Sublime Jon Jon Jet retains; Chan Sala upsets Loeisa in thriller
WBC Asia super-bantamweight champion Jon Jon Jet continued his reign of terror over Thailand’s talents, stopping the brave and previously undefeated Woraweth Nawanetiwong in four rounds inside The Box at Bangkok’s historic Ambassador Hotel.
It was a result that restored a good chunk of pride to Indonesia following the dramatic events of the co-feature, when Jet’s countryman Ilham Loeisa was shockingly upended by Thai underdog Chan Sala, surrendering his WBC Asia welterweight belt in the process.
Whether you appreciate hard-hitting aggression, sublime skill, quick knockouts, or seeing prospects tested by dangerous opponents, the latest edition of XBC Sportech/The Box Promotions’ critically acclaimed series of fight nights delivered on all fronts.
The bill-topper showcased both the exciting present and possibly the promising future of Southeast Asian boxing, with Jet posting yet another reminder of his ever-improving talent and confidence, and Woraweth showing, at just 18, that while this chance came too soon, he has plenty of positives to take from his audacious challenge.
Jet largely stayed a step ahead of his brave southpaw challenger, although Woraweth had his moments with an easy-on-the-eye style that made good use of his long arms, unorthodox technique and smartly picked counters.
That in itself is enough to mark Woraweth out as a prospect to watch, despite the defeat here. The crucial difference was what can’t be taught or bought – experience.
Jet, 29 years old and now 14-1-1 as a pro, knew enough to keep a distance and pace that suited him, and delivered the finish in round four by unloading a breathtaking sequence of more than 20 punches.
Somehow, Woraweth, 5-1, took it all and finished on his feet, but it was the right decision to spare him for another day.
Jet has now won four consecutive fights against Thais in Thailand, but this hasn’t turned him into a villain there. On the contrary, he enjoys good support from fans who appreciate top-class boxing, and has turned into a can’t-miss international attraction.
Chan chews up the champ
Ilham Loeisa was also going for a 4-0 mark against Thai opposition, but his challenger, Chan Sala, was in no mood to cooperate.
The bout was fought at a high intensity from the opening bell, with Chan putting Loeisa to the sword immediately with his unrelenting aggression. Loeisa fought well off the back foot, though, picking some excellent, hurtful counters.
The bout settled into a finely poised clash of contrasts, with Chan pouring out effort by the pint but the Indonesian champion displaying the greater skill and accuracy.
Loeisa scored a knockdown against the run of play in round three; a scything southpaw right hook catching the onrushing Chan bang on the jaw.
The Thai was up quickly, but now we knew Loeisa could hurt him. Chan picked up where he left off – straight back on to the front foot – and the fight grew even more absorbing as the result seemed to hinge on whether the champion could hold his composure and continue to absorb Chan’s attacks, and whether the challenger could possibly maintain such a torrid pace.
The solution came in round seven. Whether Chan could have kept it up for the full 10 rounds was suddenly rendered moot as he answered the former question first: no, Loeisa could not take such punishment indefinitely.
A typical bludgeoning attack in Loeisa’s own red corner was punctuated by a thumping right hand to the temple that separated him from his senses – and his crown.
Post-fight, Chan, now 8-3 and champion of Asia, signalled his intent to pursue the WBC world title.
Loriga survives a scare; Coach Boss doesn’t break a sweat
Another man with titles on his mind is Italy’s Pietro Loriga.
With his own WBC Asia carrot being dangled in front of him, the super-lightweight may have been guilty of complacency in his six-round warm-up against Thai trialhorse Atipbodee Srikao.
The underdog fancied the upset and fought with ambition and guile. And he came within a point of sharing the honours, as the judges rendered a 58-55, 57-56, 57-56 verdict that meant Loriga’s opening-round flash knockdown, courtesy of a leaping right hand, was the difference between a win and a draw.
Loriga improved to 12-1, while Atipbodee is a 5-4 that doesn’t reflect his talent.
Perhaps the most startling finish of the night was delivered by popular hometown super-lightweight Chaiyapruk Chainikorn, who flattened Iranian Younes Dehghanamirabadi in just 36 seconds.
Chaiyapruk, who is not only a competitor but also a trainer at The Box known as “Coach Boss”, delighted his assembled fans and students with the southpaw right cross that ended matters so emphatically.
It was also of significant satisfaction to the man himself, as he bounced back from the first defeat of his career in considerable style.
Australian welterweight Kate McLaren extended her unbeaten run to six fights (two draws) with a whitewash of gutsy but outgunned Thai Anchalee Mankong, while a third Indonesia v Thailand affair went the way of the visitors as Emanuel Nahak stopped the incredibly spirited Afif Arrong in three rounds at featherweight.
And the card opened with four international debutants showcased against each other. First, Aussie welterweight Jacob Clenshaw stopped Soleiman Abassi of Iran in round two, before Kenji Okahisa made it a Down Under double by winning all four cruiserweight rounds against Russia’s Yury Lyubchevskiy.
* By focusing on competitive matchmaking, investing in grassroots boxing, and offering opportunities to boxers regardless of nationality, the WBC Sportech/The Box Promotions partnership is delivering an exciting and fast-growing spectacle for fans and competitors alike. Make sure to follow The Box as it continues to expand and evolve, or better yet see for yourself and attend the next event!
LINKS
Champion Jets in to top sensational night of international boxing
Jon Jon Jet v Woraweth event page
Full broadcast
BoxRec event page
Marupu wipes out Wisanu for two titles at Fist of Glory
The Box company page
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