The power-punching Filipino boxing star couldn’t find his range against his taller opponent from Uzbekistan.
Eumir Marcial’s 2024 Paris Olympics campaign came to a shock end right in his first bout after the Filipino dropped a 5-0 unanimous decision to Turabek Khabibullaev of Uzbekistan in their men’s 80kg division round of 16 at the Paris North Arena.
The scores were 29-28 four times and 30-27, an upset considering Marcial was seeded seventh and was vastly more experienced than his 20-year-old opponent.
Fighting against a fellow Asian Games medalist who enjoyed a two-inch height advantage, Marcial just couldn’t get untracked against a slippery and taller foe who wasn’t intimidated at all by his opponent’s pedigree.
Khabibullaev, a bronze medalist in last year’s Hangzhou Asian Games where Marcial took the silver in the same division, used his left jab to keep Marcial at bay and prevent him from unloading his vaunted left hook that had victimized so many opponents in the past. The Uzbek swept the first round and took the second 4-1, leaving Marcial with no course but to go for the knockout in the third round.
Yet try as he might, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist couldn’t pin down Khabibullaev, who wisely went on the defensive and moved away from Marcial’s range. Marcial won the third round, 4-1, but it was too little, too late.
The loss leaves the Philippine boxing contingent with four fighters. Aira Villegas and Nesthy Petecio both won their round of 32 bouts, while Tokyo silver medalist Carlo Paalam and newcomer Hergie Bacyadan get going on Wednesday night in their respective round of 16 bouts.
Banner image from POC/PSC.
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