Raymond Poon’s latest loss is another savage blow to Hong Kong boxing
- The 23-year-old is at a career crossroads after losing his second professional fight
- Poon won’t have another chance to fight for a title any time soon after his unanimous defeat
It wasn’t so long ago that Hong Kong had two decent professional boxers in its ranks. Rex Tso Sing-yu was riding a winning streak never before seen in the city in any combat sport (22-0-0, 13 KOs) while an up-and-coming young light flyweight, Raymond Poon Kai-ching, was happy to ride on the coat-tails of his more illustrious compatriot, looking like the heir apparent to the “Wonder Kid”.
On Sunday night in front of a half empty Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Poon –Hong Kong’s only professional boxer – lost his second fight. The bout was for the vacant WBO (World Boxing Organisation) world youth title and a lot was riding on the fight with Poon seen by his camp as the next great hope for Hong Kong boxing.
Young, ambitious and hard working, the 23-year-old Poon had everything going for him – a professional team, two months of solid training in the Philippines and support all round. He also has talent and was the fresh-faced boxer the media were warming up to.
But the youngster, who hails from Tin Shui Wai, would have to think about his future after he was outboxed and outsmarted by 20-year-old mainlander, Li Xiang, who scored a unanimous decision.
