Cristian Araneta falls short in world title bid vs. Simsri
Cristian Araneta (left) and Thanongsak Simsri (right). | Omega Boxing Gym photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebuano boxer Cristian “The Bomb” Araneta of Omega Boxing Gym fell short in his bid for the IBF world light flyweight title, losing via split decision to Thailand’s Thanongsak Simsri on Thursday, June 19, at the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.
In a cautious 12-round chess match, Simsri edged Araneta on two of the judges’ scorecards. Masakazu Murase had it 115-112, while Koji Tanaka scored it a wide 116-111 in favor of the Thai. Only judge Leszek Jankowiak saw it 114-113 for Araneta.
With the loss, Araneta dropped to 25-3 (20 KOs), while Simsri improved to an impressive 39-1 with 34 knockouts.
READ:
Cristian Araneta flies to Japan for world title fight on June 19
Araneta’s title win could usher in Cebu’s boxing resurgence—Omega Sports exec
Fortune tells: Manny Pacquiao by stoppage
Despite the result, Araneta had his moments. He knocked down Simsri in the third round with a sharp left hook. He nearly finished the job moments later, trapping Simsri on the ropes and unloading a flurry of hooks. But Simsri survived the onslaught.
The Thai responded by keeping his distance and picking his spots, firing off one-two combinations and quickly moving out of range. His speed, timing, and lateral movement neutralized Araneta’s power, particularly the Cebuano’s dangerous left hook.
Both fighters sustained cuts early in the bout from accidental head clashes. Araneta suffered a deep gash over his left eyebrow, but his cutman Gerry Castroverde, managed to control the bleeding.
Simsri stepped up his activity in the middle rounds, connecting with quick combinations that forced Araneta to fight more defensively.
Although many of Simsri’s punches were blocked, several found their mark.
Araneta continued to push forward, landing body shots and clean hooks that rattled Simsri at times in the latter rounds. He turned up the pressure in the 10th and 11th rounds, sensing urgency as Simsri began to slow down.
The final round, however, ended in a tactical standoff, with both fighters cautious. Simsri landed the cleaner punches down the stretch to seal the win on the cards.
Araneta will likely return to the drawing board as he regroups from his third career defeat.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
