Panya Pradabsri vs Wanheng Menayothin preview and WBC stats
By James Blears
WBC straw weight champion Panya Pradabsri (37-1, 23KOs) has a mandatory defense on March 29th against legendary Wanheng Menayothin (55-1, 19KOs) who will attempt to regain the Green and Gold Belt from him, in the very same place, where he lost it, at City Hall Ground, Nakhon, Sawan, Thailand.
On November 27th 2020, Wanheng was 54-0, and it was his 12th defense. His undefeated record finally came to an end, with him losing via UD to Panya on all three Judges' Cards by 115-113.
Now is the time and opportunity to try with all of his might, to redeem himself with a supreme effort, because he's 36-years-old, which is five years more than the man who dethroned him. Time is running out. Is this his swansong?
Their first fight was intense. Bangkok's Panya started briskly hurting Wanheng in the first and second rounds. Wanheng, also from Bangkok, is as brave as a lion and never stopped bulldozing forward. But his normally high cupped guard was strangely lowered and he walked into a lot of counter punches, especially left hooks to the head and body.
It was an intriguing fight of two halves with Wanheng coming on strong in the latter stages unloading more and more close range combinations, trying to impose his intense will to win, via his fists, vented on the younger man, who'd slowed a tad, in the stifling intense heat. The ring was covered with a canvas roof supported by sturdy steel girders, but the sides were open, which allowed some cooling air circulation.
At the end of most rounds, Panya lifted his arms in victory. After the final bell, he sank to his knees and hugged Wanheng, who also showed exemplary sportsmanship. There had been very few clinches during their fight, which had maintained a rapid pace.
Wanheng, nicknamed “Thai TBE”, held the WBC strawweight title from 2014-2020. He can swot as well as swat, having graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Bangkokthonburi University. A former national Muay Thai champion, he switched to boxing with supreme success. A revolutionary ascent through the World Boxing Council evolutionary process. He won the WBC Youth Title in his third bout, then the Silver and International titles and for the Absolute Crown, he stopped Mexican Oswaldo Novoa, who had to retire in his corner after a torrid ninth round.
Wanheng equaled Floyd Mayweather's 50-0 record on May 2nd 2018 when in a mandatory, he KO'd Panamanian Leroy Estrada in the seventh stanza. And then UD wins over Pedro Taduran, and Mektison Marganti. He was badly cut in a fight against Tatsuya Fukuhara but won a technical decision after eight rounds. Then a UD win over Simpiwe Konkco. He briefly retired, but the seductive lure of the ring enticed him back and Panya, who was fifth ranked by the WBC defeated him. The invincibility of the 'Big O' gone forever.
The get together for this rematch has taken a while. Panya fought a non-title bout with Pattharapong Rueangsilanon, who was ambitiously making his pro debut and was stopped via TKO in the fourth. Then a UD win over Dani Ngiabphukhiaw the National flyweight champion, who slimmed down to put on a very competitive fight. Meanwhile, Wanheng dispatched Jinnawat Rienpit via a third round KO. Panya and Wanheng were to have fought their rematch on January 25th but this was postponed until March 29th, because Panya's Father died. Wanheng's record now stands at an incredible 55-1 with 19 KO's.
Panya's route to the title has been different, but he's also a dab hand at the Noble Art of Self Defense. He fought in 200 Muay Thai bouts, before he switched to boxing. In his fourth pro boxing bout, he won the vacant Asian Continental straw weight title. Then the PABA title, but he came unstuck, losing via MD to Xiong Chaozhong for the vacant WBA International straw weight belt.
He then bounced back for some notable wins in the lead up to Wanheng challenge. He won the vacant OPBF straw weight silver title against Melianus Mirin by UD. He won the vacant OPBF Silver flyweight title with a second round KO over Dexter Alimento and the vacant OPBF Silver light flyweight crown with a first round KO over Jerry Tomogdan. His record to date stands at an impressive 37-1, 23KO's.
Realistically, it's Wanheng's last tilt to regain the title that was his for quite some time. The five years age difference is significant, but any man who can maintain his weight at 47.6 kg, which is just one hundred and lbs, in their mid-thirties, has an iron discipline mindset. Panya faded and frayed ever so slightly around the edges in the second half of their first encounter. To win Wanheng will need to start his surging charge appreciably earlier. To retain, Panya will need to maintain his boxing at distance and not get drawn into a brawl. He'd fare better by avoiding fighting with his back against the ropes.
The strawweight division has produced some notable champions. By far the greatest was Ricardo “Finito” Lopez. In a 16-year career of 51-0-1, with 38 KO's he reigned supreme as WBC Champion with an extraordinary 21 successful defenses. Only one slight blemish with a draw against WBA champion Rosendo Alvarez in Mexico City's Plaza de Toros, which he avenged with a SD win. Then Ricardo briefly moved up to light flyweight, winning the IBF title.
