Sometimes we can get super excited by a fighter at a young age after they win what feels like a break out fight. When they come from a country lacking boxing stars it can be easy to get too excited too quickly. Sadly that's what happened in 2015 with an Indonesian fighter. Despite the fact things didn't work out as hoped the fight that made him such an exciting prospect was a sensational fight away in Thailand. Today we are going to look at that bout in our latest "Closet Classic". Petchchorhae Kokietgym (13-0, 8) vs Iwan Zoda (6-1, 5) II In October 2014 Thailand's Petchchorhae Kokietgym took a 6 round decision over the very young Iwan Zoda. The bout was Zoda's second as a professional and Petchchorhae's eighth. Despite winning the bout Petchchorhae really seemed to be outshone by the then 18 year old Zoda. Almost a year later the two men clashed once again. In between the two bouts Petchchorhae had reeled off 5 more wins, picking up a minor WBC title along the way. He hwadn't really stepped up his competition during that time but had been busy and getting some in ring experience whilst also getting a chance to physically match a bit. He slowly, but surely, starting to create some momentum in Thailand, and was becoming a regular on the Kokiet promoted events through Thailand. Of course Petchchorhae wasn't the only one who had been busy and Zoda had also reeled off 5 wins since losing to Petchchorhae. As with the Thai Zoda had been fighting low level opponents at home, getting some ring time and physically maturing. So much so that his team seemed confident when they landed a rematch with the Thai just 11 months after their first clash. This time around it wasn't just a rematch, there was more at steak than just price. The winner would also become the "interim" WBO Asia Pacific Flyweight champion, taking them a huge step towards a much bigger bout. The opening round saw the two men getting to know each other and looking to establish their distance and tempo. This was clearly round 1 of fight #2 and now round 7 of their rivalry. Petchchorhae was looking to make the most of his southpaw stance and control the ring with his jab, whislt Zoda showed surprising patience and composure for an 18 year old on away soil. By the end of the first round the tempo had began to increase, with Petchchorhae finding confidence in his straight left hand and Zoda starting to get more comfortable in the ring. From there on the bout seemed to begin to quickly warm into something a bit special. Round 2 saw the action increase notably with Zoda taking the fight to Petchchorhae much more often than he had in the opening round. He was forcing the Thai back and making Petchchorhae pick his spots much more carefully. Round 3 saw the tempo increase again as Zoda's confidence and aggression picked up, despite the fact the teenager ate some huge counter shots as his defensive flaws were punished. At the end of the round the momentum seemed to shift in favour of Petchchorhae, who was hammering Zoda at the bell. Within just 3 rounds we had seen several major shifts in momentum, and they wouldn't stop there! Zoda looked to regain control at the start of round 4, something he struggled to do as Petchchorhae forced him on to the ropes. Despite being backed up Zoda landed some brilliant body shots, and showed real toughness when he was caught clean by some very solid blows. By the end of the round Petchchorhae was on his toes, likely realising that a toe-to-toe was wasn't going to be a bright idea. The Thai remained on the move in round 5, though was using a lot of energy, and being caught by some heavy leather from the Indonesian teenager. From here on the bout just got better and better. It always looked like Petchchorhae was the better athlete, the more correctly trained fighter and the smarter boxer. Zoda however was looking like a super strong and incredibly determined fighter, unwilling to accept another loss to the Thai. Zoda had an excellent round 6, as his pressure began to tell, but Petchchorhae some how stood up through it, saw out the round before firing back in the second half of a brutal round 7, by which point Zoda was starting to slow down himself. Although neither man was a technical genius, and this is certainly not boxing chess, they put on an all thriller that got better and better as it went on. For two youngsters so early in their career they went on to give us a truly sensational bout and one that really did swing back and forth. This also had the added twist of being in Thailand, where judges are notoriously harsh on the visitors and where funny business could be seen with officials and time keepers. Sit back and enjoy a true closet classic!
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For this week's Closet Classic we're heading over to Illinois for a 2007 Light Flyweight clash that had action, drama, controversy, skills, and some great back and forth. Despite being a memorable clash at the time the bout has, sadly, been somewhat forgotten by the passing of time, and the drama we saw unfurl that day has failed to live on in the minds of many fans. With that said we take great delight in sharing the bout as part of this Closet Classic series. Rodel Mayol (23-1, 18) vs Ulises Solis (24-1, 18) Although not too well remembered now a days Filipino fighter Rodel Mayol was one of the notable little men from the 2000's and early 2010's. He was a some what crude boxer-puncher, with solid power, a rough side to him and some clumsy awkwardness. Although never the best fighter out there he typically a very dangerous fighter, though one who did struggle against the top fighters. By August 2007 he was 23-1 (18) with his sole loss coming to Den Junlaphan in 2006, in what was a WBC Minimumweight title bout. Following that loss he moved up in weight and began to pursue a Light Flyweight world title. In Mayol's first Light Flyweight world title bout he faced off with IBF champion Ulises "Archie" Solis. Solis was a