Marlon Tapales’ greatest opportunity against Naoya Inoue lies in the Japanese “Monster” underestimating him.
That’s how tough the challenge will be for the Filipino boxing champion when he goes for an undisputed boxing championship against the heavy-hitting Japanese, according to boxing analyst Atty. Ed Tolentino.
“At the very least, he is assured of a very good pay day. Sigurado ‘yan, maganda ang kikitain niya,” said Tolentino in ABS-CBN News.
“Pero talagang mabigat na kalaban ‘yung Naoya Inoue.”
Negotiations are now underway for the undisputed super bantamweight title clash between the two boxers, who are expected to slug it out in November this year.
Tapales won the WBA and IBF titles by outpointing Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev in San Antonio, Texas, last April.
But Tolentino said Tapales needed to go through the eye of a needle to hack out a split decision against Akhmadaliev.
“You go back to the last fight of Tapales. He was in trouble in the last two rounds of the fight, but he was able to hang on. Pero iba ‘yung Naoya Inoue,” he said.
Inoue, already a four-division champion, demolished a previously unbeaten Stephen Fulton in eight rounds to win the WBC and WBO versions of the straps.
“Ang chance ni Tapales dito is ‘yung i-underestimate siya ni Naoya Inoue. ‘Yung baka isipin ni Inoue, ‘Walk over fight lang ito,'” he said.
It will be a memorable fight for Tapales if he successfully hurdles the Japanese, he said.
“The Filipino fighter relishes being the underdog. What makes a victory sweeter is if he pulls off the upset of the year,” said Tolentino.
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