Perico Fernandez 'I Got KO'd By A 2-Bout Pro'

Flea Man,,,,,,,,,,,,Glad to see you're back...:hi:

'Little Perico' Fernandez,

Really a 5' 6 1/2" 135 lb. - Lightweight.

Perico, a very strong and busy fighter, with a good right hand called the 'Bilboa Bomb'.

His manager, Martin Miranda wanted him to campaign as a 140 lb. Light-Welterweight in 1974, where he would
get an easier shot at a World Championship for the following reasons;

A) WBC Light-Welterweight Champion Bruno Arcari (Italy) was moving up to Welterweight, leaving the Championship 'vacant'.

B) The Spanish Boxing Commission had a good relationship with the WBC in the Light-Welterweight division.

C) There would be no chance to get a shot at the WBC Lightweight Championship.

D) The WBC Lightweight Division was locked up with, Champion * Rodolfo Gonzalez, and in-line WBC contenders
#1 Ishimatsu 'Guts' Suzuki
#2 Esteban De Jesus
#3 Ken Buchanan
#4 Ray Lampkin
#5 Arturo 'Tury' Pineda

E) WBA Lightweight Champion * Roberto Duran would not defend his Title outside his 'home country' of Panama, where he
was 'unbeatable'.

 

Flea Man,,,,,,,,,,,,,,You're too kind

Tuesday Night - July 15, 1975

Hua Mark Stadium (Bangkok, Thailand)

Attendance; 15,000

WBC Light-Welterweight Championship

Martin Miaranda, Perico Fernandez' manager, agrees to have his fighter defend his
WBC Championship in Bangkok, Thailand - for a fight purse of $100,000 (6,000,000 Pesetas)

The WBC Championship Committee and WBC President - Ramon G. Velazquez, agree to sanction
the bout between the Champion * Perico Fernandez (Spain) and the #4 WBC Challenger -
(2-Bout Professional) Saensak Muangsurin (Thailand) providing the sanctioning fee's are
pre-paid by the Fight Promoter - Lope 'Papa' Sarreal.

The Players

Perico Fernandez (Zaragoza, Spain)
* WBC Champion Light-Welterweight
Age.........22 years, 8 months
Height......5' 6 1/2"
Weight.....139 1/2 lbs.
Reach......67"
Record.....34-3-9 (18 KO's)

Saensak Muangsurin (Bangkok, Thailand)
# 4 WBC Light-Welterweight
Age.........24 years, 11 months
Height......5' 7 1/2"
Weight.....140 lbs.
Reach.......71"
Record......2-0-0 (2 KO's)

 

The Fight

WBC Champion - Perico Fernandez vs #4 WBC Challenger - Saensak Muangsurin

The Tuesday Night - July 15, 1975 'Championship Bout' at the Hua Mark Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand was
fought in intense heat of 113 degrees, and under a strength-sapping high humidity level.

By mid fight, the temperature reaches 122 degrees in the ring.
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Round 1
The Champion - Perico Fernandez uses his 'straight forward' aggressive style, to try an
immediatley neutralize the southpaw style of the Thai Challenger. The round goes well
for the Spaniard, a he is able to back Muangsurin up, while landing straight right hands
to the body, and quick short left jabs to Saensak's face.

Round 2
Fernandez still stays aggressive at the start of the round, but this time he is met by a
'two-fisted' barrage from Saensak. A double right hook to the head by Muangsurin,
has Perico retreating backwards. Sensing he has the Champion in some trouble,
Muangsurin charges in with heavy punches, and buckles Perico's legs at the 1:45 Mark
with another right hand barrage.

Saensak scores with a hard straight left to the jaw, and Perico almost goes down as his legs
start to go. Saensak fires away with both hands, as he tries to put the Champion away.
Fernandez is able to grab and hold over the last 30-seconds, to last out the round.

Round 3
Saensak comes out strong, and continues to pound away at his shorter and not as strong opponent.
The Champion, instead of boxing and moving, tries to 'foolishly' slug it out with the 'southpaw' Challenger,
and is turing this into a 'give-and take' brawl.

Perico tries to force Saensak to expend alot of energy early, in hopes of wearing him down later, but Fernandez
is absorbing many hard punches to the head. Saensak is in complete control, and continues to score
with clean sharp punches, but Perico hangs tough.

Round 4
Saensak continues with his 'sharp punching' and is out-landing the Champion 4 to 1. Perico, turns the
tide at the 1:00 Mark in the round, as he lands a couple of hard-pumches, slowing the hard-hitting
Thai-fighter down.

Perico charges straight-in, and has abandoned any of his usual side-to-side movement or elusive defensive skills.

Fernandez is trying to land one his famous 'Bilboa Bomb' right hands, but the 'southpaw style' and
longer reach of Saensak is making it difficult for him to get close, without getting 'tagged'.

Several hard right hooks and straight left hands by Saensak at the 1:30 Mark, have the Champion in
trouble again. Perico tries to rally back with a straight forward charge, and manages to score with some
medium-power punches.

At the 2:20 Mark, Perico finally lands one his patented 'Bilboa Bombs', a right-hand on the button, but
Saensak just steps back.

Then the Thai Challenger - Saensak Muangsurin 'taunts' WBC Light-Welterweight Champion, by dropping his
hands to his side, inviting Perico to hit him.

 

In Round 5, the Thai Challenger went looking to put the 'fading' Champion away. Like a 'propelled rocket launcher',
Saensak started to load-up on his punches, and had Perico in trouble, after landing several hard straight left
hands on the Champion. Perico tried to foolishly slug it out with the harder hitting Thai, by moving straight
forward, into Saensak's punching zone.

