Philippine welterweight boss Dondon Sultan failed in his attempt to win the more prestigious Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation 147-lb title after he was stopped in the seventh round by reigning champ Kazuhiko Hidaka yesterday in their scheduled 12-round bout at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
The bigger and more powerful Hidaka caught Sultan with a series of shots to the face in the neutral corner, stopping the Filipino at the 1:07 mark of the seventh frame.
All three ringside judges scored the bout 59-55 in favor of Hidaka before the fight was stopped in the seventh round by scoring referee Malcolm Bugner of Australia who waved the fight off as Sultan was on all fours.
`He just wasn`t lucky tonight. Hidaka was clearly the stronger and more aggressive fighter,` observed Sultan`s manager Sammy Gello-ani in an interview.
It was an exciting warfare for as long as it lasted, but Hidaka`s power and heft eventually tolled on Sultan all throughout the fight.
`Hidaka was very strong. Dondon could not execute his gameplan well because Hidaka used a good tactic in using his size,` said trainer Edmund Villamor moments after the fight.
Meanwhile, Sultan`s legal manager Sammy Gello-ani has informed this writer that he was surprised over news on a boxing website that Sultan is next facing Australian Chad Bennett for the IBO Intercontinental welter title on September 2 in Newcastle, Australia.
Gello-ani, however, said he will not stop that fight from happening should concerned parties make representation with his office.
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