tremendous boxer, with a great boxing mind, great ring control and solid, if somewhat unspectacular, punching power. He knew how to box, he had enough oomph on his punches to keep opponents honest and up to this point had shown very few flaws. His sole loss was a decision to the now often forgotten Nelson Dieppa. He had won the IBF title in 2006, dethroning Well Grigsby, and had scored 4 defenses in 18 months, beating the likes of Eric Ortiz, Grigsby and Jose Antonio Aguirre. He was regarded as one of the very best in the division, and not just some random title holder. The bouts wasn't just Mayol's first Light Flyweight title bout but also his US debut, and he was looking to win a world title and make his mark on a US audience. As with many Light Flyweight bouts this started relatively fast and within the first minute we had seen both throwing some heavy leather, rather than just looking to jab their win into things. For the most part the big shots weren't landing but they were being thrown, with neither man quite quite having their accuracy down. Sadly the crowd, who were there to see some much bigger names on the show, were getting on the fighter's backs very quickly with whistles which were overshadowing a relatively decent, though not sensational, opening round. Thankfully the crowd were, eventually, won over by the final moments of the round as both began to put their foot on the gas a little bit more. In round 2 both men began to zone in a bit more, with Solis landing several heavy shots as Mayol began to press more. Solis was getting the better of it, but Mayol was landing some solid shots himself, as the fans began to slowly buy into the action. It was a technical battle, but it was a tense one, and one that saw both men having moments in exchanges and saw some really nice counter shots from Solis. Mayol was getting more aggressive in round 3 as the even and competitive action continued to build. The action was clean, it was explosive and although Solis kept control of the range it looked like Mayol's power could be an issue at any moment. The main problem for Mayol was he was struggling to set his big shots up, and Solis was usually getting the last word in on any exchange, usually a stinging left hook. With Solis looking like he was getting a grip on the Filipino and getting in control it seemed clear that Mayol needed to change tactics and in round 4 he did begin the to have more moments, including a really eye catching combination mid way through the round. He also managed to leave Solis with a nick around the eye and looked like he was finally starting build some momentum against the excellent champion. Then momentum of Mayol was slowed in round 5 as he began to look for a 1-punch KO and was countered by Solis who seemed to click again. But then we got the drama in round in round 6. The round saw both men starting well, despite facial damage showing on both. Mayol seemed to be backed up at one point in the middle of the round and took some solid shots from Solis, who seemed very much on point through much of the round. Mayol however turned things around when he landed a brutal left hook that rocked Solis to his core. Solis would go down moments later and the referee somehow failed to rule it as a knockdown. Mayol saw his chance and went for the kill giving us a thrilling round round as Mayol seemed to be on the verge of turning things around. We'll leave the bout here, after that big Mayol round for you to enjoy without spoiling the result. For those who like technical stuff this has plenty of that. Solis was technically brilliant he boxed so well through out the bout and looked like a little boxing genius at times. Mayol looked crude and lazy but like a dynamite puncher and he seemed to show that power in round 6, and in round 7, as he forced Solis to dig deep. The momentum had been with Solis early, Mayol then turned it around in his favour and proved he could hurt Solis. Despite a slow start it got going and became a very, very enjoyable contest that is really worth watching, despite the early whistling from the crowd. This isn't an all out war. It's not a none stop action battle, but it's a wonderfully compelling bout, without ever descending into a slugfest. When we talk about the best Flyweight bouts of the 1990's we have a lot of great bouts to pick from. Today we look at one of those as we bring you the latest in our Closet Classic Series and this is a sadly forgotten gem that ended in brutal fashion after what had been a hard, yet technical and punishing bout between a man seeking his 4th defense and a man looking to prove he belonged at world level. Yuri Arbachakov (12-0, 11) vs Muangchai Kittikasem (20-1, 12) Coming into the bout Thailand's Muangchai Kittikasem was the WBC Flyweight champion and a man who had recorded 3 defenses of the title. Although not a huge name in the west historically he was a excellent and gutsy fighter who had originally made his name at Light Flyweight, where he claimed the IBF title, before moving up in weight. Before moving up he had recorded 3 defenses of the IBF title, prior to losing the belt in 1990 to Michael Carbajal. The move up did him good and he would score 3 of his biggest victories at Flyweight. The first of those was his title win 1991, when he stopped Sot Chitalada, before following that up with a stoppage over Jung Koo Chang and a second win over Chitalada. Although not the quickest, or the most skilled Kittikasem ticked a lot of boxed. He had under-rated speed, a good boxing brain solid power and an incredible will to win. He could be hurt, and could be dropped, but there was no disputing his hunger and desire and he had pulled out a win against Jung Koo Chang despite being dropped 3 times. In the opposite corner was Japanese based Russian fighter Yuri Arbachakov, a fantastic amateur who had joined Kyoei and won his first 12 bouts without many issues. Those wins had included a 1990 win over Rolando Bohol, and a Japanese title