WBC Special Preview: THAMMANOON NIYOMTRONG vs. SHOKICHI IWATA – WBC Light Flyweight World Championship
WBC STATISTICS
WBC Light Flyweight World Championship
March 15, 2026 / Yokohama, Japan / Yokohama Buntai
TEIKEN PROMOTIONS PRESENTS:
THAMMANOON NIYOMTRONG (Thailand)
(aka Knockout CP Freshmart)
· WBC Light Flyweight World Champion
· Former Asian Boxing Council Strawweight Champion
· Former WBA Strawweight World Champion
· Former WBC Youth Strawweight Champion
Age: 35 / Date of birth: September 20, 1990
Residence, birthplace: Surin, Thailand
Record: 29-1, 11 KOs / Total rounds: 254 / World championship fights: 14-1, 3 KOs
Height: 5’0” – 152cm / Reach: 61” – 155cm / Stance: Right-handed
SHOKICHI IWATA (Japan)
· Ranked WBC No. 2 at Flyweight
· Former WBO Light Flyweight World Champion
· Former Oriental & Pacific Boxing Federation Light Flyweight Champion
Age: 30 / Date of birth: February 2, 1996
Residence, birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Record: 15-2, 12 KOs / Total rounds: 112 / World championship fights: 1-1, 1 KO
Height: 5’4” – 163cm / Reach: 64” – 163cm / Stance: Right-handed
WBC LIGHT FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
1. Franco Udella (Italy) 1975
2. Luis Estaba (Venezuela) 1975 – 1978
3. Freddie Castillo (Mexico) 1978
4. Netrnoi Sor Vorasingh (Thailand) 1978
5. Sung Jun Kim (Korea) 1978 – 1980
6. Shigeo Nakajima (Japan) 1980
7. Hilario Zapata (Panama) 1980 – 1982
8. Amado Urzua (Mexico) 1982
9. Tadashi Tomori (Japan) 1982
10. Hilario Zapata (Panama) * 1982 – 1983
11. Jungkoo Chang (Korea) 1983 – 1988
12. German Torres (Mexico) 1988 – 1989
13. Yulwoo Lee (Korea) 1989
14. Humberto Gonzalez (Mexico) 1989 – 1990
15. Rolando Pascua (Philippines) 1990 – 1991
16. Melchor Cob Castro (Mexico) 1991
17. Humberto Gonzalez (Mexico)* 1991 – 1993
18. Michael Carbajal (USA) 1993 – 1994
19. Humberto Gonzalez (Mexico)* 1994 – 1995
20. Saman Sorjaturong (Thailand) 1995 – 1999
21. Yosam Choi (Korea) 1999 – 2002
22. Jorge Arce (Mexico) 2001 – 2004
23. Eric Ortiz (Mexico) 2005
24. Brian Viloria (USA) 2005 – 2006
25. Omar Niño (Mexico) 2006
26. Wandee Singwangcha (Thailand) Interim 2006
27. Edgar Sosa (Mexico) 2007 – 2009
28. Rodel Mayol (Philippines) 2009 – 2010
29. Omar Niño (Mexico)* 2010
30. Gilberto Keb Baas (Mexico) 2010 – 2011
31. Adrian Hernandez (Mexico) 2011
32. Kompayak Porpramook (Thailand) 2011 – 2012
33. Adrian Hernandez (Mexico)* 2012 – 2014
34. Naoya Inoue (Japan) 2014
35. Pedro Guevara (Mexico) 2014 – 2015
36. Yo Kimura (Japan) 2015 – 2016
37. Ganigan Lopez (Mexico) 2016 – 2017
38. Kenshiro Teraji (Japan) 2017 – 2021
39. Masamichi Yabuki (Japan) 2021 – 2022
40. Kenshiro Teraji (Japan)* 2022 – 2024
41. Panya Pradabsri (Thailand) 2024 – 2025
42. Carlos Canizales (Venezuela) In Recess 2025
43. Thammanoon Niyomtrong (Thailand)
* Regained
WBC Top 10 Light Flyweight Champions
1. Humberto Gonzalez (Mexico)
2. Hilario Zapata (Panama)
3. Michael Carbajal (USA)
4. Luis Estaba (Venezuela)
5. Jungkoo Chang (Korea)
6. Saman Sorjaturong (Thailand)
7. Jorge Arce (Mexico)
8. Edgar Sosa (Mexico)
9. Yosam Choi (Korea)
10. Tadashi Tomori (Japan)
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE LIGHT FLYWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY
37 light flyweight world champions have been recognized by the WBC, five of whom have regained the title: Hilario Zapata (Panama), Humberto Gonzalez two times (Mexico), Omar Niño (Mexico), Adrian Hernandez (Mexico), Kenshiro Teraji (Japan).
