FOR his second pro fight, Tokyo Olympian Eumir Felix Marcial will be up against tall American middleweight Isiah Hart on April 9 in the undercard of the fight between top super welterweight contenders Erickson Lubin and Sebastian Fundora at the Virgins Hotel in Las Vegas.
“Eumir Marcial’s next pro foe is Isiah Hart from Atlantic City, New Jersey. He has six wins, two losses and one draw. He is a tall lanky guy, a capable guy,” Gibbons said in the PSA forum yesterday.
“He (Hart) is fighting out of the Police Athletic League. I think on his trunks he goes by the name ‘Murder,’ so I am very nervous already. Sounds like a very confident dude,” the veteran American promoter said with a smile.
He said that since the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist shifted his training camp to Las Vegas “he (Marcial) has been doing wonderfully. Training-wise this is the best place for him.
He will not be leaving there anytime soon.”
He said Marcial is flourishing under the supervision of trainer Jose Capetillo and well-respected fitness and conditioning coach Memo Heredia, while sparring at the Top Rank gym.
“I was with him (Marcial) in Las Vegas and he was sparring with all the world-class guys at the Top Rank gym, sparring eight rounds. If he was in the shape that he is today when he fought in the Olympics, he would have taken the gold medal in a heartbeat,” Gibbons said.
He added that Marcial will display marked improvement in his next fight compared to his pro ring debut when he beat American journeyman Andrew Whitfield, a former lumberjack, by unanimous decision in a four-rounder held last Dec. 16, 2020 at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles.
“You know Eumir’s mindset is a lot different. He had never boxed as a pro and that was a big shock to him, and at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic at that,” Gibbons said.
He expressed confidence that Marcial would be able to hurdle Hart “and he’s going to be more active and have three to four more fights this year,” possibly one in Manila if the conditions are good.
As for the boxer’s desire to compete for the country and defend his middleweight title in the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games in May, the promoter said they have not talked about it yet but they will discuss the matter after the April 9 fight.
“After April 9, we will make a decision where he (Marcial) wants to go and we’re here to support whatever decision he makes,” Gibbons said.
