Saman Sorjaturong: Thailand’s Junior Flyweight Champion
Saman Sorjaturong is a Thai former professional boxer who held the World Boxing Council (WBC) light-flyweight title from 1995 to 1999. He won the WBC and International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles together by defeating Humberto “Chiquita” González.
Boxing career and major results
On July 15, 1995, Sorjaturong stopped González in the seventh round at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. The bout was named The Ring’s Fight of the Year. Sorjaturong rose from two knockdowns to stop González 58 seconds into round seven.
Sorjaturong made one successful defense of his IBF title before losing recognition from that organization, while he retained the WBC championship through ten successful defenses. He lost the WBC title to South Korea’s Yo-Sam Choi by unanimous decision on October 17, 1999, in Seoul.
He continued boxing after losing the championship. His best-known achievement remains the 1995 upset of González and the long WBC title reign that followed.
The González fight explains why Sorjaturong’s name remains tied to a single night, but the title defenses show the win was not an isolated result. He held the WBC belt for four years and defended it ten times, while his IBF recognition followed a shorter path. Choi’s decision win finally closed the WBC chapter in Seoul.
Sources
Sources: BoxRec profile; WBC light-flyweight title fights; The Washington Post, July 16, 1995; Los Angeles Times, July 16, 1995; WBC retrospective.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
