By Cliff Rold
File this one under things which should happen but probably never will.
Former lineal World Flyweight king and WBC titlist Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (72-3-1, 38 KO) won his last time out. Current WBO titlist Omar Narvaez (30-0-2, 19 KO) did as well. Winning is something each has done a lot of throughout the decade.
Sometime soon, each will sign for the next bout in lengthy careers.
Wonjongkam is currently recognized as the interim titlist of the WBC, a quasi-mandatory position meaning a likely fifth showdown with longtime rival and the man who took his title, Daisuke Naito (35-2-3, 22 KO). Theirs has been one of the more underappreciated rivalries of recent years. Their first encounter resulted in a Flyweight knockout record for Wonjongkam and no rivalry seemed imminent but Naito kept working his way into the mandatory, finally winning the crown in his third try and holding on in a grueling draw for round four. A fifth fight would be welcome.
Before the loss to Naito in 2007, Wonjongkam had sat atop the 112 lb. class for over six years and amassed seventeen title defenses. It was a record run. Prior to the Thai’s reign, the most defenses ever recorded at Flyweight had been 14, posted by the great Miguel Canto from 1975-79. Wonjongkam’s title descended directly from the reign of Canto, recognized as the rightful World champion in his time, making his claim to the mark stronger historically than it might have been with just any belt.
Narvaez is currently making his own statistical mark. After a win in June over Omar Soto, Narvaez ran his total to 16 WBO defenses since first snaring his belt in 2002. One more and he ties, in general, the mark set by Wonjongkam. Two more wins and he breaks it. It won’t be tied to the lineage of the division but considering how fractured, how geographically compartmented, the smaller classes can be, it would be hard to argue it as any more or less impressive.
These numbers are individually impressive. They are also, at least should be to the thoughtful, appalling. Canto fought more than a generation ago so for his numbers to fall to a man in the early 2000s is fine. For the numbers to be even marginally surpassed, twice over, by men whose careers are occurring simultaneously demeans the notion of accomplishment.
In September 2008, this scribe offered thoughts on the hype in Argentina about Narvaez posting more defenses than Argentine Middleweight great Carlos Monzon had; a national record if you will. It was not an entirely favorable (https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=16045) take.
Monzon, and Canto, are Hall of Famers for a reason and the numbers they earned came against the bulk of the best in their time. An astute observer can note that Monzon spent part of his reign with only one of the then-two major belts; Canto always exclusively held the WBC title. How is that different than today?
In the case of Monzon, an undisputed Middleweight reign which began in 1970 was without the WBC belt from 1974-76. He made the slight of being stripped look foolish by regaining the strap from the man who’d picked it up in those years, the rugged Rodrigo Valdez. He left few stones unturned.
Canto may have held only one belt but missed few worthy foes. The WBA strap was held for the bulk of his reign by Guty Espadas and an all-Mexican showdown never took place. It was unfortunate but Espadas lost his belt to Betulio Gonzalez in 1978, well after Gonzalez had finished the loser in the last two of three fights with Canto. Add wins over the excellent Shoji Oguma and Martin Vargas and it was hard to deny canto’s record had come the hard way.
With a fellow ‘record setter’ in the class with them, neither Wonjongkam nor Narvaez can say the same.
There is a solution of course.
Fighting.
Each other.
It probably won’t happen. It’s hard to imagine either man’s camp has thought twice about it. But wouldn’t it be novel if it could? Narvaez, going either for 17 or 18, taking on the man whose mark he’s daring to topple, would be worth our attentions. If Wonjongkam were able to upend Naito before the issue reached full fruition, even better. Unification: one man protecting his mark, the other looking to break it.
There are big problems of course, the WBO belt’s lack of viability or even recognition in most of Asia being right behind a division which finds profitability in tight regional markets.
But this isn’t about what is as much as how much fun what should be could be.
Narvaez and Wonjongkam isn’t the only example in the split title era when records were happening at the same time. Joe Calzaghe and Sven Ottke both unified various belts at Super Middleweight while defending their first titles won a total of 21 times. They never fought each other and, had Calzaghe not made a strong push to end his career, it would have been a greater stain on both careers.
Ironically, for all their stats, there is a case to be made than neither man is the best Flyweight of the decade. Vic Darchinyan, Lorenzo Parra, and Nonito Donaire have all had impressive runs against opposition similar to what Narvaez and Wonjongkam have faced. The separation is in the longevity, in double digit defenses rare in any era and at any weight.
One of these men might be the best of the decade in their class. Opposing each other would go a long ways towards making such a case. Narvaez breaking Wonjongkam’s mark without facing him would be fitting in the sense that both could then say they made more defenses than Canto without truly earning it.
It would also be the latest example of how bad too many belts can be.
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com