June 3, 2007
KOBE, JAPAN
WBC#6/WBA#14 Wethya Sakmuangklaeng (86-4, 52 KOs), 122, kept his OPBF super-bantam belt as he came off the canvas in the fifth and dominated the second half to pound out a unanimous decision (115-113 twice and 116-112) over OPBF#2 Japanese Kyohei Tamakoshi (18-5-5, 8 KOs), 122, over twelve hard-fought rounds on Sunday in Kobe, Japan.
The taller challenger had the southpaw champ on the deck with a solid right uppercut in the fifth, but Wethya showed a fine recovery as he was in command in later rounds. The 30-year-old Wethya once had a shot at the WBC feather belt, losing a unanimous nod (116-113, 116-112 and 118-110) in Merida, Mexico, in 2000. The Thailander tasted his last defeat at the hand of Manny Pacquiao via sixth round TKO in the Philippines in the next year. Since then, he scored 31 consecutive victories to have kept his OPBF throne on four occasions.
Promoter: Senrima Kobe Promotions.
Matchmaker: Joe Koizumi.
(6-3-07)