Aug. 23
YOKOHAMA, JAPAN--Fresh and ferocious Thailander WANDEE CHOR CHAREON, 103
3/4, kept punching the more experienced prefight favorite ROCKY LIN(right photo), a
Japanese-based Taiwanese, 104 3/4, despite Lin's tight defense and
earned a well-received majority verdict to acquire the vacant WBC
interim title over 12 heats.
It was an encounter of the WBC #1 ranked Lin and #2 Wandee. Logically Lin, 31 and 13 years his senior, was a favorite due to his superior career, having suffered just a single setback to Ricardo Lopez in 27 bouts. Wandee might be an upcoming prospect, but was thought unmatched for Lin who had continued a winning streak of 12 after his sole defeat.
But Wandee was superior in freshness and aggressiveness to Lin throughout the contest. Scored: Masakazu Uchida (Japan) 116-114 and Noparat Srichareon (Thailand) 115-113, both for Wandee, and Carol Castellano (US) 114-114.
Wandee started fireworks with methodical jabs, while Lin cautiously averted them without throwing punches. In the 2nd through 5th, Wandee was an aggressor that kept throwing jabs and left-right combinations positively, though Lin avoided almost all and occasionally countered with right crosses. But it was obvious that Wandee took the initiative and had the veteran Taiwanese on the defensive.
It was close in every round, as Wandee kept punching the gloves and shoulders of Lin, who threw fewer jabs and landed a one-two combo once or twice in a round. Wandee was persistent though almost all of his punches were nullified by Lin's tight defense.
The 18-year-old Wandee was in command in the 9th through 11th, as Lin became less aggressive, tossing only jabs. Wandee, in round ten, caught Lin with effective body shots to double him up. Lin, however, showed his best in the 12th and final session, when he, for the first time in the bout, released his potential aggressiveness and shook up Lin with plenty of left-right combinations. The younger Wandee withstood Lin's last surge.
After the fight, Lin reflected his unsatisfactory performance. "I couldn't follow my manager Hiraki's instructions. I know I could have won this game by throwing more rights, but I couldn't." Lin had graduated Asian University after he suffered a annihilation by Lopez in just two rounds in 1992. He received an offer to teach youngsters in his native Taiwan after his retirement, and will accept it by hanging up gloves for good.
Wandee improved his credentials to 22-3, 6 KOs. Lin dropped to 26-2, 11 KOs.
REMARKS: This elimination bout in a quest for the vacant interim WBC straw title might seem strange, as Ricardo Lopez, the real champ, still reigns. Lopez was obliged to meet #1 Lin, but was allowed by the WBC to fight a rematch with the WBA champ Rosendo Alvarez or to move up to the 108-pound division to fight the WBC light fly champ Saman Sorjaturong--without fighting a mandatory defense. Therefore, this elimination bout took place during Lopez's inactivity. Wandee will be authorized as the real champ by the WBC upon Lopez's final decision.
MASAKAZU UCHIDA (JAPAN)
| - | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | TOTAL |
| LIN | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 114 |
| WANDEE | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 116 |
NOPARAT SRICHAREON (THAILAND)
| - | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | TOTAL |
| LIN | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 113 |
| WANDEE | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 115 |
CAROL CASTELLANO (US)
| - | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | TOTAL |
| LIN | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 114 |
| WANDEE | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 114 |
REFEREE: LAURENCE COLE (US)
REMARKS: Wandee is reportedly a son of immigrants from Laos to Thailand. His parents registered his son Wandee's birth as if he was born on Feb. 5, 1972. If so, he was 16 at the point of this fight. But it is said that his parents failed to register it for two years, so Wandee may be 18 years of age. Wandee looked so boyish or childish as to be called less than 15, but he was a lion-hearted youngster. It was Lin's mistake that he waited too long to have Wandee activated with his initial attacks, even if Lin occasionally counterpunched. Probably, in this fight, the number of punches Wandee threw might be twice as many as Lin.