MANILA – Negrense boxer John Michael Zulueta reclaimed the Asian Boxing Federation (ABF) light flyweight belt with a second-round technical knockout win over Thai Sittichai Nimnual on Wednesday at the SpacePlus Night Club in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Calatrava, Negros Occidental native was all business since the opening bell. He unloaded solid combinations and straights to the body and the head that rocked Nimnual.
The Negrense fighter continued in the second round. He dropped the Thailander with a 1-2 combo before referee Worawuth Duankhao stopped the fight at the 1:09 mark after Zulueta pummeled Nimnual with multiple hits.
It was the second time that Zulueta has captured the 112-pound division belt of the ABF after previously handling the title when he scored a fourth round technical decision win over fellow Pinoy Mark Anthony Florida.
However, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has prevented the 27-year-old Zulueta from defending the belt, which was temporarily handled by Thai boxer Thanongsak Simsri just last March.
Aside from reclaiming the ABF belt, Zulueta also recorded a rare feat by a Filipino boxer with his triumph over Nimnual as it was the Negrense fighter’s third straight stoppage win in Thailand.
Prior to Nimnual, Zulueta scored a fifth round technical knockout win over Indonesian Jack Amisa last May 5 before following it up with a first round stoppage win against Thai Somphon Banyaem.
Zulueta, also a former champion in the minimumweight division, maintained his untarnished slate of 14-0-2 win-loss-draw, with seven victories by way of knockouts after the win.
On the part of the 19-year-old Nimnual, he suffered his third defeat as against four victories in his career that started in 2019. Three of the Thai boxer’s wins were by way of stoppages.
It was, however, an uneventful past few bouts for the former Muay Thai champion as this is Nimnual’s third defeat in the last four matches./PN
