Marcial wary of Thai foe's experience

MANILA, Philippines – The experience of Eumir Marcial’s Thai opponent is not something to disregard, the Filipino Olympic bronze medalist said, as the two are set to collide Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. 

Marcial, who is unblemished in four professional fights so far, will face the 28-year-old Thoedsak Sinam in a super-middleweight bout. 

Despite his height advantage, the 5-foot-11 Filipino boxer is not taking his battle-tested foe lightly. 

“My opponent is a very experienced boxer. He has gone through a lot in the pro [level], and we know that we cannot just disregard his experience in boxing,” Marcial told reporters after the weigh-in Friday morning. 

“Our goal is to win the fight safely and without injuries,” he said. 

Sinam has a professional record of 23-13, with 19 knockouts. 

“Even though I have just four professional fights, I already have a lot of boxing experience. We cannot just disregard every fighter because every fighter is preparing,” added Marcial.

“For me, my focus is to just win the match and not be overconfident because he is very experienced. And, we know Thai fighters, they will fight until the end.”

Marcial weighed in at 165 pounds, while Sinam tipped the scales at 168 pounds. 

The Marcial-Sinam bout is the main event of Saturday’s 10-fight card. It is part of Marcial’s preparation for the Paris Olympics.

“This is the fight that I have been waiting for, to fight here in the Philippines. I even said before, even if I won’t fight in the main event, but I’ll be fighting in the main event,” Marcial continued. 

“It is very important for me to win this match so I can gain experience coming into the Paris Olympics.”