WBO CHAMP TAPALES OFF TO HK CAMP

WBO champion Tapales to work on stamina in fourweek training in Hong Kong with Rex Tso

World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight king Marlon Tapales will spend the next four weeks in Hong Kong to train for his first title defense and also help out unbeaten super flyweight prospect Rex Tso and Filipino veteran Mark Anthony Geraldo for their upcoming fights next month.

“This is a different place with different sparring partners. It is something new and I think I can learn a lot from them,” Tapales told SunStar Cebu about his new environment in training camp for his upcoming rematch with Japanese prospect Shohei Omori on April 23 in Japan.

The other day, Tapales did five rounds of sparring with Tso and three rounds with Geraldo at the Def Boxing Gym.

Tapales has already been sparring with Tso here at the Rex Wakee Salud Gym.

“We will be here for a month. I think Rex and Geraldo will be a huge help in our training,” said Tapales’ youthful trainer Fernando Ocon.

Tso is preparing for a March 11 meeting with Japanese Hirofumi Mukai at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.

Geraldo is fighting on the same card against Omega Boxing Gym’s Kenny Demecillo for the vacant WBO Oriental bantamweight belt.

Tapales will continue training in Cebu when they leave Hong Kong on March 6 or 7.

“For now, I think I’m not yet ready. But I think after a month here, I will be ready. I think, I need to work on my stamina,” said Tapales

Tapales captured the WBO bantamweight belt after surviving two knockdowns and knocking out experienced Thai Pungluang Sor Singyu.

He earned his title shot at the expense of Omori, whom he knocked out in two rounds in a WBO bantamweight title eliminator in 2015.

Despite that previous win, both Tapales and Ocon expects a different Omori when they fight again.

“He is ready. He is excited to defend his belt this April. We are training really hard to be perfect in our title defense. We are improving his his strength and stamina so that when it’s time to fight, he will have an impressive performance,” said Ocon. /