Late in the round, a 'ripping' right hook by Muangsurin sliced Perico's Fernandez 'left eye, causing the
Champion more trouble.

Perico Fernandez is affected by the increasing heat and East Asia humidity.

In Round 6, Perico went 'balls out' in trying to stem-the-tide. Perico suprised Saensak
with a two-fisted barrage, and for the first time in the Championship bout, the Champion
was able to back up the Thai Challenger. Perico bore his head down, and drove Saensak into
the ring-corner, where threw punch-after-punch at Saensak's body.

The hard-work by Perico cost him 'dearly' in Round 6, as the intense heat (122 degrees) and high humidity
sapped his strength. The Champion was 'gassed' at the end of Round 6.

In Round 7, Saensak went into 'High Gear', and started whacking the Champion with frighteningly
hard punches to the face, which hurt Perico. As the round continued, Saensak was on the complete offensive,
and started to throw hard body punches, forcing the Champion to whince in pain while in 'survival mode'.

During Round 7, Perico Fernandez had suffered a 'badly' broken nose, as well as a complete battering.
At the end of the Round, the Champion walked backed to his corner in severe pain.

In between Rounds - The Champion's Cornermen - Joseh Coutu, Martin Miranda and Joe Martin' did all they
could to revive Perico.

At the start of Round 8, Perico walked towards Mexican Referee - Ernesto Magana and told him he could not continue,
then Perico walked back to his corner where he fell to his knee's.

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Flea Man,

A couple of 'points' with the Perico vs. Saensak fight.

1) Perico did not show up to Bangkok, Thailand until Saturday - July 12th.

2) Intense heat in Bangkok that Tuesday. It reached 113 degrees inside
Hua Mark Arena, and the humidity was strength-sapping.

3) Perico later said, that he made a mistake, with his all-out assault in Round 6.
I should have paced myself, but I got too excited when I hit him with a good
right hand that backed him up. I thought I had him in trouble.

4) Also, Perico later claimed that his food or drink, the day of the fight,
was 'spiked', leaving him weakened. He could not lift his arms by the
5th Round, where he took the 'worst' of the pounding.

5) Perico did praise Saensak, by saying he was 'by far' the hardest hitting
fighter he ever faced. He hit like a 150 lb. fighter, not like anybody I had
ever fought or sparred with.

6) Perico did say that he 'completely under-estimated' Saensak. Before the fight,
in a Bangkok 'press conference', Perico said that he would force the '2-Bout' Novice
to punch himself out over the first half of the bout, by pressuring him. Then he would
turn to his powerful right hand to take the Thai Challenger out by Round 10.

7) Perico Fernandez received a 'flat' $100,000 (U. S. Dollars) for this bout.
He kept $60,000 and his Manager Enrique Soria got $40,000.

8} Saensak Muangsurin received $25,000 for this bout.

9} Though there was no 'signed rematch clause' in the contract, an agreement was
acknowledged that if Saensak did win, he would give Perico a 'rematch' within 120-Days,
(November 1975), in Spain. But, Perico was too banged up (cut left eye and broken nose),
and required more than 4-months time to recuperate.

 

Following the 'battering' by Saensak Muangsurin,

Manager - Martin Miaranda and Trainer - Joe Martin' were reluctant to send their
23 year-old fighter back into a 'rematch' with Saensak Muangsurin, in fear of
ruining Perico Fernandez' career.

The Spanish Boxing Commission suspended Perico Fernandez following the loss,
and would not let him re-enter the ring for 5-month period.

In an interview with 'El Mundo Deportivo', Perico stated that;
'I now have to rebuild my career, as the knockout loss was devastating'.

 

While waiting for Perico Fernandez to decide if he wants to fight again at 140 lbs.,
or campaign at the 135 lb. Lightweight Division, WBC Light-Welterweight Champion -
Saensak Muangsurin (last fight on July 15, 1975) will have a 'non-title' go
on Saturday - December 13, 1975 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Champion, at 3-0-0 (3 KO's), will face 31 year-old - veteran Philippine Light-Welterweight
and former Top 10 ranked (1970 thru 1972) - Ely Yares of San Jose, California.

The 5' 7" 'southpaw' Ely Yares, who has campaigned since 1964, posts a record of
55-12-1 (19 KO's), and has fought several World Champions in his career. Yares
has never fought for a World Title, and his bout with WBC Light-Welterweight Champion -
Thailand's Saensak Muangsurin will be a 10-Round 'non-title' bout only.

 

January 1976

Former WBC Light-Welterweight Champion, 23 year-old Spaniard - Perico Fernandez,
will now compete at 135 lbs. (Lightweight Division) following his loss {L KO 8} to
Saensak Muangsurin on July 15, 1975.

Perico will return to the ring after a 5 1/2-month hiatus, on Saturday - January 3, 1976
against 34 year-old Brazilian Lightweight - Miguel Araujo 14-12-1 (7 KO's) at
Zaragoza, Aragon, in northern Spain, in Perico's hometown.

Approximately 10,000 Perico fans will be on hand, to cheer the former Champion on, and
wish him returned success in the boxing ring.

Perico with a record of 34-4-9 (18 KO's) will focus on winning the European Lightweight
Championship first in 1976, before returning for a World Championship bout.

The current European Boxing Union Lightweight Champion is Scot - Ken Buchanan.

The current WBC Lightweight Champion is Japan's - Ishimatsu 'Guts' Suzuki.