November 26, 2002
November 26, 2002
OSAKA, JAPAN-Hard-punching Thailander Pongsaklek Kratindaeng-gym Wonjongkam (46-2, 25 KOs), 111.5, kept his WBC flyweight belt as he maintained the pressure and proved more powerful than a Japanese tricky dodger Hidenobu Honda(right photo) (25-2, 13 KOs), 111.75, winning a unanimous decision over 12 heats in Osaka, Japan.
Scored: Gus Mercurio (Australia) 119-109, Guillermo Ayon (Mexico) 115-113, and Jaebong Kim (Korea) 116-112, all for the shorter defending champ. The difference of tallies might depend on how they evaluated Honda’s pitty-pat punches in the contestants swapping blows.
Pongsaklek, making his 6th defense since dethroning Malcolm Tunacao in March of the previous year, started fireworks from the start with solid one-two combos and southpaw right hooks. The 25-year-old Thailander kept on attacking the Fancy Dan, who looked just content to avert the champ’s aggression with his shifty mobility in the first half. Honda, 27 and two years his senior, displayed his remarkable defensive skills but failed to threw as many punches as the champ did.
No matter how many shots were missing the target, Pongsaklek maintained his high work-rate and kept stalking the elusive opponent. Honda occasionally retaliated with light combinations that didn’t look so effective as to hurt the aggressive champ at all.
The 9th saw Honda turn loose to connect more shots to the face than the champ, who threw a fewer but more powerful blows. It might be only a round that the Japanese clearly dominated. In the last three sessions Honda attempted to release much more soft-punching combos than in earlier rounds, but his attacks were unfortunately nullified by Pongsaklek’s more powerful rallies.
It is amazing that Honda seldom took Pongsaklek’s vaunted power punches due to his defensive ability, but he was short of necessary aggressiveness to win points enough to wrest the title from the pugnacious champ. Honda might be said to have fought well and proved a difficult target, but was obviously less effective in hurting the champ with his powder-puff punches.
Promoter: Green Tsuda Promotions.
WBC supervisor: WBC president Jose Sulaiman (Mexico).
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(11-26-02)