Weight issues hound Tapales four days before fight

The New WBO Bantamweight Champion Marlon Nightmare Tapales pose with his belt during his arrival at Rex Wakee Salud International gym. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

It was breezy cold in Osaka Wednesday morning, but Marlon Tapales hit the road with urgency as he tried to shed excess pounds four days before he dangles his WBO bantamweight crown against Japanese Shohei Omori.

Tapales so far is at 125.5 pounds, still 7.5 lb above the division’s limit.

After jogging, however, the pride of Lanao del Norte is expected to hit 123 pounds.

A public workout is slated in the afternoon and though Tapales isn’t expected to show his full arsenal, trainers Fernando Ocon and Brix Flores will make him sweat off another pound.

Rex “Wakee” Salud, Tapales’ manager, swears his prized ward will eventually make the grade during the official weigh-in Saturday afternoon.

“That (weight issues) is normal with Marlon,” said Salud, baring that a few days before Tapales’ fight against Pungluang Sor Siryu in Ayuthaya, Thailand, last July, the 25-year-old southpaw was still five pounds over the limit.

Eventually, Tapales made weight on his first try.

What poses a little concern though was it was hot during that time in Thailand, making it easier for Tapales to shed weight.

With temperature in Osaka expected to drop to as low as 10 degrees Celsius, it will require more effort for Tapales to trim down.

Other than the weight, however, Tapales remains in high spirits for his first title defense.

Tapales earlier said that he would go for a knockout to avoid going to the judges’ scorecards. Tapales stopped Omori in just two rounds in their first fight in 2015.