Pongsaklek Wonjongkam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pongsaklek Wonjongkam |
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Wonjongkam (left) and Daisuke Naito in March 2010
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Pongsakorn Wonjongkam (พงศกร วันจงคำ ) |
| Rated at |
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| Height | 5 ft 4 in |
| Reach | 63+1/2 in |
| Born | 11 August 1977 Bua Yai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 98 |
| Wins | 91 |
| Wins by KO | 47 |
| Losses | 5 |
| Draws | 2 |
Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (Thai: พงษ์ศักดิ์เล็ก วันจงคำ; born on August 11, 1977) is a famous boxer from Thailand. He used to be a professional boxer and is now a boxing coach. He was the world champion in the Flyweight division twice. During his first time as world flyweight champion, from 2001 to 2007, Pongsaklek defended his title 17 times against 16 different boxers. Both of these numbers were records for the flyweight division!
Contents
Pongsaklek's Boxing Journey
At the start of his career, Pongsaklek Wonjongkam won 9 fights and lost 2. Both of his early losses were to a Filipino boxer named Jerry Pahayahay. But Pongsaklek later beat Pahayahay in a 10-round fight in 1998. After his second loss in July 1996, Pongsaklek went on an amazing winning streak. He won 55 fights in a row, which was the longest winning streak in boxing at that time!
On March 28, 1997, Pongsaklek won the WBU Light Flyweight Championship. He knocked out Mzukisi Sikali from South Africa in just 48 seconds!
Becoming WBC Flyweight Champion
On March 2, 2001, Pongsaklek Wonjongkam fought Malcolm Tuñacao for the WBC and Lineal Flyweight Championships. (A "lineal champion" is like the true champion, who beat the person who beat the last champion, and so on). Pongsaklek won this fight in the very first round. He knocked Tuñacao down three times, and the referee stopped the fight.
In one of his most famous fights, on April 19, 2002, Pongsaklek knocked out Daisuke Naito from Japan in just 34 seconds! This was the fastest knockout ever in the flyweight division.
Pongsaklek kept defending his title. On November 17, 2006, he beat Monelisi Mhikiza Myekeni from South Africa. This win set a new record for the most consecutive title defenses in the flyweight division, with 16 defenses. He then defended his title again against Tomonobu Shimizu, who gave up during the fight. Shimizu was the 16th different boxer Pongsaklek had defended his title against, setting another record!
Losing and Regaining the Title
Pongsaklek Wonjongkam lost his title in July 2007 to Daisuke Naito. This was a big surprise because Pongsaklek had beaten Naito twice before. They had a rematch on March 8, 2008, which ended in a draw (a tie).
In April 2009, Pongsaklek won the WBC Interim Flyweight Championship by beating Julio César Miranda. An "interim" title is a temporary title when the main champion can't fight. Pongsaklek then defended this interim title. This set up a big fight against Koki Kameda, who was the main WBC Flyweight Champion.
On March 27, 2010, Pongsaklek fought Koki Kameda to become the undisputed WBC Flyweight Champion. Pongsaklek won the fight by decision after 12 rounds. This made him the WBC and The Ring Flyweight Champion once again!
Later Career and Final Fights
Pongsaklek lost his WBC and The Ring Flyweight Titles on March 2, 2012. He was beaten by Sonny Boy Jaro from the Philippines. Pongsaklek was knocked down five times before the fight was stopped in the sixth round.
He later won the WBC International flyweight title in August 2012. However, he lost this title in November 2012 to Rey Megrino. This was Pongsaklek's fifth loss. What made it even more surprising was that Megrino had a losing record, and Pongsaklek had beaten him twice before.
Pongsaklek's Boxing Record Summary
Pongsaklek Wonjongkam had a very long and successful boxing career. Here's a quick look at his overall record:
| 98 fights | 91 wins | 5 losses |
| By knockout | 47 | 3 |
| By decision | 44 | 2 |
| Draws | 2 | |
Boxing Titles Won
Pongsaklek Wonjongkam won many important titles during his career:
Main World Titles:
- WBC flyweight champion (112 lbs) (He won this title twice!)
Smaller World Titles:
- WBU light-flyweight champion (108 lbs)
Lineal Championship Titles:
- Lineal flyweight champion (112 lbs) (He was considered the true champion twice!)
The Ring magazine titles:
- The Ring flyweight champion (112 lbs)
Temporary Titles:
- WBC interim flyweight champion (112 lbs)
Regional/International Titles:
- WBC International flyweight champion (112 lbs)
Other Names Pongsaklek Used
Sometimes, boxers use different names during their careers. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam was also known as:
- Pongsaklek Sitkanongsak
- Pongsaklek Singwancha
- Pongsaklek Kratingdaenggym
- Pongsaklek Petchyindee
- Pongsaklek Kaiyanghadaogym
See also
- List of world flyweight boxing champions
