:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/956152/Pongsaklek_Wonjongkam.jpg)
Reigning world flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam of Thailand will face Sonny Boy Jaro on March 2 in Chonburi. Ronnie Nathanielsz reports that the WBC has approved the bout.
Pongsaklek (83-3-2, 44 KO) isn't taking his usual absurd mismatch with this fight, but it's also not good enough to be considered one of his "legit" fights, really. If the Thai star didn't take all those fights with guys who were 0-1, 1-2, 1-3, etc., then this would seem really weak. As it is, it just seems predictable. But though Jaro is an OK fighter, this is in fact a really weak title defense.
Jaro (32-10-5, 22 KO) has campaigned between 108 and 115 over his 11-year career, and the Filipino battler has lost pretty much all of his steps up in competition. Over the years he's been stopped by Florante Condes (the two split a pair of bouts very early in their careers), Monelisi Myekini, Pornsawan Porpramook, Danilo Pena, Giovani Segura, and Oscar Ibarra.
He was also widely outpointed by Edgar Sosa in 2008, when he fought for Sosa's WBC belt at 108, lost a technical decision to Angky Angkotta in 2005, and his most recent loss was a 10-round decision against Japan's Hirofumi Mukai.
In his last bout, Pongsaklek had a one-round technical draw with Mukai on December 23. The 34-year-old captured his current crown in March 2010 with a terrific win over Koki Kameda, who now holds a title at 118 pounds, and while he's had a series of weak, typical Thailand-style matchups since then, he does have quality wins over Suriyan Sor Rungvisai (who now holds a belt at 115) and Edgar Sosa.
Jaro has won three straight since the loss to Mukai, a series of victories over opponents with losing records, and that apparently qualifies him for this title shot in the eyes of the stern, fair, and reasonable WBC. Jaro is 0-2 in previous world title fights.
Pongsaklek holds a career world title fight record of 22-1-2, which is astounding for the modern era, with the only loss coming to Daisuke Naito in 2007, and the other draw (besides the TD-1 vs Mukai) against Naito in 2008. The loss to Naito is Pongsaklek's only loss since 1996, after turning pro in 1994 at the age of 17.