Jhonny Gonzalez led a parade of Mexican champions on Saturday, taking the WBO bantamweight title from Thailand's Ratanachai Sor Vorapin with a seventh-round knockout.
In other WBO championship bouts at the event touted as the "Boxing World Cup" because every fight was between a Thai and a Mexican, Hugo Cazares defended his junior flyweight title with a sixth-round knockout of Kaichon Sor Vorapin; Fernando Montiel kept his junior bantamweight crown by outpointing Pramuansak Phosawan; and Daniel Ponce De Leon stopped Sod Looknongyangtoy for for the vacant junior featherweight title.
Ratanachai Vorapin went in as the only Thai champion of the Golden Boy Promotions card at Desert Diamond Casino, and it quickly became apparent that Gonzalez (30-4) had the tools to take the title from him.
The challenger knocked Vorapin (64-9) down twice in the second round and opened a cut over his eye in the fourth. From that point, the right side of the 28-year-old Thai boxer's face was masked in blood, affecting his vision.
Vorapin was warned for a low blow after Gonzalez sank to his knees early in the sixth round, but Gonzalez got up angry and floored Vorapin at the bell. He pummeled Vorapin from the bell for the seventh, and referee Robert Byrd stopped the fight 22 seconds in.
"I knew he would get up, because he was a great champion," the 24-year-old Gonzalez said after getting his 26th knockout. "But sooner or later I knew I'd knock him out with my combinations."
Vorapin was not available for comment.
Cazares (22-3-1), the lightest of the title-holders at 48kg, showed the most impressive power with a one-punch knockout, his 16th, when he hit Vorapin's jaw with a compact, straight left hand. The challenger fell backward, and collapsed again in his corner at 2:14 of the sixth round.
The end came less than two minutes after Vorapin (17-7) put Cazares on the canvas with a right.
"I dropped my left, and I got popped," Cazares said.
De Leon (27-1) earned a unanimous decision in 12 rounds, handing Looknongyangtoy (25-1) his first defeat with aggressive boxing in the late rounds after being knocked down in the second.
"It feels like no other," De Leon said about his title.
He has 25 knockouts, but said he never counted on stopping an unbeaten opponent.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and