WBC super-flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai vowed yesterday to hurt Juan Francisco Estrada badly and knock him out if they meet again.
The 31-year-old Thai boxer returned to a warm welcome at Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday after scoring a majority win over the Mexican challenger at the Los Angeles Forum on Saturday.
Two judges scored it 117-111 and 115-113 in favour of Srisaket while the other saw it a 114-114 draw after 12 rounds.
Estrada, 27, has since complained about the judging and called for a rematch.
"I am ready to fight anyone. I am not afraid of anyone on the planet in the 115-pound division,'' Srisaket said at the airport.
I liked a @YouTube video https://t.co/JMU7hbZdUT Srisaket Sor Rungvisai vs Juan Francisco Estrada I Post Fight Interviews (HBO
— Juárez (@ELMEJOR3967) February 27, 2018
Following the loss, Estrada (36-3-0, 25KOs) posted photos of Srisaket's bruised face and his fresh face on his Instagram account.
"I don't care. I won and everybody saw it. The judges saw it, the world saw it. I think I clearly won,'' said the champion, known in Thailand as Srisaket Nakornloung Promotion.
"If he still has doubts, then he should seek a rematch. I am ready to fight him again. Next time, I will break his eyes and hurt him badly. I will knock him out."
However, Srisaket, whose real name is Wisaksil Wangek, said if he could choose, he would like to have a rematch with Carlos Cuadras, another Mexican boxer who beat the Thai in 2014.
"I want to settle the score with Cuadras,'' said Srisaket (45-4-1, 41KOs).
His manager Surachart Pisitwutthinan said he wanted to organise a warm-up bout for Srisaket in Thailand before a possible fight in the US later this year.
Meanwhile, hundreds of well-wishers, including Srisaket's father Chiamsak and mother Noorat Wangek, greeted the champion at Suvarnabhumi airport.
His girl friend Patchareewan Kianha, who suffered a minor injury in a motorcycle accident, was not present.
The couple will seek an auspicious date for their wedding.
They initially planned to marry last year but it was postponed due to Srisaket's fight with Estrada.
Chiamsak and Noorat prepared grilled rats, spicy ant eggs and sticky rice for their son to eat at the airport.
Last night's back-and-forth brawl between Sor Rungvisai and Estrada was an instant classic. Watch exclusive highlights from the fight that ended in @srisaket_ssr scoring the majority decision win over @GalloEstradaOfi. #Superfly2 #SorRungvisaiEstrada #Boxing pic.twitter.com/n780nvSZ2r
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) February 25, 2018
Srisaket received one million baht from his sponsor Osotspa. He will also get six million baht from his fight fee of US$250,000 (about 7.8 million baht).
His home province of Si Sa Ket will hold a welcome party, featuring three elephants, for the champion on March 18.
The event will take place in the northeastern province quite late since Srisaket will be busy visiting sponsors and appearing in a series of TV programmes.
In England, WBA super-middleweight champion George Groves announced he was having shoulder surgery but hopes to fight in a delayed World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) final against Callum Smith on June 2.
Groves, 29, who secured a unanimous points win over fellow British fighter Chris Eubank Jr at the Manchester Arena earlier this month, described the procedure as "minor".
He dislocated his left shoulder in the final round against Eubank.
