JIRO MERLIN BADLY BEATEN IN MISMATCH AGAINST FORMER WORLD CHAMPION

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Poonsawat (L) and Merlin after the bout.

Filipino boxer Jiro Merlin, ranked No. 13 by the Pan Asia Boxing Association was badly beaten and suffered a knockout in the 9th round by reigning PABA super bantamweight champion and former WBA world champion Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

A PABA report said that the Thai fighter whose real name is Prakorb Udomna was leading by a shutout on the scorecard of judge Chalerm Prayadsab 80-72 while the two other judges ? Arkom Wanasit and Amnart Saichalard - gave Merlin only one round in turning in identical 79-73 scorecards at the end of eight rounds. Referee was Wanchai Pongsri.

The 31 year old Poonsawat improved his record to 46-2 with 32 knockouts while the 23 year old Merlin dropped to 11-13-1 with just 2 knockouts once again raising serious questions as to how the Philippine Games and Amusements Board which is under the Office of the President could approve such blatant mis-matches.

Poonsawat won the PABA super bantamweight title with a 2nd round knockout of Filipino Jonathan Ba at on September 8, 2006 and defended it successfully no less than 15 times.

He fought for the world bantamweight title and lost a unanimous twelve round decision to Wladimir Sidorenko on July 15, 2006. Sidorenko is the same boxer who was bloodied, battered and knocked out in the 4th round of a WBC Continental Americas bantamweight title fight on December 4, 2010 in a WBC title eliminator against reigning WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire.

Poonsawat won the world title with a stunning 3rd round knockout of Bernard Dunne in Dublin, Ireland on September 26, 2009 and defended it successfully with a 12 round majority decision over Satoshi Kimura on January 11, 2010 in Tokyo and a 4th round knockout of another Japanese, Shoji Kimura, on May 20, 2010 in Thailand.

However, Poonsawat suffered a shocking upset when he lost his title by a unanimous twelve round decision to South Korea?s Ryol Li Lee in Tokyo on October 2, 2010.

Merlin was coming off a 4th round TKO victory in a rematch with Jestoni Pepito on September 16, 2011 after winning a six round unanimous decision over Pepito on March 7, 2011 following which he lost four fights in a row.