RBR - Wanheng Menayothin Vs Tatsuya Fukuhara

Just about to start on Channel 7 in Thailand. Wanheng looking to move to 49-0 and Fukuhara looking to become a 2-time champion

 

1-Fukuhara looking to force the pace, Wanhgeng applying pressure, good body shot from Fukuhara, good straight up top from Fukuhara, another body shot from the challenger, stiff straight from Wanheng, body shot against form Fukuihara. Great start by Fukuhara, he's still trying to grind the body and move, stiff head shots back from Wanheng! Wanheng presses and Fukuhara holds on the ropes. VERY high tempo from Fukuhara! More body work from the challenger, Wanheng is being forced to work very hard here. Would give it to Fukuhara but suspect judges may go with the local

 

Fukuhara's pace has slowed but he's still working more than the champion, nice body shot by Fukuhara, Wanheng looking to land the bigger shots still, Fukuhara showing belief in his engine and chin, Wanheng pressing forward and Fukuhara being forced to back up, stiff right hand from Wanheng, Fukuhara backs Wanheng up, this has a big fight feel in terms of how the fighters are going at it, big body shots from Fukuhara, Wanheng pressing behind his jab, getting messy at the end with Wanheng holding.

 

3-Wanheng looking to up the ante now and he seemed to shake Fukuhara, the Japanese fighter recovers and they are going to war! Neither has massive power but this is great stuff with both letting their hands go, good hook from Wanheng and Fukuhara takes the fight to him afterwards, big body shot from Fukuharam Wanheng's good start is now coming undone with Fukuhara letting shots fly, big shot from Wanheng, Wanehng gets backed up, body shots from Fukuhara back in play and Wanheng holds, Fukuhara now going to the head, and back to the body, and now the head, Wanheng is struggling with the pace and variety of Fukuhara after a good start to the round.

 

4-Fukuhara looking to apply pressure and Wanheng wanting to keep some distance, becoming a battle of jabs suddenly, and that favours the more technical Wanheng, body shots from Fukuhara up close, nice little uppercutt form Wanheng, Fukuhara with a short raid of an attack, Wanheng's shots looking much heavier and he connects up top, Fukuhara slower now and struggling to cut the distance, Wanheng connecting with successive head shots, Wanheng looking very relaxed and Fukuhara for the first time seems to be really struggling to get close. Wanheng with a cheap jab after the bell.

 

39-36 twice to Wanheng and 40-37 on the open scoring....erm...huh...err....

5-Wanheng pressing now but Fukuhara lands a good body shot, Wanheng up top, Fukuhara charges and Wanheng ties him up, Fukuhara marches forward and a clash of heads – neither man cut, Fukuhara getting close but is tagged by a huge right hand, he walks through it...and another, and Fukuhara looks like a man possessed, Wanheng looking to unload bombs up close and Fukuhara looks to have a raid at the end of the round.

 

6-Wanheng marching forward, they clash heads, Fukuhara manages to attack the body but they aren't doing any damage, Wanheng looking for huge hooks, Wanheng the one pressing the pace now, and Fukuhara decides it's his turn as he unloads on the body of Wanheng, Wanheng maybe hurt as he continues to back up, Fukuhara continues to press and lands a hige head shot, Wanheng tries gritting it all out and Fukuhara continues to press, stiff right hand from Wanheng, Wanheng complains about a low blow and is given a few seconds before the bout resumes.

 

7-Fukuhara trying to keep up the pace, given he knows he's going to need to win rounds big here, Wanheng backing off and looking for counters, Fukuhara continues to press forward, HUGE uppercutt from the challenger, stiff straight from the champion, hooks traded, Fukuhara continues to come forward, trading body shots now, ref breaks them, more body shots being landed by both, and Fukuhara really is refusing to go away, he again presses and walks through a big shot from Wanheng, more body shots form Fukuhara, he is going the champion hell through the round.

 

8-Fukuhara continues to try and press the champion and Wanheng is starting to look very tired, Wanheng complaining to the referee about everything, Fukuhara pressing still and Wanheng again complains about a minor head clash, referee sees it as an incidental incident and tells them to fight, Fukuhara presses forward and Wanheng backs off, nice short flurry from Wanheng but it's been his only moment during the round, Fukuhara bounce back on to the front foot and Wanheng is looking terrible ineffective, HUGE body shot from Fukuhara, head shots now from the challenger, Wanheng lazily misses with a hook and backs off, VERY hard times for the champion.

 

Assuming graphical error after 4 rounds on the opening scoring, after 8-80-73, 79-73, and 78-74

9-Fukuhara again pressing the fight and Wanheng backing off, body shots from Fukuhara, Wanheng with a series of stiff shots to the head, Fukuhara presses hard again, More body shots from the challenger, Fukuhara again trying to unload on a tired looking Wanheng who is letting everything he has go, Fukuhara now looking to lower his pace and put more on every shot he throws.

To have given Fukuhara only 3 rounds between 3 judges is a bloody mystery here...

 

10-Fukuhara again pressing – now knows he'll need a KO for a draw, the challenger loading up on stiff head shots, Wanheng forced to cover up, nice counter by Wanheng, Fukuhara has totally abandoned his high rate strategy for bigger blows and Wanheng holds, big body shot from Fukuhara, big head shot from Fukuhara, Wanheng returns fire, Fukuhara takes it and gives one back, Wanheng on the retreat again. Round seem to cut off early there and went straight to ads..

 

11-Wanheng continues to fight on the retreat as Fukuhara marches forward, very little offense coming from Wanheng who seems to be a magnet for the gloves of Fukuhara, a short burst of punches from the champion, Fukuhara trying to march down his man who holds and spoils, big right from Wanheng, Fukuhara has it bounce off him as he presses forward, Wanheng trying to fight off the ropes before he holds, Fukuhara has completely abandoned defense with his arms rarely higher than his nipples, Wanheng holds again – ref warns Fukuhara for leading with the head, big flurry from Fukuhara on the bell. Wanheng looked like he wanted to celebrate but was too tired and spat his gum shield out as he walked back to the corner.

 

12-Fukuhara presses fight again and Wanheng his surviving more than fighting, 1-2 from Wanheng but it can't stop the forward march of Fukuhara who is leaving it all in the ring now, Wanheng returns fired, good shots from Wanheng connecting clean, Fukuhara taking them all in his stride, ref on Fukuhara's case about everything all of a sudden, Wanheng holds up close, Fukuhara with big body shots now big shots up stairs, Fukuhara pushes an exhausted looking Wanheng down, and ref on Fukuhara's case again about some minor issue, Fukuhara trying to jump on Wanheng for every second of the round.