Hong Wins WBC super

Korean High School-Graduate Boxer Wins
WBC Super-Flyweight Belt

Hong Chang Su holds up his national flag in one hand and unification flag in other hand after his victory was announced at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Japan on Aug. 27

OSAKA – Carried a piggyback by his father, Hong Chang Su drew a unification flag featuring a unified Korean Peninsula on his back and held up his fists in the air as his victory over his south Korean opponent was announced at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium on Aug. 27

Challenger Hong Chang Su, 25, a graduate from Tokyo Korean High School seized the World Boxing Council super-flyweight title with a unanimous points decision by a large margin over south Korea’s defending champion Cho In Ju.

Hong continued to dictate the tempo of the fight almost entirely during a full 12-round bout with his quick and skilful punches, dominating the bout with his speed boxing and sent the champion to the canvas with his hard right in the forth round. Holding out against the hard rush of the challenger, 31-year-old Cho continuously got Hong‘s sharp right blow and had bled heavily from a slash over his left eye since the final phase of the match.

The three judges from the U.S. went big for Hong with Henry Elespuru scoring it 117-109, Lou Filippo 119-107 and Dalby Shirley 116-110.

From the beginning of his debut as a pro-boxer, he had called for the reunification of Korea on the ring wearing boxing trunks, which was embroidered with letter reading “One Korea” and now, he became the first Korean boxer who holds world boxing title while living in Japan.

The world title match attracted a great deal of attention as the first-ever world title bout between a north and south Korean professional boxers.

“There is no 38^th parallel on the ring” - this was the slogan that ran on the posters promoting the fight designed by Hideo Kanazawa, chairman of the gym to which he belonged.

More than half of the full capacity of 3000 seats were occupied by Korean living in Japan, who gave warm cheers for the first-ever north-south world title match and the atmosphere was filled with friendship as Koreans danced together and waved their flags depicting the Korean Peninsula.

Before opening the world title match, “Our Wish is Reunification” was played by was sang by north and south Korean singers instead of both side’s national anthems. Once the melody calling for the reunification of the Korean Peninsula was struck up in the gymnasium, some elderly people were so impressed that they were unable to repress their tears.

"I almost shed tears as the song was played" said Hong after the match and continued, "I won the victory today thanks to all Korean residents in Japan cheering me up."

Having unending cheers calling his name, Hong bawled out “Korea is one!” in response to the cheering group who gathered there from all over Japan.

Hong hopes to hold a defensive match at Pyongyang.

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