By Ken Hissner: Thailand’s Chayaphon Moonsri was 54-0 when he defended his WBC Minimum title against fellow Thailand opponent Panya Pradabsri who was 34-1, on November 27, 2020, when he lost on all cards 115-113, at the City Hall ground, Nakhon, Sawan, Thailand.
In Thailand, the boxing commission is out of the Travel Agency or something like that. For instance, Moonsri had one fight after that, a third-round knockout over Jinnawat Rienpit, 2-3.
Moonsri has beaten 17 opponents with losing records, 2 making their debut and one with a .500 record. In March 2007, he won the WBC Youth World Mini title in his third fight, stopping Yiming Ma, 0-1, in the first round, followed by eight defenses.
At 11-0, Moonsri defeated Filipino Jayson Rotoni, 10-3-1, by decision winning the interim WBC International Mini World title in Bangkok, Thailand.
After two defenses, Moonsri won the vacant WBC International Silver Mini title by TD12 over Filipino Remy Cuambot, 7-5-2, improving to 15-0. He defended that title 3 times and re-won the vacant WBC Mini title defeating Filipino Crison Omayao, 13-2-1.
In November of 2014, some 7+ years since turning pro, Moonsri, at 35-0, defeated WBC World Mini champion Mexico’s Oswaldo Novoa, 14-4-1, who couldn’t continue after nine rounds. He made 12 successful title defenses when he lost for the first time to Pradabsri. He had won 6 non-title fights before this after winning the world title.
Some of Moonsri’s better record opponents were Filipino Jeffrey Galero, 11-0, South Korean Young Gil Bae, 26-4-1, Mexico’s Saul Juarez, 23-4-1, Filipino Melvin Jerusalem, 11-0, Tanzania’s Omari Kimweri, 16-3, out of Australia, Japan’s Tatsuya Fukuhara, 19-5, Panama’s Leroy Estrada, 16-2, Filipino Pedro Taduran, 12-1, Fukuhara again and finally South Africa’s Simpiwe Konkco, 19-5 before losing for the first time.
At 36, Moonsri looks to regain his title on Tuesday, March 29th. One wonders in looking back if he made the right decision to make a living as a boxer, having graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Bangkokthonburi University. He began as a Muay Thai fighter at age 13, helping his family financially. He turned pro as a boxer at age 21 to make his lively hood.
Moonsri’s opponent Pradabsri is 31 with a 37-1 (23) record, having turned pro in January 2014. He won his first title in his fourth fight defeating Indonesia’s Ardi Tefa, 4-0, for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental Mini title. He won the WBO Oriental Mini title in his tenth fight, defeating Filipino Jaysever Abcede, 10-3. In his fifteenth fight, he won the PABA Mini title in October 2016, beating Indonesia’s Heri Amol, 37-29-5.
At 18-0, Pradabsri lost for the first and so far only time to China’s Chaozhong Xiong, 26-7-1, at the Gym at Daytong, in Daytong, China, by majority decision. Xiong, in his next fight, lost to WBA World Mini champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong, 17-0, of Thailand, and retired.
Other Mini world title holders are IBF World champion Rene “Mighty Mouse” Curato, 20-2-2 (11), of the Philippines, who last fought in February 2022, and WBO World champion Masataka Taniguchi, 15-3 (10), of Japan, who won the title in December of 2021 and is defending in April.
Hopefully, IBF’s Curato and WBO’s Taniguchi will meet to unify and the winner of Tuesday’s winner in Thailand against WBA’s Niyomtrong for unification.
