Saensak Muangsurin 'The Shadow of the Devil'

Saturday - January 15, 1977

Saensak Muangsurin {TKO 15} Monroe Brooks

This content is protected

 

Flea Man,

Some of 'the skinny' on the Saensak vs. Brooks fight.

Saturday - January 15, 1977

Location: Chiang Mai Stadium, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Temperature: 58* (Degrees)

Attendance: 25,000

WBC Champion; Saensak Muangsurin 6-1-0 (5 KO's)....(Age 26 years, 5 months)

#1 WBC Challenger - Monroe Brooks 33-2-3 (21 KO's)..(Age 23 years, 8 months)

Saensak's 'first defense' of his 'second reign'.

Scorecards at the time of the TKO 15.
Referee - Marcello Bertini.......134-129 (9-4-1 in Rounds)
Judge - Jorge Ruiz................137-131 (8-2-4 in Rounds)
Judge - Isidoro Rodriguez.......137-131 (8-2-4 in Rounds)

Both fighters started off very aggressively, and showed off their 'powerful' punches,
by winging right and left hooks.

Monroe Brooks showed that he was a 'tough rival', by dropping the Champion in Round 3 with
a left hook.

After the Champion rose, he was met by an 'avalanche' of rights and lefts from the Challenger.

In Rounds 4 and 5, the Champion 'edged' back into the fight by sticking his long right into the
face of the 'aggressive' American.

In Rounds 6, 7 and 8 - it was Monroe Brooks who was the 'effective aggresor', as he continued
with his 'avalanche assault'.

Early in Round 9, Monroe was able to land a hard left to the Champion's right eye, causing a slight swelling.
But late in the round, the Champion began to 'turn-the-tide', and was encouraged by the cheers of his
countrymen (25,000 fans).

In Round 10, Saensak began to concentrate on the Challenger's mid-section, as he landed vicious left hands
to the Monroe's stomach. And later, Saensak nailed Brooks with a hard left to the nose, which caused the nasal
area to bleed throughout the rest of the bout.

In Rounds 11 thru 13, the Champion kept the pressure on, by scoring with rights and lefts to the face of
the Challenger. Brooks who was showing signs of desperation, and used his experience to get him out
of trouble.

In Round 14, Saensak started hammering a 'fatigued' Brooks, and finally dropped him for an '8-Count'.
Upon rising, Monroe Brooks was fighting on 'instinct' only.

In the Final Round, a 'confident' Saensak 'smiled' as he put on a 'two-fisted assault' on the American,
and pounded the Challenger with 'wicked punches', dropping him at 1:46 of the round. Upon rising
at the '9-Count', Brooks now had a 'closed' right eye. Though he wanted to resume, Referee
Marcello Bertini waved the fight off at 1:55 of Round 15.

After Fight comments:

Saensak Muangsurin;

'I am very happy to win. He was tough, and I offer him good luck in the future. I'm
sure we will meet again.'

Monroe Brooks;

'I did everything I could, but I could not get the win. From the 10th Round and on,
I don't know what happened. I was really fighting by instinct only.'

Jackie McCoy;

'My fighter did well. But the Champion Muangsurin was too strong. I think the Referee was
fair in his judgement.'

 

It is all over for Saensak Muagsurin.

Saturday - December 30, 1978

Chamsil Gymnasium - Seoul, South Korea

Attendance: 3000 (Capacity; 12,000)

Fighting with a 'suspected' detached retina in the (right) eye, the Thai WBC Light-Welterweight
Champion - 28 year-old - Saensak Muangsurin was unable to see the straight left hands from South Korean Challenger,
southpaw Sang-Hun Kim, who stopped the Champion by a Knockout at 2:05 of Round 13.

Sang-Hyun Kim, now 25-2-2 (15 KO's) entered the ring as the #3 WBC Challenger. The 23 year, 11 month
old 'southpaw' was the OPBF Light-Welterweight Champion. The 5' 9 1/2" South Korean was not regarded
as having tremendous power, but Kim did possess good power with the straight left, and did carry fast-hands.

The Challenger exceeded from the start of the bout, as he was the aggressor over the early rounds, by scoring
with fast combinations. The Champion offered no offense in the early going, and adapted a defensive stance.

The Champion attempted to pick up his offense after falling behind at the mid-way point of the bout. But as
Saensak moved forward to throw punches, he was walking into the 'power-range' of Sang-Hyun Kim,
who started dropping in powerful left hands.

Time and again in the later rounds, the Challenger landed powerful and frighteningly hard left hands on
Saensak's unprotected chin. The Champion showing an incredible ability to take punches, continued to
probe forward, looking for the one equalizing punch to change the flow of the fight.

In Round 13, Sang-Hyun Kim was again landing hard left hands on the Champion. Later in the round,
the Challenger bounced several hard punches off Saensak's chin, stunning the Champion, then
Sang-Hyun Kim threw a powerful left hook that caught Saensak flush on the 'jaw-wing', dropping
the Champion hard, where he was counted out at 2:05 of Round 13.

This content is protected

WBC Light-Welterweight Champion - 28 year-old Thailand - Saensak 'Boonsong' Muangsurin
was attempting to make the '8th-Defense' of the 'second reign' of his Championship.

Saensak had entered the ring with a 13-1-0 (10 KO's) record, with his only loss coming via
a 'controversial' 4-Round Disqualification back on June 30, 1976 to Miguel Velazquez.

Many boxing pundits considered Saensak not only 'undefeated, but 'unbeatable, as he exhibited
not only incredible strength, but vicious punching power, and an uncanny ability to take hard
punches from his opponents without flinching.

