Philippines, 27 Mar 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Unheralded Filipino Jilo Merlin in tough battle against former world champ Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym today in Chiang Mai


PhilBoxing.com




This afternoon in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, the PABA super bantamweight title fight will take place between former WBA world title holder and defending PABA champion Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (45-2, 31KOs), and unheralded huge underdog filipino challenger Jilo Merlin (11-12-1-, 2KOs).

Jilo Merlin, 23, who has lost seven of his last 10 fights, will be making his sixth fight in the Kingdom, all of them loses, plus KO defeats from the hands of undefeated Japanese Teiru Kinoshita and top ranked bantamweight Pungluang Sor Singyu (KO in round 1).

Nevertheless, Jilo Merlin, 23, has been ranked among the best Asian fighters by the Pan Asia Boxing Association PABA, an organization of the WBA.

The supervisor for this combat is PABA director himself, Mr. Alan Kim of Korea, while the Thai promoter is the well-known promotion company Galaxy Boxing of Mr. Niwat Laosuwanwatt who will air the combat live on open TV channel 7 throughout the Kingdom of Thailand.

International boxing agent Brico Santig of Highland Boxing of Baguio is the Filipino matchmaker and cornerman who will assist Jilo Merlin in his very difficult assignment against the powerful seasoned world ranked warrior Poonsawat

Brico Santig expects to bring good luck to Jilo Merlin as Santig was member of the Sonny Boy Jaro's boxing team during the recent stunning KO victory of Sonny Boy over durable world champion Pongsaklek Wongjongkam last Saturday in Chonburi, Thailand. With the triumph Sonny Boy Jaro became WBC flyweight champion of the world and Santig keep high hopes for another surprising success, the PABA super bantamweight title.

The weight-in ceremony for Poonsawat and Merlin took place successfully yesterday in Chiang Mai City, the legendary beautiful northern spring city in the Kingdom of Thailand.

In the mind of boxing analysts, the fight will be an extremely tough battle for Jilo Merlin as Poonsawat is a fighter of strength, stamina and experience who dishes out harmful shots in lethal combinations.

Indeed, Poonsawat, 31, possesses an aggressive stalking fighting style, accompanied of a harmful left jab, accurate straight right and dangerous left hook in repetition to the chin and mid-section, which he throws with devastating power.

In addition, Poonsawat is one of the star fighters of Galaxy Boxing, one of the top boxing promotion companies in the Kingdom.

Therefore, Jilo Merlin's chances of victory are rather slim, but not totally impossible.

In aim for victory, Jilo Merlin would have to use extreme speed of hands and feet, a precise jab, quick lateral movements to avoid Poonsawat entrapment into the corners and, most importantly, a very effective counter punching technique, a technique similar to the one used by Juan Manuel Marquez to successfully control attacks attempted by Manny Pacquiao.

This PhilBoxing reporter has been in ringside to witness Poonsawat in fighting action. One of those intense actions was Poonsawat's WBA title battle in the remote City of Mahasarakham in Isam, northeastern Thailand, not far from the Cambodia border, against Japanese Shoji Kimura.

The unequivocal conclusion is that this Thai gladiator Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym is a huge damaging puncher with skills, ring savvy and a patient hunger for KO, definite tough nut for Jilo Merlin to crack.

Photo: Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym and Jilo Merlin pose with officials for the cameras during the weight-in ceremony yesterday in Chiang Mai. In the far left of the photo is Mr. Alan Kim fight supervisor and director of PABA.



Click here to view a list of other articles written by Carlos Costa.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • VAN BOENING FALLS FROM THE TOP SIX WHILE CHUA CLOSES IN | 2025 IFX PAYMENTS PREMIER LEAGUE POOL
    , Wed, 26 Mar 2025
  • GM Joey Antonio's Australian Chess Circuit campaign is in peril, facing visa problem
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Wed, 26 Mar 2025
  • Pacman to stage ‘Thrilla’ celebration
    By Joaquin Henson, , Wed, 26 Mar 2025
  • May 10: Emanuel Navarrete-Charly Suarez Junior Lightweight Title Showdown & Raymond Muratalla-Zaur Abdullaev Interim Lightweight Title Fight
    , Wed, 26 Mar 2025
  • Mikaela Mayer-Sandy Ryan 2 Fight Week Events to Stream LIVE on Top Rank’s Social Media Channels
    , Wed, 26 Mar 2025
  • ROBERT GUERRERO III REMAINS UNDEFEATED WITH IMPRESSIVE 2ND ROUND TKO IN LAS VEGAS DEBUT
    , Wed, 26 Mar 2025
  • LENIER PERO PENS CO-PROMOTIONAL DEAL WITH MATCHROOM AND BOXLAB
    , Wed, 26 Mar 2025
  • Team Law Office of Peter Chin-Durias representing Misamis Occidental swept 1st CDO Chess Grandmaster Quest Tournament
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Wed, 26 Mar 2025
  • WBA, WBO AND RING MAGAZINE MINIMUMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION OSCAR “EL PUPILO” COLLAZO HOSTS MEDIA WORKOUT
    , Tue, 25 Mar 2025
  • SHOWTIME BOXING PROMOTIONS ANNOUNCES CANCELLATION OF MICHAEL HUNTER VS. CHRISTOPHER LOVEJOY MAIN EVENT
    , Tue, 25 Mar 2025
  • CAPITO BACK ON TOP AS SIX PLAYERS KNOCKED OUT ON JUDGEMENT DAY | 2025 IFX PAYMENTS PREMIER LEAGUE POOL
    , Tue, 25 Mar 2025
  • Christy Martin Promotions Signs Undefeated Super Bantamweight Prospect Sheldon Vallotton to Promotional Contract
    , Tue, 25 Mar 2025
  • The Past Week in Action 24 March 2025: Fundora Stops Booker in 4; Kambosos Outpoints Wyllie; Brown Edges Nicolson
    By Eric Armit, , Tue, 25 Mar 2025
  • Socrates Batoto: A Champion of the Orient, Inspired by the Great Flash Elorde
    , Tue, 25 Mar 2025
  • Llover Halts Kurihara in the Very First Round, Completes Conquest of OPBF Bantam Crown
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Tue, 25 Mar 2025
  • HALL OF FAME FLIES FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR JOURNALIST COLIN HART
    , Tue, 25 Mar 2025
  • Concio faces tough competition in Victoria Sports Club Rapid Chess Tournament
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 25 Mar 2025
  • OKC Nips LA Clippers in Late Season Struggle; Keeps League Lead, Drops Clips to 8th
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Mon, 24 Mar 2025
  • CHUA TAKES CONTROL AT THE TOP | 2025 IFX PREMIER LEAGUE POOL
    , Mon, 24 Mar 2025
  • IIEE champ in billiard, PICE repeats in bowling and GEP draws 1700 runners in PTC WED
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 24 Mar 2025
  • Datamatics A are kings of Atty. Quirino Sagario Memorial Chess Team Tournament
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 23 Mar 2025
  • Star Frisco: Fighting with Heart, Never with Fear
    By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Sun, 23 Mar 2025
  • HALL OF FAME FLIES FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION GEORGE FOREMAN
    , Sun, 23 Mar 2025
  • WORLD NINEBALL TOUR ANNOUNCES BLOCKBUSTER AUGUST SWING ACROSS AMERICA
    , Sun, 23 Mar 2025
  • Do the Oddsters Know Something We Don't?
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Sat, 22 Mar 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.