Chang Ho Choi

Korean boxing isn't what is once was, but at it's best it really was highlighted by action fighters, with much of the training in Korea based less on the skills and slick boxing and more on power, aggression and excitement. Several notable trainers in the country realised that making fighters exciting was just as important to the development of the sport and it's fan base as creating talented fighters. The links of Jung Koo Chang, In Chul Baek and Sung Kil Moon provided excitement time and time again.
 
Another exciting Korea, though one who is now often forgotten, is Chang Ho Choi (15-6, 12)* who holds a few peculiar distinctions though is now far too often forgotten when we look back on the Korean fight scene.
 
Choi would begin his professional journey in 1982, just a couple of months before his 19th birthday. He would face fellow novice Chang Young Chang who took a decision over the debut. Although not a well known fighter himself Chang had made his own debut 7 months earlier, against Myung Woo Yuh, and would later face future world champions Jum Hwan Choi and Bong Jun Kim in his short career.

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After losing on debut Choi would be away from the ring for well over 2 years, before returning to face Hwang Sik Hwang. Hwang, who was making his debut, was stopped in the third round. Choi would build on that win by scoring 4 more wins in 1985, including 3 in 5 days in December, to advance to the Korean Rookie of the Year final at the start of 1986.
 
On January 12th 1986 Choi would face Yung Hyun Kang in the Korean Rookie of the Year final, and would score a 2nd round KO over his countryman to win the Flyweight crown. Not only was he the Rookie of the Year but he would also claim the Rookie of the Year Excellence Award as well. 
 
Despite having a great start to 1986 the year wasn't a perfect one for Choi who would lost in May to Ha Shik Lim, losing an 8 round decision to his countryman. The loss to Lim was his sole setback during a very busy year that saw him going 7-1 (7). Not only was he busy, but he was also destructive, needing a combined 22 rounds from his 7 wins, and 30 combined rounds for his 8 bouts.
 
The good run through 1986 had seen Choi move up the Korean rankings and he would begin 1987 with a fight against Korean national champion Huk Kook Chae. Chae was a tough fighter, and proved that by surviving 10 rounds with Choi, though would lose a decision as Choi claimed his first professional title.
 
Despite winning the Korean title Choi wouldn't hold it for long, vacating the belt to focus on a world title bout. That would title bout would come on September 5th 1987, as he travelled to the Philippines to face Dodie Boy Penalosa for the IBF Flyweight title. Notably Penalosa had claimed the title from Hi Sup Shin on the same show that Chang had won the Korean title. 
 
Interestingly on the same day that Choi and Penalosa faced off Choi's countryman Rae Ki Ahn had travelled to Thailand to challenge WBC Flyweight champion Sot Chitalada. Had both Korean's won they would have had a strangle hold on the division with 2 of the 3 champions. Sadly for Korean boxing Ahn would lose to Chitalada in 4 rounds, Choi however would over-come some adversity to stop Penalosa in the 11th round.
 
Penalosa had been in a comfortable lead before being dropped from a series of clean head shots and took the 10 count in his corner. At the time of the stoppage Choi was a long way behind on two of the score-cards, 99-91, he had gone beyond 10 rounds for the first time in his career and had been deducted a point in round 8 for leading with the head. There was still several rounds left, with the bout being one of the final 15 round world title bouts, but it was felt that the longer it went the harder things would be for Choi, as Penalosa had gone 12 or more rounds in 5 bouts. Choi however managed to make his heavy hands count in scoring the knockout. This would lead to Korea having 6 IBF champions, including Chong Pal Pak, Lee Seung Hoon and Kyung Yung Lee.
  
Sadly for Choi his reign was a short one, losing the belt by split decision in his first defense to Rolando Bohol, in the Philippines. The bout was a razor thin one, though unsurprisingly the Korean official had Choi in the lead after 15 rounds. This loss was just over 4 months after Choi's career defining victory and ended his reign. Incidentally this loss in 1988 would mark the start of the Korea turning their back on the IBF and by the end of the year the IBF had left Korea and none of the champions remained.
 
Following his title loss Choi would bounce back with a win over novice Yong Koo Kang, in what was a confidence builder before he took on Thai great Khaosai Galaxy in October 1988. The bout was Galaxy's only bout in Korea, and only his second bout outside of Thailand, but he showed what he could do on the road. He had clearly been leading after 7 rounds but would finish the bout by stopping Choi in the 8th round.
 
Things get a little bit interesting here when it comes to Choi's career, and a little divisive. On Boxrec's record Choi would be out of the ring from his loss to Galaxy, in October 1988 to December 1989, when he lost a decision to Felix Enero and then retired. Korean sources however list an additional bout between them.
 
That additional bout took place on June 25th, on a card that Boxrec recognises, and saw Choi losing to Kwang Bok Lim by 8 round decision. This bout is recognised as having taken place by both the KBF and those behind BoxingM though, at the time of writing, is absent from Choi's boxrec and Wikipedia pages, in English, Thai and Japanese.
 
After losing to Enero in December 1989 Choi would retire, and leave boxing altogether. He would later become involved in the insurance industry and receive and award for his work at Shinhan Life Insurance in 1996, having started work there in 1994. Sadly details of his more recent life haven't been easy to find.
 
(Image courtesy of the KBF)