Tubod, Lanao del Norte – Junior flyweight king Marlon Tapales (16-1, 5 KOs) is all set to battle Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation featherweight champion Allan Tanada (10-1-2, 5 KOs) in the undercard of the highly anticipated Pacquiao-Mosley fight on  May 7 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.


Tapales who is now jointly managed by Pacquiao confidant Rex 'Wakee' Salud and Bobong Yap of Black Scorpion Boxing Stable, is a native of Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte.


Tapales, who was earlier scheduled to fight Mexican standout Austreberto Juarez, is reportedly having problems making the weight and plans to move up to the super flyweight ranks for the upcoming Las Vegas mega-fight.


The rising young boxer became controversial after issuing a challenge to former WBC silver flyweight champion Edrin Dapudong of the Braveheart Stable.



The challenge was made after Tapales disposed of Charlie Cabilla (9-6-3) at 2:46 of the first round at the jam-packed Dalaguete Gym in Cebu City.



Tapales, who also challenged the aging Bert Batawang earlier, caught the slippery Cabilla with a vicious right uppercut to the jaw towards the end of the first round that sent Cabilla to the canvas out for good for Tapales' sixteenth victory against only one loss. Tapales previously beat Cabilla via a 12-round unanimous decision last June 2010.

The Lanao Norte boxer has developed his own fighting style that is in the mold of Gerry Penalosa and Z Gorres.


Tapales got rave reviews from boxing experts as a potential world-beater including Penalosa himself who said that Tapales “is a world champion in the making.”