By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Anthony “Striker” Esmedina of the Philippines has lost by a twelve round shutout in an IBF Pan Pacific bantamweight title fight against Thailand’s undefeated champion Thangthong Kiattaweesuk in Bangkok.
The “Striker” clearly struck out as all three judges had the far superior Thai fighter the winner 120-108 against Esmedina who last April 4 dropped a ten round unanimous decision to the promising Eden Sonsona.
Sonsona scored a 2nd round TKO over Eilon Kedem in a spectacular US debut on the Manny Pacquiai-Miguel Cotto “Fire Power” undercard at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas last November 14.
Boxrec.com records indicated that Esmedina had a record of 6-9-2 with 1 knockout but although not always accurate it clearly demonstrated the disparity between the challenger and the champion who entered the ring undefeated with a record if 15-0 with 9 knockouts.
It was Thangthong’s seventh fight this year and among the southpaw’s victims were Filipinos Bogie Delada whom he knocked out in four rounds and Richard Olisa who went the distance.
Thongthong won the IBF Pan Pacific 118 pound title with a unanimous twelve round decision over South Korea’s I-Hon Kim on November 23, 2007.
In a supporting bout super bantamweight Jun Eraham, reportedly 9-18-4 with 4 knockouts dropped a six round unanimous decision to 27 year old Patomchoke Patompotong who took his unbeaten streak to 17-0 with 15 knockouts.
