The Siamese Triplets @ Straw: 3 Needles in a Haystack, forming prongs of a Trident

Thammanoon Niyomtrong (aka KNOCKOUT), Seansuree Moonsuree (aka Wanheng Menayothin) & Chanachai.

These diminutive scions of Bangkok (Moonsuree lives there; Chanachai & Niyomtrong hail from "parts unknown" but are teammates both sponsored by the CP Freshmart chain, which is headquartered there) are making huge waves at 105lbs of late.

Knockout is the WBA champion, having deflowered the very good Carlos Buitrago aka Chocorroncito (who's sort of Román González Lite, and is mentored by & frequently spars with Chocolatito - and who in his previous bout was held to a home cooked draw against unbeaten WBO champion Merlito Sabillo in Manila) last October.

Wanheng is the WBC champion, forcing brief steward Oswaldo Novoa (a rough-edged but fairly basic domestic-level Mexican journeyman who babysat the belt through one defense after lifting it off China's first ever world champion - eat dirt, Zou! :tong - Xiong Zhao Zhong) to retire on his stool after nine rounds last November.

Chanachai is the WBC Youth champion, and became so in his pro debut (although, lest you cream your panties over that, his opponent was 0-1...) also last November.

So prior to last autumn, none of them had really ever faced a live body on the international scene in the pros.

Now, suddenly, they are the Cerberus-like hell-hound and three headed toast of the minimumweight town.

They are not only the best three in the division in their own country*, they might all be top 5-6 in the world, giving Thailand a monopolized uninational stranglehold almost unrivaled at other weights, even by the "major powers" (in both geopolitics and boxing; ie the US & UK).

* - the only real argument put up is by elder statesman Vicha Phulaikaw aka Pigmy - who is good, but clearly fourth-rung behind these guys in talent, and his time is dwindling rapidly at 33 and having just been knocked out by Hekkie Budler in what's probably his last ever world title shot. Let's just ignore that Mongkol Charoen aka Prasit Sripromtai bizarrely emerged from a fourteen-year retirement a couple of months ago (getting knocked out in the process). For all intents & purposes he doesn't exist in the national rankings. :yep

Of course, let's hold our horses, because they did all only just start taking on meaningful competition (in Wanheng's case, finally, after campaigning in the pros for seven years and close to forty bouts at regional level!). As far as the eye test, however, all get straight A's so far.

With a high likelihood of Buitrago following the elder Choc up in weight sooner than later, this group may form the core of the 105lb elite in the coming years, along with Budler and Kosei Tanaka. Wanheng is the oldest, and will only be 30 come this October. Knockout is 24 and only pro for three years, so he's fresh and has plenty of time ahead. Chanachai might actually be in his late teens or somewhere in his twenties, I'm not sure. He is the youth champion, though, so I'd wager not too old.

Wanheng and Chanachai both made title defenses this morning, and both looked very impressive in scoring unanimous decisions over game but outclassed Filipinos. Knockout is rumored to be making a defense soon over Muhammad Rachman, the hard-nosed but 43-year-old mysteriously #9-ranked former champ from Indonesia.

In sum I've seen them in action four times (Wanheng vs. Novoa and Galero, Knockout vs. Buitrago, and Chanachai vs. Andogan). Each were head-turning, revelatory performances in their own right.

Wanheng by now has proven capable of dealing with two completely disparate styles with consistent efficacy. He stopped the consummately stereotypical Mexican former titlist Novoa with speed and shorter punches, and then put on a clinic in cutting the ring off and scoring hard body shots on the front-foot, bullying his way to an eleven-one decision over a quick-footed outside boxer in Galero.

Knockout only has the one star-making turn over Buitrago by which to judge him. That's enough, though. Buitrago is good, trust me. To beat him in your ninth pro outing and first real step up in class - that's something. Knockout is somebody, and will be for a while I suspect.

Chanachai, we have seen the least of - but he was damn impressive today. Second time out and he gave a fairly solid Pinoy journeyman a horrific beating, on the verge of stopping him close to a dozen times and only coming short on account of Andogan's mindfulness and fierce will to survive.



I'll post up videos soon. :good

(so y'all can educate yourselves!)

 

There, my first CST80-style thread.

How is my yard barking?

 

No, sorry, merely a bit of wordplay on the archaic (perhaps no longer politically correct? :huh) phrase "Siamese twins"...with an extra pun on straw(-weight) & haystack...along with the ccorresponding "like a needle..." cliché referring to 105lb's - and Asian boxing's in general - relative obscurity in worldwide media.

(I overthink lots of things)

I'd considered using the Cerberus motif in the headline instead but figured most General Forum readers are probably not too well versed in their Hellenitic mythology. :think

 

:rofl

"KO", "Moon", & "Chan". Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. :good

 

:happy I will look into that.

 

Oh.

Brilliant! :good

 

Chanachai (red trim) vs. Wilber Andogan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuoh6RvEg0U



Knockout vs. Panghal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B1M23lUv1o

Knockout vs. Refugio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7CLrZ3HgH4

Knockout vs. Sandeep:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqk3YI6KeT8

Knockout vs. Buitrago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu7N7WHbzO0



Wanheng vs. Iwahashi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jepeoDOIvxY

Wanheng vs. Amol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvALQ5AZiAY

Wanheng vs. Novoa:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK1xBhSSb2M

Wanheng vs. Galero
c̶o̶m̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶s̶o̶o̶n̶!̶http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlAoNcxCViY