Boxing
Alex Winwood looks for fairytale result in title match against Knockout CP Freshmart
Alex Winwood always had substantial dreams.
Since turning professional in November 2022, Winwood has had a goal of winning a world title in fewer fights than International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Fenech, who needed seven fights to accomplish the feat.
Winwood (4-0, 2 KOs), 27, of Mandurah, Western Australia, will have the opportunity to break that record when she takes on multi-time WBA strawweight champion and Ring magazine’s No. 4 contender, Thammanoon Niyomtrong (24-0, 9 KOs), who fights under the ring name Knockout CP Freshmart, at the HBF Stadium in Perth, Australia on September 7.
The fight will be broadcast live and free on local streaming service 7plus as part of the Premier Boxing Series.
“It’s a dream come true, obviously,” Winwood told The Ring. “I came out and was very open about winning a world title very early on, and finally getting the opportunity is exactly what we wanted. I’m content to be in this position.”
Thailand’s Niyomtrong, who will be two weeks shy of his 34th birthday when they fight, is a mainstay in boxing’s lightest weight class. The former Muay Thai fighter, who is a 12-year veteran of the pros, won the WBA interim 105-pound title just two years into his career and was elevated to full champion by the Panamanian sanctioning body in 2016.
Niyomtrong has held the title ever since, defending it 11 times in eight years.
Photo from Dragon Fire Boxing
If there’s one criticism of Niyomtrong, it’s his inactivity. He hasn’t been through the ropes since his points win over fellow countryman and former long-time WBC titleholder Chayapon Moonsri (55-3, 19 KOs) two years ago.
“He’s got a lot more experience than me,” said Winwood, who had a successful amateur career and represented Australia in the flyweight division at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“He’s a very tough Thai, like all of them. He’s got a forceful guard, he’s content to sit in the pocket and carry them around a bit and then lead the opposition. He’s obviously forceful, but I think age might be getting to him a bit. He’s been on the sidelines for two years, so I think things might be a bit more in my favour. Speed might outweigh strength.
“He might try to make up for it with his experience in the game, but I’ve been in the game for a long time. Obviously, he was a world champion when I started boxing, but I’ve fought some really good guys in the last two years as a pro and had some great results. I’m very confident going into this fight.”
Winwood is a classy boxer-puncher with quick reflexes that allow him to deliver quick, pointed blows. In his four professional fights to date, he has shown great versatility, sometimes pressing the action, other times looking for counters.
When asked to describe his fighting style to people who had never seen it, Winwood laughed: “I look like a combination of Roy Jones Jr. and Mike Tyson, but I’m only five-foot-two!”
Winwood has earnest support in his corner, with experienced manager Tony Tolj and retired former titleholder and Perth native Danny Green also providing guidance and advice.
“It’s unreal. I’m talking to someone who’s been there and done that, they’re not just like, ‘Yeah, I know how you feel.’ They really know the trials and tribulations you go through as a boxer and what it takes to get to the top,” said Winwood, who was named Sportsperson of the Year by the National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) last weekend.
“He gave me his inside knowledge and experiences of what worked and what didn’t work for him, and he tried to mentor and guide me as much as he could. That’s invaluable.”
It has not escaped Winwood’s notice how uncommon a chance it is for a boxer to fight for a world title on his home turf, but the proud Noongar man is not looking too far ahead.
“I always thought that if we got a chance at a world title, we would go overseas,” Winwood said. “But we have a great team behind us. There are a lot of people involved in making it happen, and the fact that they were able to bring the fight here is part of the story.
“I just have to get there and finish the job to make this fairy tale a reality.”
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