SA heavyweight champion, Chris “The Wolf” Thompson, is the second local boxer in history to win the International Boxing Association (IBA) belt.
He outboxed Georgiy Yunovidov of Russia over eight one-sided rounds to win the IBA heavyweight belt at Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Manila, in the Philippines today.
The first SA boxer to win an IBA belt was Jacob “Baby Jake” Matlala.
The pint-sized former two-weight world champion won the flyweight belt after comprehensively defeating Michael Carbajal in Las Vegas on July 18, 1997.
Ushered to war by trainer Shannon Strydom, left-handed Thompson, a former ABU titlist, gave Yunovidov no space to breathe from round one.
They spent the better part of their eight-rounder fighting in the pocket, and it became a tit-for-tat situation.
But Thompson threw more effective punches.
The pattern remained unaltered even after seven rounds. He closed the show well, doing more work in round eight to earn a deserved unanimous points decision.
Thompson has now improved to 17 wins against six losses and a draw, while Yunovidov suffered his second defeat against 11 victories.
Their fight formed part of the tournament staged by MP Promotions of Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao in honour of the iconic Thrilla in Manila — the third fight between Muhammad “The Greatest” Ali and Joseph “Smokin’ Joe Frazier — which took place on October 1, 1975.
Ali stopped Frazer in the 15th round at the same venue where Thompson upset the bookies when he defeated the favoured Yunovidov.
Pacquiao, an eight-division world champion, was among the distinguished guests.
Pacquiao, who won his second world title by dethroning Lehlohonolo “Hands of Stone” Ledwaba as the IBF junior featherweight champion in 2001, was appointed on Tuesday as the IBA vice-president.
Sowetan
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