- Title: U.K.: BANTAMWEIGHT BOXING -- RUDKIN OUTPOINTS PORCHAI POPPRAIGAM OF THAILAND
- Date: 10th January 1968
- Summary: 1. ROUND 1 POPPRAIGAM (HAS MONOGRAM ON SHORTS) 0.41 2. ROUND 2 1.16 3. ROUND 10 RUDKIN WINS BOUT ON POINTS 1.58 Initials IF/V/BHH/ES SPORT: BOXING Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 25th January 1968 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NOTTINGHAM, U.K.
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVA578OFSWS1LGK3OF4Z6OCZNMEF
- Story Text: ALAN RUDKIN, THE FORMER BRITISH AND EMPIRE BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION, GAINED A CONVINCING POINTS VICTORY ON MONDAY (8 JANUARY) OVER THAILAND'S FINE BANTAMWEIGHT, PONCHAI POPPRAIGAM. THE FIGHT RAN TO TEN ROUNDS BEFORE THE NOTTINGHAM, U.K., RAISED RUDKIN'S HAND AS A SIGN OF VICTORY.
COMMENTATORS EXPRESSED NO DOUBT AFTER ROUND THREE THAT RUDKIN WOULD WIN, ALTHOUGH QUICK-FOOTED POPPRAIGAM BOXED EFFECTIVELY IN THE EARLY ROUNDS, AND MADE A PROMISING RALLY IN THE EIGHTH. MANY CONSIDERED THE QUESTION TO BE: WOULD THE THAILANDER LAST THE DISTANCE? HIS COURAGE, STRENGTH, AND FITNESS ALLOWED HIM TO DO SO.
AFTER WHETTING HIS APPETITE ON HALF-A-DOZEN OF POPPRAIGAM'S PURPOSEFUL LEFT HOOKS, RUDKIN ADOPTED THE ROLE OF ATTACKER FOR THE GREATER PART OF THE FIGHT. ENCOURAGED BY HIS KNOCKOUT VICTORY OVER RONNIE JONES OF THE U.S. LAST MONTH, RUDKIN MADE GREAT USE OF HIS RIGHT, NEGLECTING AT TIMES HIS HARD-HITTING LEFT. OTHER COMMENTATORS SUGGEST HE LACKED THE TRULY DECISIVE PUNCH WHICH WOULD HAVE FINISHED THE FIGHT DURING THE MIDDLE ROUNDS. HE IS TO MEET WALTER MCGOWAN, THE CURRENT BRITISH AND EMPIRE BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION, IN THE SPRING. MCGOWAN HIMSELF CAME TO GRIEF IN DECEMBER 1967 AGAINST ANOTHER THAILANDER, WORLD FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION CHARTCHAI CHIONOI.
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