Palma
06-04-2009, 08:44 PM
<a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm26/teamlocomuaythai/sor2-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm26/teamlocomuaythai/sor.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br />Top class Thai promoter Kokiet Panichayarom says he will suspend former WBO world bantamweight champion Ratanachai Sor Vorapin for six months as a punishment for throwing a flying kick at Filipino Ramie Laput in their WBO Intercontinental super bantamweight title fight at the Cebu Coliseum last March 28.<br /><br />Ratanachai suffered a cut due to an accidental head-butt in round eleven which was not signaled immediately by referee Bruce McTavish and as the Thai fighter bent down grimacing Laput raced in and threw more punches which incensed Ratanachai who lost his composure and retaliated with a flying kick leaving McTavish no choice but to disqualify him.<br /><br />At the time of the stoppage Laput was winning handily having out-boxed the former world champion throughout the fight.<br /><br />Kokiet said he considered Ratanachai's action serious and one that warrants a six-month suspension from boxing, although the promoter explained that Ratanachai was upset since he thought Laput intentionally clashed heads with him and attempted to strike him with his knee.<br /><br />The widely respected promoter Kokiet was quoted as saying "I am confident that Ratanachai is willing to examine himself [regarding the kick]. But the man did not break any law, and he has a family to feed. He succumbed to impulse and now he is seen by society as a wrongdoer."<br /><br />Kokiet added, "Ratanachai is not a top boxer under me, so there would be no problem if he had to quit boxing for the rest of his life. I would like to ask everyone to help judge whether he should quit boxing for good after the six-month suspension."