BoxRec

AKA - Thammanoon Niyomtrong vs. Chayaphon Moonsri

Knockout CP Freshmart to defend WBA 105-pound title against Wanheng Menayothin

News has reached The Ring that Knockout CP Freshmart will defend his WBA strawweight title against Wanheng Menayothin in Chonburi, Thailand, on July 20.

Not so long ago, this meeting would have crowned The Ring champion at 105 pounds. However, Menayothin lost his WBC title to countryman Panya Pradabsri in November 2020.

Freshmart (23-0, 9 knockouts), who is rated No. 1 by The Ring at strawweight, won the WBA title at the expense of Byron Rojas (UD 12) in June 2016. The 31-year-old has made 10 defenses, turning back the challenges of Rey Loreto (UD 12), Chaozhong Xiong (UD 12), Rojas (UD 12) and, in his most recent fight, Robert Paradero (TKO 5).

Menayothin (55-2, 19 KOs), who is rated No. 3 by The Ring, claimed the WBC title by stopping Oswaldo Novoa (TKO 9) in November 2014. He made 12 successful defenses, defeating the likes of Saul Juarez (UD 12), Tatsuya Fukuhara (UD 12, Technical Dec. 8) and Pedro Taduran (UD 12) along the way. However, time caught up with the 36-year-old, who lost twice to Pradabsri (UD 12, UD 12).

Although the fight isn’t quite as attractive as it would have been a few years ago, it should still be an intriguing encounter.

Shame we didn't see this a few years back when Menayothin had the WBC belt.

I know Thai promoters are strange where they don't want their own boxers to fight each other..

Hopefully CP wins this and then he can fight Pradabsri ..

The "AKA" made me smile - great stuff

skanksta wrote: ↑30 Jun 2022, 12:35 The "AKA" made me smile - great stuff

Yeh, i thought that was a must..

This is still awesome. If anyone knows of a way to watch it please share.

A real shame that this fight didn’t happen when both fighters held a world title. I have followed Niyomtrong since his early career and would have favoured him to win a match-up in 18/19 so think he’s a cert for a points victory now. Interesting thing about Freshmart, most Thai champions pad their records with 6 rounders but he never has. In fact - and he may be unique in this for currently active boxers - but he has won a title in every single one of his bouts.

chinarich wrote: ↑01 Jul 2022, 07:40 A real shame that this fight didn’t happen when both fighters held a world title. I have followed Niyomtrong since his early career and would have favoured him to win a match-up in 18/19 so think he’s a cert for a points victory now. Interesting thing about Freshmart, most Thai champions pad their records with 6 rounders but he never has. In fact - and he may be unique in this for currently active boxers - but he has won a title in every single one of his bouts.

Yeh.. nice looking at a Thai which has a clean record.

Niyomtrong vs. Menayothin Strawweight Superfight Set, July 20 In Chonburi, Thailand

The strawweight equivalent of Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao is finally upon the boxing masses.

It’s no longer the unification bout that the sport has long craved, but Thammanoon Niyomtrong and Wanheng Menayothin are set to meet years after a fight was first discussed. Niyomtrong’s WBA “Super” strawweight title will be at stake for the Thai superfight, which will take place on July 20 in Chonburi, Thailand.

The long-awaited clash between two of the best strawweights of the last ten years was formally announced by Bankgok’s Petchyindee Academy.

Niyomtrong (23-0, 9 KOs)—better known as Knockout CP Freshmart—picks an exceptional opponent for his one granted voluntary title defense before being ordered later this year to face his mandatory challenger.

Boxing’s long-reigning active male titlist, the 31-year-old from Surin, Thailand has held the WBA “Super” title since a twelve-round, unanimous decision win over Byron Rojas in their June 2016 title consolidation clash. Ten successful defenses have followed for Niyomtrong, including unanimous decision victories over former WBC title claimant Chaozhong Xiong and—in a rematch—Rojas in back-to-back fights in 2018.

In his most recent start, Niyomtrong put the “knockout” back in Knockout CP Freshmart with a fifth-round stoppage of Robert Paradaro in their entertaining slugfest last December in Phuket.

All but two title defenses overlapped with the six-year reign enjoyed by Bangkok’s Menayothin (55-2, 19 KOs or 56-2, 20 KOs; more on that later), whose birth name is Chayaphon Moonsri but is better known by his alias. Towards the back half of his title reign, Menayothin gained a cult following with his most ardent followers referring to him as the true ‘TBE’ [‘The Best Ever’].

The claim was an obvious dig at Mayweather, who adopted the persona towards the end of his legendary career upon retiring for good with a perfect 50-0 record in 2017. It picked up steam as Menayothin reached the mark and surpassed the mark in back-to-back title defenses in 2018. A twelve-round win over Pedro Taduran—who later went on to win the IBF strawweight title—saw Menayothin briefly enjoy immortality status in hitting 51-0, one year almost exactly to the day of Mayweather’s tenth-round knockout of Conor McGregor in August 2017.

