April 10, 2004
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND-Korean Injin Chi (28-2-1, 17 KOs), 125.63, impressively acquired the vacant WBC featherweight belt as he floored #2 ranked Michael Brodie (35-2, 22 KOs), 126, with a countering right in the first, took the initiative with his effective combinations and finally dropped him on all fours for the count at 2:48 of the seventh round on Saturday night at the MEN arena, Manchester, England.
It was a grudge fight following a controversial majority draw (114-112 for Chi and 113-113 twice) at the same venue last October. Chi took the leadoff with positive rallies from the outset and caught Brodie with a well-timed countering right midway, sending him to the canvas in the opening round. This early knockdown undoubetedly hurt Brodie physically and mentally. The sturdy Korean took the second, but Brodie showed his determination in throwing his trade-mark body punches in the third.
Chi was in command in the fourth, when he sustained a cut in the center of the left eyebrow, caused by an accidental butt, with Brodie penalized a point by Italian referee Massimo Barovecchio. Chi, physically stronger and taller, began to overwhelm the fading Manchurian with busy combos, visibly weakening him. Shifting his target to Brodiefs breadbasket, Chi effectively attacked him upwards and downwards in the sixth. The fatal seventh saw Chi connect with solid combinations followed a wicked left uppercut to the face. Brodie, who had absorbed much punishment, sank for the count. The judges Tom Kaczmarek (US), Bob Logist (Belgium) and Ken Morita (Japan) had Chi ahead on points by five or six points. The newly crowned Chi jubilantly said, gI dedicate this victory to my supporters in Korea. I also appreciate Brodiefs fighting spirit and the British peoplefs hospitality.h
(4-10-04)