Saddam Sam-k Battery has been selected by the ABCO as the “Excellent Fighter” for his wins in the two recent title defending bouts.

ABCO lightweight champion Saddam Sam-k Battery, alternately known as Saddam Kietyongyuth, has successfully defended his ABCO title against JR Solano in a technical knockout in the first round of the match on June 27 and against Jimrex Jaca, also in a technical knockout, on October 22. Solano and Jaca are both top fighters from the Philippines.

Alexander Povetkin has withdrawn from the much-anticipated heavyweight match with Wladimir Klitschko due to a foot injury.

Klitschko, a world champion from the Ukraine who holds the IBF, WBO, and IBO titles, was scheduled to defend his title from mandatory challenger Povetkin of Russia on December 13 in Mannheim, Germany.

“Alexander does not need a surgical operation, but he is not able to box,” said Povetkin’s manager.

The Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) says it will ban Thai promoter “Ang Mor” Chucharoen Rawee-aramwong from matches in Japan for arranging a bout for retired Japanese champion Joichiro Tatsuyoshi.

Former WBC bantamweight champion Tatsuyoshi, 39, who was formally retired by the JBC in September, fought in a bout arranged by promoter Chucharoen against Palangchai Chuwattana at Ratchadamnern Stadium on Sunday despite requests from the JBC and WBC to have the fight cancelled. The JBC has barred fighters with age over 35 from bouts in Japan.

ABCO lightweight champion Saddam Sam-k Battery, who has successfully defended his title against Jimrex Jaca of the Philippines by a technical knockout, says he plans to fight in the U.S.

Saddam defeated Jaca in the action-packed bout held on October 22 at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University in Nonthaburi. After some fair trade of punches, the Thai slammed his Filipino opponent with an accurate right hit in the second round. Seeing the semi-conscious Jaca stuck in the corner, the referee ended the bout and granted a technical knockout win to Saddam at 2.41 minutes of the second round.