FORMER WBC International bantamweight champion Rex Wa-o’s campaign to reclaim a championship has hit another snag.
Wa-o lost to Chinese Wei Qian Xian via unanimous decision in their fight at the Expo Garden Hotel in Kunming, China, on November 3.
With the victory, Xian claimed the WBC Asian Boxing Council featherweight and WBC Eurasia Pacific Boxing Council featherweight titles.
It was Wa-o’s second defeat in 13 fights after losing the 115 pound title to Silvester Lopez through a seventh-round knockout 11 months ago.
?I gave my all. At least the Chinese fans were impressed,? said Wa-o in his Facebook account.
Wa-o said he and Xian had good exchanges, but the referee would often warn him of hitting below the belt.
?I thought I was landing cleans shot to the body but my momentum is stopped every time the referee interferes,? he said.
Before the loss, Wa-o was perfect at 10-0, securing seven KO victories including a seventh round technical knockout of Virden Rivera in June 2014 to capture the WBC belt.
The 25-year-old Tadian, Mountain Province, native returned to the ring last March and won a first round technical knockout against Mike Espanosa. ?He was just too strong. I felt I could have knocked him down but he was just taking my punches and that?s how the fight went,? Wa-o said of Xian.
Xian improved to nine wins, four losses and one draw, racking up four straight wins in his last five bouts.
