John hands Chonlatarn first loss
- Published: 10 Nov 2012 at 03.33
- Online news: Sports
SINGAPORE : Chris John of Indonesia made his 17th consecutive defence of his WBA super world featherweight title when he outpointed Thailand's Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo in a slugfest at Marina Bay Sands on Friday.
John was awarded the bout 117-111, 119-109, 119-109 by the three ringside judges in an entertaining bout, which should perhaps have been scored closer and featured all-out attacks by two undefeated boxers intent on fighting on the inside."My opponent is very tough, I tried hard to punch him hard in the body and head but he kept moving", John, with a cut below his left eye, said from the ring after winning the bout.After a stuttering start, both boxers let loose over the next five rounds with the referee forced to break up the exhausted duo for holding for the first time in the seventh round.Chonlatarn fought through the final rounds with a bloody nose and looked unsteady on his feet, probably because of exhaustion, in his first bout outside Thailand.John, voted the WBA's fighter of the decade earlier this year, was the busier of the two throughout and although he took his fair share of punishment, the Indonesian landed more punishing...
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