153 light flyweight world championship bouts have been held in WBC history.
MEMORABLE WBC LIGHT FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS
Dec. 4, 2025 Thammanoon Niyomtrong W12 Junior Zarate – Bangkok, Thailand
Aug. 1, 2025 Carlos Canizales KO5 Panya Pradabsri – Caracas, Venezuela
Dec. 26, 2024 Panya Pradabsri W12 Carlos Canizales – Bangkok, Thailand
Jan. 23, 2024 Kenshiro Teraji W12 Carlos Canizales – Osaka, Japan
Sep. 18, 2023 Kenshiro Teraji TKO9 Hekkie Budler – Tokyo, Japan
Apr. 8, 2023 Kenshiro Teraji TKO9 Anthony Olascuaga – Tokyo, Japan
Nov. 1, 2022 Kenshiro Teraji TKO7 Hiroto Kyoguchi – Saitama, Japan
Mar. 19, 2022 Kenshiro Teraji KO3 Masamichi Yabuki – Kyoto, Japan
Sept. 22, 2021 Masamichi Yabuki TKO10 Kenshiro Teraji – Kyoto, Japan
Apr. 24, 2021 Kenshiro Teraji W12 Tetsuya Hisada – Osaka, Japan
Dec. 23, 2019 Kenshiro Teraji TKO4 Randy Petalcorin – Yokohama, Japan
July 12, 2019 Kenshiro Teraji TKO4 Jonathan Taconing – Osaka, Japan
Oct. 7, 2018 Kenshiro Teraji TKO7 Milan Melindo – Yokohama, Japan
July 2, 2016 Ganigan Lopez W12 Yu Kimura – Kyoto, Japan
Apr. 6, 2014 Naoya Inoue TKO6 Adrian Hernandez – Tokyo, Japan
Feb. 8, 2014 Adrian Hernandez TKO3 Janiel Rivera – Huixquilucan, Mexico
June 19, 2010 Omar Niño W12 Rodel Mayol – San Juan del Rio, Queretaro, Mexico
Nov. 21, 2009 Rodel Mayol TKO2 Edgar Sosa – Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico
Apr. 14, 2007 Edgar Sosa W12 Brian Viloria – San Antonio, Texas
Feb. 18, 2006 Brian Viloria W12 Jose Antonio Aguirre – Las Vegas, Nevada
Sep. 4, 2004 Jorge Arce W12 Juanito Rubillar – Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
July 6, 2002 Jorge Arce TKO6 Yo Sam Choi – Seoul, South Korea
Jan. 30, 2001 Yo Sam Choi KO7 Saman Sorjaturong – Seoul, South Korea
July 15, 1995 Saman Sorjaturong TKO7 Humberto Gonzalez – Inglewood, California
Nov. 12, 1994 Humberto Gonzalez W12 Michael Carbajal – Mexico City, D.F., Mexico
Mar. 13, 1993 Michael Carbajal KO7 Humberto Gonzalez – Las Vegas, Nevada
Dec. 9, 1989 Humberto Gonzalez W12 Jung Koo Chang – Daegu, South Korea
Mar. 26, 1983 Jung Koo Chang TKO3 Hilario Zapata – Daejeon, South Korea
Sep. 18, 1982 Hilario Zapata W15 Jung Koo Chang – Chongju, South Korea
Feb. 19, 1978 Freddy Castillo TKO14 Luis Estaba – Caracas, Venezuela
July 18, 1976 Luis Estaba KO Franco Udella – Caracas, Venezuela
Apr. 4, 1975 Franco Udella WDQ12 Valentin Martinez – Milan, Italy
Big Guy at Light Fly
By James Blears
Knockout CP Freshmart, the tough, wily, and resourceful WBC light-flyweight champion from Thailand, travels to the Yokohama Budokan in Japan to defiantly defend his title for the first time against the ambitious and hungry Shokichi Iwata on Sunday, March 15th.
