Boxing
New champ Jaro: ‘Thai foe never hurt me’
Newly-crowned WBC flyweight king Sonny Boy Jaro said he was never hurt by the hard blows that he took from deposed champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam of Thailand in their title clash held last Friday in Chonburi, Thailand.
“Hindi naman ako nasaktan,” said the 29-year-old Jaro, whose sixth-round TKO of the Thai legend should rank as one of the most earth-shaking in the history of the WBC flyweight division.
Jaro’s victory is comparable to that of the Manny Pacquiao’s one-punch knockout of Chatchai Sasakul in 1998, Malcolm Tunacao’s sixth-round stoppage of Medgoen 3K Battery in May 1999, and Erbito Salavarria’s second-round demolition of Charcthai Choinoi in 1970.
Interestingly, the wins posted by these Filipino beakbusters came against Thai foes with the same WBC 112-lb crown on the line.
Jaro said he is willing to give Wonjongkam a rematch but it doesn’t appear that that will take place immediately because the WBC has mandated that Jaro face Japanese No. 1 Toshiyuki Igarashi in June or July.
Team Jaro would like to stage it here but it is doubtful if Jaro’s camp can come up with the financial backing that can convince Igarashi to fly here to face the heavy-handed Jaro.
