By James Goyder

Stamp Kiatniwat managed a second win in as many fights with Gregorio Lebron, once again claiming a 12-round majority decision in their rescheduled flyweight interim title fight rematch Tuesday afternoon at Thonburi University in Bangkok, Thailand.

Judge Gustavo Jarquin (Nicaragua) saw the bout 114-114, while judges Derek Milham (Australia) and Octavio Rodriguez (Panama) ruled in favor of Kiatniwat by scores of 115-114 and 115-113, respectively.

The bout was a sequel to their title fight clash last July, in which two of the wide scores in favor Kiatniwat didn’t properly reflect the action that took place.

Lebron has spent the past seven months eyeing revenge, though both fighters were forced to wait four more days than expected for their return meet. The fight was originally slated to take place last Friday but was postponed at the last minute when a major sponsor pulled out.

Both fighters made weight last Thursday and at the second weigh in on Monday they were merely required to weigh 117 lbs or less by the World Boxing Association (WBA), who recognizes Kiatniwat as its interim flyweight titlist.

The superior hand speed of Lebron was evident right from the early exchanges although he suffered a cut above the left eye after a clash of heads. With Lebron throwing three- and four-punch combinations, Kiatniwat sought to land one big punch. The defending titlist connected with a couple of left hooks in the early rounds.

In round three the action was fast and frenetic as the two men exchanged body shots at close quarters with neither enjoying an obvious advantage. At the end of the fourth round, Lebron trapped Kiatniwat against the ropes and peppered him with punches with the Thai grateful to hear the bell.

By the fifth the pace had dropped significantly, favoring Kiatniwat. The unbeaten titlist was able to control the tempo in the center of the ring to the delight of his fans and supporters at ringside, including former world champion Khaosai Galaxy.

This trend carried throughout the middle rounds, as Lebron slowed considerably after attempting to establish a furious pace early in the fight. The visiting challenger from Dominican Republic wasn’t able to slug his way back into the fight until round 10, by which point Kiatniwat had built a sizeable lead.

Lebron came on strong in the championship rounds, although his aggression nearly led to his being gigged for the bout’s lone knockdown. A clubbing right hand from Kiatniwat towards round’s end prompted the challenger to lose his footing and fall to the canvas. American referee Raul Caiz Jr. was on top of the situation and correctly ruled the sequence a slip.

However, it seemed to disrupt Lebron’s rally as there was little action to speak of in the 12th and final round. The tentative action served as grounds for early celebration among the local fans, sensing their guy had pulled out a second victory.

Such instincts proved correct, though by the slimmest of margins. 

With the win, Kiatniwat improves to 15-0 (6KOs). More importantly, it preserves an ordered consolidation bout with regular titlist Kazuto Ioka later this spring. Lebron drops his second straight start as he falls to 13-4 (11KOs).

The fight aired live on Channel 3 in Thailand.