By Jonny Stapleton – One of the other two WBA World Champions in Bernard Dunne’s super bantamweight weight division, and the man the Dubliner is set to inherit as a mandatory challenger claims he is the WBA number one, and he can’t wait for the opportunity to face the Irish hero so he can prove it. Most Irish fight fans believed after Dunne had sensationally knocked out Ricardo Ricardo Cordoba earlier this year he became the sole WBA World Champion. However it seems the Dubliner holds only one third of a world belt..
Some farcical behavior by the World Boxing Association means the boxing association doesn’t just have one undisputed champions but in fact has three.
Celestino Caballero (32-02) is ranked number 1 by the WBA and is World ‘Super’ Champion. Irish hero Dunne is ranked number 2 and is WBA World ‘regular’ Champion, while Thai fighter and PABA Champion, Poonsawat Kratingdaeng (38-01) is WBA ‘interterm” Champion.
Things will get less bizarre when Caballero steps up to flyweight later this year. Dunne will then be promoted to the top of the pile and inherit Kratingdeang as a mandatory challenger. And the Thai fighter, who has also accounted for Ricardo Cordoba, claims he would love to fight the pugilist who reinvigorated boxing in Ireland.
“I am aware there are three champions in the WBA Division, but I think I am the number one. Now I am just waiting for the opportunity to prove it,” Kratingdeang explained.
“In my opinion Bernard Dunne is a talented fighter. I think he is a strong and skillful boxer and is full of craft and energy for 12 rounds. I would like to fight Dunne. I am very confident that I could beat him if he doesn’t try to escape a fight against me.”
The Galaxy boxing promoted puncher, who like Dunne only has one blemish on his record, stressed despite speculation in both the Thai and Irish press, and the fact he is the mandatory challenger, contact has yet to be made with camp Dunne. However he indicated he would have no problem fighting in Ireland.
“We haven’t talked with Bernard Dunne or his manager yet. But I would fight him anywhere. With my condition right now, I can go fight anywhere in the world. Of course, fighting in Ireland would give Dunne a big advantage. However, I’m still very confident that I could beat him.”