MARLON “The Nightmare” Tapales of the Philippines and David “Tornado” Sanchez of Mexico are ready for their WBC silver superflyweight title fight today at the Gimnasio del Estado in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
Both fighters made their weight yesterday with Sanchez coming in at 114.5 pounds and Tapales hitting 113 pounds at the scales. The winner here will move up to the 115-pound division and inch closer to a possible bout against WBC world superflyweight champion Yota Sato of Japan.
Tapales has a record of 21 wins with eight knockout victories and one loss. He will be accompanied by trainer Juanito Ablaca of the RWS Gym of Cebu. Sanchez holds a 19-2-2 (15KOs) record.
Tapales is a former Philippine light flyweight champion and hails from Maranding, Lanao del Norte. He fought in Cebu twice in 2011, knocking out Charlie Cabilla in one round in Dalaguete and winning a ten-round unanimous decision over Martun Mubiru of Uganda in Liloan. His last fight was a second-round stoppage win over Caem Rasmanudin of Indonesia on Oct. 20, 2012 at the Mall of Asia Arena. /correspondent Rene Bonsubre, Jr.