Another One Fell to Body Punching
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 17 Mar 2024
Zhu's body punching smoothened Rementizo.
Marco John Rementizo became the latest Pinoy fighter to succumb to body punching as he failed in his quest for the WBO Global minimumweight title losing via 3rd round knockout to defending champion China's Dian Xing Zhu in their scheduled 12 round title bout in Vietnam.
Rementizo started out auspiciously as he even had Dian cornered at one point in the opening round where he rained him with head and body blows. But that would only be his bright moment as the bigger Dian would outmuscle him beginning in the second round and pin him to the ropes and try to wear him down with body shots including to the liver.
Rementizo welcomed the phone booth war perhaps in the belief he could outslug the Chinese who was making the first defense of the crown. But that would be his undoing as Dian proved too strong and incessantly targeted his breadbasket.
A change of strategy was obviously in order for the Filipino by the third round but Dian continued boring in and trapping Rementizo in the ropes and pumping two fisted attack to Rementizo's breadbasket. Apparently a punch or two found their mark on the Filipino's solar plexus and Rementizo suddenly slumped in prone position head first to the canvas.
Referee Danrex Tapdasan reached the full count while Rementizo remained prostrate on the canvas. Scoring was even, 19-19 at the time of knockout.
It was Rementizo's third KO loss with the second inflicted by another Chinese fighter MJ Bo in Manila in 2018. He impaired to 15 wins and 5 losses
It was Dian's first defense of the title he won by 3rd round KO over Thailand's Sanchai Yotboon in the same The Grand Tram Ho Strip in Vun Tau in a promotion organized by Kim Sung Bum under the auspices of the Vietnamese Boxing Commission.
Dian improved his record to 13-1 with 12KOs.
In the main supporting bout, Genesis Servania proved too good and experienced in pounding out an 8 round unanimous decision over China's Xiao Tao Su in their lightweight bout.
Not long ago, Jerwin Ancajas and Jonas Sultan lost one after the other by body punch knockouts in Japan raising question to Pinoy boxers growing vulnerability to body punching.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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