By Keith Idec
On paper, Abie Han and Glen Tapia appear very evenly matched.
Han, of El Paso, Texas, has a 19-0 record, including 12 knockouts. Tapia, of Passaic, N.J., is 18-0 and has 10 knockouts. The prospects have faced similar levels of opposition in pro careers that began a year apart and both boxers are promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc.
Han still feels like the ‘B’ side as their high-stakes, 10-round junior middleweight match Friday night in Las Vegas draws near.
“Glen Tapia has had his fights aired [on TV] and been on YouTube, and he’s been a big hit,” Han said. “Top Rank hasn’t provided crap for me. Top Rank, they haven’t promoted me well for this [fight]. They don’t put any of my videos up. I fight just as much as Glen Tapia and I’ve been with Top Rank for a long time. They don’t put my tapes on YouTube. They don’t promote me.
“We’ve had a couple fights here in El Paso; they don’t put me on. They try to throw me to the wolves. They want Glen Tapia to beat me because he’s a younger guy. He’s 23 years old. I’m 28. He’s fresh. He had the big amateur success. I didn’t. Everyone can tell that they want Glen Tapia to win. I’m not only going to have to win, I’m going to have to dominate this fight and take control because everybody knows who they want to win. It’s Glen.”
Top Rank matchmaker Brad Goodman was caught off guard with Han's complaints.
"This is the first time that I'm hearing any of this. Han is good kid and a talented fighter. As far as I'm concerned there is no problem between him and Top Rank," Goodman told BoxingScene.com.
Han's strong feelings and insinuations aside, both he and Tapia have been presented with the same opportunity Friday night, when ESPN2 will televise their battle as the opener of a “Friday Night Fights” doubleheader from Texas Station Hotel & Casino (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). The winner will make the tough transition from prospect to contender by winning the NABO’s 154-pound title and earning a top-10 spot in the WBO’s junior middleweight rankings.
Like Tapia, Han expects the most difficult fight of his pro career.
“This is a big step up for me,” Han said. “This is a make-or-break fight for me because I’ve put so many years into this sport. … The winner’s going to have a big break, be ranked in the top 10 in the WBO, have an opportunity to fight the big boys in the division. But the loser is going to have to start all over again, from scratch. I’ve dedicated too much time and too much energy to let that slip, so come Friday night I’m going to let everything loose, because there’s no tomorrow for me.”
Han estimates that he lost slightly more than half of his 150 amateur boxing matches, beginning at age 13. A fourth-degree black belt in four martial arts disciplines, Han didn’t make his pro boxing debut until he was 23, largely because he wasn’t completely committed to the sport. He fought three times as a professional kickboxer before shifting his focus strictly to his boxing career early in 2008.
Tapia, meanwhile, went 130-13 during a 10-year amateur career that included a USA Boxing Junior Olympic national title at 145 pounds in July 2006. He turned pro two days after his 19th birthday and has since served as Manny Pacquiao’s primary sparring partner prior to Pacquiao’s victory over Antonio Margarito in November 2010.
Han has gained valuable experience by serving as stablemate Austin Trout’s primary sparring partner in recent years, yet he realized after winning his last match March 16 that he needs to test himself against a formidable fighter in a bout that counts if his career ever is to reach the next level. He asked to fight Tapia and Tapia happily obliged.
“I don’t want to do this forever,” Han said. “I’m 28 years old. Let’s see if I’m ready to fight the best. I don’t want to wait and wonder, just keep delaying the inevitable. I want to see if I’m great now. And if I’m not great, then maybe I don’t belong in this sport.
“I don’t want to waste my time. I want to fight the best. I want to be the best. The only way to do it is fight the best, so why wait two years, three years? I’m 28. I need to find out now. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a while and I’m glad that Glen gave me the opportunity, so we can both push our careers and take it to the next level.”
Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