win over Takahiro Mizuno. He had been tipped for big things when he turned professional and a world title was almost expected of him when he began his career given how good of an amateur he was. There was however no track record of Russian fighters making a mark on the professional ranks, and whilst he was a real talent, with incredibly heavy hands, there was also lots of questions still to be asked of him. Prior to this bout Arbachakov had only heard the final bell once, and that was in a 10 round decision against the super durable Samanchai Chalermsri. Aside from that Arbachakov's longest bout was a 7th round TKO in his 4th professional bout, with none of the others going beyond round 5. He was destroying people, and sadly he wasn't facing stiff enough competition to really see what he was about. This however was going to be a bout where we found out if Arbachakov had what it took to be a star in the pros, or not. In the opening round we saw technical stuff from both, Arbachakov was using his jab, controlling the distance and using his often under-rated movement to close the distance. Kittikasem on the other hand was being cautious, boxing off the backfoot and trying to see what the Russian had without taking much punishment. The tactics of the Thai saw him land some good counters through the opening round but right on the bell the power of Arbachakov dropped the Thai. The shot came as the bell was ringing and was waved off by the referee. With Kittikasem feeling the power of the challenger at the end of round 1 he picked up his pace notably in round 2. The Thai was again on the back foot, but was a lot more willing to get off the ropes as Arbachakov continues to press in a very intelligent style. A right hand from the challenger with about 40 seconds of the round left instantly saw the tempo rise as we got some thrilling back and forth, but for the most part this was controlled, technical stuff. We got more drama early in round 3 as Arbachakov was dropped. He seemed to be caught by surprise more than hurt but it was a cracking right hand that dropped him as he got a wake up call. Kittikasem wasn't here to just hand over his title. Soon afterwards the Thai was rocked from a couple of huge right hands and the bout got an injection of drama, then it got a larger shot as Kittikasem was dropped. The Thai was badly hurt but showed his grit to make his way through what had been a truly fantastic round. With both men being down in round 3 it was clear both knew their opponent had the power to damage them. From here on the pace began to quicken, with Arbachakov showing what he could do with his movement and jab, and Kittikasem trying to to respond. The Thai would be rocked several times but fired back every time, giving the bout a sense of tension. The champion might have been behind, and taking some big shots, but he wasn't gone and he was dangerous. As the bout unfolded the Thai began to find his range for shots, countering more successfully and even pressing forward himself at times. It was as if his game plan was based around coming on strong and take advantage of Arbachakov's lack of later round experience. This again felt like the bout was shifting momentum, with rounds 7 being a really good round and giving Kittikasem the belief that he could take the fight to the challenger. We won't ruin the bout any further but this is worthy of your time, especially if you like technical boxing, with a sense of drama, heavy shots and momentum switches. It's not the most action packed bout ever, and it's not a slug fest, but it's a very clean, exciting bout, with the feeling that either man could take the other down at a moments notice. Whilst not a war this is a very, very engaging bout, with serious tension through out. In the 1980's Korean boxing had a number of notable stars that really helped make the country a boxing power house. Fighters like Jung Koo Chang and Myung Woo Yuh are obviously two of the biggest names the country had but they are certainly not the only major Korean fighters of the era. They also had two men who made their names much here up the scales, and based their careers around power, toughness and bombs. Today, in this weeks Closet Classic, we look at the time two of the Korean big lads clashed, and gave us something special. Chong Pal Park (46-4-1, 39) Vs In Chul Baek (43-2, 39) In one corner was 28 year old smashed Chong Pal Park. He had struggled early in his career, going 3-1-1 in his first 5, but had built himself a reputation as one of the most destructive fighters of the era. He had won the Korean and OPBF Middleweight titles, before later claiming the OPBF Light Heavyweight title and then, in 1984, he won the IBF Super Middleweight title. He had entered that would title bout with a record of 33-3-1 (31) and was only 23 years old! He went on to make a number of defenses of the IBF title before the later becoming the WBA champion in 1987, though lost that title less than a year later. Though out the later part of Park's career we had seen countryman In Chul Baek make his mark and fight himself to a position where he was pretty much a contender himself. After 45 fight Baek was himself a veteran who had won national and OPBF honours and was knocking on the door of a second world title bout. He had previously fought for a world title at 154lb, but was stopped by the monstrously hard hitting Julian Jackson and immediately moved up in weight, winning the OPBF Middleweight title. He moved up further for this bout, which took place a little over the Light Heavyweight limit, allowing both men to essentially forget about cutting weight. The bout had the ingredients to be a total thriller from the off. It had two men who could bang, both of whom could take a shot, despite having stoppage losses, and it featured a battle for national bragging rights. It also had the two men knowing the winner was almost certainly getting a world title fight, whilst the loser may end up seeing themselves