WBO event to feature title match, international boxers
The WBO Youth Title Match Chapter 3: The Rising Star international boxing event is set to showcase an impressive display of boxing on April 22 at The Grand Ho Tram Strip in southern Ba Ria - Vang Tau province.
Korean fighter Song Chan Ho, who has dominated the WBO Oriental Youth Super Lightweight division for nearly a year, is set to defend his title against Thai challenger Poramin Saengpak in the night's main event.
Song boasts an unbeaten record of 11 wins, seven of which were secured through knockouts (KO). He claimed his title after beating Romer Pinili of the Philippines in Vietnam last April and successfully defended it twice in July and December of the same year at The Grand Ho Tram Strip.
In contrast, 18-year-old Saengpak has fought in 17 matches, winning 11 with 9 KOs, and losing six with 5 KOs. The stage is set for an exhilarating match as these two young fighters battle it out for the WBO Youth Title.
The event will also feature two highly-anticipated bouts between Vietnamese and Chinese fighters.
Pham Huu Thuong of Vietnam will take on Zeng Yujie of China in the men's super flyweight, while Vietnam's Nguyen Van Hai will go head-to-head with China's Xiao Tao Su in the men's lightweight category.
Thuong, a rising star in Vietnamese boxing and a member of the Cocky Buffalo Gym, has competed in four matches so far, recording two wins and two losses.
In contrast, Zeng, 26, boasts much more experience, having fought in 28 matches, with 16 wins (7KOs), one draw, and 11 losses (2KOs).
Later on, on the under-card, national seven-time champion Hai will face a significant challenge in his quest to improve his professional boxing profile.
Despite being 34 years of age, Hai of VSP Boxing has only participated in five matches throughout his four-year career, winning four of them, two via KOs, and losing just one.
His latest outing was a win against young boxer Ha Minh Tuan at the VSP Pro 3 event held last month in HCM City.
Xiao, who is younger than Hai at 34, is a renowned boxer in the region.
Xiao clinched the IBO Oceania-Orient and WBO Oriental Super Featherweight belts in 2019, having played in 13 matches, scoring 11 wins with 6 KOs and experiencing only two defeats.
However, his record has not been updated since December 2020, indicating that he may not have been active since the pandemic.
Hai is hopeful of a victory in the eight-round match, which would bolster his record and potentially pave the way for him to compete for a belt later this year.
In the remaining three matches, Korean prodigy Lee Ju-yeong, aged 17, will battle Mongolia's Bayarkhuu Ganbaatar in the event's opening match.
Filipino boxer Tenorio Romeo will face off against Gun Kim from the Republic of Korea, while Russian fighter Mikhail Lesnikov will take on Chinese opponent Xian Hai Zhang.
The upcoming event is a joint effort by Cocky Buffalo, one of the top gyms in the country that has produced several world-class martial artists, and the World Boxing Organisation (WBO).
Fans who are keen on catching the fights can purchase tickets for VND1 million (US$43), which includes a buffet and drinks, from the Cocky Buffalo office or The Grand Ho Tram Strip resort.
Alternatively, they can call 1800 588801 to book their tickets. The exciting matches will be broadcasted exclusively on VTVcab's ON and On plus TV apps, as well as TV channels.