Boxing results worldwide as Takeshi Inoue and former world champion Amnat Ruenroeng score victories in respective match-ups.
Tokyo, Japan: Middle: Takeshi Inoue (16-1-1) W Nath Nwachukwu (6-0-2).
In a substitute main event, former WBO title challenger Inoue wins a unanimous verdict over Nwachukwu. Inoue took charge early in the fight with fast, accurate jabbing. The inexperienced Nwachukwu finally worked his way into the fight in the fourth, and a clash of heads saw Inoue cut and marked on his forehead. Inoue seemed to lose his way a little after that clash, but then his experienced and better boxing skills steady him, and he emerged a bloody but deserving winner. Scores 79-73, 78-74, and 78-75 for Inoue but a pyrrhic victory because of the cut. This is his fourth win since an unsuccessful challenge to Jaime Munguia for the WBO super welter title in January 2019. Nwachukwu was All Japan Rookie of the Year in 2018. This was his first eight-round fight, and his inexperience showed here
Irapuato, Mexico: Welter: Jose Luis Rodriguez (12-2-2) W Alejandro Chavez (12-4).
This was Rodrigez’s fight all the way to the delight of his hometown fans. With a more varied attack and a tighter defense, he had Chavez on the back and under pressure. Chavez showed only occasional bursts of aggression before going on the retreat again. Rodriguez landed some hard head punches at the start of the fifth, then switched to the body and dug in a left hook, which sent Chavez down on his knees, and he was counted out. Rodriguez, 22, wins the interim WBC Fecombox title and gets his sixth consecutive victory. Chavez had won his last three fights.
Bang Phun, Thailand: Feather: Amnat Ruenroeng (21-4) W PTS 8 Pungluang (54-9).
Fly: Thananchai (11-1) W KO 4 Pigmy Kokietgym (61-14-2).
Bantam: Nawaphon (50-1-1) W TKO 4 Yutthichai (10-11).
Ruenroeng vs. Pungluang
Both of these former world champions have seen better days, but they put on an entertaining and competitive eight-round fight. Ruenroeng boxed on the back foot raking the oncoming Pungluang with counters and then standing and exchange with both fighters landing heavy shots. This was no exhibition match, and both fighters showed flashes of temper with the referee asking them to clean things up. Ruenroeng did all of the good work for the early rounds, and then when he tired over the last three rounds, tied Pungluang up inside and did enough to hold on to his lead. Scores 77-75 twice and 78-74 for Ruenroeng. He is a former IBF flyweight champion who learned to box whilst in jail and was released to follow a professional career. At 40, he is unlikely to fight for a title again, but he gave Srisaket a hard time losing a ten rounder in August. Pungluang, 31, a former WBNO bantamweight champion, is on the downslope, and with this loss, his recent record is 2-6.
Thananchat vs. Pigmy
Thananchat retains the WBC Asian title with a victory over oldie Pigmy Kokietgym. Pigmy has a wealth of experience, but that was no substitute for the 6” height difference and the youth of Thananchat. The younger man was able to score well at a distance with Pigmy just too slow to get close enough to work inside. Thananchat showed good skills, a fast jab, and variety in his punches switching smoothly from head to body. Pigmy just kept rolling forward, smiling through the counters he was eating. That ended in the fourth when a left hook to the body dropped him to his knees. He was up at eight, but another left hook to the body sent him down again, and he was counted out. Thananchat looked very useful. He is 20 and, after an early defeat, has won ten on the bounce, eight by KO/TKO, including a victory over formerly world-rated Kompayak. Pigmy (Wicha Phulaikhao) had his best days as a minimumweight losing twice in challenges for the WBA title, but at 5’1” and 39, his days of making 105lbs are behind him.
Nawaphon vs. Yuttichai
Easy win for Nawaphon as he stops Yuttichai in four. Nawaphon kept the fragile-looking Yuttichai under pressure before putting him on the floor with a right to the head in the third. He floored Yuttichai again later in the round with another right, and when Yuttichai went down from a body punch in the fourth, the fight was stopped. The 29-year-old Nawaphon was halted in three rounds by Juan Hernandez in a challenge for the WBC flyweight title in 2017 but has rebounded with 14 wins, including a stoppage Ruenroeng. He is No 2 with the WBC at bantam.
Therefore, it is in line for a short at the winner of Nordine Ouabaali’s defense against Nonito Donaire. Tenth inside the distance loss for Yuttichai
