On a scorching day at Bangkok’s Sasakul Fitness center, the relentless thudding of boxing luggage supplied a rhythmic backdrop to the unforgiving warmth.
This gymnasium was a sanctuary for a lot of, a spot the place warriors honed their craft. On this explicit day, it was sparring time for 2 of Thailand’s high decrease weight boxers. Panya Pradabsri, the reigning WBC strawweight champion, and Thamanoon Niyomtrong, the present WBA “tremendous” champion in the identical division, had been coaching there. Their rigorous preparations had been beneath the watchful eye of none apart from Chatchai Sasakul, a former WBC flyweight champion.
Amidst the sweat-soaked depth, a well-recognized face entered the gymnasium. Boxing supervisor and coach Mr. Poom Kosonset arrived along with his two expenses: Sitthisak Simsri (17-2, ranked at No. 4 by the WBA within the minimumweight division), and his brother Thanongsak Simsri (30-1, at the moment at No. 8 within the WBO junior flyweight division). Their mission that day was to spar with Panya Pradabsri, a necessary a part of Pradabsri’s preparation for his upcoming bout in opposition to the slick southpaw Yudai Shigeoka.
As the 2 Simsri brothers traded blows with Pradabsri spherical after spherical, their fearlessness within the face of relentless work grew to become evident. Each brothers showcased a slick boxing fashion characterised by distinctive footwork and lightning-fast pace.
“My journey with the Simsri brothers started when a good friend who owned a Muay Thai gymnasium launched me to Thanongsak,” Kosonset stated. “On the time, he had by no means boxed earlier than. I skilled him for 2 years, and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than Sitthisak noticed his brother’s progress and joined the boxing journey”.
Each Thanongsak and Sitthisak hail from Sisaket province within the coronary heart of Northeastern Thailand, often known as Isan. This area has produced numerous fighters in each Muay Thai and boxing, pushed by the pursuit of a greater life within the face of poverty. What units the Simsri brothers aside is their restricted beginner boxing background. In contrast to many Thai boxers who transitioned from Muay Thai with a whole bunch of fights beneath their belts, these brothers had solely a handful of Muay Thai bouts.
Kosonset defined, “Thanongsak had solely 40 Muay Thai fights, and Sitthisak had a mere 5. They lacked the intensive expertise sometimes seen in Thai fighters.”
Remarkably, regardless of their restricted expertise, the Simsri brothers have achieved world rankings. Kosonset emphasised that they started their skilled careers with little expertise and realized on the job, steadily constructing their expertise. Each fighters have been constantly lively since turning professional.
At 23 years previous, the older brother, Thanongsak, has ventured exterior his native Thailand to combat 5 occasions in Japan, boasting a powerful file of 4 wins and 1 loss. Notably, he handed Christian Bacolod, a beforehand undefeated prospect from the Philippines, his first defeat. Nonetheless, his greatest problem got here when he confronted former WBC mild flyweight champion Masamichi Yabuki in a world title prelude in 2022. Regardless of a valiant effort, Thanongsak was despatched to the canvas within the second and sixth rounds, resulting in a seventh-round stoppage.
Supervisor Kosonset shared his ideas on the Yabuki combat, stating, “Earlier than going through Yabuki, I knew Thanongsak lacked expertise. He’s solely 24 now. I need to present him with extra alternatives to realize expertise over the subsequent two years and make him stronger earlier than making an attempt one other world title shot. I imagine he can do it.”
In his most up-to-date bout in August, Thanongsak secured a second-round victory over Japanese journeyman Shota Asami (10-12).
The youthful brother, Sitthisak Simsri (17-2), confronted a tricky setback in his final combat in opposition to Japanese southpaw Yuga Ozaki (4-0-1) for the WBC youth mild flyweight title. Sitthisak was dropped twice within the first spherical, prompting the referee to cease the motion within the second spherical. When requested about this step up in competitors, Kosonset commented, “I believe Ozaki is powerful, a former Japanese beginner champion with intensive expertise. Sitthisak has restricted expertise, however he possesses coronary heart and trains diligently.”
Kosonset continued, “Whereas preventing for a world title is perhaps difficult for him as a result of his lack of expertise, I imagine he can grow to be an Asian champion. I need him to take part in smaller reveals to realize precious expertise and regularly progress. Each brothers are devoted and disciplined, by no means giving up.”
Presently, the Simsri brothers have absolutely embraced the demanding path {of professional} boxing, studying on the job as a result of their restricted combat expertise. They preserve a busy schedule, actively competing on a month-to-month foundation and sparring with world champions at numerous gyms to realize precious expertise.
Thanongsak, coming off a current win, appears poised for a world title shot inside the subsequent yr or two. In the meantime, Sitthisak, regardless of his final difficult bout, stays a younger 21-year-old fighter with 19 skilled fights beneath his belt.
In a world the place fairy tales typically come true, may we witness them following the footsteps of legendary Thai brothers and former champions Khaokor and Khaosai Galaxy? Solely time will reveal the reply.
One factor is for certain: the Simsri brothers have their eyes on the celebs.
