On this day...
2015-Amnat Ruenroeng (14-0, 5) vs Shiming Zou (6-0, 1) Former amateur rivalries that boil into the pro ranks aren't that rare, but they are nice to see, especially at the very top level. One notable all-Asian rivalry that began in the amateurs and flowed into the professional scene was the rivalry between Amnat Ruenroeng and Zou Shiming, who fought several times in the amateurs before meeting in 2015 as professionals. The bout saw amnat Ruenroeng travel to Macao and surprisingly over-come Shiming, in a foul fest, to retain the IBF Flyweight title. Shiming would later claim the WBO title, but not have the success he was expected to have as a professional, and lost the title in his first defense. 2010-Jomthong Chuwatana (0-0) vs Chartthai Chumpaetour (0-0) Thai Jomthong Chuwatana didn't have a prolonged boxing career, but it was certainly a notable one, winning the OPBF title in his third fight, scoring notable wins over Dong Hyuk Kim, Ronlad Pontilla and Daiki Kaneko and going to challenge Takashi Uchiyama. The Thai was a former Muay Thai standout, and his professional boxing career began in 2010, when he stopped fellow debutant Chartthai Chumpaetour inside a round in 2010. 1970-Dong Kyun Yum (0-0) vs Jong Ho Lee (0-0) Another debut on this day came in 1970 when a 19 year old Dong Kyun Yum began his career with a 4 round decision win against Jong Ho Lee. Yum would go on to have a long career for a Korean, fighting 66 times in a little over a decade. During his career he would go on to claim the South Korean Super, OPBF and WBC Super Bantamweight titles, winning the WBC title from Royal Kobayashi. Interestingly Lee has no other recorded bouts.
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On this day...
2015-Knockout CP Freshmart (16-0, 7) Vs Toto Landero (10-1-2, 2) Thailand's Knockout CP Freshmart made his 4th defense of the WBA Minimumweight as he over-came Filipino challenger Toto Landero. The Filipino put up a much better than the scorecards suggest, but it was a fair win for Knockout who still holds the title today, having made 2 more defenses of the belt and solidified his place as one of the best in the division. 2004-Veeraphol Sahaprom (40-1-2, 27) v Toshiaki Nishioka (23-3-3, 14) IV The 4th and final meeting between Thai great Veeraphol Sahaprom, the then WBC Bantamweight champion, and Toshiaki Nishioka, a future WBC Super Bantamweight champion, took place on this day in 2004. Sadly for Nishioka he would again come up short against the Thai great, who went unbeaten against Nishioka during their 4 fight series. Veeraphol, who won 2 and drew 2 against his Japanese foe, would actually lose the title 13 months later, when he lost to Hozumi Hasegawa. As for Nishioka he would finally claim a world title in late 2008. On the same show Oscar Larios (50-3-1, 35 at the time) would defend the WBC Super Bantamweight title against Shigeru Nakazato (24-6, 18 at the time) and Julio Zarate (20-2-1, 13) would defeat Hideki Todaka (21-3-1, 10) in a WBA "interim" Bantamweight title bout. 1993-Pichit Sithbanprachan (15-0, 12) vs Antonio Perez (37-3-4, 24) Unbeaten Thai Pichit Sithbanprachan made his first defense of the IBF Flyweight title when he scored a 4th round TKO win over experienced Mexican Antonio Perez. The Mexican was holding his own prior to the stoppage, but Sithbanprachan was too strong and when he got going he would stop Perez. Perez would later return to Thailand to challenge Saman Sorjaturong in 1996, losing in 4 rounds to the then WBC Light Flyweight champion. Sithbanprachan on the other hand would record 4 more defenses before retiring, then he mounted a couple of short comebacks before walking away with a 24-0 (18) record. On this day... 2016-Ruslan Chagaev (34-2-1, 21) vs Lucas Browne (23-0, 20) The WBA Heavyweight title scene has been a total mess since Ruslan Chagaev beat Fres Oquendo in July 2014, with Oquendo still owed a world title fight due to winning a legal following that bout. Yes we know how stupid that situation is. Things haven't really tidied themselves up, and in 2016, whilst Oquendo was still awaiting a shot, we saw Chagaev, from Uzbekistan, face off with Lucas Browne. Chagaev would have a comfortable lead as we entered the later stages, but would be dropped and later stopped in round 10 by Browne. The loss would end Chagaev's career, but Browne was unable on the win due to a controversial failed drugs test, that kept him out of the ring for over a year. 2015-Knockout CP Freshmart (9-0, 5) Vs v Muhammad Rachman (65-11-5, 35) Unbeaten Thai would Knokcout CP Freshmart scored his first defense of the WBA "interim" Middleweight title, as he out pointed former 2-time world champion Muhammad Rachman. The bout wasn't a memorable one, though most Knockout bouts aren't, but was a clear win over a tough but faded former champion. 