Thailand’s Thammanoon Niyomtrong has now been WBA mini flyweight world champion for eight consecutive years. Last weekend he won his 12th title defense.
Thammanoon Niyomtrong remains the unbeaten mini flyweight world champion in his eighth year. The 33-year-old Thai with the sponsor, a supermarket, in his fight name (“Knockout CP Freshmart”) defended his WBA title against Alex Winwood last Saturday in Perth, Australia. In a thrilling duel, Niyomtrong narrowly retained the upper hand and won the fight by majority decision (114-112, 114-112, 113-113).
Champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong gets off to a slow start
The experienced Niyomtrong started the first rounds cautiously. Winwood, a talented young fighter who was only contesting his fifth professional fight, wanted to secure the world title with a record of less than seven fights. But Niyomtrong, who has held the WBA featherweight title since 2016, was not impressed. The Thai found his feet in the fourth round and put his opponent under pressure.
First knockdown in the fifth round
In the fifth round, a left hook sent Winwood to the floor. However, the referee ruled the action a slip, which preserved the Australian’s lead on the scorecards. But Niyomtrong did not give up and caused Winwood major problems in the following rounds. Regardless of whether the Australian swerved to the left or right, Niyomtrong had the right answer at the ready.
Thammanoon Niyomtrong finds his rhythm
The Australian showed his class again in the sixth round. He hit Niyomtrong hard with quick movements and targeted punches shortly before the bell. But this moment was not enough to turn the tide. In the seventh round, Niyomtrong landed a precise left hook that sent Winwood down hard. The Australian struggled to stay on his feet until the end of the round.
Second precipitation decides
From the eighth round onwards, Winwood boxed more cautiously and tried to use his mobility to avoid Niyomtrong’s attacks. In the ninth round, however, the Thai managed to bring him down again with a right hook. Winwood showed great fighting spirit, but Niyomtrong’s experience and constant attacks tipped the scales in the end.
Continuation of an impressive career
With this victory, Niyomtrong improved his unblemished record to 25-0, including nine knockouts. For Winwood, who is now 4-1 (2 knockouts), the dream of becoming world champion has been shattered for the time being. Niyomtrong thus remains the longest reigning world champion in active boxing and successfully defended his title for the twelfth time. His last fight was more than a year ago, after several failed attempts against the Dominican boxer Erick Rosa.
Despite the long break, Niyomtrong showed that he is still a dominant force in the mini flyweight division. With his performance against Winwood, he proved that even after years at the top, he is still a red-hot threat.