Eumir Marcial is making his professional boxing comeback after over a year, this time in the undercard of Manny Pacquiao-Mario Barrios fight for thw WBC welterweight championship.
Reeling from a heartbreak in Paris for the Olympics last year, Eumir Marcial steps back into the ring with redemption on his mind as he takes on American Bernard Joseph in an eight-round middleweight clash on Sunday, July 20 (PH time) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The bout serves as part of the undercard for Manny Pacquiao’s highly anticipated comeback fight against Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title — and for Marcial, it’s a chance to reboot his professional boxing career.
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Marcial, 29, holds an unblemished 5-0 record, including three knockouts, and last fought professionally nearly a year and four months ago when he stopped Thailand’s Thoedsak Sinam with a crushing KO at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium — a bout that doubled as his send-off for the Olympics.
[ALSO READ: Paris-bound Eumir Marcial scores sensational KO in Manila pro debut]
But the Zamboanga City native’s Olympic dreams came to a bitter end after a unanimous decision loss to Uzbekistan’s Turabek Khabibullaev in the opening round of the men’s 80kg division.
The defeat left Marcial devastated.
“I'm devastated and at a loss for words. It's a tough loss, I do not know how to explain this loss to all the Filipinos who believed in me and supported me," said Marcial in a previous interview.
[ALSO READ: Eumir Marcial still ‘at loss for words’ after early exit in Paris 2024, admits suffering injury in Olympics build-up]
Now back in the pro ranks, Marcial weighed in at 162 pounds and is eyeing a statement win over the 35-year-old Joseph, who carries an 11-2-1 record with five knockouts.
The American veteran presents a solid challenge, but Marcial remains eager to show that his Olympic setback hasn’t dulled the sharpness or promise of his professional career.
The outcome could be pivotal in setting the tone for Marcial’s next chapter — one he hopes will be filled with more triumphs than tears.
(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]