Chartchai Chionoi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chartchai Chionoi |
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| Born | Naris Chionoi October 10, 1942 Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, Thailand |
| Died | January 21, 2018 (aged 75) Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital, ฺKhan Na Yao District, Bangkok, Thailand Pneumonia |
| Native name | ชาติชาย เชี่ยวน้อย |
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| Nationality | Thailand |
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) |
| Weight | 51 kg (112 lb) |
| Reach | 166 cm (65 in) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | Pathum Thani Province, Thailand |
| Years active | 1959–1975 |
| Professional boxing record | |
| Total | 82 |
| Wins | 61 |
| By knockout | 36 |
| Losses | 18 |
| By knockout | 5 |
| Draws | 3 |
Chartchai Chionoi (Thai: ชาติชาย เชี่ยวน้อย), also known as Chartchai Laemfapha or by his birth name Naris Chionoi, was a famous professional boxer from Thailand. He was born on October 10, 1942, and passed away on January 21, 2018. Chartchai was a world champion in the flyweight division, holding titles from both the WBC and the WBA. He was known for winning the WBC World Flyweight Championship twice and the WBA Championship once.
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Early Life and Start in Boxing
Chartchai Chionoi grew up in a poor family in Bangkok, Thailand. His family later moved near Wat Mai Phiren temple. It was there that he first started boxing. He took part in a boxing event organized by the Royal Thai Navy.
A Champion's Journey
Chartchai Chionoi became the second world boxing champion from Thailand. He followed in the footsteps of his hero, Pone Kingpetch. Unlike many Thai fighters, Chartchai focused only on boxing and never competed in Muay Thai.
He began his professional boxing career on March 27, 1959. His first fight was a knockout win against Somsak Kritsanasuwan in the second round. Chartchai had a strong start, winning seven of his first eight fights.
Chartchai traveled to Japan for many of his early fights. He won eight out of eleven matches there. After returning to Thailand, he continued to build his career.
On September 22, 1962, Chartchai won his first major title. He defeated Primo Famiro in the Philippines to become the OPBF Flyweight Champion. This was a big step towards his world title dreams.
Winning World Titles
Chartchai worked hard for three more years, winning many fights. This led to his first chance at a world title. On December 30, 1966, he faced the World Flyweight Champion Walter McGowan. Chartchai won the fight in the ninth round, becoming the WBC Flyweight Champion. This was his first world title!
He successfully defended his WBC title four times. He even beat Walter McGowan again in a rematch.
Losing and Regaining the Title
On February 23, 1969, Chartchai lost his WBC title to Efren Torres. The fight was stopped because Chartchai's left eye was too swollen to continue. But Chartchai didn't give up. He fought his way back and earned a rematch.
In March 1970, Chartchai faced Efren Torres again in Thailand. More than 40,000 fans watched him win the fight. He won by a unanimous decision, taking back his WBC Flyweight Championship.
However, his second reign as champion was short. In his very next fight, he lost the title to Erbito Salavarria.
WBA Championship and Retirement
Even after losing the WBC title twice, Chartchai kept fighting. He won six fights in a row to earn a shot at the WBA Flyweight Champion, Masao Ohba. Their fight on January 2, 1973, was very exciting. Chartchai knocked Ohba down early, but Ohba recovered and won the fight in the twelfth round.
Sadly, Masao Ohba died in a car accident soon after this fight. This meant the WBA title became vacant. Chartchai then fought Fritz Chervet in May 1973 for the vacant title. He won by knockout in the fifth round, capturing his third World Flyweight Championship!
He defended his WBA title successfully two times. In October 1974, he lost the title because he couldn't make the required weight. He had one more fight for the title against Susumu Hanagata, but lost.
After losing his third world title, Chartchai had two more fights. He won one and lost the other by knockout in August 1975. After this loss, he decided to retire from boxing. His final record was 61 wins, 18 losses, and 3 draws, with 36 knockouts.
Life After Boxing
After retiring, Chartchai Chionoi lived a quiet life with his wife and their four children. He had been married for over 45 years. Even though he had some lasting health issues from his boxing career, he remembered his time as a boxer fondly and had no regrets.
He suffered from some effects of Parkinson's disease, which caused some paralysis. Chartchai Chionoi passed away on January 21, 2018, at the age of 75.
Professional Boxing Record Summary
| 82 fights | 61 wins | 18 losses |
| By knockout | 36 | 5 |
| By decision | 25 | 13 |
| Draws | 3 | |
Images for kids
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Chartchai Chionoi after retirement
See also
- List of flyweight boxing champions
- List of WBC world champions
