BY NICK GIONGCO
Filipino middleweight Eumir Felix Marcial assured the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) that he will not make any decision about his plans to turn professional until he personally meets boxing chief Ricky Vargas.
Marcial, the 2019 world championships silver medalist, is being lured into signing a lucrative contract by several US-based outfits as well as an entity headquartered in England.
But Vargas, in a video call with Marcial last week, said the 24-year-old Zamboanga native guaranteed him that he will wait for the meeting to take place before making a decision.
“We discussed many other things and the conversation was light and cordial. We agreed that we would sit down and talk things over face-to-face as soon as the current situation clears,” said Vargas in a statement released on Friday afternoon.
“Eumir gave me his word that he will wait for such face-to-face meeting before he makes a final decision. And I know Eumir to be a man of his word.”
Interest in Marcial grew higher after his stint in the Asia-Oceania Qualifying Tournament that he topped last month in Amman, Jordan.
Hall of Fame manager Shelly Finkel is the leading party keen on managing Marcial, who is eyeing to win gold in the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics next year.
Manny Pacquiao, whose MP Promotions controls the all the Philippines’ reigning world champions, is also interested in adding Marcial to its growing roster of talents.
