Tapales eyes piece of history

Marlon Tapales spent Christmas Day tipping the scales and comfortably making weight for the biggest fight of his life.

- ABAC CORDERO

Tonight, at the Ariake Arena in Koto City, Tokyo, the 31-year-old Filipino meets Japanese treasure Naoya Inoue in a unification bout at 122 pounds.

At stake in the scheduled 12-rounder are the four super-bantamweight championship belts. It doesn’t come often that all four titles are on the line in a single bout.

For Tapales, the WBA and IBF champion, it’s a rare and golden opportunity to become the first unified champion from the Philippines, which has produced a long line of great boxers.

But never an undisputed champion – not even Manny Pacquiao or Gabriel “Flash” Elorde of old times.

“Ito na ang chance,” said Tapales, the heavy underdog against the 30-year-old Inoue, holder of the WBC and WBO belts and once the undisputed champion at the lower bantamweight class.

Tapales told his manager, JC Manangquil of Sanman Boxing, that he feels more excited than nervous fighting the undefeated Japanese.

“Mas