KO's erstwhile undefeated opponent in 1st round
SGG Stable's Dondon Sultan captured the PABA Welteweight Title today by knocking out defending champion and erstwhile undefeated Russian opponent Anton Solopov in the 1st round at the Energetik Sports Complex in Surgut, Russia.
Sultan, 27, who holds the Philippine welter diadem, finally captured the PABA title in his second attempt after a failed bid against Thai Parkpoom Jangphonak in Bangkok, Thailand in October last year. Sultan now improves his record to 13-6-3 with 7 KOs.
His opponent, the Kostya Tszyu-managed Anton Solopov, who wrested the title from Jangphonak in Australia in January this year, was undefeated in 12 fights with 9 KOs coming into the fight and has the advantage of fighting in front of a hometown crowd.
The 24-year-old southpaw Solopov, a permanent resident of Australia, had spent part of his childhood in an area in Russia where Tszyu was raised.
Solopov, who was born in Western Siberia, had a distinguished amateur career, winning 180 of 205 bouts. He had won the lightweight division title at the 1998 games in Argentina. Solopov's victim in the gold-medal round was Miguel Cotto, the popular World Boxing Organisation junior welterweight champion, who is regarded as the hottest youngster in the sport.
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