True4U: Tasana Salapat (aka Petch CP Freshmart) vs. Chēnghào Luō RBR

Tasana Salapat vs. Chēnghào Luō, 10 rounds @ bantamweight

 

God these preambles are interminable.

 

They do the posing and passing the posterboard advert squares directly before as well as directly after the match, it's excessive.

 

Round 1

Luō is popping a jab out at his fellow southpaw and moving to his right. Nice easy pace to start. Salapat has a look at him, turning in place, probing with his own long right jab. Salapat first to fire a power punch, reaching across the gap with a left and nicking Luō's ear. They fence with the jab for a bit at medium range in the middle of the ring. Luō tries a sneaky right upperhook while dashing in close past Salapat, blocked. Downward slashing combo from Luō to fend off an encroaching Salapat, first the left and then the right, both missing but also disrupting Salapat's reach-in jabs. Luō with a big hooking combo at the bell, getting a couple in on the side of the head as Salapat shells up.

10-9 Luō, very close, basically stole an uneventful round with a few good licks at the very end.

 

And unlike many of his countrymen, with Salapat it isn't just all quantity and no quality. Sure, there is the odd rickshaw driver in their pro debut, but there are plenty of solid Pinoy journeymen too (whose often ugly records belie how capable they are)

 

Round 2

Luō is now put more on the defensive as Salapat begins to put his punches together behind the jab in short bunches. Salapat dropping right hooks on the hairline of Luō and swinging hard left uppercuts at the chest. Luō for his part is putting up a two-handed shield and riding it out before pitching forward on the ball of either foot and trying his own luck with combos, but Salapat is able to straighten up and make him lunge.

10-9 Salapat

19-19

 

Round 3

Luō is walking into jabs and right hooks off the jab, and slows his roll. Luō becoming more cautious now, circling and parrying with both gloves. Luō tries a hook of his own and is turned in the pocket and strapped with a left hand. Salapat now baiting him into exchanges. Things heating up. Luō appears slightly hurt by a whipcrack southpaw 1-2 plugged into his belly. Salapat advancing, jab feints, hook on the body. Luō trots laterally a few steps and then bravely drives in with a two-piece, grazing but getting hit with another left.

10-9 Salapat

29-28 Salapat

 

Round 4

Luō is drifting counterclockwise, putting distance between them. Salapat not rushing in or in any hurry to cut the ring off, just shuffling his feet and sniping with the jab and 1-2 anytime he maneuvers into range for them. Luō tries the odd sortie, darting in with a high line drive right jab aiming for Salapat's forehead and then shrinking away low. Salapat jabbing the body insistently and looming over the shorter Luō, which leads to a nasty head clash as the latter comes up from a defensive crouch attempting to either counter, move or hold.

10-9 Salapat

39-37 Salapat