If I Were a Boxing Matchmaker: Srisaket Sor Rungvisai

Howdy folks. Today I’d like to discuss some potential future matchups for a man of multiple names.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai 47-5-1 (41 KOs)

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, or Wisaksil Wangek, whichever he goes by, is a very good aggressor with big power and a great chin. Although he is a pressure fighter, he still has some good boxing ability from range.

After starting 1-3-1 in his first five fights against opponents who had combined records of 29-3-4, Wangek gathered himself and came away 26 consecutive wins, 24 by knockout. He then lost to a very good Carlos Cuadras by technical decision in 2014 that he may have well won. Then he reeled off another 20 consecutive victories, including two in a row against a pound-for-pound elite fighter in Roman Gonzalez and one more elite fighter in Juan Francisco Estrada. In a nutshell, Sor Rungvisai’s legacy rests solely on his highly impressive wins against Roman Gonzalez and his very close matches with Juan Francisco Estrada. Most of his bouts have been against overmatched guys in Thailand. Hopefully, he can continue to string together some solid names to add to his resume. Gonzalez was certainly a good start and Estrada is definitely a good follow up. The two matches with Estrada were excellent scraps and both were very close decisions and that’s exactly where he should go next, right after him for a third time.

#1 Matchup: Juan Francisco Estrada 40-3 (27 KOs)

There’s not a whole lot that I would ask to be changed in this rubber match, hopefully they just to start where they left off. Considering that Estrada is currently the Lineal Champion at super fly, this is the best choice for both men, given that people know what to expect and most likely won’t be disappointed. Anytime these two match up, it becomes a tossup as to who will come out as the victor. Let’s make this one happen again and get it signed sooner than later. They can set it up in Inglewood again, or move it to Vegas. Either way works.

#2 Matchup: Donnie Nietes 42-1-5 (23 KOs)

Donnie Nietes is a highly skilled tactician who has yet to really prove his reasoning to be considered one of the best out there. Although he has fought some solid competition, most people probably don’t recognize the majority of the fighters on his resume. There are some good names that he should get a lot of credit for, such as a solid knockout victory over Juan Carlos Reveco and a could-have-gone-either-way decision over Kazuto Ioka. In order for him to cement his place in history, which he acts like he wants to do, he certainly needs some of those eye-popping names to add to his list. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai would certainly be suiting.

This would be a good styles match, with Nietes boxing at range and attempting to counter the more aggressive Thai fighter. The biggest questions would be if Donnie has enough power to stun or stop Rungvisai and can he take Rungvisai’s power when he fires back? Nietes has some crafty moves that would make for a complicated night for Srisaket. However, Rungvisai will keep the pressure on and keep the work rate high. I’d like to see how Nietes’ 37-year-old legs can hold up with trying to move around while the pressure is on from a man who has powerful, taxing punches. Neither man holds any trinket, yet they are considered the second and third best in the 115-pound division, which proves why all of these titles are nonsense. 2 and 3 don’t have titles, but 4, 5 and 6 do?

Anyways, this would prove who the second best at 115 is and should solidify a future match with other top players around these weight classes. Somewhere in Asia, like Macao, China would be a fitting landing spot, or they could set this up in Las Vegas under a Pacquiao undercard.

#3 Matchup: Jerwin Ancajas 31-1-2 (21 KOs)

I’ve never been overly impressed with Ancajas and certainly don’t believe he should be wrapping a belt around his waist, but he is still a top player. He’s considered by all ranking boards to be in the top-5.

This match has some implications and would prove who belongs as a higher contender in the weight class. Ancajas is a boxer-puncher, who is typically on his back foot looking for the big shot. Sor Rungvisai is a more aggressive fighter who would make for a rough night. I have a feeling that Ancajas wouldn’t be able to take a clean shot from Sor Rungvisai, but maybe I’m wrong. Regardless of him being the more aggressive of the two, I still think he is the overall better boxer. Considering Jerwin’s struggles against lower opposition, he would need to find a way to dig deep to pull this one out. This would fit just fine in Asia somewhere, or possibly Vegas as well.

#4 Matchup: Kazuto Ioka 24-2 (14 KOs)

This Japanese sensation is part of the cream of the crop in and around these divisions. He has the skills to match up well with many of the top fighters. This is obvious if you happened to catch a glimpse of any of his bouts, especially against guys like Donnie Nietes. To me, Ioka has one of the most stacked resumes top to bottom thus far, compared to almost any of these guys around 115, 118, etc. His professional opposition up to this point is hard to ignore and he can still add a few more significant ones like Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Ioka would need to stay at a distance, like he’s good at and keep throwing those crisp jabs and combinations of his. Sor Rungvisai would need to keep the pressure on Ioka and try to break him down. The big question here is, can Ioka hit hard enough to get Rungvisai’s respect. If not, it might be tough sledding. This match would be huge in Japan. It would also prove who is potentially the number two best fighter at super flyweight.

#5 Matchup: Naoya Inoue 19-0 (16 KOs)

Well, anybody who wants to make a name for themselves in these lower weight classes has to deal with their demons to go after a man like Inoue. Although Sor Rungvisai has been a name for longer, “The Monster” is impossible to ignore right now. I don’t think there would be too many fight fans who wouldn’t want to tune in for this one. This would be like a bomb waiting to explode at any moment and could end with a dramatic show. Both men are heavy handed, yet still very skilled boxers. It’s not too common to find two fighters with both of those traits who end up in the ring with each other.

It’s hard to say how this one would play out, but I don’t think Inoue has fought a pressure fighter like Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. However, Rungvisai has fought tougher opposition then Inoue, but Roman Gonzalez and Juan Francisco Estrada do not possess the one punch knockout power that Inoue does. Especially, considering that this match would most likely be contracted at bantamweight. Gonzalez has good power, don’t get me wrong, but he usually breaks his opponents down, not turn their lights out on one big blow. Let’s set this one up in Japan. I don’t think judges really hold any relevance in this fight, so I don’t think we would need to be all that concerned about a bad decision.