World Boxing Champions Promotions
Filipino boxing star Eumir Felix Marcial has announced a temporary halt to his professional career as he shifts full focus toward representing the Philippines in his pursuit of Olympic gold at the Paris 2024 Games.
The 27-year-old from Zamboanga City, who captured a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, will join the Philippine National Boxing Team’s training camp in Canberra, Australia, as part of his preparation for upcoming Olympic qualifiers.
Marcial, unbeaten as a professional at 4-0 (2 KOs), is scheduled to compete in the Hangzhou Asian Games from September 23 to October 8, a key qualifying event for Paris 2024. Qualification standards have tightened, with only the finalists in each weight class earning Olympic berths.
Adding to the challenge, Marcial will campaign at 80kg (light heavyweight) after the 75kg middleweight division, where he earned Olympic bronze in Tokyo, was removed from the Hangzhou competition.
“I’ve made a decision to realign my focus and withdraw from my upcoming professional fight,” Marcial said. “My commitment is to represent the Philippines at the Paris 2024 Olympics.”
Marcial expressed gratitude to his professional team—MP Promotions and TGB Promotions—for supporting his Olympic ambitions despite existing professional commitments.
“I’m currently undergoing rigorous training in Las Vegas and preparing for the Hangzhou Asian Games with the full support of my promoters,” Marcial added. “Moving up to light heavyweight shows my determination to conquer new challenges in my amateur career.”
Promoter Sean Gibbons, president of MP Promotions, confirmed that Marcial has the full backing of Manny Pacquiao, Al Haymon, and all parties involved.
“Eumir has the blessing of Manny Pacquiao and everyone around his professional career to pursue his Olympic dream,” Gibbons said. “We look forward to him bringing Olympic glory to the Philippines.”
Since turning professional in 2020, Marcial has balanced the pro ranks with elite amateur competition. He scored decision wins over Andrew Whitfield and Steven Pichardo, and earned stoppage victories against Isiah Hart and Ricardo Ruben Villalba.
One of his most memorable pro outings came in just his second bout, when Marcial stopped Hart in the fourth round of a dramatic firefight despite suffering three knockdowns earlier in the contest. The resilience and composure shown that night offered valuable experience early in his career.
At the time they faced Marcial, his first four professional opponents carried a combined record of 37-12-2, underscoring the level of competition he encountered.
Marcial’s amateur résumé is highlighted by his Tokyo Olympic bronze medal, where he narrowly lost a thrilling semifinal bout to top-seeded Ukrainian Oleksandr Khyzhniak, who went on to claim silver. Another major milestone came in 2019, when Marcial earned a silver medal at the World Boxing Championships.
With professional momentum paused and Olympic focus sharpened, Eumir Felix Marcial now embarks on the most demanding phase of his amateur journey. A strong run at the Hangzhou Asian Games could place him one step away from realizing his ultimate goal—standing atop the Olympic podium for the Philippines in Paris.