Kanazawa in April 2014 and defeated Japanese Hayato Kimura through a fifth-round technical decision in a non-title bantamweight bout, before his biggest break came when he faced Japanese Shohei Omori, whom Tapales knocked out in the second round in Kyoto in 2015.
Although he lost his World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight belt in the scale after failing to make weight, Tapales still scored an 11th-round technical knockout win over Omori in their bantamweight rematch in April 2017 in Osaka, Japan.
That was his last bout in Japan six years ago.
“Marlon is known for his never-give-up attitude despite the tall odds. He fights at any given situation, he adjusts, and never fears. He will be coming for the Monster,” International matchmaker Sean Gibbons said.
“Marlon has been in Japan four times in his career, he is also 4 and 0, and he’s going to be 5 and 0 in Japan when he beats Inoue.”
The contract signing between the two unified super bantamweight champions, according to Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions president, is close to be signing in a few weeks.
Tapales (37-3 win-loss record with 19 knockouts) is set to return to Manila in November and resume his final phase of training most likely in Baguio before heading to Japan.
Inoue, 30, the defending World Boxing Council and WBO champion after beating American Stephen Fulton last July, is absolutely a killing machine with 25 wins highlighted by 22 knockouts.
Tapales scored a split decision win to erstwhile champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev of Uzbekistan last April.