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Suriyan Sor Rungvisai to face Anselmo Moreno on Saturday

Fighters Network
29
Apr
Photo credit: Naoki Fukuda

Photo credit: Naoki Fukuda

 

Suriyan Sor Rungvisai traveled halfway around the world to face Anselmo Moreno on Saturday night in Moreno’s native Panama.

The former WBC 115-pound titlist and his team left Bangkok, Thailand last Saturday evening, flying 12 hours to Frankfurt, They had a four-hour layover in Germany before embarking on another 12-hour flight to Panama City, arriving Sunday afternoon. (Editors Note: Bangkok is 12 hours ahead of Panama City).

Suriyan (46-6-1, 23 knockouts) intends to become the WBC’s No. 1 contender to Shinsuke Yamanaka, who he lost against 18 months ago.

“I am confident that I will win,” Suriyan told RingTV.com through translator Chonlathan Supphaiboonlerd. “I have been preparing for this fight for more than four months. We have been training hard in the gym, preparing specifically for Moreno. This fight is extremely important for me, my career, and my family. I have been giving it all in training and I will give it all in the ring.”



The recently turned 27-year-old – a pro for nearly 10 years – is well versed on what the former long-reigning WBA bantamweight titlist brings to the ring.

“I think Moreno has very good tactics and rhythm,” he said. “On the other hand, his (punch tolerance) is questionable as he was knocked down by Abner Mares before. Overall, I think he is a great champion with impressive achievements. I respect for him for his past achievements but I am also a former world champion and I have experience fighting many top boxers in different divisions. I am very confident in my ability to win the fight.”

Traditionally Thai fighters are near imperious fighting at home, however, they aren’t known as good travelers.

Suriyan has a record of 0-4-1 on the road. He remains unbowed and optimistic.

“No, it is not a concern,” he said confidently. “I am now a lot more experienced than I used to be and I am ready to take any challenge anywhere in the world.”

Nakornloung Promotions president Surachart Pisitwuttinan, who has run his boxing promotional company for nearly 30 years, feels there are several reasons for this: “There’s a lot of factors that affect the boxers when we travel the world. The traveling, the environment, the fans, the food.”

Pisitwuttinan first came into boxing as a hobby. His company has produced four world champions so far. Veeraphol Sahaprom and Sirmongkol Singmanassuk were followed more recently by Suriyan and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.

Interestingly, many Thai fighters adopt sponsorship and use that as part of their names. Suriyan, like his stablemate Srisaket – also a former WBC 115-pound beltholder – add Sor Rungvisai to their names after a senator they both respect.

Mr. Pisitwuttinan promotes Suriyan (the WBC’s No. 1 ranked fighter at bantamweight), Srisaket (WBC No. 1 at junior bantamweight) and Nawaphon Por Chokchai (WBC No. 1 at flyweight). He hopes, out of the three, he can get two champions.

The Nakornloung Promotions gym is in Nonthaburi Province – depending on traffic, anything from a 15-minute drive to two hours away from Bangkok – is a relatively new gym. The fighters also live on the compound.

Training in Thailand is notoriously tough and far more rigorous than in the west.

Each day typically starts at 5 or 6 a.m when the fighters run 15 kilometers (just under nine-and-a-half miles), then head to the gym for an hour. They rest for a few hours before a three-hour afternoon session.

Interestingly, Mr. Pisitwuttinan used to be a film producer in Thailand. He owns a movie theater that the gym is named after.

“I had the movie theater business for over 50 years,” he explained. “It was started by my father. There was one movie – “Rew Guar Jai Grai Geurn,” a drama about a drug addict who caught HIV and passed it on to his girlfriend – that was very famous but it was a very long time ago. It won the equivalent of six Oscars.

He no longer produces films but still owns the theater. In his youth, he won an amateur tournament and became interested in boxing. Mr. Pisitwuttinan has three sons who are also involved in boxing.

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected] and you can follow him at www.twitter.com/AnsonWainwright.

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July 2016

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