Srisaket Sor Rungvisai: Good Things Come In Small Packages
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By Brian “The Beret” Young
Ever since the Fury Vs Wilder fight the boxing world has once again been high on the Heavyweights. But we fight fans know, in boxing, good things do indeed come in small packages.
WBC Super flyweight champ Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, 47-4-21, 41 KO’s is the latest in a long line of Thai boxers to bring genuine excitement to the sport yet largely go unnoticed by the main stream sports press (in America at least). Greats such as Yodsanan Sor Nanthachai, Chartchai Chionoi and Khaosai Galaxy were national heroes and respected world champions, but outside of true boxing diehards are sadly unknown.
Like all too many great fighters, Sor Rungvisai (born Wisaksil Wangek) was born in utter poverty. Times were so hard for the young champion that he often survived by eating from garbage cans. But also like many great champions, that early struggle gave him a determination and a fire inside that made him believe he could accomplish things men born in his circumstance are not supposed to.
He entered the pro ranks with a less than promising start going 1-3-1, 1 KO in his first five fights. But early setbacks can’t extinguish the fire inside the heart of a champion. He won his next 26 fights, winning all but two by KO. He also picked up the WBC/Lineal Super Featherweight title along the way by defeating the rugged Japanese title holder Yota Sato via 8th round TKO in an all action fight between two proud warriors.
Nine fights later, Sor Rungvisai suffered another setback in a defense against Carlos Cuadras in Cuadras’s home country of Mexico. A clash of heads in the 8th opened a severe cut of the eye of the challenger causing referee Jay Nady to call a halt to the bout. Per the rules of the WBC a point was deducted from the champion and when they went to the scorecards Cuadras was declared the winner by unanimous decision (78-73, 77-74 and 77-75).
Sor Rungvisai was eager for a rematch with Cuadras to regain the title he felt was rightfully still his, but it was not to be. On Sept 10th 2016 Cuadras lost his title to boxing newest star Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez. Gonzalez had taken the boxing world by storm securing an HBO contract, appearing on major Pay Per View cards, and being touted by many as the #1 pound for pound fighter in the world. Gonzalez was ordered by the WBC to fight Sor Rungvisai as his first defense. The fight was on the undercard of a major attraction (Gennady Golovkin Vs Daniel Jacobs) ensuring a large audience for boxing’s latest “next big thing”.
What was thought of as just another mandatory defense was anything but. Gonzalez was dropped by a devastating body shot Sor Rungvisai landed in the first round. It appeared Rungvisai was being out boxed by “Chocolatito” and even had a point deducted for repeated head butts, but although battered and bloodied, the ex-champion had his hand raised once again winning a majority decision (114-112 on two cards and 113-113 on the third) in what most people felt was a bad decision. Gonzalez so upset with the decision he demanded an immediate rematch which Sor Rungvisai was more than happy to give him. But first, he had to take care of some other business in his life.
After regaining the WBC Super Flyweight title, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai was appointed to the police force in his home Province of Sisaket, Thailand. He also enrolled in Chalermkamchana University.
On Sept. 9th 2017 at the stub hub center Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Roman Gonzalez would have their rematch. The undercard featured Carlos Cuadras squaring off against Juan Francisco Estrada with the winner to be the next to challenge for the title. Also on the same HBO televised card was Japanesse WBO Super Flyweight Champ Naoya Inoue. The little men of boxing were finally getting the well earned respect on American T.V.
Even with Sor Rungvisai being the champion, this card was still set up as a showcase for Gonzalez, who was even paid more than four times the reigning champion (Gonzalez was paid $600,000 to Sor Rungvisai’s $170,000). This fight, however, was not about money for Sor Rungvisai. This was about showing the world that he earned that title, that he was a true champion, and that the fire inside of him still burned. He also wanted to keep this out of the hands of the judges and came out throwing bombs.
The game Gonzalez refused to back down and a slugfest ensued with the champion working the body of his more famous challenger. In the 4th he landed powerful left hand to the head of Gonzalez that put the ex-champ down. “Chocolatito” was able to beat the count, but the relentless Thai champ went back on the offense and landed a flush right hand that put Gonzalez flat out causing the referee to immediately wave off the fight without even bothering to start a count.
The champ then defeated Juan Francisco Estrada in his first defense, won the Ring Magazine title and has had two more successful defenses since. The boxing world has started to take notice of not only Srisaket, but many of the other “little men” who put it all on the line each and every fight. As of this writing, he does not have a next fight signed. Whomever he does fight, I will be watching. And thanks to networks not ignoring the lower weight classes, so will more boxing fans than ever before.
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