BY NICK GIONGCO
Manny Pacquiao is dangling a mouth-watering offer to sought-after Filipino middleweight Eumir Felix Marcial, who has been besieged with feelers from overseas for him to turn professional.
“I can give him a world title shot after just three (pro) fights,” said Pacquiao, the World Boxing Association welterweight king, in a video call.
Pacquiao said he is aware of groups interested in recruiting Marcial, the 2019 world championships silver medalist and Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualifying Tournament champion in Amman, Jordan.
Marcial, 24, is being lured into signing by Hall of Fame manager Shelly Finkel and another US boxing figure as well as an entity from the United Kingdom, a testament to Marcial’s bright future in the pros.
Pacquiao owns MP Promotions, which has under its wings the country’s three other world champions: Jerwin Ancajas, John Riel Casimero and Pedro Taduran.
Pacquiao said Marcial stands to “save a lot of his earnings” if he signs with MP Promotions and will not stand in his way of carrying the flag during the Tokyo Olympics next year.
“I am with him all the way in his Olympic quest,” added Pacquiao.
Known for his generosity, Pacquiao believes a world title crack can be expedited since he has close ties with all the major sanctioning bodies provided, of course, that Marcial keeps on winning.
A quick crack at a world title is not bizarre in the world of pro boxing, although it is not usually the norm.
But as recent as 2014, there was an incident when a highly-decorated amateur went on to fight for a world title in his second pro bout but Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine lost on a split decision to Mexican veteran Orlando Salido.
But in his third fight, Lomachenko succeeded and won the World Boxing Organization feather crown, tying Saensak Muangsurin of Thailand in
the process.
Muangsurin also captured a world title in only his third pro fight and he did this in 1975, stopping Perico Fernandez of Spain in eight rounds for the World Boxing Council super-lightweight diadem in Bangkok.
Under Olympic rules, Marcial can still fight in the Olympics even if he decides to enter the pro ranks.
