# Saen Sor Ploenchit vs. Hiroki Ioka

Saen Sor Ploenchit vs. Hiroki Ioka, billed in Thailand as Khu Muay Haeng Totsawat (Thai: คู่มวยแห่งทศวรรษ, "Fight of Decade"), was a professional boxing match contested on October 17, 1995, for the WBA flyweight championship.

## Background

Hiroki Ioka, at that time, had already been a world champion in two weight classes, the WBC 105 lb title and the WBA 108 lb title. This time, if he can win, he will become the first Japanese and Asian boxer to become a three-weight classes world champion.
For Ioka, he was a Japanese boxer that Thais know well because he has fought Napa Kiatwanchai triple in the 105 lb division in 1988–89. Ioka drew once and lost twice, never beating Napa.
This was also his second attempt at the flyweight world title, having lost his first by TKO to the crown holder David Grimán in June 1993. Grimán later lost this title to Saen in February 1994.
While Saen Sor Ploenchit, this will be his 6th title defense and his first overseas fight, having previously challenged and defended world title in various parts across Thailand between 1994 and 1995.
Hiroki Ioka prepared well for the fight, training for 3 and haft months, total 167 rounds, from trained by Germán Torres, and sparring with two heavier weight class Filipino boxers.
Before the fight, Ioka's former rival, Napa, thought that he could not stop Saen. Muay Thai and professional boxing commentator Damrong Taithong aka Samingkao believe that Saen has a 70–80% chance of winning, also believed that it will be a knockout.
As for the views of the Japanese media, there were also different opinions.
According to Saen's promoter Songchai Rattanasuban, 3–4 days before that, he was very excited and had trouble sleeping.
Additionally, this fight also had a huge impact on the Thai boxing circle, as less than a month earlier, Chatchai Sasakul had lost to the Tokyo-based Russian boxer Yuri Arbachakov in a mandatory fight for the WBC flyweight championship via 12–rounds.

## The fight

The event took place at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Namba, Osaka, Ioka native. Amidst the 15,000 spectators, the stadium was full (at that time) with around 150 Thai supporters, including officials from the Thai Embassy in Japan and the Thai Consulate in Osaka. The gloves that both of them wore were 6 oz, Winning brand.
Since both of them were boxers with similar body shapes, namely tall and slender with long arms, they have similar fighting styles, namely boxing style. In the second and third rounds, as challenger, Ioka showed a slight edge over the Thai champion.
The fight continued into the 10th round. In the middle of the round, while both were fighting at close range, Saen landed several left and right punches to Ioka's face, causing him to fall to the ring floor and lie on his back. When Ioka got up, he had a cut on his left eyebrow and bleeding. When the referee Mitch Halpern counted to eight, he allowed the fight to continue, but Ioka lost his balance and staggered backwards. Halpern decided to stop the contest, Saen therefore won decisively by TKO in this round at 2:42 mins.

## Aftermath

When the bout ends, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) sent a royal message to Saen and his staff through the Thai Consulate in Osaka, stating that he had watched Saen's fight on television and had praised him for his performance.
Saen opened up on the ring that the fight was still evenly matched in the early rounds, but he was confident of winning after the 4th round.
As for the future of Saen Sor Ploenchit, Songchai Rattanasuban gave an interview before the fight that it is on the cards that after the fight with Ioka, there might be a unify match with WBC champion the undefeated Yuri Arbachakov, which might be a fight in a neutral country like the United States on the undercard of Mike Tyson under the organization of Don King. However, the fight never happened until Saen unexpectedly lost the title to Venezuelan José Bonilla late the following year, and never came back as a champion again.
For Hiroki Ioka, despite this disappointment, he continued to box and had two more chances to challenge for the world title, in the flyweight division against Bonilla who got the belt from Saen, in February 1997, and the junior bantamweight division against fellow-countryman Satoshi Iida in April 1998, but were unsuccessful.

## Broadcasting

| Country | Broadcaster |
| Japan | TV Osaka |
| Thailand | Channel 3 |