Thailand hails a new boxing hero

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EDITORIAL

Thailand hails a new boxing hero

By The Nation

 

Driven this far by the desire to prove himself, world champion Srisaket must now find fresh impetus

 

Boxing is and always will be a controversial sport, but that takes nothing away the accomplishment of Thailand’s newest national hero, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Srisaket stepped into a hostile arena in the United States on Saturday and knocked out one of the sport’s most feared exponents in the fourth round. The victory stunned the boxing world. One overawed American commentator described the Thai as a man “grown into his championship”.

 

This was a rematch for Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez following his upset loss to Srisaket on March 18 in New York. That fight ended in a controversial decision. Most observers seemed to believe Gonzalez had won. Cynics said the bout was fixed – a marketing ploy to necessitate a more lucrative rematch. Gonzalez, after all, was running out of opponents equal to the task.

 

Sports channel ESPN called the New York battle a contender for “bloodiest fight of the year”. Gonzalez simultaneously lost his junior bantamweight world title, his undefeated record and his purported status as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter. If Srisaket looked befuddled by his triumph, his compatriots were overjoyed, but he still had to wait for the full credit he deserved.

 

It was an utterly different Srisaket who stepped into the ring in Carson, Nevada, on Saturday. Now the defending champion, he had shed all timidity. He looked confident and composed. His pre-rematch boast that he would knock Gonzalez out was being taken seriously, in some quarters at least. Right from the first round he was aggressive and never backed up. Eyebrows kept rising in the second and third rounds. In the fourth, Srisaket’s awesome precision and power shredded Gonzalez’s aura of invincibility.

 

The victory was further proof that confidence is a wondrous asset. Sporting annals are full of stories of unsung athletes achieving great feats after accidental, or unplanned, or unexpected turns of fortune. Cyclists and runners designated by their teams as decoys to trick opponents into misspending their energy often end up so far ahead of the pack that the surge in confidence carries them to glory. They saw what was possible and found the belief in themselves.

 

There are those who say boxing is too cruel to be called a sport. That debate must wait for another time as we consider how Srisaket, a former trash collector, found his self-belief, scored and upset, and refused to rest on his unexpected laurels. He’d trained hard for two months before the first meeting with Gonzalez, and then trained harder for four more, envisioning the knockout to come and proclaiming his intention to end all doubt about his capabilities. 

 

Thais, and boxing fans everywhere, have reassessed this man ahead of his return home. He will be taken more seriously now. Yet this is a critical juncture in the life of every athlete who goes from a “nobody” to a “somebody”. Beyond this point, Srisaket faces a tougher fight. He will be battling against all the ills that come with fame and glory. Having sated the desire to prove himself and gain recognition, he must now find a different driving force if his success is to be sustained. We wish him the best and look forward to more great achievements on the world stage.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30326457

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-12

[Damrongsak]

If he beat “Chocolatito”, he needs to get a nickname like "Somdam" .

[ezzra]

There were times that people that sacrificed life, limbs and freedom

and gave all for the good of man kind were hailed as heroes, nowadays,

if someone wins a sport contest or help an old lady cross the road

is also called a hero.....

[Snackbar]

It isn't mentioned here but this fight was Between a flyweight, 49-52 kg  Gonzalez and a bantamweight,  Srisaket   Rungvisai. 53-55kg. 

[AlQaholic]

4 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

If he beat “Chocolatito”, he needs to get a nickname like "Somdam" .

How about "Trashalatito"?? a hint both to who he trashed and his beginnings....

[Baerboxer]

4 hours ago, Snackbar said:

It isn't mentioned here but this fight was Between a flyweight, 49-52 kg  Gonzalez and a bantamweight,  Srisaket   Rungvisai. 53-55kg. 

 

Did you watch the fight?

 

Looked very little difference in size. But a huge difference in skill and ability.

[JonnyF]

5 hours ago, Snackbar said:

It isn't mentioned here but this fight was Between a flyweight, 49-52 kg  Gonzalez and a bantamweight,  Srisaket   Rungvisai. 53-55kg. 

Probably hasn't been mentioned because it's complete nonsense. The fight was at super flyweight which is a 115lb limit.  Srisaket weighed in at 115 and Gonzalez weighed in at 114.8.

 

This was Gonzalez' third fight at the 115lb limit. He hasn't fought at flyweight (112lbs) since April 2016.

 

Rungvisai fought well and deserved the victory after a very close first fight (also at 115lbs) which I thought Gonzalez just won (or a draw would have been a fair result).

 

FYI the bantamweight limit is 118lbs. 

 

 

[james.d]

32 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Rungvisai fought well and deserved the victory after a very close first fight (also at 115lbs) which I thought Gonzalez just won (or a draw would have been a fair result).

My thoughts exactly... I hope he is managed with his best interests at the forefront and can retire when the time is right a wealthy man.

[ratcatcher]

 

[PatOngo]

Amazing! I thought there was only room for 1 hero in this country with a 96% approval rating.