The Cyber Boxing Zone Newswire |
| Sornpichai Wins WBA Flyweight Title: Joe Koizumi |
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SORNPICHAI WINS WBA FLYWEIGHT TITLE BY DROPPING LEO GAMEZ THRICE EN ROUTE TO 8TH ROUND KO
September 3, 1999 The Venezuelan veteran Gamez, standing just 5'1", started well with good jabs, but Sornpichai, 11 years his junior at 25, landed a wicked southpaw left hook to the belly to have him backpedalling. Gamez, in the second, caught the much taller lefty with a solid right and had him reeling to the ropes. Sornpichai, PABA super-fly champ, missed plenty of punches in the third, but Gamez failed to avert one of his opponent's big shots and hit the deck for the mandatory 8 count. The Thailander went all out to finish the champ then and there, but he threw too roundhouse blows to catch the crafty champ who made him miss his follow-up rallies. The 4th saw them exchange punches toe-to-toe in the center of the ring. It's Gamez that overwhelmed him with more accurate and effective shots and had him at bay. While on the defensive, Sornpichai threw a single powerful left that sent Gamez prone on the deck. Gamez surprisingly pulled himself up from such a bad knockdown, and Sornpichai failed to bring back home the bacon by finishing him due to his damage suffered by Gamez's previous attack prior to his visit to the canvas. They mixed up furiously, throwing solid shots each other in the 5th and 6th. Gamez was more energetic in the 7th, but Sornpichai, fading obviously, landed a wicked left to almost stun him in the closing seconds of the round. The 8th was truly "Round of the Year." Gamez was on the verge of finishing this see-saw affair, as he battered the groggy Thailander from all angles at will. Sornpichai appeared to have nothing to retaliate with only to cover him up with gloves. It seems that it was a matter of time. The rubbery-legged Sornpichai, however, landed a smashing stright left to the button of the champ. Down went Gamez. He was flat on the deck for a while, and barely raised himself up just after referee Rafael Ramos, US, finished tolling a fatal ten. Sornpichai raised his unblemished ledger to 17-0, 14 KOs. Gamez, 36, had captured the WBA 112-pound belt by demolishing Argentine Hugo Soto in the third canto on the undercard of the Holyfield vs. Lewis heavyweight unification bout at Madison Square Garden in New York on March 13. But the little giant, Gamez, dropped to 32-7-1, 24 KOs. Scored after the 7th-Hector Hernandez (Mexico) 68-65, Kazumasa Asao (Japan) 70-61, and Fineta (Panama) 69-62, all for Sornpichai. Sornpichai became the 5th current world champ in Thailand, along with WBC interim minimum champ Wandee Chor Chareon, WBC light fly ruler Saman Sorjaturong, WBA light fly kingpin Pichit Chor Siriwat, and WBC bantam ruler Veeraphol Nakornluang-Promotion. It's like a kingdom of champions.
Promoter: Niwat Laosuwanwat. SCORESHEETS
HECTOR HERNANDEZ (MEXICO)
KAZUNOBU ASAO (JAPAN)
FINETA (PANAMA) REFEREE: RAFAEL RAMOS (US) Joe Koizumi If you wish to refer to my previous reports, please access to: http://www.ring-japan.com/oriental.htm |
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