Heartbreak in Thailand as Carlos Canizales loses Robbery of the Year contender to Pradabsri

Venezuela’s Carlos Canizales was another victim of boxing’s infinitely flawed scoring system when he was judged a loser in his fight with Panya Pradabsri for the vacant WBC light flyweight title.

Canizales appeared to be a comfortable winner after 12 rounds, and even pushed for the stoppage late on as a swollen and lumpy Pradabsri could do little more than cover and ride out the storm.

Alas, after the cards were read out and the boos filled the Rajadamnern Stadium, Bangkok, Canizales waved off the decision disapprovingly and Pradabsri and his team, overjoyed as though they’d found a winning lottery ticket, celebrated.
It was one of the worst decisions of the year, and there have been plenty.

Pradabsri is now 44-2 (27 KOs) while Canizales must be heartbroken to fall to 27-3-1 (19 KOs) under such circumstances.

Canizales started well and led on two of the cards after four rounds. He got his left hook going early, with success, and while Pradabsri was busy he didn’t have the firepower to keep the Venezuelan away or even deter him.

Canizales looked far stronger of the two by the eighth, pushing forward behind a solid jab and often following up with right crosses. Pradabsri held his hands aloft at the end of the session, but even though he had been unmoved by whatever Canizales threw, it wasn’t his round.

The pattern was similar in the ninth. Pradabsri spat out single shots in defiance to the head and body but Canizales was well on top in the 10th, using his left hand to hammer in hooks and uppercuts.

At one stage, knowing he’d been caught clean, Pradabsri dropped his hands and nodded.

They touched gloves to start the 11th and Canizales, previously the WBC silver titlist, continued to control the action. 

The right side of Pradabsri’s face was increasingly swollen and disfigured, and Canizales’ output did not drop. In fact, he seemed to push for the stoppage, letting his hands go freely with Pradabsri only often able to cover up, but the Thai survived. More than that, he’d won a majority by margins of 116-112, 115-113, and 114-114.

Canizales had been rated No. 1 by the WBC, Pradabsri was the No. 2, but this is a late claimant to win the 2024 Robbery of the Year awards. Justice was not served, and it will be down to Mauricio Sulaiman to act.