Marlon Tapales shocks Uzbek champ, wins WBA, IBF super bantam titles
Published Apr 9, 2023 04:15 am
Filipino boxers continue their emergence in the professional scene after Marlon Tapales dethroned Murodjon “MJ” Akhmadaliev to capture the WBA and IBF junior featherweight title Saturday, April 8 (Sunday in Manila).
*Marlon Tapales is back on the throne. (File photo from Marlos Tapales' Facebook page)*
The 31-year-old Tapales stunned Akhmadaliev via split decision at the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas where he favored two judges with matching 115-113 scores. The remaining judge, however, gave 118-110 in favor of the Uzbek champion. The victory not only improved Tapales’ record to 37-3 including 19 knockouts but also dealt Akhmadaliev his first loss in 12 fights. Tapales, a former WBO bantamweight champion who lost the belt nearly six years ago, unleashed his fury by landing powerful shots in the second round before Akhmadaliev retaliated in the fourth highlighted by a right hook off the jab in the final minute. The Tubod, Lanao del Norte fighter slowly regained his pace in the ensuing rounds despite Akhmadaliev going on his offensive on the second half of the 12-round contest, including a pair of straight lefts that drove the Filipino bet early in round seven. Tapales displayed his best in the last two rounds, outboxing Akhmadaliev in the 11th before fighting with a sense of urgency in the 12th and final round. Though his split victory met with harsh jeers from the crowd who felt Akhmadaliev did enough to defend his three-year-old crown, Tapales earned the possibility of challenging the winner of the Stephen Fulton-Naoya Inoue WBC/WBO junior featherweight title fight on July 25. Tapales joins Melvin Jerusalem as the country’s reigning boxing champions this year. Last January, Jerusalem stopped Japanese fighter Masataka Taniguchi in the second round to become the WBO world minimumweight champion held in Osaka, Japan.
*Marlon Tapales is back on the throne. (File photo from Marlos Tapales' Facebook page)*
The 31-year-old Tapales stunned Akhmadaliev via split decision at the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas where he favored two judges with matching 115-113 scores. The remaining judge, however, gave 118-110 in favor of the Uzbek champion. The victory not only improved Tapales’ record to 37-3 including 19 knockouts but also dealt Akhmadaliev his first loss in 12 fights. Tapales, a former WBO bantamweight champion who lost the belt nearly six years ago, unleashed his fury by landing powerful shots in the second round before Akhmadaliev retaliated in the fourth highlighted by a right hook off the jab in the final minute. The Tubod, Lanao del Norte fighter slowly regained his pace in the ensuing rounds despite Akhmadaliev going on his offensive on the second half of the 12-round contest, including a pair of straight lefts that drove the Filipino bet early in round seven. Tapales displayed his best in the last two rounds, outboxing Akhmadaliev in the 11th before fighting with a sense of urgency in the 12th and final round. Though his split victory met with harsh jeers from the crowd who felt Akhmadaliev did enough to defend his three-year-old crown, Tapales earned the possibility of challenging the winner of the Stephen Fulton-Naoya Inoue WBC/WBO junior featherweight title fight on July 25. Tapales joins Melvin Jerusalem as the country’s reigning boxing champions this year. Last January, Jerusalem stopped Japanese fighter Masataka Taniguchi in the second round to become the WBO world minimumweight champion held in Osaka, Japan.