BAD day for Filipino imports Gabriel Altarejos and Jack Asis in Toowoomba, Queensland, on Friday, October 4, 2013.
Newly arrived visitor Altarejos bit the dust in the first round in his bid to win the WBC World Youth Silver featherweight championship against Australia’s Brayd ‘Great White’ Smith at Rumours International.
Toowoomba-based Jack Asis had to settle for a contentious majority draw against Japan’s Hirohito Fukukara in their WBC Asia Council Continental super featherweight title bout.
Smith’s demolition of Altarejos with a savage body shot 1:57 seconds into their fight stretched the Queenslander’s unbeaten professional record to 7 wins. It was his first outing after suffering a broken hand in March.
“It’s a dream come true,” Smith said. “This is a massive title. I couldn’t be more happy to do it like that. “I’ve broken my hand in my last two fights but to get back in he ring injury free and win through like that, I’m absolutely pumped.”
Asis was shooting for his ninth consecutive victory and another vital step up the world rankings, but he struck a stubborn opponent in Fukukara.
Asis was the busier of the two fighters in the first half of their 10-round battle before Fukukara began working into the contest.
A dramatic ninth round produced the most significant moment Fukukara dropped Asis mid-round.
Asis regather after a mandatory standing eight-count and went on to sting Fukukara with a number of desperate blows before the bell.
The pair fought out a savage last round, with Asis finishing his fight strongly.
Some ringside observers said they believed Asis had done enough to gain the judge’s decision but the scorecards told a different story.
Judge Tony Kettlewell marked Asis a clear 97-92 winner but his colleagues Adam Height and Phil Austin both saw the fight as a 94-94 draw with their majority decision leaving Asis and Fukuhara to share the honours.
Asis’s cause wasn’t helped by a penalty point deduction in round nine which left his trainer-manager Brendon Smith perplexed.
“I couldn’t understand the decision to take the point of Jack,” Smith said. “Full marks to both boys on a great fight and I commend Jack for the courage he showed to recover from that shot in round nine.
“I honestly believe he did enough to win the fight and I can’t understand how two judges saw it so differently.”
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PICTURES:
TOP: Jack Asis, right, pours it into
Japan’s tough cookie Hirohito Fukukara.
LOWER: Gabriel Altarejos, right, evades
Brayd Smith’s attack.
* Photos courtesy of KEVIN FARMER, Toowoomba Chronicle
