(MAY 5) In the Bangkokpost News, in today's news, they wrote an article in regards to an upcoming WBC World title bout, that will be held on May 10th,  at the Klong Preme Prison in Thailand.  The two women fighting will be Sor Siriporn (aka: Siriporn Thaweesuk) vs. the current WBC Strawweight world champion, Japan's Nanako Kikuchi.

The Bangkokpost News reported that Sor Siriporn was chosen by the Corrections Department of the Thailand Prison to fight Kikuchi. 

This will be another "Siriporn-named" opponent from the prison system to fight Kikuchi, but this time, Kikuchi will be defending her WBC title----Last year Kikuchi won that belt from another prisoner Nongmai Sor Siriporn, (aka: Wannee Chaisena).

WBAN learned at that time that Nongmai was actually making her pro debut in that world title bout, and yet she was ranked #3 with the WBC in their October and November 2005 ratings, and above other noted women boxers in the sport. We also learned at that time, that Nongmai was told that they would "shorten" her prison sentence if she won that bout.  WBAN checked the last reported rankings (April 2006) of the WBC and Nongmai Siriporn was no longer ranked. She was never ranked anywhere else at anytime to our knowledge.

With this upcoming bout---when the next "Siriporn" boxer fights Kikuchi, she is ranked #15 with the WBC in the April 2006 rankings (see below rankings).  

WBAN did some research in regards to the women boxers who are fighting in the Thailand prisons.  We learned that there is a very good boxing program with one in particular, that has the Siriporn boxers, where there is a top noted Thai Trainer working with these women boxers.

We also learned that many of these matches that take place in prison were not reported, due to not being sanctioned.    We were told that the boxing program has given these women a feeling of self-worth and hope that they can achieve something and work towards improving their life when they are released from prison. The boxing program was mainly intended to help the women prisoners relieve stress and act as a form of exercise, but it has ultimately achieved much more than that with these women in the program.

With that said about the positive things that the prisoners are getting out of the boxing program and being in the sport---it still does not justify or make sense that the top women boxers in the ratings who have worked very hard (outside of prisons) are being passed over for world title bouts.

Unfortunately world title bouts made between women boxers who are mysteriously ranked one time and then fall off  rankings, without any apparent justification, makes a world title bout no more than a farce.
 

WBC RATINGS-APRIL 2006 CHAMPION - NANAKO KIKUCHI, JAPAN WON TITLE: NOVEMBER 7, 2005 1. WENDY RODRIGUEZ, US 2. KRISZTINA BELINSZKY, HUNGARY 3. CARINA MORENO, US 4. ANISSA ZAMARRON, US 5. HOLLY DUNAWAY, US 6. JULIANE QUAASSDORF, GERMANY 7. CHO RONG SON, KOREA 8. MELISSA SHAFFER, US 9. SANDRA ORTIZ, USA 10. SARAH GOODSON, US 11. RIA RAMNARNE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 12. HOLLY SHORES, US 13. YAHAIRA MARTINEZ, PUERT RICO 14. NAO IKEYAMA, JAPAN 15. SIRIPORN SOR SIRIPORN, THAILAND

 
 

WBC RATINGS-NOVEMBER 2005 CHAMPION: VACANT WON TITLE:  LAST DEFENCE: LAST COMPULSORY: 1. WENDY RODRIGUEZ, US 2. CARINA MORENO, US 3. NONGMAI SOR SIRIPORN, THAILAND 4. KRISZTINA BELINSZKY, HUNGARY 5. YUKO SODEOKA, JAPAN 6. MELISSA SHAFFER, US 7. ANISSA ZAMARRON, US 8. VAIA ZAGANAS, CANADA 9. JULIANE QUAASSDORF, GERMANY 10. SARAH GOODSON, US 11. NANAKO KIKUCHI, JAPAN 12. RIA RAMNARNE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 13. HOLLY SHORES, US 14. YAHAIRA MARTIEZ, PUERTO RICO 15. NAO IKEYAMA, JAPAN