Tapales stops Japanese, earns shot at world title

MANILA, Philippines – Lanao del Norte’s Marlon Tapales knocked out erstwhile unbeaten Shohei Omori of Japan to become the mandatory challenger for the World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Pungluang Sor Singyu.

Tapales, dubbed the Maranding Nightmare, came through with hard blows to score three knockdowns right in the first round then hit a solid counter-right hook to knock the Japanese out for good in the next frame at the Shimazu Arena in Kyoto, Japan recently.

The WBO bantamweight title eliminator was stopped at the 1:35 mark.

Tapales, who hails from Kapatagan, thus improved to 28-2, including 11 KOs to earn a mandatory title shot at Singyu, who boasts of a 51-3 record, including 35 KOs, the last against Ryo Akoho last August.

The 27-year-old Sor Singyu has beaten other Filipino fighters, including AJ Banal, Eden Sonsona and Monico Laurente.

The Thai fighter is scheduled to face another Filipino, Jetro Pabustan (26-2-6, 7 KOs), on Jan.15.