Menayothin spent his next several fights wiping his ass with Mayweather’s resume, only for the pandemic to leave him stuck at 54-0. The sport and much of the world coming to a screeching halt ruined plans for his April 2020 U.S. debut, having abruptly announced his retirement later that June.

The sport’s longest-reigning unbeaten titlist at the time quickly had a change of heart, though his return to the ring also produced the end of his run. A November 2020 clash with countryman Panya Pradabsri at City Hall Ground in Nakhon Sawan saw Menayothin suffer an upset twelve-round, unanimous decision to end his WBC title reign after six years and twelve successful title defenses.

Just one win has followed—a 3rd round knockout in a walkover fight over Jinnawat Rienpit last October at the same location, which also hosted the rematch with Pradabsri this past March. Menayothin once again came up short, though in a closer fight than suggested by the unanimous scorecards of 117-111 in favor of the defending WBC titlist.

Menayothin has since returned to the ring in what was originally a fourth-round knockout in an oddly scheduled rematch with Rienpit this past May 24. Official records keeper BoxRec.com recognizes the fight as a No-Contest due Rienpit having suffered a second-round stoppage just ten days prior, citing that Thai rule should have placed him under 30-day suspension. There is no indication that the local commission overturned the official verdict.

Regardless, Menayothin is without a belt heading into the matchup that was called upon by diehard boxing fans for much of the latter half of the 2010s. Meanwhile, Niyomtrong will attempt his eleventh overall title defense before bracing himself for a possible title consolidation clash with secondary WBA titlist Erick ‘Mini Pacman’ Rosa (5-0, 1KO) later this year.

We couldn't have it when they were both undefeated and champions, but here we are...

Fight week!

I will never truly understand the boxrec rankings, how can they have Niyomtrong at number five in the world when all those above him have lost fights recently?

It’s made the 105 limit.

Any updates on this?

KNOCKOUT CP FRESHMART OUTPOINTS WANHENG MENAYOTHIN IN OVERDUE TITLE FIGHT

Knockout CP Freshmart retained his WBA strawweight title with a unanimous decision over his Thai compatriot Wanheng Menayothin on Wednesday in Chonburi, Thailand.

The scores were 116-112, 119-109 and 117-111, all for the 31-year-old Freshmart (24-0, 9 knockouts), who retains the WBA title for the eleventh time since winning it in 2016. Menayothin (55-3, 19 KOs), has now managed just one win in his last five bouts after beginning his career at 54-0.

The showdown, which came nearly two years after Menayothin lost his WBC strawweight title to another Thai, Petchmanee CP Freshmart, was a matchup of the two leading 105-pounders from Thailand over the past decade.

Their out-of-the-ring friendship was evident early on, with both fighters showing great respect for one another, touching gloves and even hugging at the end of round six. Freshmart, whose real name is Thammanoon Niyomtrong, was the more consistent fighter throughout, using his left jab to great effect and outboxing the 36-year-old Menayothin.

With the WBA looking to consolidate their “super” and “regular” champions, the logical next matchup for Knockout CP Freshmart would be a fight with WBA “regular” 105-pound titleholder Erick Rosa (5-0, 1 KO) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The 22-year-old Rosa last fought in December, when he defeated Vic Saludar by split decision to win the belt.

Full card was free on Youtube

115-113 Freshmart, could've seen it the same other way, he started off the quicker behind the jab, got his bursts off more often, Menayothin was in every round but just outworked early doors, it was too friendly at times, too much smiling and apologizing, Menayothin caught Freshmart in the 9th with a peach of a right hand then stopped to almost apologize, get that right in the bin, he did finish well though Menayothin, he was busy, up on his toes and outboxed Freshmart down the stretch, still had him losing but thought cards looked harsh


The fight took a bit to get going, got better as it progressed, some decent action in the late rounds despite the over friendliness

handsofstone wrote: ↑20 Jul 2022, 18:09 115-113 Freshmart, could've seen it the same other way, he started off the quicker behind the jab, got his bursts off more often, Menayothin was in every round but just outworked early doors, it was too friendly at times, too much smiling and apologizing, Menayothin caught Freshmart in the 9th with a peach of a right hand then stopped to almost apologize, get that right in the bin, he did finish well though Menayothin, he was busy, up on his toes and outboxed Freshmart down the stretch, still had him losing but thought cards looked harsh


The fight took a bit to get going, got better as it progressed, some decent action in the late rounds despite the over friendliness

Good analysis.

They are friends after all. There was no bad blood on there at all.

Just two mates sparring.

The fight was a bit of a non-event and not what it would have been had they fought previously with both belts at stake. I really want to see Niyomtrong in a unification bout with Pradabsri next, I think he wins and would confirm himself as the recognised number one at the weight. Unfortunately it looks more likely he will face the WBA regular holder, which doesn’t particularly excite.