needing to hang them up. Win or lose, this was going to be one of the fights that defined their career. The opening minute or two saw both men trying to establish their jabs, get a feel for the other and keep the heavy artillery locked away. Stiff, heavy jabs were the order of the day with Park looking the busier man and the more natural. Baek however wasn't being dissuaded and even when Park caught him with something big he hardly blinked. By the end of the round Park was landing heavy leather and Baek was still warming up. It seemed like the former world champion was going to have too much for his domestic foe. Round 2 saw Park continue to let loose the bombs that had taken him to world glory, and Baek's chin was getting a very real test, as was his midsection. That was until Baek decided to fight fire with fire and started to let his own right hands go. Although Baek began throwing heavier shots himself he continued to be out worked for much of the round, though was having moments, especially later in the round. With both men wide awake and starting to dig into their bag of weapons the pace increased in round 3. Baek was on the front foot, pressing and pressuring whilst Park was trying to fight back off the ropes. Both were landing bombs, both were having their chins check and both were looking to win what was a real tough man fight. Amazingly both men seemed to take solid shots incredibly well before firing back themselves. That was until Park went down. He was up at about 6 and stumbled through much of what was left of the round, falling into his corner at the bell. The end seemed nigh for Park as we went into round 4 but the former champion showed the heart of a champion and recovered well enough and put up a fight through the round. That was despite showing signs of being hurt when Baek landed clean. Not only was Park showing that the clean shots were hurting him, but his left eye was visibly marked and his own successes were becoming less frequent. With his power, experience and toughness however Park wasn't going to just fold, despite looking exhausted. Park gritted out several torrid rounds as Baek unloaded what he had, tiring himself out in the process. This allowed Park some success as the bout went into the middle rounds. By then the action was crude, wild but thoroughly entertaining as it began to look like a case of the two men would simply fight until one could fight no more. If you like brutal fights, huge head shots, intense back and forth, Rocky-esque heart and determination and chins that seemed to be made of something else this is seriously worth your time. A truly fantastic all-Korean war of attrition. Earlier in this series we looked at a brilliant 2002 Japanese Flyweight title bout between two men who were amazingly well matched and gave us something very special. The two men in question would then rematch the following year and once again they delivered a sensational war. That bout, like their first one, has made it's way into our ever growing Closet Classic series! For those who haven't seen it, let us bring the second bout in the Sakata Vs Nakanuma rivalry! Takefumi Sakata (19-1-1, 8) vs Trash Nakanuma (23-2, 10) II In 2001 Takefumi Sakata had claimed the Japanese Flyweight title, with a close win over Masaki Kawabata. He had then reeled off 3 defenses of the title, including a very hotly debated one with Daisuke Naito. Just over a year after winning the title however he would go on to lose the belt in a nail biting action bout against Trash Nakanuma. That bout was sensational, with the two men matching each other perfectly and delivering a 10 round thriller. Following his title loss Sakata had rebuilt with two wins. One of those saw him take a technical decision over former OPBF Light Flyweight champion Koki Tanaka whilst the other saw him stopping former world title challenger Jin Ho Kim. Those bouts kept Sakata in the mix and in April 2003 he got a chance to reclaim his title as he got a rematch with Nakanuma. Despite the almost negative and derogatory sounding name Trash Nakanuma was one of the most under-rated Flyweights of his era and an absolute nightmare to fight. He wasn't the quickest or most technically sharp fighter but he was teak tough, incredibly strong and had brilliant stamina. He was the sort of fighter who wouldn't look amazing on the eye test but gave everyone he faced real problems, and later went on to give Pongsaklek Wonjongkam one of his toughest bouts. Although very good he could be seen as a bit of a slow starter at times and one of those fighters who grew into bouts as they went on. After beating Sakata in their first bout Nakanuma had made two defenses of the belt, stopping both Ryo Kitano and Takeyuki Kojima, and was looking to score a 22nd straight win as he entered this bout with Sakata. Given the fact the two men had engaged in a 10 round war just a year earlier the two fighters knew each other well and that showed from the off. Early on it was Sakata who seemed to start better, taking center ring, but Nakanuma picked his spots well and landed some of the more eye catching shots in the first minute. The round didn't quite have the same tempo as their first bout, but it was certainly not a typical, slow feeling out round with both men letting some heavy leather go in a very competitive round. The pace began to pick up further in round 2 with Sakata again the one taking center ring to begin with but around mid way point Nakanuma began to come forward more himself and put his foot on the gas. When this happened the two men engaged in some great back and forth. The bout moved up again in round 3 as we saw the tempo continue to build. One again Sakata was the one pressing and letting his shots go, whilst Nakanuma looked to counter, land the smarter shots and pick his moments. This smarter, game plan from Nakanuma resulted in him shaking Sakata, who's toughness saw him through some stormy moments in round 3 before ending the round