By Alexey Sukachev
WBA featherweight super champion Chris John (47-0-2, 22 KOs) celebrated his sixteenth defense of the title by delivering another boxing lesson - this time to overmatched Japanese challenger Shoji Kimura (24-5-2, 9 KOs) - at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. As always, The Dragon was painfully monotonuous and relentless at the same time, getting a wide decision over twelve pretty much one-sided rounds. Scores were 119-108 (Pinit Prayadsab) and 118-109 (Wan-Soo Yuh and Francisco Martinez) - for John, who hasn't thrilled anybody with a stoppage win for four years and a half.
The only round the former Japanese national champion and WBA #14 ranked fighter was giving fits to the Indonesian was the seventh round when Kimura landed several hard punches on John. It was good but it wasn't enough to raise even the slightest doubt in the possible winner. John was outboxing Kimura all way long, while the Japanese was ducking way too low all the time. He was also deducted a point for hitting below the beltline.
Another easy win for John doesn't raise his profile anymore. The local hero needs harder and tougher challenges like the one he got in the States by fighting Rocky Juarez. Otherwise he will be forever be remembered as a fighter who lost his potential in meaningless fights, and even twenty or more defenses will not define an era for The Dragon. Eating hapless sheep all the time isn't enough for a dragon, one wants to witness heroes and knights in the monster's lore.
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In the most entertaining fight of the night, WBA #8 featherweight and John's compatriot Daud Cino Yordan (29-2, 23 KOs) dealt the first ever professional loss to highly regarded WBO #6 and IBF #14 rated kayo artist Lorenzo Villanueva (22-1, 21 KOs) of Philippines in a thriller. Yordan got up from a knockdown in the first and finished Villanueva with a thunderous right cross in the second stanza.
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Other results:
Yao Yi Ma (11-1, 7 KOs) UD 6 Kengo Nagashima (10-8-2, 9 KOs)
Wang Xin Hua (7-4-1) MD 4 Mohammed Nor Rizan (5-2, 4 KOs)
Rex Tso (7-0, 4 KOs) UD 4 Yodpichai Sithsaithong (6-4, 3 KOs)
Qui Xiao Jun (3-0) UD 4 Bayu Gede Prabow (0-2)
Tags: Chris John
, Daud Yordan 