Eumir Marcial set for ring return in Pacquiao-Barrios undercard

MANILA, June 15 ------ Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial will make his boxing return in the undercard of Manny Pacquiao's comeback bout against Mario Barrios on July 19 in Las Vegas. Marcial announced in a social media post that he will take on Mexican-American Alexis Gaytán in an eight-round middleweight bout.

This will be Marcial's first fight since his ill-fated campaign in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he missed the podium. He last fought professionally on March 24, 2024, knocking out Thoedsak Sinam in front of a hometown crowd at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. The 29-year-old Marcial will bring a 5-0 professional record against Gaytan, who is 17-10 in his career. In an emotional post on Instagram, Marcial declared himself "ready to fight" after what he called a "grueling journey rife with challenges."

Marcial was accused by his wife, Princess, of infidelity and abuse in January. The boxer denied all allegations. "I owe my revival and this chance to fight undercard with the legendary Manny Pacquiao, the man I used to dream of watching fight," said Marcial.

The card will be headlined by the "Pacman," who is making his in-ring return after a four-year absence from professional boxing. He is challenging Barrios, the holder of the WBC welterweight championship.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com