“I didn't have much of an advantage early on in the fight, and my opponent used 'grey zone' moves like headbutts and low blows in the first few rounds.
“This doesn't happen when you spar in Hong Kong, so I wasn't prepared.”
The 28-year-old Poon first won the WBC belt in July 2018 and defended it once in December before losing the belt to China's Li Xiang in May 2019.
It took more than four years for the orthodox boxer to make a comeback and, after defeating Witchet Saenprakorn by knockout to reclaim the belt in October last year, Poon held the title for just over five months.
“Physically, this loss was harder for me,” he said. “My face was swollen for over two weeks, I had stomach problems after the punch and couldn't eat anything for almost a month.”
“But the loss in 2019 hurt a lot more emotionally. [vacant] WBO (World Boxing Organization) Youth Light Flyweight Belt [which they were also competing for] After all, it was a world title and I lost in my own country.”
Poon said he was ready to step back into the ring and maintain his professional career, but was ready to bring a new trainer on his side after parting ways with longtime coach Jake Verano, who began working with him in 2016.
“It's been eight years so maybe I just needed something new. I felt like I was stuck for so long,” he said. “I don't think I've made any progress this year.”
“So I'm looking forward to training with my new coach and seeing if there are any different moves or techniques I can use to prepare for the match.”
Poon is currently trained by Bobby Concepcion, a 5-foot-4 super flyweight from the Philippines who focuses on power and strength.
“It's more balanced and overall [with Verano] But this loss made me realise that I wasn't strong enough,” he said. “My opponent still kept charging forward even after I attacked.
“There was nothing in my power to stop him or hurt him further. He might have stopped for half a second, but he couldn't stop completely.”
But it wasn't just a matter of technique: Poon admitted he was disappointed when former world champion Katsunari Takayama turned down a challenge from him, with Verano claiming the timing was bad.
Poon says Takayama is his Japanese equivalent to Hong Kong star Rex Tso Hsin-yu.
“He went from being a professional boxer to being an amateur because he wanted to represent Japan at the Olympics,” Poon said. “He didn't compete in the Olympics, but he won all four belts. [across WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO] Lowest class [105 pounds].
“He is an experienced boxer and when the world champion calls you, I think out of respect for the world champion, we should not shy away from it.”
Poon added that he still wants to fight Takayama but is aware that to be “eligible” for the bout he would need a belt such as the WBC Asian Continental Championship, which he just lost.
“I was worried I wouldn't get another belt, but the best thing to do is to go for it,” he said. “Thinking about it doesn't change anything.
“The next game might not be until August at the earliest, so we'll start all over again.”
