MANILA – Filipino boxer Joe Noynay pulled off a stunner with a second round knockout victory over Japanese boxer Kosuke Saka to clinch the WBO Asia Pacific super featherweight belt at the Edion Arena in Osaka, Japan.
It was the second time that the Bogo, Cebu native was able to capture the championship after previously winning it at the expense of Chinese Jinxiang Pan in 2017.
Saka was the aggressor early in the opening round as he attacked wildly and was able to rocked the defense of Noynay with a solid right early. The Filipino responded as he knocked down the Japanese with a big left.
Noynay downed the Japanese slugger in the second round as he caught Saka with a right hook and a left straight for another knockdown which the Japanese failed to beat count on.
With the victory, the 23-year-old Noynay raised his record to 17-2-1 win-loss-draw with six knockout victories, while the 27-year-old Saka saw his boxing slate fell to 18-5-0, with 15 wins by stoppages.
Meanwhile, Filipino boxer Carlo Magali continued his slump after suffering a unanimous decision defeat to Thai boxer Panya Uthok over at the Workpoint Studio at Bang Phun, Thailand.
It was the third consecutive defeat of Magali to drop his win-loss-draw ring record to 23-12-3, including 12 stoppage wins, while Uthok improved his record to 53-6-0, with 35 KO wins./PN
