ON Boxing Day, Panya Pradabsri received a controversial Christmas gift when crowned as the new WBC light-flyweight world champion, but a rematch has now been announced where Pradabsri will be against the odds.
Pradabsri, 44-2, (27 KOs), headlined on home soil in Thailand in a quest for the vacant WBC belt at 108lbs against Venezuela’s Carlos Canizales, 27-3-1 (19 KOs).
Whilst the term ‘robbery’ is often banded about without a second thought these days, that Bangkok bout was undeniably one of 2024’s worst, and the WBC’s open scoring policy made it all the more painful.
During the second half of the contest, a smiling yet struggling Pradabsri focused on survival until the final bell, whilst Canizales continued to find success, landing clean, hard and often but having little impact on the judges’ scorecards.
Antonio Carrillo (115-113) and Zanashir Taznaa (116-112) each ruled in favour of the home fighter, whilst Malcolm Bulner (114-114) had it a draw, awarding Pradabsri the coveted green and gold title in eyebrow-raising fashion.
According to CompuBox punch stats, Canizales out-landed the Thai by over 100 punches, scoring with 265 compared to Pradabsri’s 159 total blows, as well as 165 to 124 in power shots.
In the aftermath, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman took to X to declare his ‘disappointment’ at the WBC judges and revealed that he would order an ‘immediate review’.
That review has now proven effective, with confirmation that Pradabsri and Canizales will meet again, only this time they will do so on the Venezuelan’s turf, in his hometown of Caracas, as per the official announcement from Venezuela Top Boxing.
The event will take place on Friday, August 1, and will be the first world title to take place on Venezuelan soil since Jorge Linares knocked out Ivan Cano almost 10 years ago.
