16 months after handing the 54-0 Wanheng Menayothin his first-ever defeat, Panya “Petchmanee CP Freshmart” Pradabsri made it 2-0 against his countryman this morning with a unanimous decision victory.
Unlike their first meeting, the fight reportedly saw a back-and-forth start before Pradabsri (38-1, 23 KO) took over in the middle rounds. Wanheng (55-2, 19 KO), knowing he was down after eight thanks to open scoring, came on strong late but proved unable to recapture the momentum.
It’s the latest in a series of disappointments for The Fighter Formerly Known as TBE. He’d signed with Golden Boy and was all set for a U.S. debut in 2020 before the pandemic intervened, then proceeded to retire and unretire in quick succession ahead of that first loss to Pradabsri. Now, at 36 years old, it seems extremely unlikely that he’ll ever get back to that big-money precipice.
As for Pradabsri, the ideal next step would see him face WBA champ Knockout CP Freshmart in an all-Thai unification, but that seems unlikely considering how a Wanheng-Knockout fight never materialized. Perhaps WBO champ Masataka Taniguchi or IBF champ Rene Marc Cuarto could more amenable; both scored recent victories and, unless Wilfredo Mendez uses a rematch clause, should be free at the moment.