Marcial faces ‘solid’ foe

Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Eumir Marcial won't be fed with a nightclub bouncer when he fights for the fourth time as a professional next month in San Antonio, Texas.

Even as Sean Gibbons is struggling to sign up a foe for the 11 February bout, Marcial remains neck-deep in his buildup for what is being hyped as his breakout performance.

"He needs a solid opponent," Gibbons told Daily Tribune, stressing that the hard-hitting Filipino middleweight is raring to score a resounding victory.

Since turning pro in December 2020 in Los Angeles, Marcial has yet to register an emphatic win as he had to go four full rounds with Andrew Whitfield in his debut.

In his second assignment, Marcial had to pick himself up from three knockdowns to stop Isiah Hart in Las Vegas last April 2022 before going six rounds with Steven Pichardo in Carson, California, last October.

But his handlers are of the belief that Marcial is ripe and ready to make a rousing introduction in the star-studded 160-lb class.

Unlike in the past when he came weeks short of a full training camp, Marcial has been working out under the watchful eyes of strength coach Memo Heredia and lead trainer Jorge Capetillo since Day One.

Meanwhile, former world champion Jerwin Ancajas is expected to show up in Las Vegas anytime soon to join the other Filipino fighters preparing for world title fights.

Gibbons has built a makeshift gym in Sin City that will serve as the Filipino boxers' home and training headquarters.