Kings of Thailand: The 10 best boxers from Thailand


1 KHAOSAI GALAXY

The ‘Thai Tyson’ remains sporting royalty in the Kingdom. A huge-punching southpaw, Khaosai was a massive TV attraction in his 1980s prime, which saw him win the WBA super-flyweight title and retain it 19 times.

2 PONGSAKLEK WONJONGKAM

Pongsaklek demonstrated incredible longevity in a 24-year (1994-2018) career that included two lineal title reigns and world records for flyweight defences (21) and fastest 112lb championship win (34 seconds).

3 PONE KINGPETCH

Thailand’s first world champion was also one of its finest. He beat the legendary Pascual Perez to lift the flyweight crown in 1960, then defended against Perez in the USA. All told, he would reign three times.

4 SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI

Scored the best-ever win by a Thai when he flattened Roman Gonzalez in four rounds in 2017. This was preceded by a points win over Gonzalez and followed by one over Juan Francisco Estrada –results that put super-flyweight Srisaket high up the P4P rankings.

5 CHARTCHAI CHIONOI

Don’t be fooled by his 18 defeats – Chartchai would fight anyone, anywhere. He won three flyweight titles in 1966-1974, and beat Walter McGowan in London and Efren Torres in Mexico among 82 bouts in 10 countries.

6 SOT CHITALADA

Sot tore apart Charlie Magri in four rounds here in 1985, in defence of the world flyweight title he’d won against Gabriel Bernal. He became a two-time champ with a 1989 revenge win over Yong Kang Kim.

7 SAMAN SORJATURONG

Winner of 1995’s Fight of the Year, as well as one of its biggest upsets, Saman shocked the world with a seventh-round stoppage of Humberto Gonzalez for the IBF and WBC light-fly belts. He defended the latter 10 times.

8 VEERAPHOL SAHAPROM

Won the WBA bantam belt in only his fourth pro bout, beating countryman Daorung Chuwatana in 1996, and then the WBC version two years later. He got the better of two Japanese greats in thrilling multi-fight rivalries – Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (2-0) and Toshiaki Nishioka (2-0-2).

9 AMNAT RUENROENG

Amnat took up amateur boxing in prison and went to the 2008 Olympics. As a pro beat the likes of Rocky Fuentes, Kazuto Ioka, McWilliams Arroyo, Zou Shiming and Johnriel Casimero in IBF flyweight title fights.

10 CHATCHAI SASAKUL

Another Olympian, Chatchai’s speed, versatility and fitness took him to the genuine world flyweight championship with a dominant 1997 revenge win over Yuri Arbachakov – a crown he defended twice.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai against Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (Al Bello/Getty Images)



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