WBC
Jr. Bantamweight world champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai emerged as a rising star
in Boxing's lower weight divisions when he scored a twelve round majority
decision over Roman Gonzalez in March 2017 in New York's Madison Square Garden.
A victory to win the WBC Jr. Bantamweight crown for Sor Rungvisai, who is also
known as Wisaksil Wangek, that was seen as controversial by some over Gonzalez,
who is regarded as one of the best fighters in the world. If there were any
doubts as to Sor Rungvisai's victory over Gonzalez, the native of Si Sa Ket,
Thailand silenced any critics by knocking out Gonzalez in four rounds in their
rematch in September 2017.
Since
the rematch with Gonzalez, his first successful title defense, Sor Rungvisai
has defended his crown twice more including scoring a first round knockout over
Yong Gil Bae in a non-title bout in July of last year. It was perhaps the
champion’s second title defense however, that may have caused some doubts
regarding Sor Rungvisai’s emergence as a rising star in the sport and more
specifically the 115lb. Jr. Bantamweight division.
In
what was one of the best fights of 2018, a bout that was a fight of the year
candidate, Sor Rungvisai scored a razor-thin twelve round majority decision
over top contender Juan Francisco Estrada. The fight, which was fought at The
Forum in Inglewood, CA, was a highly tactical yet exciting bout between two of
the best the Jr. Bantamweight division has to offer. A fight that was twelve
rounds of nearly non-stop action. Now one year later, Sor Rungvisai and Estrada
will meet again on Friday night once again at The Forum in the main event of a
card broadcast by digital streaming network DAZN.
The
first encounter between the two saw the ebb and flow go back and forth as both
fighters had periods of effectiveness. When it comes to close fights as this
one was, it will often come down to which fighter is able to execute their
offense a little clearer than their opponent, which can sway opinion as to who will
win close rounds in the eyes of the official judges. This was a bout where Estrada
appeared for a time to be the one landing the cleaner, more effective punches
of the two, but it was Sor Rungvisai who appeared to have the edge in terms of
punching power when he did connect cleanly.
It
should not be overlooked that there were several instances in the first
encounter between these two fighters that Sor Rungvisai appeared to get caught
by punches as he lunged forward and went down, but those were ultimately ruled
slips by Referee Jack Reiss as it appeared at times that he was punched, but
also pushed. Jack Reiss is rightfully regarded as one of the best referees in
the entire sport and it is understandable why he is selected as the third man
in the ring for many of the top fights to take place in the state of California. One could make an argument however, that a referee
with lesser experience than Reiss may have misjudged those slips of Sor Rungvisai
as knockdowns and that could have had a major impact on the scoring of the
fight.
It
will be interesting to see if Estrada, who will enter the fight coming off of two
straight wins, will be able to make the necessary adjustments that could result
in a victory this time around. For the challenger a native of Hermosillo, MX,
who will also enter with an impressive record of 38-3, with 26 Knockouts, he must
also utilize the same type of lateral movement that served him well in the first
fight.
Although
the champion Sor Rungvisai. Who will enter the fight with a record of 47-4-1,
with 41 Knockouts, had the edge in power in the first fight, he was not
effective in cutting the ring off from Estrada and was ineffective in being
able to minimize the challenger’s movement. One aspect that may work to Sor
Rungvisai’s advantage is the last time he had a rematch of a fight that was a close
decision, he dominated his opponent and scored a convincing knockout to retain
his world championship.
For
Sor Rungvisai to have success in this fight, he must look to apply pressure on
Estrada from the outset, but must also be wary to not lunge forward as he did
in the first fight where he might be susceptible to getting countered, which
might result in a knockdown or knockdowns going against him. The champion must
find a way to minimize Estrada’s lateral movement. One way this could be
accomplished, which was largely absent from Sor Rungvisai’s offense in the
first encounter is to focus a consistent portion of his attack on Estrada’s
body, which if successful over the course of the fight will take a toll on the
challenger’s legs and make it difficult for him to evade the champion. In
addition to not lunging forward, Sor Rungvisai must also not be reckless in his
approach as Estrada will almost certainly be looking to play the role of
counter puncher and catch the champion as he is coming forward.
What
should not be overlooked as this highly anticipated rematch nears is that for
the first time in several years some of Boxing’s lower weight divisions, which
are not always given the television exposure and recognition they deserve here
in the United States are finally being given that exposure due largely to the
entertaining styles of fighters like Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Juan Francisco
Estrada, and Roman Gonzalez to name a few. It should also not be overlooked
that these fighters and by extension the Jr. Bantamweight division were given
valuable exposure in the latter days of HBO’s involvement in the sport.
As
one network with a storied history left Boxing at the conclusion of 2018, a new
network in the emerging digital streaming era has taken the lead in showcasing
fighters and weight classes that were not always offered to American Boxing
fans before. One can only hope that DAZN’s commitment to Boxing, which has seen
a significant shift in how Boxing is broadcast and has provided it’s
subscribers with a more affordable alternative to traditional television
platforms and pay-per-view, will not only continue their commitment for many
years to come, but in doing so also extend their platform to some of the best
talent Boxing’s lower weight classes have to offer. An opportunity that frankly
was not always taken advantage of by other networks in the sport on a regular
basis.
What
this ultimately might mean for the Sor Rungvisai-Estrada rematch beyond the
potential of another great fight between two world-class fighters just might be
opening the door for many fighters in the sport to receive the exposure that they
now benefit from. It is something that is frankly long overdue and something
that will help grow the sport overall in the long-term.
“And
That’s The Boxing Truth.
Sor
Rungvisai-Estrada II takes place tomorrow night (Friday, April 26th)
at The Forum in Inglewood, CA. The card can be seen in the United States and in
several countries internationally on digital streaming network DAZN beginning
at 7:30PM ET/4:30PM PT. (U.S. Times) To subscribe to DAZN, availability around the world, list
of connected streaming devices, and to start your free 30-day trial please
visit: www.DAZN.com.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the card can be seen on Sky
Sports Main Event (Formerly Sky Sports 1) beginning at 2:30AM (Saturday, April
27th. Local UK Time) For more information about Sky Sports, channel
listings, and availability in your area please visit: www.skysports.com. Check your local
listings internationally.
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