BOXING
EDWARD THANGARAJAH
Two former Thai world flyweight champions Pongsaklek Wonjongkam and Chatchai Sassakul were stretched to the hilt to win their eight round fights against Filipino opponents yesterday at the Wat Bangpli Yaiklang Boxing Arena. Pongsaklek, whose elbows moved faster than his punches, was given a fight of his life by Rey Magramo who took the best shots that the Thai delivered and counter-punched superbly to take the bout to the full distance. He received a thunderous cheer from the crowd, for his plucky showing.
Earlier the crowd wanted Pongsaklek to register a knockout win, but in the end they gave both pugilists a standing ovation.
Pongsaklek admitted that he is still stiff and slow with his movements, hence he would need to train hard, before he takes on Naito Daisuke, who won the title from him in July this year.
Pongsaklek is scheduled to fight Daisuke for the title in January, 2008.
The head of the Phetchyindee Boxing Promotion, Virat Vachiraratanawongse believes it will be tough for Pongsaklek to regain the title, as Daisuke has improved a lot, while Pongsaklek, though he won the bout 80-72 yesterday, has slowed down a lot.
Another former world flyweight champion, now campaigning in the super-flyweight division, Chatchai Sassakul had to strain every nerve, also against a Philippine opponent, Marvin Tampos, to win a points decision.
In fact, in the fifth round, Chatchai went down for a mandatory count of eight, after taking a punch on his solar plexus. The ominous message of the knockdown came in the fourth round, when Chatchai took a series of punches on the face and body and lost that round too..
In the end, Chatchai won 77-74, but the sporty Thai crowd, gave Tampos a loud cheer for his plucky showing.
The manager of the Filipino boxer, Leonil Lazarito said after the two fights that he is happy with the performances of the two Filipinos who are young and inexperienced and were pitted against Thais who enjoyed rich records.
The other former Thai champion who was seen in action was Medgoen Singsurat who had a fairly easy opponent to handle in compatriot Den-narong Big-shot Camp. Medgoen toyed with Den-narong for four rounds and in the fifth let go a thundering right hook, which ended the fight. De-Narong took the long count.
But in the main bout of the day, the WBC Youth light-flyweight championship, the Thais had much to cheer about. The champion, Thailand's Wanheng Meenayothin outclassed his Filipino opponent, also a former youth champion Arman Dela Cruz.
It was Dela Cruz who set the pace winning the first round, but from the second onwards it was Wanheng all the way until 1:34 in the fifth, when the Thai unleashed a series of tough punches and knocked out the Filipino for the long count.
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