OnThEGRiND BOXiNG

Thursday September 24th, 2009
by Jonny Stapleton

Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym claims his advantage in the power stakes will ensure he dethrones WBA Super Bantamweight Champion Bernard Dunne this coming weekend.

The fighter known in Thailand as ‘The Tank’, who insists he will bulldoze his way to a seven round victory, also belittled Dunne’s dramatic victory over former champion Cordoba.

Poonsawat stressed the Cordoba he defeated on points was not the same fighter Dubliner, Dunne knocked out in round eleven of a fight of the year contender in March.

The man been being billed as Thailand’s answer to Manny Pacquiao believes Panamanian Cordoba severely under performed in his world title fight against Dunne.

“We both got hurt fighting Cordoba but we both beat him. To be honest when I saw the Dunne and Cordoba fight I didn’t see the Cordoba that fought me. He didn’t seem in good shape. I don’t know if he didn’t prepare or his weight was wrong but he wasn’t the fighter that I faced. It seems like he was tired. The punch that knocked him out wasn’t that powerful. I think the fitter man won that fight. All credit to Bernard Dunne he did what he had to do and won but I think I have the power to trouble Dunne but I don’t he has the punch to trouble me,” he explained before reiterating his desire to become World Champion.

“I am training harder for this fight than any of the other 39 fights I have been in. I really want to win and I know I have to work hard to beat Bernard Dunne.

“I am in Ireland as the challenger I am not a champion yet. By my next fight I don’t want to be introduced as the champion of the world. This is the first chance I have in my career to achieve that. I have been working toward this all my life and to win would be a dream come true. When I train all I think about is that belt around my waist.”

If the Thai is to snatch the title away from Dunne he will have to overcome one Dunne’s biggest weapons, the raucous and most partisan support in Irish sport.

Poonsawat, who was welcomed by the Thai community when he arrived last Sunday, however believes he is more than equipped to deal with a packed O2 arena.

“Everyone will cheer for Dunne. I have seen on the tapes the atmosphere is amazing. But I also believe the Irish people are fair and although they will all be supporting Dunne they will not be negative or aggressive in anyway toward me. I respect that type of support. They are just supporting their fellow country man. It won’t get to me I have fought in Germany and when the crowd was against me before. I know how to stay focused on the fight. Hopefully their will be a few Thai people in the crowd cheering for me too.”