Wednesday afternoon in Loei, Thailand, unbeaten Thai flyweight Stamp Kiatniwat (14-0, 6 KOs) won the vacant interim WBA flyweight title by decisioning over Gregorio Lebron (13-3, 11 KOs), from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The final scores were 113-113 (Raul Caiz Jr.), 116-112 (Byung-Moo Kim), and 117-109 (Takeshi Shimakawa). The third man in the ring was Ferlin Marsh.
Fighting out of the red corner in white trunks with red trim, Kianiwat brought the fight to his opponent. But Lebron, fighting out of the corner in white and black, came to Thailand to fight and often gave as good as he got.
Kianiwat dropped Lebron in rounds one and 10. Lebron dominated the middle rounds and had Kianiwat badly hurt in the fifth.
When the final scores were announced, Lebron’s team was in disbelief. They felt it was closer, much closer, with judge Byung-Moo Kim, whose score of 117-109 seemed incomprehensible, being the worst offender.
“I believe the third judge should have been neutral,” Lebron’s manager, Belgica Pena, complained, “American Canadian or a European. That said, we are willing to return to Thailand for a rematch with Kiatniwat.”
This article was penned by the author who is not related to the WBA and the statements, expressions or opinions referenced herein are that of the author alone and not the WBA.
