By Luke Sheehan
TAYLORS Lakes’ Daniel “Babyface” Iannazzo won his 17th professional fight from as many attempts when he defeated Rivo Rengkung by technical knock-out in their WBO Asia pacific youth super bantamweight title fight at Flemington racecourse last Thursday.
Iannazzo, who trains at Tarneit Boxing Gym under trainer Dave Hegarty, was always the aggressor in the projected 10-round bout, which ended one minute into the sixth round, after Iannazzo cut Rengkung with an upper-cut to his left eye in the fourth round.
After multiple doctor checks of the cut, the referee ended the fight when Rengkung’s cut continued to bleed despite his trainer’s attempts to stop the bleeding to allow the fight to continue.
“It was the hardest and easiest fight I’ve had,” Iannazzo said.
“The opponent was very tough and very strong, beaten some of the best in the world today.
“I trained so hard for it, and expected the worst, and got the best out of it.
“I just beat him in every way. Basically, whatever fight he wanted, I beat him. I beat him at his own game really.”
Keith Ellis Snr was in Iannazzo’s camp, and instructed the 21-year-old to allow his opponent to do the work early, before countering.
“He was a very front-on fighter, he would come walking up to me, throw all the punches,” Iannazzo said.
“He (Rengkung) had been in my face all night. He’s a bull, I’m the matador. I move and counter. That’s what he (Ellis Snr) meant by that.”
Iannazzo’s pre-fight game plan went like clockwork, as the fight ended shortly after the halfway point.
“To be honest, the game plan for the night was for the first two rounds just catch him, let him walk forward and use his energy, because we knew he started off very hard and strong.
“Everyone’s strong for at least two rounds, so round three I was trying to get into my own pattern.
“Round four, I really found my range and I hit him with the right uppercut that cut him, but I still stayed calm because I knew at the end of round five, if it didn’t stop on cuts, I would have stopped it anyway with a punch.
“That’s the way I started round six, just started to go for it.”
Iannazzo has not thought about resting after his recent win, wanting to use his momentum and fitness as soon as possible.
“I’m already back in the gym, resting is the best part of boxing but I don’t believe in it. I’m thinking, ‘I’m fit now, get me another fight straight away’.
“I don’t want to have a rest until I get a world title shot.”
Iannazzo will next be in action in May, back at the scene of his recent victory at Flemington racecourse.