well. Sakata looked to bounce back early in round 4 but Nakanuma was looking to prevent the challenger from taking over and again landed the better single shots in what a thrilling and intense round of action. From here the bout just kept getting better and better, with the intensity increasing from both fighters. It seemed both men knew the action was close and felt they needed to do more than the other to try and differentiate themselves. This lead to some amazing back and forth, thrilling exchanges and a really intriguing style clash as Sakata continued to use volume whilst Nakanuma's heavier, cleaner shots caught the end more. We won't ruin what happens in the final half of the fight, but this is one of those bouts that's starts good, gets really good and then gets even better. Each round gets better than the one it follows, building to a sensational finish. This is a real hidden gem well worthy of a watch! Not many fighters are in instant classics, but between 2004 and 2012 we saw two men battle 4 times, and several of their bouts became instant classics. The bouts, pit a legendary Filipino against an often over-looked Mexican, enhanced the legacies of both men and gave us 3 ultra close bouts as well a stunning KO in their 4th contest. For today's Closet Classic we're going to look at the first of the 4 bouts between the two modern day legends Manny Pacquiao (38-2-1, 29) vs Juan Manuel Marquez (42-2, 33) I Of course the rivalry we're talking about is the sensational 4 bout series between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. The two men were stylistically very different, yet they matched up pretty much perfectly. The two men shared more than 40 rounds together and yet until the 42nd round neither man had managed to finish off the other. Not only were the two men well matched, but their rivalry stretched over multuple years and saw the men fight each other at Featherweight, Super Featherweight and Welterweight. For this bout we go back to the beginning of the rivalry between the two men, with their May 2004 bout. At this point Pacquiao had already won world titles at Flyweight and Super Bantamweight and was now looking to become a 3-weight world champion. Coming in to the bout he had been unbeaten in almost 5 years and had reeled off a 13 fight unbeaten run. That run had seen him defeat the likes of Nedal Hussein, Lehlo Ledwaba and Marco Antonio Barrera. He was starting to not just make waves but actually become a boxing star. Aged 25 at this point he was becoming a regular on US TV, this was his 6th bout on US soil, and a must watch attraction in the sport. Whilst Pacquiao was building a name for himself Marquez was often getting over-looked. He had scored 42 wins and had gone unbeaten since a decision loss to Freddie Norwood in September 1999. Since that loss he had reeled off 13 straight wins and beaten the likes of Robbie Peden, Manuel Medina and Derrick Gainer. He had unified the WBA and IBF Featherweight titles and had managed to become highly regarded as a very good technical boxer. Despite being a brilliant boxer, with solid power and a great boxing brain, he was often over-looked in favour of Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, two other Mexican fighter who had more fun styles and were more well known to the world at large. He was, in many ways, the forgotten man of Mexican at this point in time. Not only were the fighters two of the best but so too were the trainers. In Pacquiao's corner was Freddie Roach the man who had developed Pacquiao into a much more rounded fighter than he had once been. He was still a work in progress, but a sensational talent all the same. In the opposite corner was Nacho Beristain, a Mexican boxing genius who crafted Ricardo Lopez and was now crafting another brilliant Mexican in Maruqez. For Pacquiao this was a chance to claim more world titles, for Marquez this was a chance to get recognition he craved. It was aggressive tornado against counter punching genius. It was Mexico Vs Philippines. It was special. For fans this was to become an instant classic. One for the ages. The bout started fast, really fast. Both men seemed to ignore the typical "feeling out round" and Marquez was fighting more aggressively than he typically had, it was as if he wanted to make a statement, and tell the world he every bit the Mexican warrior that Morales and Barrera were. That however cost him and he was dropped 90 seconds into the bout. The knockdown sent the crowd wild, though Marquez didn't appear hurt. Less than 30 seconds later Marquez was down for a second time and then down again only seconds later. It looked, for all intents, like Marquez was going to be taken out inside a round, as Pacquiao kept finding a home for his straight left hand. A bloodied Marquez barely surived the round. With blood running from his nose and a huge hole to climb out of Marquez's chances looked done within a round. It didn't look like we were seeing the first chapter, of a 4 fight series but instead it looked like we were watching a sensational performance from Pacquiao. It seemed like Marquez was simply unable to cope with the straight left hand of Pacquiao, which had been his undoing in the first round. It looked like Marquez, at the age of 30, was too slow, too old and not versatile enough to over-come the speed and power of the Filipino. Then things changed. Marquez changed tactics. He was from a man looking for war to a man who was looking to neutralise Pacquiao and counter. The tactical change was stark, no longer was Marquez fighting aggressively but instead he was fighting smartly. Despite the change Pacquiao still seemed to have some major success through the round, landing his straight left hand a number of times. Marquez's tactical change didn't instantly end Pacquiao's success, but did slow the tempo, and began to slow the momentum of the Filipino. In round 3 Marquez would begin to go to the body of Pacquiao, trying to slow down the Filipino, and