August 25 remembered: González and Pradabsri retain WBC titles

August 25 is associated with two notable WBC world-title defences in boxing history. Humberto “Chiquita” González stopped Jorge Rivera in the ninth round in Cancún, Mexico, in 1990, while Panya Pradabsri retained his WBC strawweight crown on points in Thailand in 2022.

González entered the 1990 bout as the WBC light flyweight champion and a popular figure in Cancún, Quintana Roo. The Mexican produced a strong performance against Rivera before ending the contest with a knockout in round nine.

The result allowed González to keep his light flyweight championship. His victory came in front of a home audience in Cancún, where the local champion delivered a decisive finish against his challenger.

Thirty-two years later, Pradabsri defended the WBC strawweight title at the City Hall Ground in Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat, in Thailand. The champion, who is also known as Petchmanee CP Freshmart, faced Japan’s Norihito Tanaka over 12 rounds.

Pradabsri completed the distance and was awarded a unanimous decision. The judges’ verdict gave the Thai fighter a clear points victory over Tanaka, allowing him to remain WBC strawweight champion.

The two August 25 bouts ended differently but produced the same outcome for the champions: González kept his light flyweight belt through a ninth-round stoppage in 1990, and Pradabsri held the strawweight title after 12 rounds in 2022. Both victories came on home soil, with González winning in Mexico and Pradabsri succeeding in Thailand.