Name: Ji-Hoon Kim Career Record: click Alias: "Sensational Kid" Nationality: South Korea Birthplace: Goyang City Born: 1987-01-17 Stance: Orthodox Height: 5' 9"

Professional Career

“Sensational Kid” JI-HOON KIM (14-5, 11 KOs)...
Former Korean featherweight champion, one successful defense...
At the age of 21, Ji-hoon is a three year pro - he made his debut at 17 after having no amateur experience, and went 2-3 in his first five fights.
He has now won six fights in a row, five by knockout, since his last loss in July, 2006, and is coming off of his career-best win in his last fight in May, 2008.
It was big step up for Ji-hoon - he was making his U.S. debut and is fighting outside of his native Korea for the only second time.
He was also fighting his toughest and most accomplished opponent, by far, in Koba Gogoladze, a 1996 Olympian for the Republic of Georgia and two-time NABO champion as a pro.
Ji-hoon knocked him out in the first round.
After the fight, Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com: What an exciting one-round fight. Gogoladze...looked like he would cruise to a quick win.... He was crushing Kim early in the round and seemed maybe a punch or two from ending it. But somehow Kim, 21, a South Korean making his American debut, rallied and put Gogoladze away in stunning fashion. He dropped Gogoladze twice before referee Robert Byrd called it off. Very exciting stuff. Let’s see more of Kim. [End Rafael item]
Co-manager Paul Lee said, “Ji-hoon trains at the Ilsan Juyup Boxing Gym in Ilsan. That’s part of Goyang City. He’s an all-action fighter, he’s aggressive.
“He was only a school kid when he came to the gym. He had many losses in his earlier career, but only one time he was knocked out. The stoppage was really fast. He’s actually much stronger than we see from his ring record.
“Ji-hoon speaks only Korean. I demanded that he learn English, but he never did.
“I like the nickname, ‘Rifle,’ but his co-manager and trainer, Hyung Yul, hates it. He wants to call him, ‘Sensational Kid’ Ji-hoon Kim. I like that name, too.”

Fight by Fight – 2008 - in his last fight on 5-16-08 in Las Vegas, NV, he TKO’d lefthanded Koba Gogoladze (20-2): the fight was on the undercard of the Shaun George-Chris Byrd main event at the Cox Pavillion, and it was fast-paced and exciting while it lasted; Gogoladze, a 1996 Olympian for the Republic of Georgia, started fast - he swarmed over Ji-hoon at the opening bell and rocked him several times; but Ji-hoon scored two knockdowns in the 1st round – the first with a left hook, the second with a right hand-left hook combination - and the referee stopped the fight at 2:27...

2007 - on 11-4-07 in Goyang City, KR, he knocked out Eddie Apa-Ap (6-4): at 2:46 of the 3rd round...
On 7-1-07 in Goyang City he knocked out Jaekwang Jung (13-1-2): at 2:07 of the 6th round...

2006 – on 12-16-06 in Jeongeup, KR, he knocked out Wayu Windygym (0-3-1): at 2:36 of the 2nd round...
On 10-29-06 in Seoul, KR, he won a 12 round split decision against Mark Sales (13-31-3): scored 115-114, 115-114 Kim, 115-113 Sales...
On 10-7-06 in Goyang City he knocked out Soomyung Bae (2-4-1): at 1:42 of the 2nd round...
On 7-16-06 in Nagoya, JAP, he lost a 10 round unanimous decision against Masanori Sugita (20-1-2): scored 98-94, 97-93, 97-94...
1ST KOREAN F TITLE DEFENSE - on 4-22-06 in Seongnam City, KR, he knocked out Dongkook Lee (7-7): at 2:09 of the 5th round...

2005 - on 12-15-05 in Jeonju City, KR, he lost a 10 round unanimous decision against Heungshik Lim (7-1)...
On 10-27-05 in Seoul he knocked out Wu Song (2-0): at 0:10 of the 6th round...
WON VACANT KOREAN F TITLE – on 9-25-05 in Gyeongju, KR, he knocked out Junghoon Kim 5-4): at 1:58 of the 2nd round...
On 7-15-05 in Uijjeongbu, KR, he won an 8 round unanimous decision against Wonchang Nam (2-4-1)...
On 5-6-05 in Seoul he knocked out Hanwook Bae (3-2): at 2:37 of the 5th round...
On 4-2-05 in Daejeon, KR, he won a 6 round unanimous decision against Hoonsuk Park (1-1-1)...
On 1-26-05 in Bucheon, KR, he was knocked out against Byungkyung Yoon (debut): at 0:37 of the 1st round...

2004 - on 12-22-04 Jeollabukdo, KR, he lost a 4 round decision against Joohwan Jo (1-0)...
On 12-20-04 in Jeollabukdo he knocked out Woosuk Lee (debut): at 0:26 of the 2nd round...
On 10-24-04 in Daejeon he knocked out Hanwook Bae (1-0): at 2:22 of the 2nd round...
He debuted at the age of 17 on 10-5-04 in Chungju City, KR, and lost a 4 round decision against Woosung Woo (1-1)...

AMATEUR, PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Co-manager Paul Lee said, “He was born in Goyang City, Korea. I think his father owns a store.
“He started boxing when he was 16 and turned pro when he was 17. He had no amatuer fights. He’s single, no children.”...

STRENGTHS: Has an aggressive style...has good punching power...is tall for the division...is very tough and determined...

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 19 fights...91 total rounds...
AVERAGE LENGTH OF BOUTS: 4.7 rounds...
KNOCKOUT PERCENTAGE: 78 %...
DISTANCE FIGHTS: 12 rounds – 1 (1-0)...10 rounds – 2 (1-1)...