2011-Shinsuke Yamanaka (13-0-2, 9) vs Ryosuke Iwasa (8-0, 6) We don't often talk about national titles fights in this section of the site, but we thought it worthy of making an exception for this Japanese Bantamweight fight between future world champions. The bout saw Shinsuke Yamanaka, the future WBC Bantamweight champion, making his first defense of the Japanese title against Ryosuke Iwasa, a future IBF Super Bantamweight champion. This bout would be a thriller, with both men being hard hitting southpaw, each hurting the other and it was amazingly close as we went to the final stages. A real classic one well worthy of a watch if you've never seen it. As you'll know, Yamanaka won, and would become the WBC champion 8 months later, but it's still worthy of a watch. On this day... 2017-Nawaphon Por Chockchai (36-0-1, 28) Vs Juan Hernandez Navarrete (33-2, 24) The then unbeaten Thai fighter Nawaphon Por Chockchai took on Mexican foe Juan Hernandez Navarrete in a bout for the WBC Flyweight title. Sadly for Nawaphon he was made to look slow, sluggish and very poor before being stopped by the Mexican in 3 rounds. It should be noted that the Thai has since moved up through the weights, and has recently moved to Bantamweight, and seemed to validate that he was struggling to make Flyweight. Incidentally Navarette would be stripped of the title before his first defense, due to failing to make weight. 2016-Shinsuke Yamanaka (24-0-2, 17) vs Liborio Solis (23-3-1, 10) One of the most entertaining of Shinsuke Yamanaka's many WBC Bantamweight title defenses saw him trading knockdowns with Liborio Solis, in what was a really tense and exciting contest. Both were dropped twice in the bout, with Yamanaka being put down twice in round 3, but in the end it was a clear decision for Yamanaka, who began to boxing to strengths as the bout went on. 2016-Yu Kimura (18-2-1, 3) Vs Ganigan Lopez (31-6, 18) On the same show as Yamana's win over Solis there was a really notable second world title bout, that saw Mexican veteran Ganigan Lopez defeat Japan's Yu Kimura over 12 rounds to become the new WBC Light Flyweight title. The bout seemed like a clear win for Lopez though one judge managed to have the bout even. This wouldn't just end Kimura's world title reign but also his career, and he retired following this loss. 1971-Hiroshi Kobayashi (60-8-4, 10) vs Ricardo Arredondo (55-4, 39) One of the true legends of Japanese boxing, Hiroshi Kobayashi, successfully defended the WBA Super Featherweight title against Mexican challenger Ricardo Arredondo. This bout would be a close but unanimous decision for Kobayashi, though he would lose the belt in his next defense, being stopped by Alfredo Marcano. On this day...
2016-Wahneng Menayothin (40-0, 15) Vs Go Odaira (12-4-3, 1) It's hard to believe that as we write this Wanheng Menayothin is the longest reigning active world champion, having held the WBC Minimumweight title for well over 4 years and having amassed 11 defenses. The 4th of those defenses came against Japanese challenger Go Odaira, who was getting his second world title fight following a loss to Katsunari Takayama. The Japanese challenger would show his speed early on but would be stopped in the 5th round as Wanheng moved his record to 41-0. As we write this Wanheng is now 52-0 whilst Odaira appears to have retired, with a record of 13-6-3. 2007-Chris John (38-0-1, 20) vs Jose Rojas (24-5-1, 16) II Wanheng isn't the only Asian world champion to have had a long reign or a long unbeaten record. Another, that came before him, was Indonesian icon Chris John, who would go 48-0-3 before suffering his first loss. The first make on John's record was a technical draw against Jose Rojas in 2004. The two would rematch on this day in 2007, with John being the clear winner. Rojas would be dropped twice en route to a wide decision loss to John. After this Rojas would fight just twice more before retiring whilst John would go 48-1-3 (22) before hanging up the gloves after his first, and only, loss. 1996-Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (12-2-1, 10) Vs Daniel Zaragoza (51-7-3, 26) I In the 1990's there wasn't a fighter in Japan with the popularity of Joichiro Tatsuyoshi, who was the star of Japan due to his style and charisma. In 1996 he attempted to become a 2-weight champion, challenging Mexican veteran Daniel Zaragoza. Sadly for Tatsuyoshi he would suffer an 11th round TKO loss to the Mexican. A rematch the following year saw Zaragoza take a clear decision over Tatsuyoshi who would scoring a career defining win later in 1997 when he stopped Sirimongkol Singwancha. 1989-Morris East (0-0) Vs Jessie Miranda (0-0) Few fighters debut at the age of 15 but that's exactly what Morris East did in 1989, when he scored a 6th round TKO win over Jessie Miranda. East's career would have it's highlight in 1992, when he upset big punching Japanese fighter Akinobu Hiranaka to become the WBA Light Welterweight champion, at the age of 19, becoming the youngest world Filipino with that win. Amazingly East's in ring career would come to an end in 1995 with his last bout being a decision over Robert Azumah. On this day...
