## FULL REPORT: JOMTHONG DEFEATS KANEKO TO RETAIN OPBF 130LB BELT

January 17, 2015

TOKYO, JAPAN

Unbeaten southpaw Thailander, WBC#12 Jomthong Chuwatana (9-0, 4 KOs), 130, stunned the Japanese audience with his physical strength as he successfully kept his OPBF super-featherweight belt by winning a close but unanimous decision (116-112, 115-113 twice) over former world challenger and OPBF top contender Daiki Kaneko (21-4-3, 14 KOs), 130, over twelve heats on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan. The referee was Biney Martin, ex-Japanese junior middle champ hailing from Ghana.

Close as it was, Jomthong was obviously the victor due to more punishment absorbed by Kaneko, whose left cheek was badly swollen with the champfs effective right jabs and hooks. Kaneko, who had an unsuccessful WBA 130-pound title shot despite dropping the defending champ Takashi Uchiyama in the tenth in December 2013, made a good start to win the first two sessions by a close margin. But Jomthong was in command in the third and fourth to have it close as shown by the open scoring system after the fourth?all deadly even 38-38.

Jomthong, a year his junior at 25, accelerated his attack in the fifth, when he connected with solid combinations to the bewildered Japanesef face and have him nose-bleeding since. The southpaw Thailander maintained the pressure and battered the breadbasket in the close range, which looked so effective that Kaneko was apparently slowing down and kept moving around to avert mixing it up in the close quarter. After the eighth, the interim tallies were announced to be in favor of Jomthong?78-74, 77-75 and 76-76.

In the last four rounds Jomthong apparently dominated more than two sessions and confirmed his comfortable victory over the highly regarded ex-Japanese national champ. Jomthong, also the WBC Muaythai titlist, was reminiscent of the legendary Saengsak Muangsurin, who had gained the world super-lightweight belt by finishing Spaniard Perico Fernandez in his third pro bout in 1975. Saengsak, a hard-punching southpaw with an exceptionally long reach of 73 inches (though his height was just 5f7h), had been also a Muaythai superstar prior to his record-breaking quickest coronation.

The 5f9h Thailander Jomthong may be a good threat to WBA 130-pound ruler Takashi Uchiyama and WBC titlist Takashi Miura, both out of Japan, but neither may meet the ferocious southpaw in a voluntary defense. Jomthong, vastly talented with power and durability, may have a tough time looking for a worthy challenger to his OPBF throne now that he so decisively beat Kaneko (who had lost just once to WBA champ Uchiyama in last seven years). Mr. Al Haymon, how about including this remarkable Thailander under your wing?

Promoter: Yokohama Hikari Promotions.

(1-17-2015)

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