Saenchai Sor Kingstar vs Sresatchanalai Sasiprapa

This is a bout from a while ago -- likely in the early 2000s. I can't say when, exactly, but it's old enough to be included in a Onesongchai collection (look to the bottom left of the recording). Also, Saenchai is obviously younger and lighter than he is now. The profiles given before the match give what would now be an outdated accounting of Saenchai's Lumpini titles, omitting the heavier categories he's been champion in.

I don't know anything really about his opponent, though he is obviously very skilled at Muay Thai. Many Thai English rules boxers started out as nak muay, and he obviously had a career in Muay Thai before switching to English style. The video notes he is a boxing gold medalist (in amateur English boxing, of course).

The poster lists Saenchai's second name as Sor Kingstar in this video and I'll defer to the posting, but I suspect he may still be going by Sor Khamsing here, since Somrak is issuing instructions to him. I can't tell if Somrak is actually in his corner, though.

Saenchai wears the blue shorts in this bout, and Sresatchanalai wears red.



Thanks to Stackmo1 for this video.

You get to see young Saenchai here, which is fun! He's so dominant now that you rarely get to see him flustered, as he so apparently is at points in this fight. There's a point where he charges forward in the second round and wings a wide(-ish (come on, he is still Saenchai)) hook that raised my eyebrows a bit.

I was worried about Sresatchanalai's boxing credentials for a bit (see that bias?) but, apart from a couple of trouble spots in flurries, Saenchai seemed to handle himself well. The only time I've seen him knocked out is by punches, though, against Thongchai Tor Silachai -- I'll do another post on that -- but boxing is probably the weakest part of his game. He's lost punching exchanges with Sagetdao, for example.

We really are lucky to have one of the best ever in our current generation of fighters. He's on the brink of retirement, I feel, and, though he's still capable of beating the best, I have a feeling he'll be slowing soon. Watch him live, if you get the chance. He's quite inspirational. He loses sometimes, certainly, but always retools and comes back smarter and wins with (seemingly) effortlessly implemented gameplans.