May 5, 2012
May 5, 2012
SINGAPORE
Unbeaten pride of Indonesia, Chris John (47-0-2, 22 KOs), 125.8, impressively kept his WBA featherweight belt for the sixteenth time as he continually battered game and gallant Japanese Shoji Kimura (24-4-2, 9 KOs), 125.4, to pound out a lopsided decision over twelve fast rounds on Saturday in Singapore.
Pinit Prayadsab (Thailand) and Wansoo Yuh (Korea) both tallied 118-110, and Frank Martinez (New Zealand) saw it 117-110, all in favor of the defending champ. The referee was fast-moving Ferlin Marsh (New Zealand).
It had been ballyhooed as the fight of Dragon Punch (John) versus Hanagata Special Punch (Kimura with an alleged lethal weapon named after his manager and ex-world flyweight champ Susumu Hanagata). But it resulted in Chris John’s one-man show except in round seven, when Kimura badly rocked the champ with well-timed left hooks twice. Some 4,000 spectators at the Marina Bay Sands realized why John could defend his WBA belt on no less than sixteen occasions. He was fast, solid-punching, physically strong and technically excellent. John was a well-educated pupil of his long-time handler Criag Christian of Australia.
Though having decked an upset triumph over ex-WBA titlist Ryol-li Lee in his previous bout, Kimura proved no match for the nearly flawless champ. The shaven-skulled and shining-eyed champ quickly took the initiative from the start. The Indonesian hero accelerated his attack and kept stalking the Japanese footworker as the contest progressed.
John displayed all sorts of textbook punches in combination, which Kimura barely averted or withstood with his mental durability. Kimura, ex-Japanese national titlist, occasionally landed a long overhand right or a looping left hook at a time, but whenever he connected with it, the champ promptly retaliated with double or triple volumes of punches. The champ steadily piled up points in every round.
Kimura, however, almost stunned the constant aggressor John midway in round seven, when he exploded the Hanagata Special Punch to the button of the champ, who was shaken up so effectively as if another left hook of Kimura might have floored him in great surprise. But it was the formidable John that regained his rhythm and balance, and fought back with strong straight rights that rocked Kimura in return. All judges scored 10-9 for Kimura, but it was a very temporary firework made in Japan shown by the Kimura factory.
From the eighth round on, it reduced to the previous fight with Chris John's domination. He was never careless again. The smart and strong champ battered Kimura from all angles in the eighth.
It looked a logical and good strategy that John aimed exclusively at the midsection to stop Kimura's still swift and shifty footwork. It might be due to his trainer Craig Christian’s right suggestion. John, however, hit the below the border three times, and the third man Marsh finally penalized a point from the champ. John then changed his game plan not to suffer a disqualification defeat, and stopped working the body so hard from then on. He had already accumulated enough points to win.
Chris John, however, had the crowd amazed at his abundant stamina in the last three rounds, when he kept punching entirely for three minutes?despite a laceration at the right eyebrow. His last surge had Kimura nose-bleeding that kept him from breathing smoothly. It turned out after the fight that Kimura’s nose bone was broken by John’s furious attack down the stretch.
Craig Christian warm-heartedly came to Kimura's dressing room after the bout to console the loser and praise his mental durability. But it was to the best of his ability that Kimura barely lasted it. The loser said, “Chris John was much stronger than I had expected?physically and technically. He threw all punches with no motion. No telephone punches at all. It’s difficult to avert his sharp and persistent combination.”
The champ said, "I'm happy I could show what I had. I couldn't knock him out, but I displayed my good performance to entertain the audience." It’s true all the spectators were fully satisfied to watch the excellent champ’s effort to win convincingly.
In a supporting event, Indonesian Daud Jardon (29-2, 23 KOs), 125.6, acquired the vacant IBO feather belt as he came off the canvas in the first round and decked a fine knockout victory over previously unbeaten Lorenzo Villanueva (24-1, 23 KOs), 125.4, at 1:06 of the second round in a scheduled twelve.
It was a very successful show with a sellout crowd and many VIPs, all of whom enjoyed watching hard-fought bouts and hearing the beautiful voice of Jimmy Lennon Jr. at the recently established Marina Bay Sands. Although there’s no local commission in Singapore, the Australian administrator served as the authority in controlling the weigh-in, medical check and other procedure. This reporter had never seen such a hard-working promoter as Angelo Hyder (plus his better half Leane) as they had endeavored to prepare everything properly, and Angelo served as cutman of Chris John in the main event. With such a great success Singapore may begin to be a Las Vegas in South East Asia.
Promoter: Dragon Fire Promotions.
(5-5-2012)