Panya Pradabsri to Stage WBC Title Defense Versus Tsubasa Koura August 31!
You can’t talk about the minimumweight division without mentioning the country of Thailand in some form or fashion. 3Kings Boxing reported that two of the more prominent fighters from that nation, WBA Super champ “Knockout” CP Freshmart and previous long-reigning WBC champ Wanheng Menayothin, will face one another on July 20 in Chonburi, Thailand. Now word comes that fellow Thai fighter and current WBC champ Panya Pradabsri (38-1, 23 KOs) plans to make his return to the ring. According to Asian Boxing, Pradabsri will make the third defense of the belt against Japan’s Tsubasa Koura (15-2, 10 KOs). The bout will take place on August 31 at a location TBA.
WAVE OF MOMENTUM VERSUS FLEDGLING CONFIDENCE
Pradabsri won the title by upsetting Menayothin by unanimous decision in November 2020. What made the win stand out was that he defeated a fighter who entered the contest on a 54-fight unbeaten streak. After initially defending the title with a unanimous victory over Danai Ngiabphukhiaw in November 2021, the 31-year-old scored a rematch decision win over Menayothin in his last bout in March 2022.
Next is Koura, who is receiving his first world title opportunity. The challenger was viewed as someone of some promise by Japanese boxing pundits early in his career. However, he’s been through some tough times in recent outings. The 27-year-old is getting a title shot despite losing two of his last three contests, including a unanimous decision loss to Yudai Shigeoka in his previous fight in November 2021. But despite the recent setbacks, he remains ranked tenth by the WBC at 105 pounds.
Pradabsri’s mission is to do what’s necessary to retain his world title. Koura hopes to score what followers of the lower weight divisions would consider a sizeable upset.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
