Nam-Hoon Cha: Boxing Career and Major Results
South Korean boxer Nam-Hoon Cha challenged Yuri Arbachakov for the WBC flyweight world title in Kyoto on December 13, 1993. Arbachakov retained the championship by unanimous decision after 12 rounds, ending Cha’s attempt to add a world belt to his regional achievements.
Building a career at light flyweight
Cha began his professional career in April 1988. He competed in South Korea’s light-flyweight ranks before winning the vacant OPBF championship against Bert Refugio in Ulsan in June 1990. That bout ended in a split-decision victory for Cha.
His subsequent results included wins over Little Baguio, Azadin Anhar, Fernando Baja and Leo Ramirez. He also defeated Somchai Thonnongvang and Roberto Padilla in 1992, sustaining a run of success before moving into the world flyweight title picture.
The challenge against Arbachakov
The Kyoto contest took Cha into a different division and a different level of championship competition. His OPBF accomplishments were at light flyweight, while Arbachakov’s WBC belt was the flyweight world title. Cha completed the scheduled distance but did not win the decision.
He later returned to action with victories over Mike Bandivas in Pohang in November 1995 and Juanito Boy Cuma in Daegu in January 1996. The available career summary records 24 wins, two losses and one draw across 27 professional contests.
Those results provide a more complete outline than the Arbachakov defeat alone. Cha established himself regionally, pursued a world championship, and continued competing afterward. His record also illustrates why regional titles and world-title challenges should be identified separately when assessing a boxer’s achievements.
UPI’s contemporary report and the WBC title-fight record confirm the bout and result. Sources: Career results; [1] [2]
Sources
Career records and reporting: boxrec.com.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
