Srisaket Sor Rungvisai vs Roman Gonzalez 2

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai retained the WBC super-flyweight championship by knocking out Roman Gonzalez in the fourth round at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, on September 9, 2017. The official time was 1 minute 18 seconds. Referee Thomas Taylor stopped the contest without beginning a count after Gonzalez was dropped for the second time in the round and left flat on his back. A sell-out crowd of 7,418 attended the promotion, which was devoted to the leading fighters at 115 pounds and also included Naoya Inoue’s stoppage of Antonio Nieves and Juan Francisco Estrada’s points victory over Carlos Cuadras.

The match was an immediate return of their severe contest at Madison Square Garden six months earlier. Sor Rungvisai had taken the championship and Gonzalez’s unbeaten record by majority decision, winning by scores of 114–112 on two cards while the third official returned 113–113. The verdict was disputed because Gonzalez had landed with great frequency despite suffering an opening-round knockdown and cuts caused by clashes of heads. The World Boxing Council ordered a return, providing the Nicaraguan with an opportunity to recover the title and establish that the first defeat of his 47-fight career had been an error of scoring. Gonzalez, a champion in four divisions and formerly regarded as the leading fighter in the sport irrespective of weight, entered at 46–1. Sor Rungvisai was making the first defence of the championship he had regained in New York.

Sor Rungvisai weighed the super-flyweight limit of 115 pounds, while Gonzalez was announced at 114.8. The Thai champion was again the naturally stronger man and, unlike the first contest, he established that superiority without becoming involved in prolonged exchanges at close quarters. Fighting from the southpaw stance, he kept his feet beneath him, attacked the body and looked to counter Gonzalez’s advances with heavy punches from either hand. Gonzalez tried to resume the busy, combination-punching method that had carried him to championships from minimumweight through super-flyweight, but his blows did not have the same effect as the champion's.

Both men began briskly in the opening round. Sor Rungvisai immediately directed punches towards the body, while Gonzalez moved forward behind combinations and tried to close the distance. Their opposing stances led to another accidental clash of heads, prompting Gonzalez to complain to Taylor. The crowd, which largely favoured the challenger, reacted against Sor Rungvisai, and the referee cautioned the champion. The incident did not cause the cutting which had complicated their first meeting, and Sor Rungvisai remained composed. He gave ground when necessary, then planted himself to deliver the heavier counterpunches as Gonzalez stepped within range.

The pattern continued through the second and third rounds. Gonzalez was willing to lead and stayed active, but Sor Rungvisai controlled the exchanges with strength and timing. The champion’s punches were wider than those of Gonzalez, yet they arrived with considerably greater force. He worked downstairs to slow the challenger and then brought hooks around the guard to the head. Gonzalez produced combinations in reply, though he was required to take a solid counter whenever he remained close enough to sustain his attack. There were occasional head clashes because of the orthodox fighter moving against the southpaw, but no fouls or point deductions. Sor Rungvisai appeared increasingly settled, while Gonzalez was unable to impose the pressure which had made the later rounds of their first contest so competitive.

The conclusion came suddenly in the fourth. Sor Rungvisai caught Gonzalez with a heavy right hook to the head and dropped him hard. Gonzalez rose at seven, but his legs were uncertain, and he had not fully recovered his balance when Taylor allowed the contest to continue. Sor Rungvisai did not rush in recklessly. He followed the challenger, waited for another opening and resumed his attack with controlled aggression. Gonzalez attempted to defend and answer, but his reactions had slowed after the knockdown.

Approximately 30 seconds later, Sor Rungvisai drove another right hook against Gonzalez’s jaw. The challenger fell backwards and landed flat in the centre of the ring, his arms out and his eyes closed. Taylor recognised immediately that no count was necessary and waved the fight over. Medical personnel entered the ring as Gonzalez remained on the canvas for several minutes. He eventually sat up and was helped to his stool before being taken to hospital for precautionary examination. The finish left no doubt, as with their first encounter.

The recorded punch figures supported the champion’s control of the short contest. Sor Rungvisai landed 80 of 291 punches, while Gonzalez connected with 58 of 212. Both registered a 27 per cent success rate, but all 80 of Sor Rungvisai’s scoring blows were classified as power punches. The figures did not measure the difference in effect. Gonzalez continued to throw in his accustomed combinations, but Sor Rungvisai’s individual punches carried the authority and ultimately determined the result. There were no scorecards to announce because the contest ended before the completion of the fourth round.

Sor Rungvisai’s second victory established that the first had not resulted merely from an early knockdown, accidental head clashes or favourable judging. He had prepared for four months with the intention of stopping Gonzalez and used a more disciplined method to do so. For Gonzalez, the defeat was his second in succession and his first by knockout. His advance through four weight divisions had brought him against a stronger opponent whose physical power he could neither discourage nor safely absorb. The result confirmed Sor Rungvisai as the WBC champion and closed their rivalry with a decisive conclusion.

I thought Gonzalez deserved the first fight, but the rematch left no argument. Srisaket didn’t merely beat him; he showed that the strength difference at super-flyweight had become too much.

Gonzalez was a brilliant four-weight champion because he could stand close, shift his feet and build combinations without giving opponents room to breathe. Against smaller men, that pressure broke them. Srisaket could absorb it, push him backwards and hurt him with single shots. That changed everything.

The Thai boxed with far more discipline this time. He worked the body, held his position and waited for Gonzalez to enter. The two right hooks in the fourth were perfectly timed, especially the second, which ended matters immediately.

For me, this was the night Gonzalez’s rise through the divisions finally caught up with him. His skill hadn’t disappeared, but his punches no longer commanded respect and his chin was being tested by a naturally stronger man. Srisaket proved the first result was no accident.