Korake keeps belt despite fight night loss

By PARKER TAMBUA
PAPUA New Guinea light heavyweight champion John Korake still holds the national title despite his loss to John Decklam in the Oceania Fight Promotion’s clash of the light heavyweights last week.
Korake’s wife Shirley, who is also his manager, made the comment in response to articles by other media outlets that Decklam was the new champion.
Shirley told The National yesterday that Decklam would have to earn it in an actual title fight.
“There are some misreporting from the media so I just want to make it clear that John ‘The Stopper’ Korake is still the PNG light heavyweight champion,” she said.
“Last week’s fight at the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex was just a normal fight night event and it was not a title fight.
“Korake still has the belt of the 79kg division.
“If Korake had puts his belt up in the fight then they can say Decklam is now the champion but that is not the case.
“Decklam will have to work hard if he wants to win the title of Korake.”
Decklam won with 272 points to Korake’s 214 after 8 rounds of 3 minutes bout.
Shirley said Korake and Decklam will go head-to-head again in a rematch which will be hosted at the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex in December.
Shirley said her fighter will come back stronger in the rematch to avenge his loss.
Meanwhile, she said team Korake had passed on their condolences to the family of Papua New Guinea boxing legend and promoter Martin Beni, 70, who tragically collapsed and died while at the OFP show on Oct 27.