Strong support system powers Tapales to beat odds
A LOT of heart and a good support group were all Marlon Tapales needed to overcome adversity and become a world champion.
Deep in enemy territory, the 24-year-old Tapales overcame two knockdowns in the fifth round to knockout hometown hero Pungluang Sor Singyu in the 11th round and snag the World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight belt last Wednesday afternoon at the Ayutthaya City Park in Ayutthaya, Thailand.
“In the fifth round I was hit with a straight in the midsection that was very painful. But it never came into my mind that I was going to quit. I remained positive. What made me strong was my corner and also my mother,” Tapales said last Thursday night at the RWS Gym in Labangon.
In Tapales' corner was coaches Fernando Ocon and Brix Flores, while cheering him on at the sidelines were manager Rex “Wakee” Salud, Elvira Salud, Tapales' mother Maria and Tito Abella.
Tapales survived the early onslaught and came back to knockdown an already spent Sor Singyu in the following round, turning the tides around.
“After the fifth I went to my corner and coach Brix told me that my opponent was already tired. That's why I regained my strength after that,” he said. It was a rare opportunity for Tapales and he didn't let everybody down as he gave every ounce of strength in his body to beat Sor Singyu, which he did with a barrage of punches in the 11th round.
“I was very nervous. I told him not to give up and that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Ocon, who lost his voice from shouting out instructions and words of encouragement to Tapales.
Every minute of their stay in Thailand was a fight for Team Tapales. Everything was wrong from the minute they left the airport in Mactan City.
They missed their connecting flight to Thailand and had to stay in Manila for a few hours until it was settled out.
The traffic in Bangkok didn't help and hours of travel took its toll on the team, especially on Tapales.
“I didn't really had enough rest. I felt that my feet were heavy,” Tapales said. “My conditioning was affected because of everything we went through.”
The hardships and trials, all the sacrifices that Tapales went trough, all paid off after achieving his lifelong dream of becoming a world champion
“I'm very happy of our win. That we got lucky and our prayers were answered even though we really had a hard time,” said Tapales, with huge smile.