By Jake Donovan

You can’t ask for much more than what the flyweight division has produced in the past few days. Seven of the Top 11 flyweights (Top 10 plus World champion) ranked by krikya360.com will have seen ring action since last Friday, once the opening bell sounds for Wednesday’s clash between unbeaten titlist Amnat Ruenroeng and McWilliams Arroyo.

The bout takes place in Ruenroeng’s homeland of Thailand, and has quite a bit to live up to given recent divisional activity. Roman Gonzalez emerged as the World lineal flyweight champ with a rousing 9th round stoppage of defending king Akira Yaegashi last Friday in Japan.

Barely 36 hours later, unified titlist Juan Francisco Estrada pledged his case for a rematch with Gonzalez after taking out former 108 lb. king Giovani Segura in front of 22,000 fans in Mexico.

Wedged in between, former flyweight champ Toshiyuki Igarashi claimed a stay-busy win, though in his second consecutive bout above the flyweight limit.

Now all eyes in the division turn to Ruenroeng (13-0, 5KOs) and Arroyo (15-1, 13KOs) in what many deem a pick-‘em bout.

Ruenroeng makes the 2nd defense of the belt he claimed in his vacant title fight with Rocky Fuentes earlier this year. As big a feat as was capturing his first major title, it dwarfed in comparison to his first defense, with a split decision win over former two-division titlist Kazuto Ioka on the road in Japan this past May.

The reward wasn’t without its risk, aside from fighting on the road. Ruenroeng barely made weight, and was dangerously close to exceeding the 10% weight limit fighters involved in IBF title fights (Ruenroeng is the recognized IBF flyweight titlist) are permitted to gain from the weigh-in through the morning of fight day.

For this fight, Ruenroeng checked in at a career-low 109¾ lb., perhaps overtraining to ensure he made weight, or just supremely fit and ready to defend his crown.

Arroyo made a major statement in stopping Froilan Saludar this past June to become mandatory challenger to the title. The feat extended his current win streak to 12, with his lone loss coming early in his career, at a point when he and twin brother McJoe Arroyo were heavily hyped following their having served on the 2008 Puerto Rico Olympic Boxing team.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics marked the last time Arroyo has fought in Asia prior to Wednesday’s title fight challenge. Can he overcome a hostile crowd and foreign surroundings to become just the second Puerto Rican flyweight ever (the other being Eric Morel) to capture a major title? Or will Ruenroeng once again turn away a younger challenger to remain champ?

Read on to see how the staff at krikya360.com believes Wednesday’s flyweight title fight action goes down in Thailand.

 

krikya360.com STAFF PREDICTIONS: AMNAT RUENROENG vs. McWILLIAMS ARROYO

 

Ryan Burton (Arroyo UD): “I like the Puerto Rican to go on the road and dominate his Thai opponent. Ruenroeng may have the experience advantage but McWilliams has every other advantage.”

Jake Donovan (Arroyo TKO9): “Against Ioka, Ruenroeng barely made weight and struggled with stamina despite scoring the upset win on the road. For this fight, he’s at his career lightest. Arroyo won’t have as easy a time as he did in the fight that got him here, but his natural power will ultimately prevail in claiming a title win on the road.”

Lyle Fitzsimmons (Arroyo TKO6): “The younger man (28 to 34) is traveling and he’s not exactly been beating up on the world’s elite at 112 pounds, but it’s not as if he’s fighting the Joe Louis of flyweights here either.”

 

John MacDonald (Ruenroeng Dec.): “As long as Ruenroeng makes the weight better that he did for his win over Ioka, I expect him to pick up a hard fought points victory. Although more economic in his output than many others in the division the Thai champion is accurate and picks his shots well. McWilliams Arroyo can punch but it remains to be seen if his power carries against one of the top fighters at the weight. The champion will likely have to come through tough periods in the fight but home advantage should be enough to secure a points victory.”

Cliff Rold (Ruenroeng Dec.): “Of the three Flyweight title fights in recent days, this one feels the hardest to pick going in. We don’t know a ton about Arroyo yet and we only know a little bit more about Ruenroeng. Arroyo is capable of landing enough hard shots to win a decision if no knockout comes. It feels more likely that Ruenroeng frustrates him and creates a fight with a lot of close rounds. Close rounds often favor home court. In a coin flip fight with no strong favorite, the pick here is Ruenroeng via decision.”

Anson Wainwright (Ruenroeng UD): “The third of three flyweight title fights in six days. Amnat shocked the boxing world (that care what happens below 126 anyway) by going to Japan and upsetting highly touted Kazuto Ioka in May to retain his title and prove he is worthy of being mentioned with anyone at 112. Arroyo was a big amateur culminating in winning gold at the 2009 world championships, since turning pro he's not been able to make the same sort of waves, that said he impressively KO'd previously unbeaten and well respected Frolian Saludar in two rounds to earn this title opportunity. He'll need that sort of power to be able to rip the title from the impressive Thai champion. Unseating a Thai born champion in his homeland is a big ask and so I see Amnat boxing his way to a wide points decision.”

 

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of krikya360.com, as well as a member of Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox