Marlon Tapales expects to get a shot at the world crown in 2025.
Ranked highly by the major sanctioning bodies, Tapales has been assured of this even after failing to dethrone Naoya Inoue late last year in Tokyo.
But the Filipino lefty has some business to take care of on 7 September in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
It is an activity fight against Indian Saurabh Kumar and Tapales has to rack up a win for him to maintain his lofty ranking and secure a sure shot at one of the titles Inoue is going to relinquish once he decides to move up to featherweight next year.
Inoue is slated to defend all four straps early next month against TJ Doheny and fight the undisputed 122-lb king is expected to win convincingly.
There is talk that Inoue could defend one last time before the end of the year before finally leaving the super-bantam class in the pursuit of a fifth world title.
Given Tapales’ placing in the world ratings, he should end up being picked to challenge for a title alongside another highly-ranked contender.
“That’s the goal — to challenge for a world title and become a three-time world champion,” Tapales told DAILY TRIBUNE after his afternoon workout in General Santos City.
Supporting this quest is no other than his promoter JC Mananquil and lead trainer Ernel Fontanilla.
“We’ll get there,” added Tapales, who was World Boxing Organization bantamweight king in 2016 and unified World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation super-bantam ruler last year.
Helping Tapales get ready for Kumar are Lienard Sarcon and Toto Gayola.
Team Tapales leaves for Phnom Penh on 4 September.