Tapales soars to world title glory
Rises from the canvas twice to stop Sor Singyu in 11th, wins WBO crown
AYUTTHAYA, Thailand – Filipino boxer Marlon 'The Nightmare' Tapales of Cebu's RWS Stable showed nerves of steel by getting up from the canvas twice to stop two-time world champion Pungluang Sor Singyu of Thailand in the eleventh round in a 'Fight of the Year' candidate and capture the WBO bantamweight title as the small Filipino delegation erupted in celebration silencing the raucous Thai hometown crowd who fell silent here in a hot Wednesday afternoon.
Tapales connected with his signature combinations early but appeared tense as Sor Singyu, highly confident, smirked and timed Tapales with his own counters.
Tapales continued to tag Sor Singyu but in the fifth round, the Thai champion connected with a wicked body shot and fell Tapales. Sor Singyu followed it up with another body shot that fell Tapales again with still plenty of time left.
Sor Singyu, sensing that Tapales was ready for the taking, went for the kill but Tapales, displaying a lot of heart, survived the round as Sor Singyu appeared to have gassed out.
As the sixth round started, Tapales seemed to have regained his strength and tagged Tapales with a right cross to the head that knocked Pungluang down as the the complexion of the game dramatically changed.
Tapales continued to pursue Sor Singyu in the succeeding rounds as the Thai went on the defensive. In the championship rounds, Tapales, gaining confidence, appeared to be the fresher boxer as Sor Singyu had lost wind and at the end of the 10th, Sor Singyu went to his corner with a bloodied mouth.
In the eleventh, Tapales caught Sor Singyu with a leftright combo to the body and a left straight the sent Sor Singyu to the canvas for good.
Tapales, now 29-2 with 12 stoppages, thus became the fourth reigning Filipino world champion after Donnie "Ahas" Nietes (WBO light flyweight), Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire Jr. (WBO bantamweight) and Johnreil "Quadro Alas" Casimero (IBF flyweight).
He also became the fourth world title-holder from the RWS Stable of Cebuano topnotch promoter Rex "Wakee" Salud after the Peñalosa brothers Dodie and Gerry, both two division world champions, and ex-WBC flyweight titlist Malcolm "Eagle Eye" Tuñacao.