The World This Week by Oliver Fennell Feb 19th 2008

Oliver Fennell sums up the international action of interest. Results with relevance to British boxing are in bold. February 14, Bangkok, Thailand Veteran former world champ Ratanapol Sor Vorapin retained his PABA flyweight title with an easy second-round stoppage of wonderfully-named Filipino Pingping “The Sting” Tepura. Sor Vorapin holds an impressive 53-6-1 record and is undefeated since launching a 2005 comeback after losing to modern great Ricardo Lopez in 2000, but he's been fighting at a low level and needs to step up. On the same bill, world-rated super-bantam Sod Looknongyangtoy knocked out Indonesian novice Carlos Lopez, also in two rounds. On a separate show elsewhere in Bangkok, Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym returned from a failed WBO strawweight title bid five months ago to stop to stop Filipino Richard Garcia in five. The interim WBC Asian strap was on the line. February 15, Uncasville, Connecticut, USA British light-welterweight hope Ashley Theophane came up short in his Stateside debut, dropping a unanimous decision to Ali Oubaali over 10 rounds. Globetrotting Theophane has competed in four different countries in his past five fights. February 15, Istanbul, Turkey Local hero Sinan Samil Sam pleased his home fans by outscoring Mazur Ali of Egypt. Ali was undefeated but inexperienced at 5-0 going in. Sam, a former European champion who successfully defended against Danny Williams in 2003, gets a chance to regain his belt when matched with Matt Skelton in a vacant title fight later this year. February 15, Bangkok, Thailand Fahsan 3K Battery bounced back from defeat at the hands of Steve Molitor, outpointing Indonesia's Jason Butar Butar in a routine super-bantamweight eight-rounder. 3K Battery is 59-9-1 but has never held a major world title. February 16, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA An extra four pounds did make a difference for Jermain Taylor, but it was not enough for him to gain revenge over middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. Last summer, Pavlik had beaten Taylor to a seventh-round knockout defeat, relieving him of the crown. Taylor exercised his immediate rematch option, but the bout was made at catchweight, meaning Jermain would stand to regain only his honour, not his belts, if he beat Pavlik. But this time, despite looking faster and sharper than in recent years, Taylor was beaten on points in a fight which was absorbing, if not as exciting as the first chapter. Taylor will probably now focus on a super-middleweight campaign, while Pavlik is looking at a June defence against Irishman John Duddy. Two intriguing super-flyweight title affairs supported the main event. Fernando Montiel made the biggest impression, crushing fellow Mexican Martin Castillo in just four rounds to retain his WBO championship. The brevity of the contest – and dominance of Montiel while it lasted – was all the more surprising considering many had this contest down as a pick ‘em affair. And Montiel's compatriot and WBC counterpart, Cristian Mijares, outscored American Jose Navarro. In name-value eight-rounders, Ronald Hearns – son of Tommy “The Hitman” – knocked our Juan Astorga in the last at light-middleweight, while former light-flyweight world ruler Brian Viloria earned a points nod over Cesar Lopez. February 16, Nuremberg, Germany Russian giant Nicolai Valuev earned the right to challenge again for his old WBA championship by whitewashing Sergei Lyakovich of Belarus. Valuev won every round for all three judges in what is being hailed as his best performance to date. While 23st Valuev still does not punch his weight, he showed greatly improved skills to subdue an opponent of proven pedigree. Valuev is now the number one contender for current WBA champion – and his sole conqueror – Ruslan Chagaev. On the undercard, Fijian-born heavyweight Kali Meehan stayed busy with a third-round destruction of trialhorse Jeremy Bates. Meehan was famously bombed out in 30 seconds by Danny Williams in 2001, but has come a long way since and is now world-rated. February 16, San Luis, Argentina Heavyweight brawler Fabio Moli bludgeoned fellow-Argentinian Hector Sotelo to a two-round knockout defeat. Moli, the national champion, lost to Matt Skelton in 2005.

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