By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing
IBF #1 light welterweight Apinan Khongsong (16-0, 13 KOs) is confident he will defeat IBF/WBA champion Josh Taylor (16-0, KO 12) when he finally gets his IBF mandatory opportunity in 2020. Khongsong became the mandatory contender after he stopped Japan’s Akihiro Kondo in round five on February 18, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan, but he has been waiting nearly two years for his title shot while Taylor competed in and ultimately won the World Boxing Super Series.
“I am prepared to promote the IBF title fight between my boxer Apinan Khongsong and IBF Champion Josh Taylor in Thailand in 2020,” said Jimmy Chaichotchuang, the promoter of Khongsong. “We will now wait for the IBF to order the IBF mandatory title bout.
“Taylor is a strong champion but Khongsong is determined to become IBF world champion and will work very hard for this fight. Khongsong has been sparring with unbeaten Australian light middleweight Troy O’Meley at Kiat Kreerin boxing camp in Thailand. He will be ready for Taylor and this fight could be in Thailand in 2020.”
No way the fight goes to Thailand. Apinan Khongsong goes to the UK. This boxer has only defeated 4 fighters with winning records, two of them 12-3, one of them 11-3, and then he beat Kondo. If he beat #7 Jeremias Ponce, I might be a believer. Everything in Thailand in boxing, with contenders who can be champions/are champions is up to 122 lbs. Apichet Petchmanee is one at 135 who can go places, but at 5-0 and 30 years old, doesn’t have much time to do anything.