Thailand is experiencing a wave of success on the world boxing stage. Knockout CP Freshmart (25-0, 9 KO) recently defended his world title in Australia against Alex Winwood (4-1, 2 KO). Previously, Thananchai Charunphak (25-1, 15 KO) secured a victory over Kento Hatanaka (15-1, 10 KO) in Japan, and Thanongsak Simsri (35-1, 32 KO) secured the OPBF lightweight heavyweight crown in March by defeating Miela Fajardo (11-2-2, 10 KOs).

However, Muay Thai’s biggest challenge looms on the horizon as bantamweight contender Tasana Salapat (76-1, 53 KO) prepares to cement her legacy in the sport.

On October 14, Thai fighter Petch CP Freshmart will step into the ring at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena to face Junto Nakatani (28-0, 21 KO), ranked 9th in The Ring rankings per pound. vacant WBC bantamweight title. This is Salapat’s second fight on foreign soil, marking an significant step in a career that has largely been at home.

Like many Thai boxers, Salapat began his fighting career in Muay Thai, competing at the highest levels in the country before moving on to professional boxing. But his journey was unique. At just 16 years aged, the future bantamweight title challenger made his professional boxing debut in 2011, defeating Sarawut Pantayung, better known as Jomhod Eminent Air (7-4, 2 KO), the notable Muay Thai champion. His initial career was tumultuous, as he fought nine times in his first year.

From 2012 to 2018, the Thai fighter maintained an impressive pace, fighting seven to eight times a year, mixing with regional and youth champions, journeymen and even newcomers. The goal was elementary: stay dynamic. Like many Thai fighters, he adopted the nickname “Petch CPF,” named after his sponsor, a local grocery chain that organizes monthly boxing events, which keeps him busy with regular fights. This sponsorship model, common in Thailand, allowed him to remain vigilant, sometimes facing the same opponents multiple times. With 76 fights under his belt and only one defeat, he is one of the busiest boxers in the sport.

That one loss came in 2018, when he traveled outside Thailand for the first time to face Japan’s Takuma Inoue (20-1, 5 KO) for the interim WBC bantamweight title. Despite putting in a lot of effort, he lost by unanimous decision, which was the first and only blemish on his record. Now the Thai veteran returns to Japan to face an even bigger challenge in Nakatani.

One of the most intriguing aspects of this upcoming fight is that it will be a southpaw vs. southpaw fight. This adds a unique tactical element to the fight. Interestingly, the last time Nakatani fought the southpaw was in April 2022, when he defended his WBO flyweight title against Ryota Yamauchi (12-3.11 KO). Nakatani won the fight by technical knockout in the eighth round, showing that he can effectively deal with left-handed opponents. This will make the upcoming fight with Salapat even more captivating.

I had the opportunity to visit him at his training camp in Pathum Thani province, located just outside Bangkok. Trained by renowned trainer and former WBC flyweight world champion Chatchai Sasakul, Salapat was in the midst of preparing for the biggest fight of his career. It was a Thursday afternoon and when I arrived he was already engaged in shadow boxing and focused. There was a positive vibe in the gym as the team continued to celebrate Knockout CP’s recent win in Australia.

Sitting with Sasakul and watching the Thai athlete perform his drills, the coach candidly assessed the challenge ahead.

“Junto, I think it’s a very tough fight for Petch,” Sasakul admitted. “But anything can happen in boxing. I can’t predict the future and I don’t know how things will turn out in Japan. But it’s not an effortless fight for Junto either. We work strenuous and I have a strategy. We are proceeding as planned.”

Curious about the loss to Takuma Inoue in 2018, I wanted to know what had changed since then. Sasakul reflected on the growth his player experienced, explaining: “The first thing he learned was experience. It was his first fight abroad. He was nervous, excited and couldn’t play as smoothly as usual. But now he has matured. I think he can control his emotions this time. But you know, Junto is very good.

Discussing Salapat’s strengths, Sasakul described him as an all-rounder. “Petch is versatile. His skills, the power of his punch – he is neither too strenuous nor too supple. It has its strengths, but I’m trying to improve them.

After the training session, I sat down with Salapat himself to learn more about his journey. Growing up in a penniless family, boxing was initially a way to support his loved ones. “When I was a child, my family was quite penniless, so I thought of a way to facilitate them,” he said. “At that time, a local festival and Muay Thai matches were being held at a temple near my house. I went to watch it and became interested in Muay Thai. The organizers allowed me to take part in it and from then on I liked it and started training.”

Wanting to learn more about his inspirations, I asked if there was anyone who influenced him to take up boxing. “My inspiration began when I started training professional boxing. I admired Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (91-5-2, 47 KO).

With a career spanning over a decade under his belt, I wondered how he stayed motivated after all these years. “I train all the time and stay disciplined,” he said. “I never underestimate any opponent in any fight.”

Reflecting on his fight against Takuma Inoue in 2018, I was curious what lessons he learned from the experience. “I learned a lot and gained valuable experience fighting abroad for the first time. I have regained these skills and continue to develop.

As for his upcoming fight with Nakatani, Salapat approaches it with renewed confidence and determination. “This fight means everything to me,” he said. “If I get the chance, I will give my all to win the belt. This will make a huge difference to my family and the reputation of boxing in Thailand.”

His preparation was strict, and one of his main sparring partners was Phongthep Homjui (14-1-2, 8 KO), a fellow southerner who also has an upcoming fight in Seoul. The two push each other to their limits, honing their skills for their respective challenges.

