Tapales faces Estrella in LA

FORMER world champion Marlon Tapales keeps himself busy as he takes on Mexican journeyman Jose Estrella on May 14, 2022, in Los Angeles, California.

Tapales is currently the No. 1 contender for the International Boxing Federation super bantamweight belt, which is currently around the waist of Murodjon Akhmadaliev.

Akhmadaliev is scheduled to face Ronny Rios on June 25. Tapales should face the winner of that fight. Tapales is also ranked No. 9 by the World Boxing Organization.

Since suffering from an 11th-round technical knockout in the hands of Ryosuke Iwasa in 2019, the 30-year-old Tapales has won back-to-back contests. He demolished both Eden Sonsona and Hiroaki Teshigawara in two rounds.

The 30-year-old Estrella, in the meantime, is coming off a knockout a third-round loss against Saul Sanchez. Estralla has fought some elite names like Luis Nery, Diego dela Hoya, Cristopher Diaz and Manny Robles.