Thai legend sets stage for cynical rematch
In a fight that was quietly and hastily arranged, and a result that was barely noticed, one of Thailand’s greatest boxers returned to the ring on Sunday night. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam is a former two-time — and long-time — WBC flyweight champion, winner of 22 world title contests, a mainstay in the poundfor-pound ranks through the late 2000s and early 2010s, and one of the kingdom’s finest conquering heroes in foreign rings.
His win over Koki Kameda in Japan in 2010 was one of the most celebrated overseas wins by a Thai boxer, and one of seven victories he scored abroad.
So why was Pongsaklek fighting in a nondescript, suburban Bangkok arena, against a journeyman and in front of a small crowd comprised mostly of uninterested tourists?
The truth is any venue and any opponent would have fit the purpose. The fighter, known in Thailand as Pongsaklek Kaiyanghadaogym, was merely required to contest — and preferably win — a sanctioned professional boxing match.
This is because last week he was denied a significant payday, with the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) refusing to licence a rematch with Kameda, scheduled for May 5 in Tokyo.
Kameda and Pongsaklek had announced the bout before securing the appropriate sanctioning, which was denied by the JBC on account of its rule that bans boxers who have not fought for more than three years.
Pongsaklek had previously boxed in 2013, which ruled him out of going straight into the Kameda fight.
Sunday’s bout — a tepid eight-round decision over Manot Comput, a man with more defeats than wins — does nothing for Pongsaklek’s legacy, but it officially returns him to the competitive ranks and probably free him up to box in Japan.
Reaction to the rematch with Kameda — who himself has been out of action for two and a half years, has however been largely muted, despite pitting two of the biggest stars of Asian boxing over the past decade or more against each other. It once again brings together two icons of the ring, but while reunions and legends’ tours and other nostalgia-based events may do good business in entertainment genres, sports — and especially fight disciplines — offer diminishing returns as the stars age.
Of course, there have been successful comebacks in boxing, and an old warrior chasing past glories can offer a compelling narrative, but this fight is not even supposed to be the launchpad for a title run. Both Pongsaklek and Kameda said their rematch is intended to be a “one night only” performance.
What, then, is the point of it?
It would appear the sole motivation is for Kameda to avenge one of two defeats on his record. However, he is widely disliked in Japan — to put it politely — so there would be little clamour for this goal.
It also appears a rather cynical move by Kameda — still only 32 and among the world’s elite when he hung up his gloves in 2015 — to pick on a man who is not only now 40 years old and five years inactive, but who was also in terrible form around the time he stopped competing.
It definitely appears an easier route to “revenge” than if Kameda took on his other conqueror, the still active and highly-ranked Kohei Kono.
The surprisingly close verdict Pongsaklek creaked to overcome Campot does nothing to instill confidence that he can repeat his most famous victory.
Pongsaklek-Kameda II is a sordid pairing with no redeeming qualities, but one that the JBC could have blocked thanks to a face-saving application of its rulebook.
But in making an unworthy match last Sunday, Pongsaklek’s handlers brokered a backdoor entry to the Kameda return.
Pongsaklek yesterday passed a medical at Vichaivej International Hospital in Samut Sakhon and the JBC now has no legal means to deny Pongsaklek a licence.
Kameda will most likely earn his precious revenge, but it will be a tainted win.
The best we can hope for is that one of Thailand’s proudest sporting ambassadors comes through it safely.