The 'rumor mill' has it, that Saensak suffered an eye injury (detached retina) back in early-September 1978,
while training in Bangkok, Thailand - while preparing for a schedule October 21 bout with former
WBC Lightweight Champion - Esteban De Jesus (Puerto Rico).

WBC Ratings (before the bout)
*** Saensak Muangsurin
#1...Saoul Mamby
#2...Juan Jose Giminez
#3...Sang-Hyun Kim
#4...Esteban De Jesus
#5...Domingo Ayala

 

Saenak just couldn't 'see' the left hands coming, as per the eye injury.

As for Sang-Hyun Kim, it was his 'greatest performance', as fought like a man possessed in front of his home countrymen.

 

June 30, 1976

The 'controversial' Disqualification.

Saensak Muangsurin later stated, 'That Miguel Velasquez was trying to provoke a foul, as
the Challenger walked towards him after the bell ended both Rounds 2 and 3.'

'He did the same thing at the end of Round 4. I admit, I did hit him, but he put a little
acting into that fall.'

This content is protected

This content is protected

 

Flea Man,

Friday Night - July 28, 1979

Manila, The Philippines

Former WBC Light-Welterweight Champion, and now #3 WBC-ranked Challenger returned
to the ring after losing his Championship on December 30, 1978 to South Korean -
Sang-Hyun Kim.

The Thailand fighter (one-month shy of age 29) did not show any of the 'incredible'
punching power that he has, or once had, as he was out-punched by Filipino
Welterweight Champion - Dan De Guzman over 10-Rounds.

Fighting as a visitor in front of 16,000 Philippine fans, the 145 lb. Saensak was only
able to land his 'hard left fist' infrequently throughout the bout.

Dan De Guzman, a 27 year-old 146 lb. southpaw, continually beat the former Champion to
the punch, with quick right-lefts to the face, then backed out of harms way, as
Saensak was slow to react over the early rounds.

Muangsurin did put on 'a-charge' in Rounds 7, 8 and 10, but it was too late and too little,
as the Filpiono had built up a large points lead.

The Fipino improved his record to 26-3-0 (13 KO's), while the ex-Champion lost his
'second-bout' in a row, and falls to 13-3-0 (10 KO's).

Scorecards;
* Referee.......97-94
* Judge.........97-94
* Judge.........97-95

Tiembonn Intrabutra, Saensak's Manager, had suggested that Muangsurin retire in September 1978,
after suffering an eye injury (detached retina). But the former Champion wanted to give it one more
go in the 147 lb. Welterweight Division. 'This loss is a set-back' stated Mr. Intrabutra.

 

Saturday - April 8, 1978

Jiranakorn Stadium - Haadyai, Thailand

Attendance: 20,000

Temperature: 97* (Degrees)

WBC Light-Welterweight Championship

'The Fight To The Death'

This content is protected

WBC Light-Welterweight Champion - Saensak Muangsurin (Thailand) will be attempting
to defend his Championship for the 7th time during his 'second reign', versus Venezuelan
Light-Welterweight, #8 WBC-ranked Challenger - Francisco Moreno (Venezuela)

Saensak 'Boonsong' Muangsurin
WBC Light-Welterweight Champion
12-1-0 (9 KO's)
Age........27 years, 8 months
Height.....5' 7 1/2"
Weight....140 lbs.

Francisco 'El Furioso de Toro' Moreno
#8 WBC Light-Welterweight
28-4-0 (13 KO's)
Age.......25 years, 6 months
Height....5' 8"
Weight...140 lbs.

Champion - Seansak Muangsurin landed a 'tremendous' left hand to
the body of Venezuelan Challenger - Francisco Moreno to score a
TKO 13, in defense of his Light-Welterweight Championship.

The Challenger, who had problems making the 140 lb. weight limit,
fought well over the first 3-Rounds, and scored with several hard
punches in Round 3, driving Saensak Muangsurin back.

The Venezuelan showing very good boxing skills, as he kept the Champion
'off-balance' by darting in and out, and using side-to-side movement when
the Champion got close.

But, by Round 8, the Champion began to land his 'hard left fist' on both
the body and shoulders of Moreno.

In Round 13, Saensak backed the 'fleet-footed' Moreno into a 'neutral corner'
and unloaded with a tremendous left to the body, felling the Challenger for the 'full-count'.

At the time of the stoppage, American Referee Jay Edson, and Japan
Judge Sekada had the Champion ahead on the scorecards by '6-Points'.

Incredibly, Venezuelan Judge Ray Cairasal had his countryman up by
a 'single-point'.

After bout coments;

Saensak Muangsurin; 'He was a good boxer. He fought well, and I will give
Francisco another opportunity.'

Francisco Moreno; 'I had trouble making weight. I had to fight faster than I usually do,
because I didn't think I could carry the fight for a full 15-Rounds with my weight loss and
high climate temperature. The Champion is very strong. Once he hit me with that body
punch in Round 13, I was finished.'

This content is protected

 

Flea Man,

The July 1975 WBC Rankings,

Saensak Muangsurin at 2-0-0 (2 KO's) was ranked as the #4 WBC Light-Welterweight
before he won the Championship over Perico Fernandez in July 1975

 

July 1975 WBC Rankings,

*** Perico Fernandez
#1...Antonio Cervantes
#2...Monroe Brooks
#3...Hector Thompson
#4...Saensak Muangsurin
#5...Esteban De Jesus
#6...Jo Kimpuani
#7...Joao Henrique
#8...Antonio Ortiz
#9...Carlos Maria Jiminez
#10..Bernardo Prada

Both - Lion Furuyama and Rudy Barro fell out of the WBC Top 10.

 

In November 1974 - Rudy Barro was ranked as the #1 WBA Lightweight
for Roberto Duran's WBA Championship.

The WBC had Rudy ranked as the #4 Light-Welterweight.