Sang-Il Jung: Korean OPBF Champion and WBA Title Challenger
Sang-Il Jung was a South Korean professional boxer whose short career made a mark in the light-flyweight division. He won the Korean light-flyweight title and became a two-time Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) champion, according to this career retrospective from Asian Boxing.
A brief, demanding title run
Within a year of turning professional, Jung won the Korean light-flyweight championship. He then defeated the previously unbeaten Montsayarm Haw Mahachai to win the OPBF title. Jung drew with future world champion Netrnoi Sor Vorasingh in his first defense, lost the belt to Sung Jun Kim in January 1978, and reclaimed it from Kim less than six months later. The account credits Jung with a 9–5–2 record (3 knockouts) across 16 bouts.
The OPBF title win led to a world-title opportunity against WBA light-flyweight champion Yoko Gushiken. Gushiken stopped Jung in round five on October 15, 1978; the WBA’s fight record lists the bout as a fifth-round knockout. Jung later made one more OPBF title defense before back-to-back defeats to Yong Hyun Kim.
Jung’s record is a reminder of how much a fighter can accomplish in a short career: Korean and regional titles, a world-title challenge, and a schedule packed with future champions and contenders. See his BoxRec profile and the Asian Boxing career review for further details.
Sources
Career records and reporting: boxrec.com.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
