The Cyber Boxing Zone Newswire |
| Sim Becomes First Mongolian Champ: Joe Koizumi |
SIM BECOMES FIRST MONGOLIAN WORLD CHAMP BY WRESTING WBA SUPER-FEATHER TITLE FROM HATAKEYAMA
June 27, 1999 It's a short but hard-fought battle. The previously unbeaten Hatakeyama, making his second defense, started his stick-and-move strategy, which worked well against the pressure of the more powerful Mongolian in the opening session. The 23-year-old Japanese dominated the second, as he threw more jabs than Sim and caught him with a fast left-right combination. Sim, 28, kept coming forward regardless of his combos missing the elusive target. The third saw Hatakeyama connect with a solid right hook that temporarily had Sim off-balanced. But Sim, a bit shorter than the 5'8" champ, retaliated with heavier left-right combos, while Hatakeyama kept circling and hitting sharp but lighter punches. The aggressive Sim was in command in round four, when he landed a beautiful right uppercut to the champ and bounced off his head. The Mongolian often threw strong left-right combos, though blocked by the champ. Hatakeyama tried to respond to Sim's attack with busy one-twos and right uppercuts, but he looked outhustled and overpowered by the willing mixer. In the fatal 5th, Sim landed a very powerful left-right to the champ's chin. Down he went prone. Hatakeyama barely pulled himself up, and barely resumed fighting. Sim furiously swarmed over him with a fusillade of punches, pinning him to the ropes. Hatakeyama looked groggy and helpless. Referee Stanley Christodoulou, from South Africa, finally declared a halt to save the loser from further punishment. Scored after the 4th-Derek Milham (Australia) 39-38 for Hatakeyama, Guillermo Perez Pineda (Panama) 39-38 for Sim, and Lou Tabat (US) 38-38. Sim raised his mark to 11-1-1, 10 KOs. Hatakeyama experienced his first defeat and dropped to 22-1-2, 17 KOs. Sim, a perennial top contender, boasts of his fine amateur mark of 152-12, including 119 stoppages, prior to his entry to the paid ranks in 1995. He took the gold medals in the King's Cup in Thailand and in the Seoul Cup in Korea, both in 1995. Sim was scouted by a Korean impresario and made Korea his second home. It's remarkable that Sim acquired the lightweight title of the PABA (Pan Asian Boxing Association) by finishing Max Karamoy in 4 rounds in his pro debut in Indonesia on Dec. 12, 1995. In his 3rd pro bout, he moved down to the 130-pound division and gained another PABA title by unanimously decisioning Singhnum Yamakigym in Bangkok on Mar. 23, 1996. Sim had his first crack at the WBA crown only to lose a hairline split nod to Korean Yongsoo Choi in his 6th pro bout on Feb. 1, 1997. Though he drew with then world-rated Bongchul Kim on June 29 that year, he kept winning five afterwards-all within the distance. Sim, born in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, on March 10, 1971 (not Oct. 10, 1997-previously reported), got married with a University professor, and spoke some foreign languages including French, Korean, etc. He is an intelligent young man despite his look. SCORESHEETS
DEREK MILHAM (AUSTRALIA)
GUILLERMO PEREZ PINEDA (PANAMA)
LOU TABAT (US) REFEREE: STANLEY CHRISTODOULOU (SOUTH AFRICA) Promoter: Yokohama Hikari Promotions in association with Kyoei Promotions. WBA supervisor: Dr. Elias Cordova Jr. (Panama) Prior to the fight, Lakva Sim's pro record was said to be 9-1-1, 8 KOs (before this fight). But Sim himself corrected it by pointing out his KO win over Filipino Tata Abastas on Oct. 5 of the previous year, so his record after this victory should be 11-1-1, 10 KOs.
LAKVA SIM
1995
1997
1999
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Joe Koizumi |
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