OSCAR Collazo is now the unified WBO and WBA minimumweight champion following a one-sided deconstruction of Thammanoon Niyomtrong in Riyadh.
Looking to time the right hand, Niyomtrong had the tricky task of getting his shots off while also moving out of the way of Collazo’s long left hand. The Puerto Rican southpaw was clearly the bigger man, and his dimensions were causing noticeable issues for the Thai fighter.
After suffering a poor fourth, Niyomtrong needed to come out in round five with added aggression. A strong, experienced boxer over the distance, Niyomtrong was letting too many rounds slip by as Collazo enjoyed a comfortable pace. The Collazo body shots were taking their toll.
The workover continued in round six as Niyomtrong shipped a number of heavy shots, ending in a knockdown caused by a fantastically timed check right hook. Niyomtrong was down again in the seventh from a similar shot that sent his senses splaying. The end was clearly nigh. Collazo used his size and strength to bully a champion who was suddenly hanging on to his title by a thread.
A thumping left uppercut sent Thammanoon Niyomtrong down for the third time and finally out. The referee called it off at 1-29 of round seven.
“A lot of people doubted,” said Collazo. “The long-reigning champion, a lot of respect to him. My team said stay on the body and we’ll wear him out.”
Oscar Collazo is now 11-0 (8 KOs), while Niyomtrong suffered his first career loss, falling to 25-1 (9 KOs). The new unified champion wants to aim for undisputed at 105 pounds. Filipino duo Pedro Taduran (IBF) and Melvin Jerusalem (WBC) hold the other two belts. Collazo previously beat Jerusalem to win the WBO title, so he could realistically sweep the weight class within a year.
