Srisaket defends WBC title against Estrada
Thai world champion in no mood to let his bout with Estrada go the distance in Los Angeles
>> LOS ANGELES: Thai dynamo Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is ready to back up his spectacular 2017 with a successful defence of his World Boxing Council super-flyweight title against Mexico’s Juan Francisco Estrada this morning, Thai time.
Both fighters made the weight on Friday for their world title showdown at the Forum in Los Angeles — former home of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Srisaket, virtually unknown to US fight fans last year, shot to prominence with an upset of former pound-forpound king Roman Gonzalez at Madison Square Garden in New York last March.
His majority decision win in the 115-pound division was tabbed the 2017 “Upset of the Year”.
Some, however, believed Gonzalez deserved the decision.
But the Thai, known in Thailand as Srisaket Nakornluang Promotion, silenced doubters with a spectacular fourth-round knockout of Nicaragua’s Gonzalez in the rematch in September.
Southpaw Srisaket, 31, knocked down “Chocolatito” twice in the final round, finishing him off with a right hook with 1:45 to go in the fourth.
The performances brought plenty of notice, and his rags to ring riches story has prompted comparisons to Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao.
Srisaket takes a record of 44-4-1 with 40 knockouts into the bout against Estrada, a former unified flyweight world champion who has a record of 36-2 with 25 knockouts.
Srisaket weighed in at 114.8 pounds and the challenger 115.
“I feel relieved after the weigh-in because I can now eat a lot to get ready for the fight,” said the Thai.
“I am confident that I will win.” The Ring magazine will also give the winner a special belt.
“I will bring both belts back to Thailand. I will try to knock him out,” Srisaket said.
He told espn.com: “I am very happy that I can do my part in building a good reputation for Thailand. I’m really proud that I can be an inspiration for the Thai people, especially the Thai youth, and Thai boxers.
“Juan Francisco Estrada is definitely among the top-class fighters in our division. When someone is a former unified champion that moved up without losing his titles, you know he is a world-class fighter in his prime.
“However, I am confident that I will be successful in this fight because I will be at my best on fight night again. We will give the fans an incredible fight and I plan on another impressive win.
“I would like to invite all Thais in the United States, especially those in Los Angeles, to attend my fight. Together our Thai hearts will beat and our Thai blood will pump with pride and excitement.”
Estrada told espn.com that he was very excited about facing Srisaket.
“He will be a difficult challenge, as he defeated Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez twice in a row with a vicious KO in their last fight. Sor Rungvisai is a very tough and skilled boxer, so I will have to prepare very well to be ready to challenge him for his belt.”
The 27-year-old Mexican said he’ll be looking for a knockout.
“I am a fighter who goes from less to more and we will go looking for the knockout to leave no doubt and return with that belt,” he said.
“I am very motivated by this fight and very well prepared. I am excited to think about the WBC belt because it is a Mexican organisation and I will not let this opportunity pass. He [Srisaket] is a fighter that we have to be careful with.”
On the same card, International Boxing Federation flyweight champion Donnie Nietes (40-1-4, 22KOs) defends against Juan Carlos Reveco (39-3, 19KOs).