The “Thrilla in Manila” golden anniversary card is just about complete with eleven fights reportedly sealed and two more still in the works. That’s according to veteran sports analyst Quinito Henson, who also noted that MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons “is burning the midnight oil to complete the pairings” to the fight card scheduled on October 29 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
WBC minimumweight champ Melvin Jerusalem and Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Eumir Marcial will headline the “Thrilla in Manila” golden anniversary card. Jerusalem will make the third defense of his belt at 105 against No. 2 contender Siyakholwa Kuse of South Africa in a 12-rounder. Jerusalem, one of only two current Filipino world champions alongside Pedro Taduran, is 24-3 with 12 KOs, while Kuse is 9-2-1 with 4 KOs.
Marcial, a two-time Olympian, will stake his 6-0 (4 KOs) record in the co-main event against Venezuela’s Eddy Colmenares for the vacant WBC International middleweight title. Marcial, incidentally, will turn 30 on October 29 and will be fighting a 10-rounder for the first time in his career. Colmenares, dubbed as “El Terrible,” is 11-2-1, with all his victories coming by knockout.
Unbeaten WBO No. 1 super bantamweight Carl Jammes Martin, 26, returns home after scoring two wins in Mexico and one in Las Vegas. He’ll take on Thai gladiator Aran Dipaen who has won nine of his last 10 assignments. In 2021, Dipaen battled Naoya (The Monster) Inoue and lost by KO in the eighth round in Tokyo. Dipaen, 34, has a 21-4 record with 18 KOs. Martin’s slate is 26-0, with 20 KOs.
The Rest of “Thrilla in Manila” Golden Anniversary Card So Far
More Pinoy boxers are also confirmed to be fighting in the “Thrilla in Manila” golden anniversary card, which is meant to pay tribute to the original “Thrilla in Manila” between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier held on October 1, 1975. Ali and Frazier are unanimously regarded as all-time boxing legends, and on that fateful day completed their epic trilogy, with Ali winning in the 14th round after Frazier’s corner threw in the towel.
Other confirmed fights for the “Thrilla in Manila” golden anniversary card are as follows:
- WBO No. 1 super bantamweight Carl Jammes Martin (26-0, 20 KOs) vs. Thailand’s Aran Dipaen (21-4, 18 KOs)
- Philippines’ Marlon Tapales (40-4, 21 KOs) vs. Pakistan’s Nadir Baloch (12-2, 9 KOs) in a 10-round super bantamweight bout
- Ali’s grandson, Nico Walsh (11-2, 5 KOs) vs. Thailand’s Patumpong Saengarun (14-10, 7 KOs) in an eight-round middleweight tilt
- WBC International light flyweight champion Arvin Magramo vs. Berland Robles (Pinoy vs. Pinoy)
- Philippine flyweight champ Albert Francisco vs. Ramel Macado Jr. (Pinoy vs. Pinoy)
- Ronerick Ballesteros vs. Speedy Boy Acope (Pinoy vs. Pinoy)
- Eman Bacosa vs. Ronald Blanco (Pinoy vs. Pinoy)
- Roderick Bautista vs. Adrian Dulayba (Pinoy vs. Pinoy)
- Benny Canete vs. Ariel Antimaro (Pinoy vs. Pinoy)
A Prelude to ‘Thrilla in Manila’ Golden Anniversary Card
According to Henson, MP Promotions, which Manny Pacquiao owns, will stage another fight card on October 26 as an appetizer of sorts prior to the “Thrilla in Manila” golden anniversary card on October 29. The event will be held at the San Andres Sports Complex and feature IBF minimumweight kingpin Pedro Taduran.
Taduran (18-4-1, 13 KOs) will make the second defense of his belt against No. 3 contender Christian Balunan (12-0, 7 KOs). Taduran’s third defense of his title comes after his points win against former champion Ginjiro Shigeoka, who was rushed to the hospital in a coma afterwards.
A total of 10 bouts are lined up for this prelude card, with one a battle of unbeaten bantamweights in Hong Kong’s Rex Tso (23-0, 14 KOs) and India’s Sagar Chouhan (6-0-2, 2 KOs).