In the immortal words of Janis Ian: “It was long ago and far away, the World was younger than today.” Several generations earlier, there wasn't an all pervading corporative mouse-clicking obsession with the pristine undefeated record. This is when boxers fought so much more often and a battling defeat, rather than a KO loss, was seen as a learning experience.
The great Morris “Whitey” Bimstein, who was a trainer, cut man and woe betide… a pin man if a fighter was being lazy, drily observed: “Show me an undefeated fighter and I`ll show you a guy who's never fought anybody.”
The Greatest pound for pound Sugar Ray Robinson loved to win, but also had his share of defeats, later on. Starting up, he had an amateur record of 85-0, including 69 KOs, 40 of which occurred in round one. As a pro, from 1943-51, he had an unbeaten streak of 91 victories! His final tally was 174-19-6, 109 KOs. Any fighter who could beat “Raging Bull” Jake LaMotta five out of six times, including a “St Valentines Day Massacre,” is unique!
Fritzie “Croat Comet” Zivic who won the Welterweight crown, was gracious enough to mutter: “Pardon me,” every time he fouled an opponent…which was often! Fritzie got by surprisingly well on a record of 157-65-9, 81 KO`s. A born brawler blessed with cunning and guile, he learned it along the way, with his four brothers. Daily, they had to fight to survive as kids in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. He recalled: “You either had to fight or stay in the house. We went out!”
No one wants to be defeated, but if it happens, it`s not the end of the world. We live to fight another day. No doubt Wanheng Menayothin has learned this. And so has Panya Pradabsri. In their careers, they each have one loss. Both are going for victory, while taking with a pinch of salt the one-dimensional saying: “Winning isn`t everything, but losing isn`t anything.”
WBC Stats
This will be the WBC’s 2,132 championship fight in their 59-year history
WBC´s Strawweight World Champions
1. HIROKI IOKA (JAP) 1987 – 1988
2. NAPA KIATWANCHAI (THA) 1988 – 1989
3. JEUM-HWANG CHOI (KOR) 1989 – 1990
4. HIDEYUKI OHASHI (JAP) 1990
5. RICARDO LOPEZ (MEX) 1990 – 1998
6. WANDEE CHOR CHAREON (THA) 1998 – 2000
7. JOSE ANTONIO AGUIRRE (MEX) 2000 – 2004
8. EAGLE KYOWA (JAPAN) 2004
9. ISAAC BUSTOS (MEX) 2004 – 2005
10. KATSUNARI TAKAYAMA (JAPAN) 2005
11. EAGLE KYOWA (JAPAN) *2005 – 2007
12. JUAN PALACIOS (NICARAGUA) INTERIM 2008
13. OLEYDONG SITHSAMERCHAI (THAILAND) 2008 – 2011
14. KAZUTO IOKA (JAPAN) 2011 – 2012
15. XIONG ZHAO ZHONG (CHINA) 2013 – 2014
16. OSVALDO NOVOA (MEX) 2014
17. WANHENG MENAYOTHIN (THAI) 2014 – 2020
18. PANYA PRADABSRI (THAI) 2020 –
*Regained
WBC´s Top 10 Strawweight Champions
RICARDO LOPEZ (MEXICO)
OLEYDONG SITHSAMERCHAI (THAI)
WANHENG MENAYOTHIN (THAI)
HIDEYUKI OHASHI (JAPAN)
EAGLE KYOWA (JAP)
WANDEE CHOR CHAREON (THAI)
JOSE ANTONIO AGUIRRE (MEXICO)
HIROKI IOKA (JAPAN)
NAPA KIATWANCHAI (THAI)
KAZUTO IOKA (JAPAN
More WBC Strawweight Stats
17 World champions recognised by the WBC of which one regained their title: EAGLE KYOWA (JAPAN)
RICARDO LOPEZ (MEXICO) holds the record for title defences with 21
86 World title bouts held by the WBC
24 World title bouts held in Thailand
117 World title fights have been held in Thailand
24 World strawweight title fights have been held in Thailand
WBC Strawweight World Title Fights by Country
JAPAN: 28
TAHILAND: 24
MEXICO: 14
USA: 11
CHINA: 4
SOUTH KOREA: 3
PUERTO RICO: 1
EMIRATES: 1
TOTAL: 86
World Title fights by Division in Thailand
FLY: 48
STRAW: 24
BANTAM: 14
Lt. FLY: 14
SUPERFLY: 9
SUPERLIGHT: 5
SUPERBANTAM: 3
TOTAL: 117
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