Cebuano fighter Rodel Quilaton impressively defeated former World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation junior flyweight king Saman Sorjaturong yesterday by knocking down the latter twice before earning a unanimous decision in their 6-round duel yesterday right at Sorjaturong's hometown in Thailand.
The youthful Quilaton, who is just into his second fight since his self-imposed semi-retirement and since joining the SGG Stable, found his old ferocity in unloading body shots and putting the pressure all throughout the fight as the Thai ex-world champ failed to counter his younger foe's aggressiveness.
Sorjaturong (46-8-1, 35 ko'S) had ruled as the WBC/IBF 108-lb king after he defeated Mexican icon Humbert "Chiquita" Gonzalez on July 15, 1995 on a seventh-round technical knockout in Inglewood, California in a fight dubbed 1995 Fight of the Year by the Ring Magazine. He abdicated the IBF crown soon after, then went on to defend the WBC crown ten times before losing it to Korean Yo-sam Choi in 1999 in Seoul, South Korea.
Saman Sorjaturong had already made 10 successful defenses of his WBC title when Quilaton turned pro on May 30, 1999 against Ricardo Albia, who beat him via decision. The Quilaton-Albia bout was the curtain-raiser to the Malcolm Tu?acao-Mateo Baring bout in Cebu City.
Last March 5, the ALA Gym-trained Quilaton came out of a self-imposed retirement to decision veteran Allan Dugang in Tagbilaran City, underneath the Bart Abapo-Rex Marzan title showdown.
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