By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Ericson Origenes has lost to former world-rated featherweight Fahsai Sakkreerin in a battle for the vacant IBF Pan Pacific super featherweight title at the Holland Beer Entertainment Center in Bangkok where this time Thai fight fans who normally watch fights free-of-charge had to buy tickets to watch the fights.
The 28 year old Fahsai won by a 6th round technical decision after Thai referee Cherdchaichanon Srichart consulted the ring doctor who ruled that the cut suffered by Fahsai over his right eye due to an accidental clash of heads was too severe to allow him to continue.
While the fight lasted, IBF official Ray Wheatley reported that Fahsai was impressive and connected consistently with solid left hooks and right hands against the taller Filipino especially in the first three rounds.
Origenes fought back in round four and caught Fahsai with some solid combinations of his own but the end came at 2:44 in round six when the Thai was badly cut and they were forced to go to the scorecards of the three Thai judges who all turned in identical 59-55 scorecards.
With the win Fahsai improved to 27-2 with 12 knockouts while Origenes dropped to 7-2-2 with 5 knockouts.
Fahsai had previously won the IBF Pan Pacific featherweight title with a 2nd round knockout of Abi Metiaman on March 23, 2007 and made five successful title defenses before moving up to super featherweight to face Origenes.
In his last fight Origenes figured in a draw with Joan De Guia on a fight card at the Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Annual Awards last March 25, 2010 when all three judges couldn’t separate the two and turned in identical scorecards of 95-95 in the ten round bout.
In an action-packed flyweight bout on the undercard, Rusalee Samor (8-3-1, 2 KO’s) and Filipino Rodel Tejares (8-10-3, 1 KO) fought to a well-received draw over six rounds while undefeated super bantamweight Mike “Mike Tyson” Tawatchai ( 15-0-1, 11 KO’s) outpointed Elmar Francisco (9-8-1, 2 KO’s) in another exciting six round bout mainly because he was the more aggressive fighter and outworked the Filipino although Wheatly reported that Francisco counter-punched skillfully.