BOXING
EDWARD THANGARAJAH
South Africa's Vusi Malinga unfolded an easy fourth round technical knockout victory over Thailand's one-time world bantamweight boxing hero Veeraphol Nakhonluang yesterday at the Bodindecha School premises and qualified to meet the current world champion, Hozumi Hasegawa of Japan.
The 23-year-old South African virtually annihilated Veeraphol in this title-fight qualifying contest, setting a pace of his own from the first round.
He won all rounds on two judges score-cards, and two rounds on the score-card of Japan's Takeaki Kanaya.
The fight ended in 36 seconds of the fourth round when referee Bruce McTavish of the Philippines stopped the contest and saved Veeraphol from suffering further humiliation at the hands of a fit and aggressive South African opponent, who scored with almost everything he threw. Veeraphol, an orthodox boxer, was tailor-made for Masinga. He found the Thai tortoise-paced and moving in the right length and direction for him to execute his sharp left hooks, thundering uppercuts, one of which split the Thai's left lower-lip and made him bleed from the second round.
Veeraphol, on the other hand, tried to unsettle his opponent by throwing a flurry of punches, but he was too slow and was always open to the deadly, accurate counter punches.
It was evident right from the start that Veeraphol was not going to last the contest. Though his heart was willing, his physique and his fighting ability were weak.
He was open, his defence was gone and his footwork was appallingly slow.
It was a pathetic sight to see him suffer such a humiliating defeat. Later, in the dressing room he cried relentlessly.
His manager Suchat Pisitwuttinan, his wife Pranee and dozens of boxing fans tried hard to console him, but they failed.
Fight supervisor Frank Quill of Australia, who is also the President of the Orient and Pacific Boxing Federation, said he was sad to see such a great champion lose so badly.
"I wish he had retired without undergoing this defeat," he said.
Many want him to call it quits and to retire, but Suchat said he will give him two more days to make his own decision because he still holds the Asian Boxing Council bantamweight title.
In Tokyo, Hasegawa retained his World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight title with a technical knockout victory over Cristian Faccio of Uruguay yesterday.
Hasegawa sent Faccio onto the floor twice in the second round, forcing the referee to stop the fight at two minutes 18 seconds. AFP
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