Today in Thailand, fans were treated to a very late FOTY contender and also, unfortunately, some extremely debatable scoring from the ringside judges. Panya Pradbsri, AKA Petchmanee CP Freshmart, edged Carlos Canizales over 12 all-action rounds to win the vacant WBC light-flyweight title. The result, a majority decision win in favor of the home hero, was met by boos, and that kind of tells you all you need to know.
The official scores were a ludicrous 116-112 for Pradabsri, 115-113, and 114-114. The fact that not one of the three judges awarded Canizales for his magnificent effort is borderline criminal.
It was a tough, hard fight, but Canizales appeared to be a pretty clear winner, his shots simply landing in greater frequency, with the Venezuelan warrior’s punches also inflicting more damage. Pradabsri, the older man by a couple of years at age 33, was busted up facially at the end, and in round 11, he was drilled by a series of right hands to the head that almost overwhelmed him.
Instead, battling with immense heart, Pradabsri fought to the final bell. Now 44-2(27), the Thai warrior becomes a two-time world champion, with him having reigned as WBC mini-flyweight champ back in 2020 to 2023. Canizalez, a former WBA “regular” champion at light-flyweight, falls to 27-3-1(19), and he will feel very hard done by today, rightfully so.
It was a great fight to watch, with the rounds whizzing by. The punches were flying from both sides to head and body, and Canizales was pure aggression. There were at least two or three standout rounds, with rounds six, 11, and 12 being quite awesome to watch. A clash of heads took place in round 11, this round proving to be Canizales’ most dominant three minutes.
Pradabsri had a curious habit of raising both arms in triumph at the end of a round, even when he had clearly gotten the worst of it. Canizales threw everything he had, but Padabsri, though outworked and out-landed (at least from this vantage point), would fire back with some spiteful shots of his own.
It was, to repeat, a great action affair, a slugfest between two determined, courageous little men of the sport. A rematch would absolutely be most welcome. Pradabsri, who seldom fights outside of Thailand, benefited from some serious home cooking today.
Indeed, this one may be handed the unwanted “award” of Robbery of the Year.
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