Panya Pradabsri Proves His Superiority in Rematch with Wanheng Menayothin
It looks like it’s officially a changing of the guard as Panya Pradabsri (38-1, 23 KOs) made the second defense of the WBC minimumweight title in his rematch against Wanheng Menayothin (55-2, 19 KOs) at the City Hall Ground in Nakhon Sawan, Thailand.
The two previously fought in the same venue in November 2020, with Pradabsri scoring a surprising win to snatch the WBC belt from Menayothin, who had reigned as champion since November of 2014. After losing his title, the now 36-year-old sought revenge. Pradabsri’s mission was to show their first fight was no fluke.
MAKING IT DIFFICULT EARLY
In their first meeting, Menayothin got off to a slow start. This time around, he was more aggressive, getting off to a fast start. Pradabsri tried the jab and power combinations to keep the former champ at bay. However, he had some difficulty adjusting and was getting outworked by the older and shorter challenger.
For this bout, open scoring was used by the WBC. After four rounds the fight was even (38-38) on two of the judges’ scorecards while Menayothin led by two points (39-37) on the third.
STARTING TO ADJUST
Pradabsri picked up his level in the middle rounds, doing a better job of beating Menayothin to the punch. He was effective with the straight right, uppercuts, and hooks to the body. Another key was the younger fighter’s ability to keep matters more in the center of the ring. Menayothin stayed in attack mode, but the momentum was starting to change in favor of the champ. After eight rounds, Padabsiri was ahead on the scorecards (78-74 x2, 77-75).
Understanding he was behind, Menayothin started to fight with a sense of urgency. He fired into the champ, forcing the action while Pradabsri went into overdrive to keep the fight at distance. The pace caught up to Menayothin during the championship rounds. The determination was there, but not the same energy.
IS THIS THE END?
Pradabsri’s jab and better stamina over the last two-thirds of the bout proved the difference. His work was rewarded by the judges, who scored the fight in his favor by unanimous decision (117×111 x 3). For the victor, it’s onward and upward. At age 31 and in his physical prime, he could potentially reign for a while. Given his age and the wear and tear of a long career, you must wonder if this is the end for Menayothin. After briefly retiring before their first fight, you could see a permanent exit following this disappointing setback.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
