Knockout CP Freshmart couldn’t live up to his moniker by scoring a stoppage win in Buriram yesterday but he did enough to win the WBA Interim 105-pound world title after defeating Carlos Buitrago by unanimous decision.
The crowd in Buriram cheered Knockout’s every punch, but he looked to be significantly slower than his opponent in the opening round as he struggled with the quick hands of the much taller Nicaraguan.
In the second stanza, Knockout – who competes in Muay Thai under the equally wonderful name Newlookrak Pagonponsurin – started to slip the straight punches and do some good work on the inside with a straight right downstairs-left hook upstairs combination proving particularly effective.
It was more of the same in the following round with Knockout moving forwards and pressuring the Nicaraguan although Buitrago started to stand his ground and fire back in the fourth round which made for some entertaining exchanges.
Knockout became increasingly less accurate as the fight progressed but he never stopped moving forwards and although Buitrago kept pawing away with the jab and landed the occasional straight right he could not keep up with the aggression of the Thai.
Knockout suffered a small cut besides his left eye in the seventh round which a doctor took a good look at, but it didn’t seem to affect his confidence or momentum as he kept on charging forward and looking to land power punches, even if few of them connected cleanly.
As the fight progressed it developed into a war of attrition with both fighters slowing significantly but crucially it was Knockout who kept walking forwards while Buitrago was permanently on the back foot, trying to keep him at bay with a jab which had lost the laser like accuracy of the opening round.
Knockout decided to take the final three minutes off, barely throwing a single punch and allowing Buitrago to take the 12th round. It looked to be a gamble given how close many of the rounds had been but it ultimately paid off with all three judges seeing it as 115-113 in favor of the Thai.
It means Knockout can now call himself a boxing world champion, albeit through holding an interim version of the WBA belt, as well as a former Muay Thai title holder at both Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Stadiums.
Not a bad collection of belts for a 24 year old.
