Eumir Marcial continued his tear in the 2020 Olympics Men’s Middleweight Boxing tournament, stopping Arman Darchinyan in just 2:11 of the first round, Sunday at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan.
“Hindi ko inexpect pero sobrang powerful talaga ni God. Siya ‘yung nagbibigay ng lakas sa akin,” Marcial told One Sports’ Paolo Del Rosario after the bout.
The 25-year-old Filipino was a beast against the 27-year-old Armenian, storming off the gates and peppering his opponent with body shots.
With 1:25 left in the bout, Marcial connected on a huge 1-2 combination. That then forced Colombian referee Wulfren Perez to call for a standing count. Darchinyan was able to regain his bearings at the count of eight.
Things, though, were all but over.
As Darchinyan tried to go for a left, Marcial was literally quicker to the punch, connecting on a right hook that decked Darchinyan.
Perez had no other recourse but to stop the bout with 49 ticks left.
“Hindi ko ine-expect na ganun talaga mangyayari — na mana-knockout ko siya. Alam ko malakas na fighter siya. Talagang ‘yun ‘yung laro niya. Never ko nakita sa laban niya, kahit anong lakas na kalaban niya na maka-knockout,” said Marcial.
“The sport is boxing eh. May mga suntok talaga na hindi natin inaakala. ‘Yun natapos ko ‘yung laban,” he continued.
Marcial is now assured of a medal in the Games. Moreover, Team Pilipinas has now tied its record in 1932 with three assured podium finishers. Nesthy Petecio will gun for gold on August 3, while Hidilyn Diaz took gold last Monday.
The Zamboangueno will face Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak in the semis on August 5.
