WBA (The Cast of 1978)

The '2' Top Light-Welterweights from Southeast Asia back then,,,,,,,,,,1975 thru late-1978

Thailand's,,,,,,,,,Saensak Muangsurin and Tongta Kiatayupakdi,,,,,,,,,,

Both 'southpaws' and both could hit.

Saensak did his part on the WBC side, by dethroning Perico Fernandez {July 1975} and again in {October 1976}
by disposing Miguel A. Velasquez.

But Tongta had to face the better Champion in Antonio Cervantes {April 1978},,,,,, on the WBA side.

Then, amazingly, within 7-weeks at the end of 1978, the South Korean Sang-Hyun Kim,
knocked out both Tongta and Saensak in back-to-back fights.

 

August 26, 1978


WBA,,,,,,,,,,,'The Gift That Keeps On Giving'..........:happy

WBA Light-Welterweight Champion, 32 year-old Antonio Cervantes 83-10-3 (42 KO's), gets another 'easy opponent' and for 'big dollars' too.

This time it is South African, Norman Segkapane and 'Kid Pambele' gets to make his '3rd' defense in Mmbatho, South Africa,,,,,,,,,,and for $175,000.

Segkapane, the #9 WBA Light-Welterweight, has a 51-6-2 (21 KO's) record, and is a 'Worshipped Hero' in Mmbatho, South Africa,
as every one of his bouts is a sell-out.

The 30 year-old 'Pangaman' is a quick little boxer, and at 5' 6", he is an elusive target. 'Pangaman' is primarily a boxer,
and uses fast 1-2 combinations as his main offense. Not regarded as a 'big puncher, the South African only has
21 Knock-out wins in his 51-6-2 record. To confirm his lack of power, in the 'Pangaman's' last 18-bouts, he has gone
13-3-2 but with only '2' Knock-out wins.

In his previous bout, on April 29, 1978, Sekgapane scored one of his most impressive wins, a Decision (W Dec 12)
over #7 WBA Lightweight, Andries Steyn, for the South African Lightweight Championship.

Norman Sekgapane is primarly a 135 lb. Lightweight, but will move up to the 140 lb. level, for a Championship bout.

As for the WBA Championship bout,,,,,,,,,,8000 'Pangaman' fans turn out for the Saturday, August 26, 1978 bout.
For the first '3' rounds, 'Pangaman' boxes with is 'in-n-out' out style, and does fairly well, winning '2' of the rounds.

But in Round 4, 'Kid Pambele' with a 3" height advantage and longer reach starts to measure his smaller foe, and
drops the 'Panagaman' for an 8-Count. The Champion follows that up in Round 6, by dropping the over-matched
South African 3-times for 8-Counts.

In the fateful 9th-Round, Kid Pambele drops 'Pangaman' again for an 8-Count. A few moments later, Cervantes drops
in the 'finisher' and the bout is stopped.

This was an 'easy and gift defense' for Antonio Cervantes,,,,,as Norman Sekgapane had no business being in the ring
with the 'bigger' Antonio Cervantes.

 

WBA Light-Welterweight Division,,,,,,,,,,

Antonio Cervantes defends his "Championship" twice in 1978,,,,,,,,,,his opponents;

April 28, 1978...........(KO 6)... vs. #1 Tongta Kiatvayupakdli 27-1-0 (16 KO's)
August 20, 1978...... (KO 9).... vs. #9 Norman Sekgapane 51-6-2 (21 KO's)

One has to wonder,,,,,,,why the WBA could not put a Roberto Duran vs. Antonio Cervantes bout together.

As these 'two defenses' for 'Kid Pambele' were absolute 'mis-matches' over undeserving challengers.