Thammanoon Niyomtrong is set to resume his role as the best strawweight in the world.
The long-reigning WBA titlist from Surin, Thailand fights for the first time since the pandemic, defending his title versus countryman Siridech Deebook. Both boxers weighed 104.5 pounds for their scheduled twelve-round contest which takes place Tuesday afternoon at Chang Arena in Buriram, Thailand.
The bout is a rescheduled affair, as the two were due to collide May 29 in Nakhon Sawan. The event was shut down during fight week due to a state of emergency in Thailand in response to another surge in coronavirus positive test cases and Covid-related deaths since early April. Event promoter Petpiya Fight remained on the search for the right opportunity to resurrect the title fight, having targeted an August return before landing on this Tuesday.
Niyomtrong (21-0, 7KOs—also known as Knockout CP Freshmart—has not fought since last March, registering a 12-round shout win over Japan’s Norihito Tanaka. The win marked the eighth defense of the WBA strawweight title claimed by Niyomtrong in a 12-round, unanimous decision win over Nicaragua’s Byron Rojas in their June 2016 title consolidation clash.
Niyomtrong previously held an interim version of the title before upgrading the crown. Among his eight successful defenses was a repeat win over Rojas in November 2018.
Bangkok’s Deebook (23-6-1, 13KOs) was due to enter his first major title fight. The 28-year-old has yet to land a notable win, though managed to turn things around following an 0-3-1 career start, including his current six-fight win streak. The lone notable win on his ledger came in a 12-round decision over former WBC junior flyweight titlist Suriyan Satorn in their June 2018 rematch, avenging a defeat from three month prior.
While the fight marks Niyomtrong’s first ring appearance since the pandemic, he has since solidified his place atop the strawweight division. The topic was no longer up for debate once countryman and close friend Wanheng Menayothin (birth name Chayaphon Moonsri) saw his lengthy WBC title reign end following a 12-round loss to Panya Pradabsri last November in Sawan, Thailand.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox