Filipino Boxers have been quite dominant in the boxing championships in various weight categories. This speaks volumes about the true dedication, spirit, and hard work of the boxers from the Philippines to represent their country, bring pride to the nation, and become champions of the Boxing world.
In this blog, we will go through the list of Current Filipino World Boxing champions who are still ruling the boxing world in their respective category in various Major competitions of this sport. Besides this, we have an opportunity to have a quick look at the list of active Filipino boxers who have been champions in the world of boxing in the past.
List of Current Filipino World Boxing Champions in Different Categories
Filipino Boxing is going through some tough times as young boxers haven’t been as good as legendary boxers like Manny Pacquiao, Flash Elorde, Pancho Villa, and Little Dado who used to dominate the Boxing Championships because of their excellent boxing skills and resilient character.
Let us now have a sneak peek at the list of Current Filipino Boxing Champions.
| No. | Player Name | Championships | Opponents | Result | Successful Defences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Marlon Tapales | WBA (Super) Super Bantamweight | Murodjon Akhmadaliev | SD 12/12 | 0 |
| IBF Junior Featherweight | x | x | 0 |
So, this List of Current Filipino World Boxing Champions includes only one Filipino boxer who is the current champion of the Super Bantamweight Weight category (in the World Boxing Association WBA) and Junior Featherweight (in the International Boxing Federation IBF). This shows the downfall of boxing in the Philippines and needs immediate attention of the concerned Sports departments to bring progress and prosperity to this sport in the country.
Marlon Tapales defeated his opponent Uzbek Boxer Murodjon Akhmadaliev in his last fight for the Super Bantamweight Championship. The fight took place at Boeing Center at Tech Port, San Antonio on Saturday 8, April 2023. Marlon won the fight on a Split Decision after 12 rounds. This fight result helped the Nightmare to be the Champion of the IBF Super Bantamweight category
Quick Biography of Marlon Tapales:
| Age | 31 Years |
| Alias | The Nightmare |
| City | Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Record | 40-3-37 (KO Wins 19) |
| Height | 5 Feet 4 Inches or 163 cm |
| Reach | 67 ½ Inches or 171 cm |
| Current Division | Super Bantamweight |
Marlon Tapales’s upcoming Fight
Marlon Tapales will face Naoya Inoue on 23 December 2023 at the Ariake Arena, Koto-Ku as a contender for multiple championships on stake like the IBF World Super Bantam championship, WBA Super World Super Bantam championship, WBC World Super Bantam championship, and the WBO World Super Bantamweight championship.
Therefore, Marlon will be eager to put his name in more Championships Wins on the list of Current Filipino World Boxing champions.
Active Boxers Who Had Been Crowned Champions in the Past
The following list includes all the active Filipino Boxers who won different championships over time in their career but could not successfully defend the championships in their respective categories.
| No. | Name | Titles | Opponent | Result | Defense |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Malcolm Tunacao | WBC Flyweight | Medgoen Singsurat | TKO 7/12 | 1 |
| 02 | Nonito Donaire | IBF Flyweight | Vic Darchinyan | TKO 5/12 | 3 |
| WBC Bantamweight | Fernando Montiel | KO 2/12 | 1 | ||
| WBO Bantamweight | 1 | ||||
| WBO Super Bantamweight | Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. | SD 12/12 | 3 | ||
| IBF Super Bantamweight | Jeffrey Mathebula | UD 12/12 | 0 | ||
| The Ring Super Bantamweight | Toshiaki Nishioka | TKO 9/12 | 1 | ||
| WBA (Undisputed) Featherweight | Simpiwe Vetyeka | TD 5/12 | 1 | ||
| WBO Super Bantamweight | Cesar Juarez | UD 12/12 | 1 | ||
| WBA (Super) Bantamweight | Ryan Burnett | RTD 4/12 | 1 | ||
| WBC Bantamweight | Nordine Oubaali | KO 4/12 | 1 | ||
| 03 | Donnie Nietes | WBO Mini Flyweight | Pornsawan Porpramook | UD 12/12 | 4 |
| WBO Light Flyweight | Ramon Garcia Hirales | UD 12/12 | 9 | ||
| The Ring Light Flyweight | Moises Fuentes | TKO 9/12 | 5 | ||
| IBF Flyweight | Komgrich Nantapech | UD 12/12 | 1 | ||
| WBO Super Flyweight | Kazuto Ioka | SD 12/12 | 0 | ||
| 04 | Marvin Sonsona | WBO Super Flyweight | Jose Lopez | UD 12/12 | 0 |
| 05 | Rodel Mayol | WBC Light Flyweight | Edgar Sosa | TKO 2/12 | 2 |
| 06 | Sonny Boy Jaro | WBC Flyweight | Pongsaklek Wonjongkam | TKO 6/12 | 0 |
| The Ring Flyweight | 0 | ||||
| 07 | John Riel Casimero | IBF Light Flyweight | Interim promoted | x | 3 |
| IBF Flyweight | Amnat Ruenroeng | KO 4/12 | 1 | ||
| WBO Bantamweight | Zolani Tete | TKO 3/12 | 2 | ||
| 08 | Merlito Sabillo | WBO Mini Flyweight | Jorle Estrada | TKO 9/12 | 2 |
| 09 | Marlon Tapales | WBO Bantamweight | Pungluang Sor Singyu | TKO 11/12 | 0 |
| WBA (Super) Super Bantamweight (Current Champion) | Murodjon Akhmadaliev | SD 12/12 | 0 | ||
| IBF Super Bantamweight (Current Champion) | 0 | ||||
| 10 | Jerwin Ancajas | IBF Super Flyweight | McJoe Arroyo | UD 12/12 | 9 |
| 11 | Milan Melindo | IBF Light Flyweight | Akira Yaegashi | TKO 1/12 | 1 |
| 12 | Vic Saludar | WBO Mini Flyweight | Ryuya Yamanaka | UD 12/12 | 1 |
| 13 | Pedro Taduran | IBF Mini Flyweight | Samuel Salva | RTD 4/12 | 1 |
| 14 | Rene Mark Cuarto | IBF Mini Flyweight | Pedro Taduran | UD 12/12 | 1 |
| 15 | Mark Magsayo | WBC Featherweight | Gary Russell Jr. | MD 12/12 | 0 |
| 16 | Melvin Jerusalem | WBO Mini Flyweight | Masataka Taniguchi | TKO 2/12 | 0 |
Nonito Donaire and Donnie Nietes are the only active Filipino boxers who have won 5 different weight category championships and are still going strong. However, young players like Mark Magsayo, John Reil Casemiro, and Marlon Tapales are the new faces of Filipino Boxing and have loads of expectations to bring different championships for their country.
While Marlon Tapales is the only Filipino on the List of Current Filipino World Boxing Champions in the Bantamweight category.