Yong-Kang Kim Rebounded From Chitalada Defeat to Win
Yong-Kang Kim captured the WBC flyweight championship on July 24, 1988, defeating Sot Chitalada by unanimous decision in Pohang, South Korea. He later became WBA champion in the same division, earning two separate runs at world-title level.
Career highlights
Kim’s first reign included successful twelve-round defenses against Emil Matsushima in November 1988 and Leopard Tamakuma in March 1989. Both ended in unanimous decisions, with the Tamakuma contest taking place in Japan.
Chitalada regained the WBC championship in their return meeting on June 3, 1989. Their twelve-round fight in Trang, Thailand, ended in a split decision, closing Kim’s first world-title reign less than a year after his breakthrough.
A second flyweight championship
Kim returned to championship status on June 1, 1991, defeating Elvis Álvarez for the WBA flyweight belt. That reign lasted until September 26, 1992, when Aquiles Guzmán took the title. His two championship periods place victories over Chitalada and Álvarez at the center of his career.
Between those flyweight reigns, Kim challenged Khaosai Galaxy for the WBA super flyweight championship in September 1990 and lost by sixth-round knockout. Back at flyweight, his WBA defenses included a unanimous decision over Leo Gámez in October 1991 and a sixth-round knockout of Jon Peñalosa in March 1992 before the Guzmán defeat.
Sources
- BoxRec: Kim’s WBC and WBA championship dates
- BoxRec: Kim’s title victory, defenses and Chitalada rematch
- Open Boxing: Kim’s WBA title results
