Fourth successful WBC Straw weight defence for Pradabsri 

 World Boxing Council Minimum Champion Thai Panya Pradabsri, successfully defended his title by defeating Japanese challenger Norihito Tanaka by technical knockout in the eighth round, in the main bout of a card in Rayong, Thailand.

Pradabsri dropped Tanaka in the first round with a pitch perfect counter left hook and staggered him in the third with right uppercuts. After four rounds, the WBC open score had Pradabsri ahead 40-35, 39-36 and 39-36.

In the eighth round, Tanaka’s trainer dove into the ring to save his fighter from further punishment.

This was Pradabsri’s direct rematch with Tanaka, whom he defeated by decision in August of last year. With the victory, Pradabsri raised his record to 40-1, with 24 knockouts, while Tanaka, 38, left with his record as 20-10, with 10 knockouts.

Now Pradabsri will have to face the interim WBC champion, the Japanese Yudai Shigeoka.