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Chinese rookie’s bid for world title history crashes to earth
KUALA LUMPUR, July 15, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Lu Bin’s brave bid for a historic
world title win in his second professional fight came crashing to earth as he
was knocked out in the dying seconds on Sunday.
The Chinese rookie from Jinan held his own in a battling display until
experienced WBA light flyweight champion Carlos Canizales of Venezuela
finished the contest in devastating fashion.
Lu, fighting on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Lucas Matthysse world
title bill in Kuala Lumpur, was felled near the end of the 11th round for the
first time in his short pro career.
And Canizales went for the kill in the 12th and final stanza. After a
barrage of punches a storming straight right dropped Lu and the referee waved
it off as the final bell was about to sound.
The exhausted, stricken 23-year-old left the ring at the Axiata Arena on a
stretcher wearing an oxygen mask.
Lu is a former youth world amateur champion from Jinan in Shandong
province trained by Manny Pacquiao’s long-time corner man Buboy Fernandez.
“It was hard for me to figure out his style,” said Canizales who extended
his unbeaten record to 21 wins and a lone draw. “I also fought as an amateur
so I understood the rhythm, I was ready for him.”
Victory for Lu would have set a record for fastest man to win a world
title, in terms of number of fights.
That record is jointly held by Thai super lightweight Saensak Muangsurin
and Ukrainian lightweight Vasyl Lomachenko, who both won championships in
their third pro bouts.
Earlier Moruti Mthalane from KwaZulu Natal in South Africa got off the
canvas to take home the vacant International Boxing Federation flyweight
title by outpointing Waseem Muhammad, who was bidding to become Pakistan’s
first ever world champion.
“Baby Face” Mthalane had been in control of a hard-fought contest fight
for long periods until Waseem found a stinging left to drop him to the floor
just seconds from the end of the 11th round.
The 12th turned into an all-action brawl as both men tried to finish it.
But Mthalane had done enough to edge a unanimous decision 114-113, 114-113
and 116-110 on the three judges’ cards and extend his career record to 36
wins with two defeats.
For 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Waseem it was a first loss in
his ninth professional contest.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0922 hrs