would also begin to really time the Filipino as the bout went from a fight to a boxing contest. The slower pace began to suit Marquez more and more. Not only did the slower pace suit Marquez but the distance he was creating also brought him success, and he began to out box Pacquiao. The Filipino was still landing some of the bigger, flashier shots, but Marquez was really building himself a foothold in the bout and that foothold would see him really pull himself back into the bout. The Mexican also had a solid round 4, making Pacquaio follow him around the ring and countering him regularly. This was becoming Marquez's fight, this was becoming the type of fight that Pacquiao was going to struggle with. Saying that however Pacquiao knew he had the power to drop Marquez, if he landed clean we could see the Mexican fall apart like he had in round 1. The bout had started with incredible drama but had began to turn into a high paced boxing contest. The drama was slowly ebbing out, but there was tension and action throughout, both men letting shots go, the styles gelling perfectly. As we went into the middle rounds it was getting harder and harder to predict the outcome. From there on we had exciting, high level boxing. We had a damaged boxer, with what appeared to be a broken nose, against a puncher who was dangerous but struggling to land his main power punch, his straight left hand. We had an aggressive monster against a boxing genius, and we had two top trainers pitting their wits against each other just as much as we had two great fighters against each other. In the middle rounds we began to see Pacquiao having success once again, landing his left hand, and making adjustments needed, the Marquez adapted once again making things swing back and forth as the bout moved towards the finishing line. It seemed like both men had had major success at times, but it was impossible to predict a winner as we went deeper and deeper into the bout. We're not going to ruin the outcome for those who haven't seen this, and for those who have, let your memory go a little blank and just relive this sensational battle. For those who love drama, high intensity action, brilliant back and forth, staggering momentum shifts, high quality action and a touch of controversy this has it all. This genuinely has every thing a fight fan could want and the result left the door open for the rivalry that would unfold over the coming years and give us 3 more amazing fight between two legendary modern day greats. Although we are, at heart, boxing fans we tend to use this weekly series as a chance to share wars as opposed to boxing contests. Closet Classics tend to be exciting, under-viewed wars. Thrilling action fights. Slugfests. One thing we often don't discuss, and share, are the closet classics which are high speed chess, bouts with a sense of tension and excitement. Bouts that you know could end at any moment. These bouts are some of the best, some of the most exciting and the ones that deserve to have you at the edge of your seat. Today we get to share one of those from 2010! Hozumi Hasegawa (28-2, 12) Vs Fernando Montiel (41-2-2, 31) The bout in question is a boxing oddity but it shows the level we're talking about. In one corner was Hozumi Hasegawa, a man who had made 10 defences of the WBC Bantamweight title whilst the other corner played host to WBO champion Fernando Montiel, who was looking to make his first defense of the title. Despite both men being champions the bout wasn't exactly a unification bout. At the time the JBC (Japan Boxing Commission) didn't recognise either the WBO or the IBF. This meant that if Hasegawa won he wasn't able to hold the WBO title, though he would remain the WBC champion and would be regarded, by many, as the best man in division. If Montiel won he would become a unified champion. For those who had seen the fighters involved the excitement was really high. Hasegawa was a risk taking fighter who threw combinations in bunches, was lighting quick and despite only having 12 stoppage in 30 bouts was proving himself as a surprisingly heavy handed fighter. His last 5 bouts had all ended in stoppage, lasting a combined 10 rounds, and he was blitzing people with exciting combinations. He was very much a boxer-swarmer, who let shots fly when he hurt his opponents, which he often did with his southpaw straight left. Montiel on the other hand was a hard hitting Mexican boxer-puncher. Prior to winning the WBO Bantamweight title he had previously held the WBO Flyweight and Super Flyweight titles and was very much regarded as a top level talent. His record up to this point had been excellent and his competition had been strong, for the most part, allowing him to build a reputation as a brilliant fighter. Although he had two losses both were pretty close decision defeats, one to Mark Johnson and one to Jhonny Gonzalez. The bout had a genuine big fight feel going in with Jimmy Lennon Jr being the ring announcer, giving the event a further air of class. The bout really was a chess match from the off. It was a battle of jabs to begin with, with Hasegawa winning that battle and taking centre ring quickly. Although forced on to the outside Montiel looked relaxed and like a man who had been here and seen this before. We then got some brilliant boxing and both men looked to find openings. Not a lot connected in the first minute, but both fighters did get through with one or two. Then the pace started to turn up just slightly. With the pace increasing it was Hasegawa who was having the more notable success, getting his left hand into play. Montiel however wasn't there to make up the numbers and late in the first round he showed he was there himself with a good right hand. The rounded ended with Hasegawa looking like the man in control. The tension rose in round 2 with both men now knowing a little bit more about each other. Despite the increase in tension Hasegawa continued to have the more consistent and noteworthy