Guyana and the Caribbean rated bantamweight champion Leon ‘Hurry up’ Moore won his 26th professional fight last evening in Singapore when he defeated Marangin Marbun for the World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan Asian Boxing Association (PABA) super bantamweight title.
The fight, which took place at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre, was the headline of a six-bout fight card.
Moore defeated Marbun by a unanimous decision.
According to channelnewsasia.com, “Moore was a cut above his Indonesian opponent, Marbun, in the 12-round bout and displayed excellent boxing tactics and razor sharp punches with very quick gloves.”
Moore, 31, who also holds the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) CABOFE and Continental Americas titles, along with the World Boxing Association (WBA) Intercontinental and North American Boxing Association (NABA) titles, has improved his log to 26 wins, (22TKO) from 28 fights with two losses.
It was also the Guyanese’s seventh straight win since his 2007 controversial majority decision lost to Timur Shailezov in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
The 24 year-old Marbun has now lost his second fight in succession after he was knocked out by Rey Bautista on October 16 last year and his ring tally now stands at seven losses from 27 fights with 19 wins.
President of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) Peter Abdool yesterday told Stabroek Sport that he was delighted by the fact that the fighter left these shores in pursuit of becoming one of the World’s top boxers and the win would take him a step closer to realising his dreams.
“I am very delighted and on behalf of the GBBC and the people of Guyana, I want to extend our congratulations to Leon. All the time they were saying that he is very good but he had to face a tough opponent, well now you see, he has given a very good account of himself against this guy (Marbun) who I can tell you is no push-over,” Abdool said.
The GBBC boss added: “So I think now that Leon has the right to get a world title shot soon. Actually let me say that he turned down a title shot sometime ago for the want of more fights and good opponents and now he has gotten it, I think Guyana will see a world champion in Leon Moore and we stand beside him to give our fullest support, again I want to congratulate him personally and hopes he keeps up the good work.”
Manager Carwyn Holland disclosed his joy with the win and said he believed that it was only the start of bigger things to come from his fighter who is now based in Thailand and fighting under ‘Top Rated Boxing’, a Bangkok and Singapore based Asian Promotions Company.
“When Leon called me (Today) yesterday I was a bit nervous because even though I knew he would have won, I knew also it was going to be one of his hardest fights. But then he said `boss man I won’, I was very happy and I want to congratulate him,” Holland said.
The Agricola resident is the English speaking Caribbean’s highest rated fighter, ranked sixth in the world of bantamweight fighters by the WBC.
According to Holland he expected Moore to be back in Guyana in time for the January 29 `New Year’s Beatings’ card set for the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
