By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Hard-hitting Filipino flyweight Rey Migreno has stunned former IBF world minimum weight champion and light flyweight contender Ratanapol Sor Vorapin by scoring a fifth round knockout to win the Pan Asia Boxing Association flyweight title at the beautiful tourist resort of Karon Beach in Phuket, Thailand.
Ratanapol who was rated No. 4 flyweight by the WBA was dropped four times by Migreno who doesn’t have a particularly impressive record although 9 of his 11 wins have come by way of knockouts as against 9 defeats and 2 draws.
Migreno was coming off a 5th round TKO over Albert Alcoy in a Luzon Professional Boxing Association title fight last June 20 in which he showed his punching power according to respected TV analyst Moy Lainez who said he is “good and strong.”
The Filipino had fought twice before in Thailand, losing on points to former world flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam in an eight round bout and Duangpetch Saengmorakot in a PABA super flyweight title fight.
Migreno caught Ratanapol with some solid blows to drop the Thai twice in the opening round to set the tone of the fight. Ratanapol tried to fight his way out of trouble but Migreno caught him again in the fourth round for the third knockdown of the fight before putting him down for good one more time in nthe fifth.
With the win Migreno improved his record to 11-9-2 with 9 knockouts while Ratanapol the former two-time IBF title holder fell to 59-8-1 with 48 knockouts.
The Thais exacted some celebration when light flyweight Wisanu Pornobnum (31-7-2, 11 KO’s) retained his PABA title with an eleventh round unanimous decision over Donnie Mabao (12-9-1, 3 KO’s) and WBC International flyweight champion, 23 year old Saenmuangnoi Sor Kingstar (3-1, 0 KO’s) also scored a six round decision over Filipino Rodel Quilaton (12-10, 3 KO’s) in a non-title bout.