ARUM SAYS SONSONA’S KO PUNCH WAS ONE OF THE BEST HE’S EVER SEEN
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 23 Feb 2014
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum who was enamored with Marvin Sonsona when he saw the lanky southpaw in his pre-fight, press public workout in Macau, said his knockout punch that flattened former WBA super bantamweight champion Akifumi Shimoda on Saturday night was “one of the best punches I’ve ever seen in 50 years of boxing.”
Arum spoke to the Manila Standard from Macau before leaving by ferry to Hong Kong and then taking a flight to Las Vegas. He said the attendance at the Cotai Arena of the plush Venetian Resorty Hotel and Casino was “tremendous and everybody loved it.”
Arum was ecstatic. He said “what a left uppercut. It traveled such a short distance with such power. It was an incredible punch.”
He said the 23 year old Sonsona who captured the WBO International featherweight title “can be a superstar,”
Arum told us that promotional partners Sammy Gello-ani and Sampson Lewkowicz want to have him work with us which is fine. They both seem like nice fellas so we are going to integrate him (Sonsona) into future cards both in Asia and the United States.”
However, he agreed with our observation that Sonsona would need one or two more fights before he goes after a world title.
Arum, who didn’t really know the style of Sonsona or his gameplan noted that “in the first two rounds he looked like nothing. It seemed like a mismatch” before he exploded with a devastating uppercut that knocked Shimoda out cold.
He was also extremely pleased with the performance of the three Olympic gold medalists on the “Ring of Gold” card. He said two-time Chinese Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming who scored a 7th round knockout over Thailand’s Yokthong Kokietgym will have two more ten round bouts before he fights for the IBF flyweight title in November against another former Olympian Amnat Ruenroeng of Thailand.
The Top Rank promoter was also impressed by middleweight Ryota Murata, the 2012 London Olympic gold medalist who scored a 4th round TKO over veteran Carlos Nascimento if Brazil and Russia’s London Olympic light heavyweight gold medalist Egor Mekhontsev who won by a 2nd round TKO over previously unbeaten Attaporn Jaritram of Thailand in a six round bout.
He said the Japanese, Murata, has “a tremendous personality and should be a movie star.”
Sonsona (L) poses with Arum after Sonsona’s spectacular knockout victory over Akifumi Shimoda of Japan Saturday night in Macau. Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank.