WORLD BEAT
THAILAND BY WASIM MATHER The Show Must Go On: Boxing and Chaos in the Land of Smiles It’s been an eventful month in the Land of Smiles. A sudden earthquake on March 28 sent panic through Bangkok and across the country. Life came to a halt as people paused in the face of unexpected adversity. Tragedy struck hardest in neighboring Myanmar, with over 3,000 lives lost. It cast a somber tone over what was already a tense day. In Bangkok, the tremors were a reminder of how quickly everything can change. This column was originally meant to focus on Thailand’s unpredictable boxing matchmaking. But after the March 28 earthquake sent shockwaves through the country – both physically and emotionally – it became clear that uncertainty isn’t limited to the ring. Life, like boxing, doesn’t always follow a script. Routines were disrupted, events postponed, and for a brief moment, everything paused. Yet even in the aftermath, boxing carried on. A few shows were delayed, but most pressed forward, as if echoing a mantra ingrained in the culture here: The show must go on. And in a way, that reflects the very heart of boxing in Thailand – not simply unpredictable, but also adaptable and relentless. When it comes to professional matchmaking in Thailand, it often feels like a lucky draw. It’s not uncommon to see a world-ranked fighter stepping into the ring against someone making their pro debut. If you’ve paid attention, you’ll notice many Thai boxers share a common naming structure – fighters like
Knockout CP Freshmart or Srisaket Nakornluang Promotion. Their names reflect their gyms or the sponsors that back them, not their family names. So what does that have to do with matchmaking? Quite a lot. Bigger promotions control television slots, and sponsors want their fighters visible – constantly. This has created a system where some boxers fight as often as once a month, racking up activity and airtime. But boxing isn’t just about staying busy – it’s a brutal sport. Fighters are paid to perform, but every performance comes with risk. Frequent fights can take a serious toll, especially when development takes a back seat to exposure. This dynamic often results in fighters with 30 or 40 fights on their record and only a few losses – numbers built through matchmaking that favors experience-building over genuine challenges. Take Anuchai Donsua (17-1, 8 KOs), also known as Anuchai CPF. The 28-year-old Thai bantamweight debuted just three years ago. After fighting for just over two and a half years, Donsua took a record of 16-0 into his bout against IBF titleholder Ryosuke Nishida (9-0, 1 KO at the time), who defended his belt with a seventh- round knockout. The story reflects the rhythm of Thai matchmaking: Keep fighters active, build momentum and then take a leap. Dig into Donsua’s record and you’ll see a familiar mix – journeymen, debutants and the occasional former title challenger. This kind of matchmaking isn’t random – it’s strategic. Promoters play the BoxRec star-rating system, building credible-looking resumes by carefully selecting opponents: low risk, high optics. The country’s Muay Thai roots provide a deep talent pool of fighters transitioning into pro boxing, often with decades of fight experience behind them. But things don’t always go as planned. After losing to Takuma Inoue in 2018, Tasana Salapat (77-2, 54 KOs), also known as Petch CPF, fell into a well-worn formula: Stack wins, pick
up a regional belt and bide time for another world title shot. After finally getting that opportunity and losing to Junto Nakatani last year, Salapat returned with a win over debutant Sarawut Worachaisakul – a typical post-defeat reset. Sometimes, however, boxing throws a wrench into even the best-laid plans. In 2012, Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (83-4-2, 42 KOs going in) was shocked by Sonny Boy Jaro (34-10-5, 24 KOs at the time) in what was supposed to be a tune-up – proof that in Thailand’s professional boxing circuit, even legends aren’t immune to upsets. Fast-forward to last year, and it happened again. Former title challenger Nawaphon Kaikanha (62-4-1, 50 KOs) took on Majid Karimi Poshtiri, an Iranian kickboxer making his pro boxing debut. Kaikanha was expected to coast. But Poshtiri had other plans. He outboxed Kaikanha for four rounds before delivering a brutal knockout in the fifth. Overnight, Poshtiri jumped to No. 96 on BoxRec – a debutant turned ranked contender in one fight. Three months later, Kaikanha traveled to Japan and suffered another defeat – this time to local veteran Mugicha Nakagawa (30-11-3, 19 KOs) in a low-profile bout. While the result didn’t make major headlines, it’s a sign of where the Thai fighter is in his career: past his peak, still capable, but now stepping into the late chapter where overseas paydays often take priority over title contention. Poshtiri, on the other hand, quickly became the fighter everyone wanted. He was lined up for a bout with Sathaporn Saart (16-2, 8 KOs) for the WBC Asia featherweight title – until injury struck and the fight was canceled. Sathaporn was later rescheduled to face South Korea’s unbeaten prospect Sang Yeon Kim (6-0, 3 KOs) in late March, a significant step up for the visitor, whose resume had developed through fights that provided steady progression rather than immediate risk. The day of the fight, however, was the very day the quake struck. As
Sathaporn Saart (right, knocking out Indian prospect Dharmender in 2023) was matched up with a 24-1 fighter in his pro debut.
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