Eumir Marcial weighs in on Donaire vs. Gaballo, looks to fight in the pros early next year

Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial is certain that the upcoming all-Filipino showdown between WBC world bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. and Reymart Gaballo will end by way of knockout on December 11 at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, USA.

Though half-hearted about seeing Filipinos go at it inside the ring, the celebrated middleweight from Zamboanga is nevertheless ecstatic that his countrymen have become some of the best fighters in the world to the point they would have to fight each other.

“For me, we should not be fighting each other. I think Filipinos should not fight each other,” said the 26-year-old southpaw.

“But at the same time, it makes me happy to see Filipinos improving and climbing the rankings to the point that we fight for the belts. That only means Filipino fighters are getting stronger. It means us Filipinos are the best in that weight class.”

Both Donaire and Gaballo bring massive punching power to the table according to Marcial. Come fight night, he says that it would all boil down to youth versus experience.

“It is hard to predict because both can punch. Gaballo is young and has power. Donaire is older but has power and experience so it is hard to say. What I can say is that this will end by knockout though I can't tell who wins because both punch really hard,” Marcial predicted.

As for himself, Marcial says that he is looking to compete in the professional circuit in the first quarter of 2022.

“I am looking to fight in the pros next year. I have been on a long break after the Olympics so I need to resume training. Hopefully, I get to fight in February or March.”

—JMB, GMA News