Petalcorin bows to Japanese champ in world title fight

Japan’s Kenshiro Teraji (R) reacts during his WBC light flyweight title boxing match against Philippines’ Randy Petalcorin at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture on December 23, 2019. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino Randy Petalcorin squandered another shot at a world title after falling to unbeaten Japanese champion Ken Shiro in their light flyweight clash Monday at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.

Petalcorin did what he could as a late replacement for the fight before suffering a fourth-round stoppage at the hands of Shiro, who successfully defended his WBC title for the seventh straight time.

The 27-year-old Petalcorin found himself in a world of trouble in the third round where Shiro unleashed vicious body blows to score three knockdowns.

Shiro again went downstairs in the fourth round for another knockdown that took Petalcorin out for good.

It was the second time in two years where Petalcorin lost via TKO in a world title fight after he was stopped by Felix Alvarado in the seventh round in October of last year.

Petalcorin (31-4-1, 23 KOs), who stepped in for Alvarado in what was supposed to be a unification fight, only had one month to prepare against Shiro (17-0, 10 KOs).