Under Sasakul’s tutelage, the Thai fighter is determined to leave his mark on the sport. As the clock ticks closer to fight night, there is a sense that he is ready to take on the challenge regardless of the outcome. He knows what is at stake – both for himself and for Thailand.

Follow @x

Author: Sean Crose

This weekend’s undisputed lithe heavyweight title fight between undefeated Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol is rightly attracting a lot of attention. While it’s true that the winner will be declared the undisputed lithe heavyweight champion of the world, he will also enter the pantheon of all-time lithe heavyweight champions – and that’s saying something. Gene Tunney, Archie Moore, Billy Conn, Michael Spinks, Ezzard Charles and seemingly countless other icons found glory in this division. In fact, the lithe heavyweight division may be the most underrated division in all of boxing history. Positioned somewhere between heavyweight and middleweight, he never gets the respect and attention he deserves.

It’s difficult to argue that a Beterbiev-Bivol winner will assist elevate the lithe heavyweight division in the public eye, but it certainly won’t hurt. Bivol, 23, can walk and talk. He has already made boxing history by defeating the great Canelo Alvarez in 2022. Now he’s after an even bigger prize: divisional domination. As for Beterbiev, since the beginning of his career in 2013, the man has been nothing less than a picture of doom. Moreover, none of the guy’s 20 opponents were able to withstand such a distance with him.

Although it will be a fight for all the symbolic marbles, there is no denying that this matchup is electrifying on paper as well. Every person fights in their own unique way. Bivol is a chess master who has more strength than guys like Canelo could handle. Beterbiev, on the other hand, lets his fists do the talking. However, there is more to this man than just bulky hands. He works his way to knockout moments. This is not some savage we are talking about here, but a specialist from the consulate.

Whether or not it ends in a thrilling battle – and it’s difficult to imagine it won’t – the winner will earn the right to be mentioned alongside all the legends who have fought in the lithe heavyweight division before. And there is no denying that this is a really sedate matter. This fight has been a long wait, so it’s good to know that Beterbiev and Bivol will finally meet in the ring on Saturday. Let’s hope it was worth the wait. Historical battles are better when they’re entertaining.

Nick Ball has been told by his promoter Frank Warren to recover from the most demanding year of his career before considering his next move.

On Saturday at the M&S Arena in Liverpool, the 27-year-old stopped Ronny Rios in 10 rounds to defend his WBA featherweight title for the first time.

The hard-fought fight was his third in seven months after breaking into the world class for the first time in March with a draw against Rey Vargas. That happened in June, when he won the title against Raymond Ford, and on Saturday, when he defended it in his hometown.

Warren, who also promotes Daniel Dubois, compared Ball’s career to that of the heavyweight who turned his career around with victories over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua, but while there is already speculation about a rematch between Dubois and Joshua, he declined to consider Ball’s career to 2025.

“He needs rest,” Warren told BoxingScene. “I don’t even think about it at the moment. He needs good rest. He had three really tough and arduous fights. I don’t remember anyone, apart from Daniel Dubois, who fought at such a high level. Over the course of seven months, he faced three world-class players. How many people do this?

“He needs a break and I want him to have a break and then come back with his batteries charged and see what the field is like. He’s an invigorating little bastard – probably one of the most invigorating players around.

“I don’t think he’ll be very cheerful [to rest] because it’s a fighting machine, but Paul [Stevenson]his coach, he’s a really sensible guy. We’ll talk and move on. But Paul knows what must be done.

“[Rios] made an impression on me. I knew he was a tough guy. I knew he would come to fight. Nick tried a little too rigid sometimes; I would like to see him utilize the jab more often; he has a great jab; when he uses it, it’s of a different class. He’s a handful of fighters and I can’t think of any fighter he hasn’t beaten. I really can’t. He’s a tough, tough player for everyone. He is relentless.

“He [Rios] was competitive; comes to fight; he gave everything he had. He is very, very experienced, he used his experience and sometimes tried to “try” it. He took some solemn punishment and returned to the fight several times.

“Nick is still learning and it was a really, really good fight; he was a good opponent for him and got the best out of him. He dug deep and did what he had to do. He controlled most of the fights.”

The fact that Ball has fought twice in Saudi Arabia, as he did against Vargas and Ford, suggests that his next title defense could be made there, regardless of the temptation – as would previously have been more typical – to build his image as an attraction in his hometown and When asked about the likely target of his next fight, Warren replied: “I don’t know at this stage. If he has a break, he can enjoy Christmas and see what happens next year. We have a show in February in Arabia and then it’s Ramadan so we’ll have to see. Unify titles [is the plan]”

Warren was absent from Liverpool due to flu, which also postponed his arrival in Riyadh for Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol, but on the same day Jack Rafferty (29) was impressed by the retention of Henry Turner, and Warren plans to return to negotiate with him regarding a promotional contract.

“I would like to do something with him. Of course we will do something with them and he deserves it,” he said. “He deserves it. By the way, Henry, we’ll get him back – let’s rest him and we’ll get him back in the game too. It’s a good fight for him and he’s learning. Rafferty is a tough competitor, there’s no doubt about it. We will work with him on something, that’s for sure.

“I would like to see this fight [between Rafferty and Pierce O’Leary]. This would be a great fight between these two early next year.

“It was always a tough fight [against Turner]. It was very competitive; Henry boxed exceptionally well for the first half of the fight and Rafferty returned to the fight. I always felt that during the fight, his experience and these 10 more fights than Henry could assist him. But Henry showed that he was an excellent boxer.

“It was more than that [Turner] running out of gas. But I’m not going to take anything away from Rafferty – he could have won two rounds by then.