Panya Pradabsri Benefits from Robbery of Carlos Canizales
Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, has seen its share of world title fights. The venue hosted another world championship contest as home area fighter Panya Pradabsri (44-2, 27 KOs) battled Carlos Canizales (27-3-1, 19 KOs) for the vacant WBC junior flyweight belt.
Pradabsri was an elite fighter in the strawweight division and the former WBC champion at 105. He lost that crown to Yudai Shigeoka in October 2023. Hungry to become a two-division world champion, Pradabsri faced Canizalez – one of the best at junior flyweight for the last several years, and was on a mission to win the vacant belt.
In the opening rounds, Pradabsri tried his best to make this more of a boxing match. However, he was having plenty of problems keeping his opponent at bay.
SEEMINGLY IN CONTROL
Starting the fourth, the power and strength of Canizales came to the forefront. He began to land with power jabs to the head and controlled the middle rounds. By round nine, Pradabsri had slowed down his activity.
Unable to escape the relentless pressure, Pradabsri had no option but to stand and fight. He occasionally landed with some hard shots but was outgunned and bullied by Canizales, who dominated the championship rounds. The only thing that kept Pradabsri on his feet was his granite chin.
THEN CAME THE CONTROVERSY
However, the judges saw things differently and scored for Pradabsri by majority decision. In this reporter’s humble opinion, Canizales won this fight handily.
The fact that there was a smattering of boos from the crowd at ringside is a testament to how this decision was a joke. Fans and pundits on social media reacted with outrage and disgust. The WBC should order an immediate rematch.
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