2017-Shinsuke Yamanaka (26-0-2, 18) vs Carlos Carlson (22-1, 13) "God's Left" Shinsuke Yamanaka would become one of the biggest names in Japanese boxing during his lengthy WBC Bantamweight reign, and would manage to make his way on to the Ring Magazin pound for pound top 10. His final successful defense, his 12th, saw him stopping the horrifically over-matched Carlos Carlson in 7 rounds at the Kokugikan. The bout was a mismatch from the moment it was signed and the ending really was just a case of putting Carlson out of his misery. Sadly Yamanaka would lose his next 2 bouts before retiring. Carlson however is still active and has slipped from 22-1 to 23-5, with a recent loss to Genesis Servania. 2012-Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (83-3-2, 43) Vs Sonny Boy Jaro (33-10-5, 23) In one of the biggest upsets in recent memory Pongsaklek Wonjongkam had his second WBC Flyweight title reign come to an end at the hands of Filipino journeyman Sonny Boy Jaro. Wonjongkam had travelled to Japan and taken the belt from Koki Kameda less than 2 years prior to this bout, he had defended it against stiff competition, beating Suriyan Sor Rungvisai, Takuya Kogawa and Edgar Sosa, but was surprised by Jaro who decked him several times on route to a 6th round TKO win over the Thai. This would be the final world title bout for Wonjongkam. 2001-Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (38-2, 21) Vs Malcolm Tunacao (11-0-1, 7) Exactly 11 years before being shocked by Jaro we actually saw Pongsaklek Wonjongkam in his very first world title bout, blitzing Filipino tough guy Malcolm Tunacao inside the opening round. Tunacao was looking to make his second defense, following a draw with Celes Kobayashi, but was stopped by the Thai challenger after 2 minutes 42 seconds of the opening round. Amazingly Tunacao would go 25-2-2 after this bout, with his only other stoppage being a 12th round TKO to Shinsuke Yamnaka in 2013! In a way it is a rather odd coincidence that Wonjongkam's first and final world title bouts came exactly 11 years apart. 1989-Suriyan Sor Runvisai's birthday Rather fittingly Suriyan Sor Rungvisai, one og Wonjongkam's title challengers, was born on this day in 1989. He was 12 when Wonjongkam won the title in 2001, and would challenge his countryman in 2010 before later winning the WBC Super Flyweight title. Suriyan's career as the top was short but he would take the Super Flyweight title form Tomjas Rojas and defend it against Nobuo Nashiro, before losing to Yota Sato. He would late go on to challenge Shinsuke Yamanaka in 2014, in what ties all of this together rather nicely! On this day...
2018-Shinsuke Yamanaka (27-1-2, 19) Vs Luis Nery (25-0, 19) II Following his WBC Bantamweight world title win in 2011 Shinsuke Yamanaka had become one of the biggest faces in Japanese boxing and had impressive run up 12 successive world title defenses, just 1 short of the national record of 13 by Yoko Gushiken. He would lose the belt in late 2017 to Luis Nery, who would later fail a drug test but manage to keep the title. The two would rematch on this day 2018, with Nery again beating Yamanaka, though he had lost the belt on the scales by coming in at 121lbs. This would turn out to be Yamanaka's final bout before he retired at the age of 35. 2017-Knockout CP Freshmart (14-0, 6) Vs Go Odaira (13-5-3, 1) In the summer of 2016 Thailand's Knockout CP Freshmart beat Byron Rojas to become the undisputed WBA Minimumweight champion, having previously been their interim title holder. In his second defense Knockout took on former Japanese national challenger Go Odaira, who was getting his third world title fight, having been stopped by Katsunari Takayama and Wanheng Menayothin in bouts. 1987-Myung Woo Yuh (22-0, 5) Vs Eduardo Tunon (13-1, 6) Legendary Korean fighter Myung Woo Yuh had won the WBA Light Flyweight title in December 1985. After scoring 3 defenses he would take on Panama's Eduardo Tunon, who would be stopped inside the opening round by Yuh, in what was amazingly Yuh's only win in the first round. Tunon would go 2-3 afterwards, before retiring with a 15-5 record. Yuh on the other hand would go on to have an historic career, amassing a 38-1 (14) record and earning a place in the IBHOF. |
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