Chann Thonson is on a journey to make a name for himself in the lightweight division. Literally.
Thonson will face Ruben Neri Munoz Saturday night at the Casino Buenos Aires in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 10-round fight will precede the main event bout between junior featherweight contenders Nazarena Romero and Paulette Valenzuela.
Both fights will stream live on DAZN (9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT).
Thonson (16-0, 13 knockouts), who resides in Brossard, Canada, will be facing a fighter in Munoz, who has struggled as of late, losing two of his last five bouts. Munoz (15-2, 11 KOs) will be fighting in his hometown, but Thonson believes he can both overwhelm and make a statement to the other lightweights in the division.
“I feel I have reached the true halfway point in my career,” Thonson told The Ring Wednesday. “I definitely want to make a statement. Winning this (regional) title will open doors so I want to kick them down and announce myself with a great dominant performance.”
Including Saturday, Thonson will now have fought in five different countries. He has fought on club shows and on bigger platforms, including ShoBox. In that fight, which took place in June 2022, Thonson stopped Tyler Tomlin in a clash of unbeaten prospects.
Since the Tomlin fight, Thonson has won his last five fights by knockout. Overall, Thonson has stopped his last seven opponents.
“Since the Tomlin fight aired on Showtime, I don’t think I’ve been under the radar,” said Thonson, who is already rated No. 3 by the WBA. “That, to me, was a great fight to show that I could handle (fighting) on a big stage and perform perfectly. Under the lights, and also in boxing, there’s a lot of work that goes into the sport. Outside of the ring, I had to be patient, but my time is now and I’m only going up.”
Thonson’s twin brother, Trevor, is also an unbeaten lightweight, having accumulated a record of 12-0, 10 KOs. Trevor Thonson will also fight on Saturday’s card at the Casino Buenos Aires, along with unbeaten middleweight prospect Jayquan Carty (6-0, 5 KOs).
All three are managed by Cedric Boswell, a former heavyweight contender who is high on the twin brothers and that it is a matter of time before they both make an impact in the lightweight division.
“(Chann) is a good boxer with great work ethics, trains really hard,” said Boswell. “I think he will do very well. (Trevor) punches very, very well and also boxes. I think they both will handle the (135-pound) division very well. (Trevor) is going to give people and the division problems because of his power.”
Trevor Thonson was to represent Jamaica at the 2020 Olympic Games, but withdrew due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chann Thonson is grateful for the opportunity boxing has brought both brothers together, whether inside or outside of the ring.
“Training alongside my brother has been a true blessing,” said Thonson, who made his pro debut in September 2016. “I don’t think I could’ve gotten this far without him. Just having that person who’s been with me in our career, and for both of us to be doing so well, pushes me and makes the journey so much more rewarding. It’s actually twice as rewarding.”
Thonson hopes to stay active and is eyeing a fight again in December or sooner, if the opportunity presents itself. He also hopes to make history by becoming the first world titleholder at 135 pounds from Canada.
Nicholas Walters was Jamaica’s most recent world titleholder. Winning a world title belt would mean everything to Thonson, considering his background and family history.
“A world title would mean a whole lot. There has never been, in the sport of boxing, any lightweight from Canada who has been a world champion. As for Jamaica, it would mean a lot as my heritage is Jamaican, who are strong and proud people. Winning a world title gives more testimony to the strength of a people coming from a small country.”
Where he measures himself amongst other lightweights in the division, Thonson believes he is up there in the upper echelon of the division. Despite being in his early 30’s, Thonson is confident the boxing world has not seen his full potential yet as a pro.
“I believe I’m the best. I bring unique attributes to the division and, as I get the chance to prove that, my skills will be evident.
“I don’t believe the boxing world has seen the best version of me. The better fights I fight, the more will be shown and, as I continue to grow as a person, I continue to grow as a fighter.
“The boxing world will eventually see a better (version of) Chann Thonson.”
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached at santio89@yahoo.com
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