For a few hours, everything appeared to be falling into place for Eumir Marcial.
He had just delivered the kind of performance the Philippine delegation needed from one of its biggest Asian Games medal hopes, stopping Omar Ulises Huerta in the third round of their scheduled eight-round middleweight bout at Pechanga Arena in San Diego on Sunday, Sept. 20 (Philippine time).
The next stop was supposed to be Nagoya, Japan. That plan, however, changed before Marcial could make the trip.
The Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) confirmed that the 30-year-old Zamboanga native would not compete at the 20th Asian Games after determining that the turnaround from his latest bout was too demanding.
"I spoke to Eumir right after winning his professional fight earlier. After carefully considering the situation, Eumir and I agreed that it would be better to skip the Asian Games," ABAP president Marcus Manalo said in a statement released by Philippine Olympic Committee media.
It was a significant development for a Philippine squad assembled with the ambition of ending a gold-medal drought that has stretched back to 2010.
Marcial had seemingly done his part. He came out unscathed against Huerta, finishing the Mexican-American with a counter right hook that landed flush on the chin to improve his professional record to 8-0 with five knockouts.
ABAP had also prepared for the possibility that he would immediately head to Japan. Manalo had previously confirmed that the federation booked his flight from Los Angeles to Nagoya, where he was scheduled to compete in the 80kg division at Nishio Gymnasium on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
The timetable, though, left little margin for error.
Marcial would have had only a few days to recover from his latest contest, make the long journey from the United States to Japan and adjust to a 16-hour time difference before stepping into another high-level tournament.
"Boxing is a physically demanding and inherently risky sport, and adequate time to rest and recover is extremely important, and we do not want to compromise Eumir's health and safety because of the tight timeline," Manalo shared.
Marcial's absence could come at a cost not just at the expense of Philippines' medal prospects, but also from the fact that late withdrawals are technically not allowed and potentially subject to sanctions from the Olympic Council of Asia. These range from a warning or other administrative measure to more serious penalties under its regulations.
The fact of the matter is that Marcial was not simply another name on the roster.
He is a Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist who also owns two Asian Games medals, winning bronze as a middleweight in Jakarta-Palembang in 2018 before taking silver in the light heavyweight division at the Hangzhou edition in 2023.
He was also entering the quadrennial showcase with momentum after another victory in the professional ranks.
His absence removes one of the Philippines' most established contenders at a time when every medal opportunity carries added significance.
Still, there is another side to the equation.
Professional boxing and the Olympic-style format used at the Asian Games may share the same fundamentals, but the demands are markedly different. Preparation, pacing, recovery and the way a fighter manages successive matches all require a different approach.
Marcial had just completed a professional boxing contest. The tournament in Japan would have required him to shift almost immediately into a different competitive environment at 80kg.
The issue was not whether he wanted to lace up a pair of gloves. It was whether his body would have enough time to make that transition safely.
According to Manalo, the answer was ultimately no.
"Eumir himself was very much looking forward to the opportunity to represent the flag once again. This is therefore a difficult decision for everyone involved," he stated. "His commitment to Philippine boxing and to representing the country has never been in question."
The outcome leaves the Philippines with six fighters: Olympic medalists Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas and Carlo Paalam, alongside Riza Pasuit, Junmilardo Ogayre and Norlan Petecio.
It is still a formidable group, but the withdrawal changes the complexion of the medal hunt.
Filipino boxers have accounted for 15 of the country's 71 Asian Games gold medals. None, however, has stood atop the podium since Rey Saludar won the 52kg division at the 2010 Guangzhou Games.
That is the drought this group is trying to end.
Marcial will have other opportunities to continue his national team journey.
The Aichi-Nagoya Games are not a direct LA28 qualification event, with World Boxing's published pathway beginning with the 2027 World Championships in Kazakhstan before the continental and global qualifiers.
He is also confirmed to suit up at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Riyadh from Dec. 11 to 21.
For Philippine boxing, his absence is both a competitive setback and a decision rooted in the realities of the sport.
The gold-medal chase continues in Nagoya, but it will have to proceed without one of the country's most proven pugilists.