Glen TapiaPassaic, NJ – Junior-middleweight prospect Glen Tapia of Passaic, NJ has been enlisted by boxing’s pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao to serve as chief sparring partner for his November 13 clash with Antonio Margarito at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX.
The 20-year-old Tapia, with a professional boxing record of 7-0 (5 KO), has been a high-profile sparring partner for world champions Joshua Clottey and Yuri Foreman as they prepared for Miguel Cotto. The Dominican-American power-puncher acknowledges that this will be a vital learning experience for him as he attempts to start his own legacy.
“I feel excited,” said Tapia who is promoted by John Lynch’s Pound For Pound Promotions. “It’s a great opportunity for me to not only see how one of the greatest boxers of all time trains and fights, but to be there and actually experience it for myself. This experience will give me the knowledge and confidence to hopefully be on the greatest boxers as well.
“It’s truly an honor to go to the Philippines. I can’t wait to see the culture, their way of life and interact with their wonderful people.”
Tapia is currently preparing at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, CA with trainer Mike Skowronski. Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach is taking the opportunity to get better acquainted with Tapia before they left for Baguio City, Philippines last Friday, where Tapia will spar with Pacquiao until mid-October.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity for Glen to work with such an amazing fighter like Pacquiao,” said Pat Lynch, who co-manages Tapia with Sal Alessi. “We want to thank [Top Rank vice president of operations] Carl Moretti and [Top Rank matchmaker] Brad Goodman for giving us this opportunity, as well as Pacquiao’s advisor Michael Koncz and Freddie Roach who made this all a reality.”
Speaking with The Record newspaper of Woodland Park, NJ, Moretti stated his confidence in picking Tapia to prepare Pacquiao for his next challenge.
“”Freddie was looking to give Manny a different look in this training camp. He was looking for a young, aggressive kid to give Manny something to think about, so that it’s not the same old thing. Glen was the first kid that came to my mind. He’s built a little like Margarito. He’s right-handed, he throws a lot of punches and he’ll give it his all.”
