Top Rank nabs junior middleweight prospect Glen Tapia
Following a more than impressive run as Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partner in Baguio City, Philippines, junior middleweight Glen Tapia has found himself in a four-year promotional contract with Top Rank Inc.
Tapia (7-0, 5 KOs), will remain co-promoted by the Union City based Pound-for-Pound Promotions, and will see more action from Top Rank as he continues to improve his record.
The signing is expected to provide the rising star with the promotional platform to become a well-known and marketable boxing brand, insuring a move up the ranks and to success.
"He’s a very promising fighter and he’s a very lovely young man," Top Rank CEO Bob Arum confirmed. "He’s the kind of guy we want in our program, so we made an arrangement with [manager] Pat [Lynch]. He’s going to be a Top Rank fighter."
After seeing Tapia duke it out with "Pacman" in Baguio City, Arum couldn’t help but be impressed by the 20-year old, who was clearly able to hold his own and remind Pacquiao of a thing or two.
Roach and Arum strategically looked Tapia up to train with Pacquiao in light of his upcoming November 13 bout with Antonio Margarito. Tapia is naturally bigger than Pacquiao, and utilizes a slugging style, making him comparable to the bigger Margarito.
"They needed a young guy, a prospect, who was just a little bit faster," Tapia stated. "[They] said that the first name that came up [...] was me. So they called me up and that was it. This is a great opportunity for me […] I’m just happy to be going to
the Philippines and being Pacquiao’s main sparring partner."
Speaking of Tapia’s time in Baguio, Arum said, "I thought that he handled himself very professionally and he fit right in. The people with Pacquiao, and Pacquiao himself, are crazy about him. He’s one of these kinds of kids that is tremendously likeable.
And he is very hard-working."
Tapia fights this Saturday, 30 October, in a non-televised six round bout.
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