WBC orders Thai champ to fight South African
Pongsaklek Wonjongkam has been ordered by the WBC to make his mandatory defense against current WBC International champion and number one contender Monelisi Myekeni of South Africa. The long-awaited bout with Jorge “Travieso� Arce is not going to happen as Arce can no longer make the 112 lb. limit.
Scott Mallon’s Ringside Results on John vs. Marquez
Chris John outworked and outboxed Juan Manuel Marquez in Borneo Indonesia to retain his WBA featherweight title via unanimous decision. Marquez rallied in the late rounds but John nullified the charge with side-to-side movement. Marquez was penalized two points for low blows but they were immaterial. After the fight Marquez and his camp all felt they had done enough to win the fight and they will ask for a rematch in a neutral area.
Judges scores: 116-110, 117-111, 116-122
Weights for the WBA featherweight title fight between Chris John and Juan Manuel Marquez
WBA featherweight champion Chris John weighed in at 125lbs. and challenger Juan Manuel Marquez tipped the scale at 125.09 in Friday’s weigh-in in Tenggarong City, Indonesia. Both fighters made weight on the first try and looked relaxed and prepared. Chris John is a huge superstar in Indonesia and will be fighting in his hometown. The fight will not be shown in the US but will be broadcast primetime on Indonesian TV. The boxing community waits to see if Marquez’s $31,250 gamble will pay off after turning down millions to fight Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales.
With regards to a rematch with Pacquiao, Baristain stated, “We are sure we can reach a compromise.”