success. Every time he landed the crowd roared him on, getting behind the Japanese hero. Montiel however was scouting his man, trying to get his right hand into play and draw a mistake from Hasegawa, who had a history of committing hard to combinations. This was high stakes, high speed chess, with both men knowing full well that the other had serious power. We won't ruin the bout any further, but if you've never seen this you need to see it! This was brilliant boxing, it was exciting, and it proved that technical bouts really don't need to be dull. This was technical but exciting, tense but thrilling, dramatic yet respectful. Two world class fighters putting it on the line in a great fight. What more could we ever ask for? The sport has given us so many forgotten treats and so many times a fighter who is involved in one instant classic has their other bouts overlooked and forgotten. Whilst some fighters are known for consistently putting on a show, others are known for one amazing bout, and nothing can ever match it. Today we're looking at one such fighter who is well known for one bout, but was in some other great fights. In fact both men here were involved in some great bouts, but now, just 16 years later, their all out war, with multiple knockdowns and serious controversy, is often forgotten. The Fight Vassiliy Jirov (33-1, 29) vs Joe Mesi (28-0, 25) When we talk about Vassiliy Jirov the first bout that spring to mind, for every fight fan, is his sensational 2003 clash with James Toney. That bout saw Jirov suffer his first loss in one of the best Cruiserweight bouts of all time. That is the Jirov bout, it's been featured in this series and is one of the sports genuine must watch bouts. After that loss, which saw Jirov lose the IBF Cruiserweight, the Kazakh fought a couple of Crusierweight bouts before mounting his campaign on the Heavyweight scene, with his first bout as a fully fledged Heavyweight being his 2004 clash with the then unbeaten Joe Mesi. At the time Mesi was building a cult following, he was 28-0, a a former football player who was now being developed into being the new Great White Hope of American Heavyweight boxing. He had been really active early in his career and had run up his 28-0 record in less than 7 years. Whilst some of that was some early career record padding, whilst he gained some in ring experience, he had picked up some wins over recognisable names, such as Jorge Luis Gonzalez, Bert Cooper, David Izon, DaVarryl Williamson and Monte Barrett. Although still a rather raw and crude fighter, he was tough, strong, exciting and full of confidence. He was also the natural Heavyweight, despite being the slightly shorter man. Given that both men were aggressive, both liked to come forward and both liked to fight, rather than box, the ingredients were here for something very special. The fight started at a high pace, with Jirov coming forward and Mesi boxing behind his his jab, moving well and showing good restraint early in the round before finishing well, potentially stealing what had been a very, very good round. Jirov seemed like he had been rocked late in the round, as Mesi's natural Heavyweight showed. Jirov seemed to slow down in round 2, showing a respect of Mesi's powerful right hand. Despite the slowdown Jirov was still regularly coming forward, but was being punished, repeatedly, by Mesi who was using his power and strength well. It seemed as if the move up in weight, and giving away significant weight to Mesi, was an issue for Jirov. Jirov again struggled in round 3, as Mesi's size continued to give him issues. Despite taking some solid shots in the first 3 rounds, and never being known for his defense, Jirov began to rely on his amateur boxing skills a bit more as we entered round 4. He was beginning to make Mesi miss more, holding when he needed to. It was a smart change from Jirov, but not a perfect one and he did take some more big shots late in the round, before both men were rocked in the dying seconds. Despite the change in tactics from Jirov in round 4 Mesi managed to take control somewhat in the middle rounds, landing some gorgeous shots whilst not being too worried about what came back at him. Jirov began to look tired, his footwork getting sloppy and some desperation showing in his offensive work. Then in round 9 things turned, as a tired Mesi got dropped. From there it was a matter of time. Could Jirov turn things around? Could he break the heart of Mesi? Could he even survive himself? This was brutal, it was exciting, hard hitting and both men had to go through hell in a brilliant, often forgotten, Heavyweight thriller. This one is well and truly worthy of a watch! Sometimes fighters were made to be included regularly in this Closet Classic series. We cover one such fighter again today in what, we believe, is his 6th appearance in this series. It's also one of his less well known bouts, yet had everything we could wish to see in a bout. Bombs, both men being hurt, a determined fight back, skills, very different styles. This goes under the radar a lot, but is a great, great bout. Yong Soo Choi (19-2, 12) vs Orlando Soto (27-2, 19) Anyone who has followed this series for long will know what to expected from Yong Soo Choi. The teak tough Korean was one of the most exciting fighters of the 1990's. He became the WBA Super Featherweight champion in October 1995, when he stopped Victor Hugo Paz in Argentina. In his first defense he defended his belt in a war with rival Yamato Mitani, in what was their second bout, then took on Orlando Soto from Panama. Anyone who has seen Choi's previous bouts will know what he's about. For those that haven't, Choi was just the personification of a bad ass. The Korean was all about pressure and workrate, with an iron chin, incredible stamina and a willingness to take one to land one. He was clumsy, defensively open, relatively in terms of foot work, but a physical monster that loved to grind opponents down. As for