Former unified world super-bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales got what he wanted and needed late Saturday night in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The Filipino southpaw, assured of a world title next year when Japanese pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue moves up in weight, beat Saurabh Kumar of India to keep his World Boxing Council (WBC) title at the Olympic Stadium.
“Quality 10 rounds,” Tapales said after boosting his record to 39-4 with 20 knockouts and cementing his spot in the world 122-lb ratings.
It was Tapales’ second fight since failing to become undisputed champion when he suffered a tenth-round knockout to Inoue late last year in Tokyo.
He came back from the Inoue setback last March when he took out Thai fighter Nattapong Jankaew in less than a round at the Midas Hotel in Manila.
Tapales is ranked No. 2 by the WBC, No. 4 by the World Boxing Association and No. 3 by the International Boxing Federation.
Managed and promoted locally by JC Mananquil, Tapales, 32, is represented internationally by MP Promotions, who is owned by Manny Pacquiao and ran by the well-connected Sean Gibbons.