The Defensive Move of Clinching; Servania is Overmatched at 147 Lbs
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 10 Feb 2025
Owan throws a left at Kang.
It was certainly a crowd pleasing boxing promotion that was seen at the Nustar Resorts and Casino in Cebu City this past weekend.
The main event that featured a Korean defending champion, Jeon Soon Kang and his Japanese challenger Ryuto Owan for the WBO Global featherweight title saw intense blow by blow actions that ended only when the referee stopped the bout to save Kang from serious damage and eminent knockout in the 9th round.
The supporting event saw Chinese top welterweight fighter Aketeliete Yeleijan winning the vacant WBO Oriental welterweight belt by knocking out his Filipino opponent Genesis Servania in the 10th round after a fierce exchange in the previous rounds that all but sapped Servania's fighting vitality.
In the other main support bout, Filipino Rodex Piala fought courageously but intelligently to outpoint the knockout seeking defending Chinese titlist Yeerjialahasi Laayibieke to wrest the WBO Oriental super featherweight championship.
Great fights that will long be remembered by Cebuanos indeed.
But as from where this armchair boxing observer sits, I cannot help but wonder why Kang, and also Servania did not resort to defensive moves as clinching and holding when they were being pummeled literally from pillar to post. Or why their corners did not instruct them to?
Being a fighter who was used to be the aggressor and the one who usually put his past opponents to so called queer street, Kang may not have seen the necessity to smoother Owan's two fisted attack by holding and clinching. Fighters so infatuated with their own power are guilty of this omission. Look at Mike Tyson when he got into trouble against Buster Douglas. Refusing to clinch and hold, Tyson as a consequence was separated from his senses for the first time.
On sheer pride or folly, Kang likewise refused to resort to defensive moves and instead tried to fight fire with fire thereby getting solidly hit more prompting the referee to stop the fight to spare him from more serious damage as Owan has clearly established his momentum for a knockout.
This was likewise the case with Servania who obviously had no business fighting at welterweight after getting nowhere following his move up from featherweight to lightweight and super lightweight. Being the more experienced fighter, Genesis should have fought smartly and paced himself against a bigger and stronger foe. If he was knocked out at lightweight and super lightweight, the more likelihood he would be at welterweight, given that he did not even a testing the water fight at 147 lbs before this bout.
Remember that even a bomber as Naoya Inoue clung for dear life when Nonito Donaire nearly knocked him out in their first fight in 2019. Clinching afforded Inoue to clear his head and wait for his second wind, preparing him for a strong finish in beating Nonito on points.
The trouble with many of our Pinoy boxers and most of Pinoy boxing fans, we frown upon clinching and holding when these are allowed in professional boxing up to certain extents.
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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