MARFA LOSES IN OPBF TITLE BID

Veteran Fabio Marfa has failed in his attempt to win the Orient Pacific Boxing Federation minimum weight title suffering a twelve round unanimous decision loss to Japan?s Toshikazu Waga at the International Conference Hall in Nagoya, Sunday.

Two of the judges had the champion Waga winning by a lopsided margin of 119-109 while the Filipino had it very much closer at 115-113 prompting well-known Japanese matchmaker, manager and media man and recent Hall-of-Fame inductee Joe Koizumi to question his scorecard.

With the win the 28 year old Waga who was coming off a ninth round TKO of Thailand?s Yoddoi Sithsoei last March 9 improved his record to 17-3 with 6 knockouts. Waga is ranked No. 14 by the WBC.

Marfa who lost by a seventh round TKO to Rollen del Castillo last February 2 dropped to 24-22-4 with 12 knockouts.

Koizumi reported that the game Marfa ?proved really tough? and withstood a series of solid combinations to the head and body by Waga in the ninth round.