It is no problem for Freshmart (29-1, 11 KOs) to don his road warrior garb and take to that long and winding open road. Like many Thai fighters highway-bound, he travels to bolster his wage packet—this time with Yen. As they say, zest as well as yeast makes the bread. His “civvy” name is Thammanoon Niyomtrong; the “Freshmart” moniker comes thanks to the supermarket chain that sponsors him. He is determined to prove here and now that while he is seasoned, he remains fresh and definitely NOT past his “sell-by” date. We have arrived at the checkout counter.
The Legend vs. The Puncher
His challenger from Tokyo, Shokichi Iwata, is thirty years old—five years the champion’s junior—and a former world champion himself with appreciably less wear and tear. Statistically, Iwata is a staccato hard-hitter and a dangerous looming threat. His knockout ratio stands at a formidable 80 percent, while Knockout’s own tally is a more modest 37.93 percent. This does not make the champion quaver; he maintained one of the longest reigns in modern boxing history before being unceremoniously deposed from his previous throne.
CP held the WBA strawweight crown from 2016 to 2024, before the hard-hitting southpaw Oscar Collazo—the current nemesis of the lower divisions—stopped him in the seventh round. It remains his only defeat to date. After eleven successful defenses, including a final victory over his legendary compatriot Wanheng Menayothin, CP bounced back from the Collazo loss. Three victories later, he claimed the vacant WBC light-flyweight title by defeating the slick but slender Junior Leandro Zarate of Argentina.
That showcase event took place during the WBC’s 63rd Annual Convention at the Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel in Bangkok. Standing only five-feet-one-inch tall with a sixty-one-inch reach, CP is small, compact, and physically powerful. Against Zarate, he proved that while faster boxers might land, their punches often glance off the battle-hardened veteran who was a Muay Thai champion before turning his hand to boxing. Due to his short frame, CP must “swarm” and fight at close quarters. All his opponents are taller, so he has evolved a style of bobbing and weaving that proves deceiving. The tallest oak in the forest was once just an acorn that held its ground.
Experience vs. Ambition
Shokichi Iwata (14-2, 12 KOs) stands three inches taller than CP and holds a matching three-inch reach advantage. To win, he must exploit these physical gifts to their fullest. Having held the WBO belt previously, he won’t be overawed by the occasion. While CP has fought 254 professional rounds, Iwata has contested 112. Less experience, perhaps, but younger and fresher—the classic “swings and roundabouts” of the sport. Even as an amateur, Iwata defeated the likes of Takuma Inoue and Kosei Tanaka, showing early promise that led to him being named “All Japan Rookie of the Year.”
Iwata first faltered when challenging Jonathan Gonzalez for world honors, losing a decision. He rebounded with four stoppages before winning the vacant WBO title against Jairo Noriega. Surprisingly, he lost the belt in his first defense to Puerto Rico’s Rene Santiago. His most recent outing was a seventh-round knockout of Edwin Cano last October.
The Final Toll
As we wait for the first bell to toll in Yokohama, the contrast is clear. Despite his name, Knockout CP Freshmart is a sage and tactical general rather than a “master blaster.” Conversely, Shokichi Iwata possesses genuine, raw power. Iwata’s mission is to use that power to wear down and break the champion. CP, meanwhile, must use his vast reservoir of experience to thwart, outwork, and confound the younger man.
Good things come in small packages. As this fight unwraps, we are going to see “blue riband” quality action. The question remains: which of the two will tip the balance of circumstance in his favor? Golden Autumn or verdant Spring?
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