Orlando Soto he was more a stylish boxer-mover. He used his feet well, made the ring big, but didn't run. Coming in to this his only losses had been a decision to the Tom "Boom Boom" Johnson, in an IBF title fight, and a DQ loss to Miguel Arrazola. Whilst he hadn't scored any massive wins he had proven to be a decent road warrior, with wins through various parts of Latin America. They included victories over former world title challenger Pedro Villegas tough veteran Raul Martinez Mora and future world title challenger Carlos Gerena. From the opening seconds Soto was showing off what he could do. He was using his legs brilliantly to control the distance, making Choi fall short, and tagging him at range. Choi was coming forward but made to look confused and lost as Soto's straight punching, hand speed and defensive footwork completely neutralised the Korean's aggression. Things went from bad to worse for Choi who continued to struggle in round 2, as Soto continued his good start by again boxing and moving. It was nothing original or amazing from Soto, but it was simple, effective and it worked brilliant from Soto. The hole Choi was finding himself in got worse in round 3 for the Korean, who was dropped...twice! Despite the fight only being in round 3 he looked like he was going to be giving up his title in just his seconds defense. He was being out boxed, out fought, out thought, out sped and hurt. He barely made his way out of the round and it looked like he was about done. Then we saw the fight back. The heart, the desire, the hunger of Choi began to kick in. He cleared his head and began to move through the gears, taking risks and letting his hands go more often, speeding up his foot work, and fought like a man who was told that his aggression could take the wind out of Soto's sails. From there on it started to become more and more like a Choi bout, with his pressure and zombie like offense taking the fight to Soto. From there on we had great, intense, and exciting action. This isn't the usual Choi bout, at least not early on. His inability to cope with Soto's movement makes this very different to his wars with Mitani, Hatakeyama and Sim, but as it goes on it becomes a Choi bout. The drama of the early knockdowns adds to the fight significantly. This is a real hidden gem and we hope fans do put the 35 minutes aside to enjoy this fantastic, if often looked, war. For this week's Closet Classic we reach back to 2007 for a real hidden gem of a war from Korakuen Hall. The bout features a Closet Classic series regular, in what was his career first title before going on to become a 2-time world champion, and a man who would come up short at world level just a few months after this bout. This is a big more of a hidden gem than some in the series but boy what a good one it is! Kohei Kono (17-3, 7) vs Teppei Kikui (21-4, 4) III Before we speak about the two fighters we'll begin by discussing the history between the two men. In 2003 a then 22 year old Kohei Kono had take a split decision over the then 24 year old Teppei Kikui. In 2005 Kikui got revenge, beating Kono with a close decision win of his own. In 2007 they clashed for the third, and final, time in what was a really hotly contested and personal bout between the two. Just 9 months after beating Kono we had seen Kikui win the Japanese Super Flyweight title, beating Kuniyuki Aizawa. As the Japanese champion Kikui had made a single defense, dominating Masayuki Arinaga, and moved towards a world title fight. Entering this bout with Kono the talented and skilful Kikui wasn't just the Japanese national champion but also had top 10 rankings with the WBA and WBC. Although not a big puncher Kikui was a talented fighter who had rebuilt well from two losses in 1998 and had only been stopped once, way back in his 9th professional bout. As anyone who follows this series will know, Kohei Kono made for fun fights. His battles were regularly great wars with the "Toughboy" being a very fan friendly warrior. Kono was incredibly tough yet basic fighter who got in the ring to fight. He wasn't the most polished or skilled fighter but made up for that through sheer bloody mindedness, will, toughness and world rate. Anyone who faced him knew they would be in for a hard night, and that would later lead him to becoming a 2-time WBA world champion. This was, however, his first title bout. From the opening bell this was crazy. This wasn't "round 1" of a fight, but round 17 of their rivalry and Kono fought like he was desperate to take Kikui out straight away. Within 2 seconds it seemed like Kikui had been hurt and he was dropped within 15 seconds. Despite the champion being dropped he composed himself quickly and Kono was down himself seconds after the restart, albeit from a slip. Kikui realised he was in with a raging bull and tried to spoil, hold and slow down Kono, but was shake again in the middle of the round. After a thrilling opening round it was clear that things couldn't continue at that tempo forever. No one told Kono however and he fought like a man possessed through round 2. He was a little bit more calm and composed than he had been in the first 3 minutes but was still forcing a high tempo on to the champion, who was using his feet smartly to create space. The space that Kikui created only ever acted as a chance to breath before Kono got close and forced a thrilling exchange between the two men. Round after round Kono would race forward. For the most part he got the better of things, but he kept himself open, took some huge bombs from Kikui and certainly got punished for his aggression, needing to rely on his granite chin and incredible gas tank. Kikui might have been down early but he wasn't going to go away without a real fight. If you like Kono fights, and this is his third in this series, you'll know what to expect here. If not, sit down, give yourself 50 minutes and enjoy a real hidden gem from 2007! |
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