By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial is set to return inside the boxing ring when he squares off against Ricardo Villalba on February 12, 2023, to be held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
This marks Marcial’s comeback to the professional boxing scene since earning his third-straight victory last year when he took down American foe Steven Pichardo.
The upcoming Filipino star will also look to maintain his unblemished record and is still under the stable of the Manny Pacquiao (MP) Promotions headed by president Sean Gibbons.
Aside from his return, this will also be the first time that Marcial will be fighting in eight rounds, a totally different pace from his usual six-rounder fights the past two years.
It was a collective decision regarding his switch to an eighth-rounder together with his whole fighting camp led by head trainer Jorge Capetillo.
“After consulting with Senor Capetillo, it was decided that Eumir was ready to move up to the eight-round level,” said Gibbons.
Marcial will be facing a different beast in Villalba who already garnered 20 professional wins including eight knockouts.
Despite the number of fights, the Argentinian veteran suffered seven disappointing losses including three consecutive defeats heading into his fight against Marcial.
“Ricardo Villalba represents a big step up in opposition for Eumir in terms of talent and experience. But we are confident Eumir will pass this test with flying colors. We are very excited for him,” added Gibbons.
