January 12, 2003
TOKYO, JAPAN-The official weigh-in was over for tomorrow’s WBC super-feather title bout at the Exhibition Hall of the Korakuen Hall, the fight venue in Tokyo. The defending champ Sirimongkol Singwancha (39-1, 23 KOs) and Korean challenger Yongsoo Choi (29-3-1, 19 KOs) both tipped the beam at the 130-pound class limit. Each looked in fine shape, and a good competitive fight will be expected.
Singwancha, ex-WBC 118-pound champ who jumped up three classes to realize his second coronation, is a prefight favorite due to his youth, punching power and speed. But Choi, 5 years his senior at 30, has a superior physique, being taller by 3 inches than the hard-hitting Thailander. Choi, who had kept his WBA 130-pound belt on 7 occasions in three years from 1995, boasts of his superior experience as a 130-pounder. Singwancha is good at fighting at the long range, utilizing his devastating right hand, while Choi is a persistent infighter with his trade-mark body bombardment. The champ’s left jab and footwork will be a factor to decide the outcome.
(1-12-03)