By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Randy Suico has won his third Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation title by scoring a 5th round TKO in a battle for the vacant light welterweight title against South Korea’s Kyung-Suk Kwak in Icheon, Sunday night.
Suico who is known for his powerful right and a solid jab thus added to his previous triumphs in winning the OPBF super featherweight and lightweight titles.
His manager Joe Koizumi, the well-known Japanese matchmaker and media man reported that Suico took the initiative right from the opening bell and put on what Koizumi described as a “give and take performance” against the durable and game Korean.
In the fifth round Suico battered Kwak with solid blows forcing Thai referee Pinit Pradsab to step in and call a halt to prevent the Korean from absorbing any more punishment. The end came at 1:02 of the fifth round.
Suico once fought for the WBA world lightweight title against Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz but after a promising start Diaz proved too fast and too strong for Suico and won by a 9th round TKO.
Suico also fought South Africa’s Mzonke Fana in a WBC super featherweight title eliminator and dropped a controversial majority decision on May 28, 2004 in South Africa after sending Fana to the canvas twice and having him reeling across the ring and on the verge of a knockout in the final round.
Fana subsequently fought Marco Antonio Barrera for the title and was knocked out in the 2nd round in El Paso, Texas on April 9, 2005.
Suico has fought sparingly in recent years having one fight in December 2008 when he lost by a split decision to Ichitaro Ishii and another in March 2009 when he lost by a twelve round unanimous decision in a clash for the vacant OPBF lightweight title to Kengo Nagashima in Tokyo.
Suico has been training at the famed ALA Gym in Cebu.
