The Cyber Boxing Zone Newswire

CHO KEEPS WBC SUPER-FLY TITLE ON HAIRLINE DECISION

January 10, 1999
SEOUL, KOREA-Unbeaten Korean speedster INJOO CHO, 115, showed a
lackluster performance, but barely retained his WBC super-flyweight
title on a hairline majority decision over Mexican JOEL LUNA ZARATE, 114
1/2, over 12 dull rounds.

Some 1,000 spectators were in attendance at the ballroom of Ritz Carlton
Hotel, but they were more disgusted than delighted at Cho's negative
showing.

Scored: Noppharat Sricharoen (Thailand) 115-114, Takeaki Kanaya (Japan)
116-112, both for Cho, and Richard Flaherty (US) 114-114.

Cho, making his first defense, had captured the title on an upset
verdict over Filipino lefty Gerry Penalosa at the same hotel last Aug. 
Zarate, a veteran Mexican, had fought to a technical draw with ex-champ
Penalosa in his mandatory shot in Manila last Apr.  So, the Cho vs.
Zarate go was recommended by the WBC.

The 29-year-old Cho, 4 years his junior, was an upright stylist with his
fast footwork.  But he didn't move so much in the first 2 rounds,
probably because he was severely castigated as "marathon champ" by the
Korean press after his triumph over Penalosa.  Cho, however, scored some
good left-right combos to the slower Mexican to dominate the 1st and 2nd
sessions.

Zarate, in the 3rd, scored a looping left hook twice to befuddle the
champ.  The Korean kept his distance and occasionally caught Zarate with
light but quick one-twos.  The Mexican kept coming forward but failed to
catch the elusive champ.  Cho seemingly dominated the 4th through 7th
rounds with his hit-and-run tactics.

But Cho inexplicably became so negative as to repeat clinching and
holding in the last 4 rounds.  The champ seldom threw punches to the
slow but game target, Zarate, who came close to Cho only to be grabbed
and be unable to hit the champ.  Such a disappointing scene continued
for 4 rounds.

Eventually it became a close affair, because Cho suddenly lost his
machismo and wasted his previous accumulation of points.  It was
fortunate that he emarged as the winner, since Zarate didn't show a good
strategy to hit the champ's body and stop his footwork.  Zarate also
failed to score his left hooks in later rounds, though he almost toppled
the champ in the 3rd.  It was the least spectacular title bout ever seen
in Korea.

Cho, formerly an excellent amateur boy, turned pro in 1992.  In his 4th
pro bout Cho outscored the then world-rated Venezuelan Abraham Torres by
a very close decision in the next year.  The Korean recession obviously
effected Cho's inevitably less activity, so Cho fought once in 1994,
thrice in 1995, once in 1996, and once in 1997.  He remained unbeaten,
but his technical but less exciting style didn't make him popular among
Korean aficionados.

Cho raised his mark to 14-0, 6 KOs.  Zarate fell to 32-3-2, 25 KOs.

SCORESHEETS

NOPPHARAT SRICHAROEN (THAILAND)
ROUND   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12  TOTAL
CHO    10 10  9  9 10  9 10 10  9  9 10 10   115
ZARATE  9  9 10 10  9 10  9  9 10 10 10  9   114

TAKEAKI KANAYA (JAPAN)
ROUND   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12   TOTAL
CHO    10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10  9  9  9  9    116
ZARATE  9  9  9  9  9  9  9  9 10 10 10 10    112

RICHARD FLAHERTY (US)
ROUND   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12   TOTAL
CHO    10 10  9  9 10 10 10 10  9  9  9  9    114
ZARATE  9  9 10 10  9  9  9  9 10 10 10 10    114


UNDERCARD:
Unbeaten feather prospect INJIN CHI, WBC #6 ranked contender, 128,
dropped Filipino SAMMY SORDILLA, 127, twice and stopped him in the 3rd
in a supporting 10.

Promoter: Poongsan Promotions.
WBC supervisor: Shigeru Kojima (Japan).
(1-10-99)

-- 
Joe Koizumi
japjoe@t3.rim.or.jp
If you wish to refer to my previous reports, please access to: 
http://www.ring-japan.com/oriental.htm