Ponteras Stuns Samor To Win IBF's Pan-Pacific Title
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Unheralded Filipino Ryan Rey Ponteras stunned Thailand’s favored Rosalee Samor to win the IBF Pan Pacific flyweight title with a rousing 4th round TKO at the Rajapark Institute in Bangkok, Thailand on December 26.
It was the fifth straight win by Ponteras, four of them coming by way of knockouts, after he was taken in by former North Cotabato governor Manny Pinol who, together with his brothers, handles the Braveheart Boxing Club.
Ponteras dominated the fight from the opening bell, dropping the Thai champion in the second round and hammering him in the third and fourth rounds before finally ending the one-sided battle at 2:39 of the fifth round.
The 28 year old Samor’s record dropped to 19-4-2 with 8 knockouts with several of his victims being Filipinos.
Samor won the vacant title with a ntwelve round unanimous decision over Ryan Tampus on October 26, 2011 and was coming off a successful title defense against another Filipino in Noli Morales last October 19.
The Thai fighter had won 9 of his last 11 fights with two dras since his unanimous decision loss to Isack Junior of Indonesia for the vacant interim WBO Asia Pacific super flyweight title on April 10. 2010 in Batam, Indonesia.
Pinol reported on an unusual incident during the fight when one of the sponsors, Chevrolet, decided to have Ponteras who was wearing red trunks change into blue shorts carrying the Chevrolet logo in the ring after they saw the Filipino batter the Thai champion.