Marcial escapes Thai foe with KO victory, secures bronze for PH in Asian Games

Eumir Marcial survived a taller, bigger foe in Thailand's Weerapan Jongjoho with a second-round knockout victory to assure himself of a podium finish in the men's 80-kilogram boxing event of the 19th Asian Games at the Hangzhou Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China on Sunday, October 1.

Marcial, a 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist, advanced to the semifinals to at least secure a bronze for the Philippines.

The 27-year-old Filipino pug takes on Syria's Ahmad Ghossoun in the semifinal round for a finals berth, which will automatically grant him a 2024 Paris Olympics ticket, on Tuesday, October 3.

It wasn't the easiest of wins for Marcial, who dominated his foes in the earlier stages of the competition, as he struggled to deal with Weerapon's height advantage and broader frame, allowing his fellow Southeast Asian to dictate the tempo.

Proof of it was a standing eight count by the referee after Marcial took a devastating right straight.

"I got terrified because I knew he was leading in the first round. Then, the referee gave me a standing eight count. I had a tough time because he was so tall," Marcial said.

With the scorecards in favor of the Thai, Marcial patiently waited for the opportunity to steal the glory from Weerapon.

And he did it.

The Zamboanga City native, a professional boxer with four wins (two KOs) in four matches, sent the 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze winner to the canvas by unleashing a powerful right hook to cap off a combination of punches.

That ultimately ended Weerapon's bid for an outright Olympic seat.

For his part, Marcial admitted he got dizzy when the Thai knocked him down.

"I have to admit that I nearly lost it when I got hit. As you can see, the size of my foe was so big. It was something I was looking out for," Marcial told reporters.

"I just told the referee that it's nothing. But the truth is that I got dizzy."

Marcial's corner also played a crucial role in ensuring their boxer did the right things.

"Due to the height of his foe, we told him to fight from mid and short ranges. We also told him to hit straight into the body and then deliver a right hook. Fortunately, Eumir was able to execute that," his coach Ronald Chavez stated.