Boxing In Australasia: Weekend Results

Big weekend in Oz with a good card in both The Philippines and Japan but we kick things off Down Under on Saturday night at Fonterra Echuca Sports and Entertainment Centre in Echua, Victoria.

One of Australia’s top light welters, Lance Gostelow, 18-2 (14), roared back from defeat to former PABA Lightweight kingpin Somachai Nakbalee, 12-7-1 (5), of Thailand last October to win the rematch on points after ten hard fought rounds of combat.

Melbourne based Gostelow recaptured the WBO Oriental crown and could be in line for a high profile domestic dustup against the likes of Aussie Champ Chris McCullen or Brisbane veteran Mick “Pony” Shaw.

The chief support bout saw local heavyweight prospect Justin Whitehead, 2-0 (1), win the WBF Asia Pacific belt from Melbourne puncher Kim Heta, 8-3 (6), via ten round decision. Neither fighter had gone more than six rounds previously.

Friday saw a big bill at The Panthers Club in Newcastle, NSW with highly decorated former IBO Welterweight title challenger Robert Medley, 23-2 (15), of Camden caging the vacant IBO Intercontinental Light Middle trophy with a 12 round UD over Newcastle’s Tui “The Titan” Leveni, 8-2 (5), a former Aussie Light Middle Champ who saw an eight bout win streak snapped.

Also a former Australian Light Middle title holder, Medley has worn the IBO Asia Pacific, IBF Australasian and IBO Intercontinental Welterweight belts, losing only to world class Isaac Hlatshwayo on two occasions.

The undercard saw a high profile clash between former WBA Middleweight title challenger Jamie Pittman, 18-1 (8), and highly Sydney veteran Josh “The Chainsaw” Clenshaw, 26-14 (13), at super middle.

Former Aussie Middle and Light Middle beltholder Clenshaw brought the experience of eight title fights to the table but that wasn’t enough against the sharp Gosford southpaw as Pittman, an ex-WBO Asia Pacific, WBA Pan African and PABA Middleweight and Aussie and WBF Super Middleweight Champion, was just too quick and mobile, winning all eight rounds on the cards.

At the RSL Club in Southport, Queensland, former OPBF Heavyweight Champion Alex Leapi, 14-3-2 (1), knocked out 39 year old New Zealand trial horse Oscar Talemaira, 3-19 (1), in the second during a rematch.

Logan City man Leapi has now won five in a row since losing his OPBF crown to Colin Wilson via split decision last June.

In the main event at the RSL Club, Gold Coast resident and two weight Australian title challenger William “Hardcore” Hadlow, 7-14-4 (2), won the vacant Queensland Super Middle crown with a fifth round stoppage of Warwick’s Terry Lambert, 3-6 (1).

On Saturday at Cebu Coliseum in Cebu City, Philippines, there was the curious case of two WBO Oriental Bantamweight title bouts going on during the same evening.

In a battle of southpaws, Manilla’s WBO Asia Pacific titlist Jason Egera, 10-3 (5), was knocked out in the third by Suminot man Jundy Maraon, 13-0-1 (10), for the full WBO Oriental title.

In a clash for the Interim WBO Oriental belt, Pigcawayan man Rolando “Smooth Operator” Magbanua, 12-0 (7), stayed undefeated with a six round stoppage of Mexican import Jose Cota, 8-4 (6).

On the undercard, WBO Bantamweight Champion Gerry Penalosa, 54-6-2 (36), stayed busy with a ten round non-title unanimous decision victory over Mexican super flyweight German Meraz, 20-12-1 (8), in preparation for the Manila southpaw’s step up to super bantam for a title challenge to WBO Champion Juan Manuel Lopez of Puerto Rico in April.

At the famed Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, local veteran Naoki Matsuda, 29-8-4 (12), retained his Japanese Featherweight title but was pushed hard and held to a draw by crosstown rival and former title holder Koji Umetsu, 15-8-2 (6), after ten difficult rounds.

It was quite a scare for Matsuda, who is just two fights removed from a WBC Featherweight title eliminator loss to Mexico’s Guty Espadas Jr last year.

The main support bout saw another draw as the ten round super bantam bout between Tokyo southpaw Akifumi Shimoda, 18-2-1 (8), and Panama’s former WBA Fedelatin titlist Jose “El Exterminator” Arboleda, 23-4-2 (9), was halted in the third due to injury.