Wakeling takes the world title
[MUAY THAI] Britain's young gun Steve Wakeling has won the WBC muay Thai middleweight world title in a split decision in London's Wembley arena.
Wakeling cut Australian superstar Jon Wayne Parr with elbow strikes to the forehead in the first and second rounds and then had to hold off a rampaging Parr, who almost snatched the title with a barrage of punches that had Wakeling staggering in a hectic final round. However, Wakeling showed his cool skills and successfully evaded Parr's last-ditch flurry. The event was televised on Sky TV and attracted a full house of British Lords, celebrities and workers who came to cheer the local hero who, at 21 years, is now the muay Thai ring king. A disappointed Parr, who has narrowly lost two world title challenges in the past four months, said he just failed to catch Wakeling with his hard punches. "He stopped me coming forward in the first two rounds with his elbow weapons, and by the time I worked out how to counter him I ran out of time," he told The Nation. Wakeling paid tribute to Parr, who he had idolised as a teenager. "When I was going to school I looked up to John Wayne Parr and my dream was to be as good as him," he said. "It's really a bit surreal to beat a living legend for a WBC world title." Two of the three judges awarded to title to Wakeling. Patrick Cusick The Nation London
|
