The boxer, the battle and the book

World boxing champ Pongsaklek Kratingdaeng Gym was fearless as a kid, but he never thought he'd become a professional fighter. As happened with so many young men in his day, he got in the ring because he needed the money.

Now, age 30 and with 17 title defences notched up, he's potentially only a few punches away from breaking the 19-match record held by living legend Khaosai Galaxy.

Pongsaklek already owns his own glory: His 34-second knockout of Japan's Daisuke Naito is a World Boxing Council record. His 15th title defence - against Mexican Everardo Morales - won him a berth in the sport's Hall of Fame, an honour usually reserved for retired fighters. Then there's the fundamental scorecard: The WBC light-flyweight champ has 63 wins in 65 bouts, 31 by knockout. Manager newspaper editor Theerapat Akrasanee is a major fan of Pongsaklek - and he wanted some company - so he offered to write the champ's biography. "Gampan Satanpop" ("Earthshaking Fist"), just released, isn't so much about his boxing style as the difficulties he overcame to get where he is. Pongsaklek has 10,000 fans in Japan, Teerapat says, but nowhere near that number in Thailand. "I've never thought Pongsaklek got the fame he deserves here."

The champ thinks his story might do some good.

"I wanted people to read about how I've overcome my family problems. It depends on you - how you want your life to turn out, good or bad," he tells The Nation.

As a kid, Pongsaklek helped fix cars at his father's garage, so he was being responsible, but his small build got him in trouble - bullies saw him as an easy target - and his ferocious self-defence turned him into a hoodlum.

"I was the head gangster in my village. Most of the kids figured I was small so they liked to bully me, but I didn't care about size. The other guy might have been bigger, but I wasn't scared. If I couldn't fight, then I'd bite."

Boxing promoters noticed - one offered him Bt100 per match - and it's spun forward ever since, with that same fearlessness (minus the biting) abetting his honed boxing skills in the ring.

"I'm confident. I'm never scared of my competitor," Pongsaklek says, "but I never underestimate them."

Pongsaklek was never a big fan of boxing, but after his parents divorced he needed the cash. He remembers earning Bt500,000 for a bout and thinking that, from now on, "My mother and brother will be living fine."

Promoter Virat Vachiraratawawong is full of praise for Pongsaklek.

"Korn has a fighter's heart," Virat says, using the champ's nickname. "He never gives up. He's able to punch three or four times consecutively and finish fast."

He's also disciplined, Virat says, unlike some boxers who become overconfident and cut back on their practice, or are lured into laziness by girls and gambling.

What made Pongsaklek so fearless? His father used to punish him with whippings, for one thing, and he wasn't allowed to cry. It taught him to be tough.

Can anything slow him down in the ring? Well, actually, he had a bad cold when he fought Ghana's Alex Baba and his nose was dripping the whole match.

Pongsaklek has been accused of balking at overseas fights, but in fact his dream is to do battle with the top American boxers, and he'd very much like to take on Australian Vic Darchinyan.

For now, the aim is more successful title defences, with retirement foreseen after the 21st defence, when he's 32. At that point, he says, "I'll go back to my hometown and open a minimart. I'd like an easy lifestyle - I doubt I'll be living in Bangkok."

Next month he flies to Tokyo for another rematch with Naito - he's already beaten him twice. December 5 brings his 20th fight. If Pongsaklek wins, he'll top Khaosai Galaxy's record.

Khaosai, long a national hero, was at the press conference the other day when Pongsaklek's book was unveiled. Suwat Klinkesorn, hosting the launch, noticed that both champs have deep-set eyes.

The reason for that, Khaosai responded, is to make sure than no one can land a punch there that hurts. To a round of appreciative laughter he added graciously that Pongsaklek's self-discipline pretty much guarantees that he's going to top his record.

Khaosai said he's okay with that - he's still a legend.

Lisnaree Vichitsorasatra

The Nation

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