WBC Flyweight Champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam is 83-3-1 (45 KOs). He has lost once in the past 15 years, a span covering 76 fights. And that loss was to a man Pongsaklek beat twice–once by 34-second knockout!
As usually is the case, fighters from Asia receive little in the way of accolades from western boxing fans. In addition, the mighty Thai participates in a weight class that receives hardly any attention in the west. The only time even hardcore western fans get excited about a flyweight bout is in the event of a rare superfight-type of scenario. And even then, 112-pound fights barely make a ripple in the waters of international prizefighting.
Even those who know of Pongsaklek have been begrudging in dolling out the respect. A lot of that is tied up in the phenomenon of boxing history requiring time to percolate. Currently-active boxers seldom receive their righteous historical placement until years after they retire. It’s not difficult to imagine Pongsaklek being a legend if he had fought in the 70’s. At some point, his record, longevity, quality wins, and skills will need to be reckoned with by boxing historians.
A lot of folks have pointed out the suspect nature of Pongsaklek’s record. Chief amongst the complaints is the Thai’s penchant for fighting non-title fights with utter novices. After becoming a fighter of championship timber, he has fought a large number of glorified exhibitions. After fighting a draw with Daisuke Naito in 2008, he fought 4 opponents who had a combined record of 0-1.
—-> Check out this list of the top 5 Thai boxers of all time
That might be jarring to western fans and lead some to say his record is inflated. To some extent, that is correct. But just because his 80-3-1 mark is not solid all the way through does little to put a dent in his legacy. In the end, it’s not about numbers–it’s about excellence. And in that area, Pongsaklek has left little doubt.
Here are some reasons that when the dust settles, Pongsaklek will rank amongst the top dozen or so flyweights to ever lace up the gloves.
Longevity:
Pongsaklek is still WBC champ at 34 with a pro career that is about to enter its 19th year. His first title reign lasted from 2001 to 2007, with 17 title defenses. He recaptured the interim belt in 2009, before claiming full honors with a decision over Koki Kameda in 2010. He has since made 3 defenses. It’s very unusual for a fighter to reign in a single weight class for a span of over a decade. In doing so, Pongsaklek has fulfilled one standard upon which greatness is judged.
Quality of Title Reign:
Pongsaklek defeated a good champion to claim the title in Filipino Malcolm Tunacao, who had won the belt by defeating Medgoen Singsurat. Interestingly, Singsurat had won the belt by knocking out a guy named Manny Pacquiao. Here are some other fighters Pongsaklek defeated during his 2 reigns:
Luis Lazarte: Future 108-pound champion lasted less than 2 rounds in 2001.
Daisuke Naito: Future Flyweight Champ lasted 34 seconds with Pongsaklek in 2002 and lost a technical decision to the Thai great in 2005.
Hussein Hussein: Highly-regarded and unbeaten contender beaten by Pongsaklek by unanimous decision on 2003.
Gilberto Keb-Baas: Future 108-pound titleholder beaten by Pongsaklek in a 2006 whitewash decision.
Tobonobu Shimizu: Lasted 7 rounds with Pongsaklek in 2007, but in 2011, he beat 115-pound kingpin Hugo Cazares to snag a title of his own.
Julio Cesar Miranda: Lost by unanimous decision to Pongsaklek for WBC interim title in 2009 and would later go on to claim WBO Flyweight belt.
Koki Kameda: The Japanese standout was at home, and at 22-0 and a big advantage in youth, he was favored to beat the supposedly slipping Thai. 12 rounds later, his title was gone, as Pongsaklek masterfully reclaimed the title in a majority decision win that should have been unanimous.
Edgar Sosa: Highly-regarded former 108-pound champ had not been conclusively beaten in almost a decade and was given a good chance by some to unseat Pongsaklek in October. It wasn’t even close, as Pongsaklek cruised to another easy decision.
Record:
In 87 fights, he has beaten every man he ever faced. Daisuke Naito beat him, but lost two previous title fights to Pongsaklek. After 11 pro fights, the still-green Pongsaklek was 9-2, both losses coming to Filipino Jerry Pahayahay, a man he would later beat. Therefore, no fighters can really say they got the best of the Thai champion.
While his 83-3-1 mark is beefed up with some softies, 26 title fights shows they weren’t all pushovers. Nine wins over world championship boxers will attest to that, as will the fact that that 5 of those fighters were good enough to still be reigning champions in their own right in 2011.
Final Thoughts:
The southpaw champion is a survivor, having conquered countless opponents and styles to still be the signature flyweight in the world as we head into 2012. A decade in boxing terms is an eternity. When Pongsaklek won his belt, Felix Trinidad was still undefeated. A month after winning the belt, Hasim Rahman beat Lennox Lewis for the heavyweight crown. While everything else has changed, one thing has remained the same: Pongsaklek is still the #1 flyweight in the world.
