Srisaket gets hero’s welcome on return to Bangkok
NEWLY CROWNED World Boxing Council super flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai received a hero’s welcome upon his return yesterday after defeating the previously unbeaten Roman Gonzalez at Madison Square Garden in New York at the weekend.
The Si Sa Ket native defied high odds stacked against him to inflict the first defeat on Nicaragua’s Gonzalez, considered one of the world’s best pound-for-pound fighters, on his debut at a venue regarded as the cathedral of boxing.
Reclaiming the 115-pound title that he lost three years ago with a majority decision, the 30-year-old former garbage collector wrote his name in the history books as the second Thai fighter to win the world championship on American soil after Saman Sorjaturong.
No wonder, then, he was given such a warm reception at Suvarnabhumi Airport by his family, sponsors and a big crowd of supporters, some of them holding banners.
“I’m extremely happy to have put a smile on people’s faces. Roman is a great fighter. He has abundant energy that enables him to keep punching, but the fight went exactly the way we planned.
“It was easier than the fight against Carlos Cuadras since he [Gonzalez] and I have a similar style. If I get to have a rematch with either Cuadras or Gonzalez, I need to prepare myself better. I need to be more than 100 per cent as I must fare better than I did in the previous bout,” said the Thai, referring to the Mexican fighter who wrested the belt from him in 2014.
Srisaket is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at Government House on March 28. Asked whether he would ask anything of the premier, the veteran fighter simply said: “I don’t want anything special. I would like to ask him to use his good offices to help me enter military service.”
Srisaket’s promoter Surachart Pisitwuttinan said the Thai champion’s first title defence will be against either Cuadras or Gonzalez.
“I’m happy to have played a part in helping him win the world championship. I’ll try to help him retain the title as long as possible. We have talked with K2 Promotions about the winner of the fight [between Srisaket and Gonzalez] facing Cuadras. But the bout received good response because it was very entertaining and thrilling, so there’s a possibility for a rematch with Gonzalez,” said Surachart, who is better known as Sia Hui in boxing circles.
Beverage-maker Osotspa was quick to jump on the bandwagon of euphoria and appoint the Thai fighter as the company’s latest brand ambassador.
“We want to give him a fitting reception for his achievement. We decided to hand him |Bt1 million as incentive and promote him to become our fifth brand ambassador,” said Osotspa executive Wannipa Bhakdibutr.
