January 20th

2006-Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym Vs Valdemir Pereira
In 2006 Thai veteran Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym ended his career, following a loss on this day to Brazilian fighter Valdemir Pereira in an IBF Featherweight title fight.
 
The Thai, also known as Prayat Sawaingam, had held the WBF Bantamweight title early in his career but would come up short in 2002 against Manny Pacquiao in a bout for the IBF Super Bantamweight title. He would out grow the Super Bantamweight division and run up 14 straight wins to earn himself a shot at the vacant title. In the opposite was the then 22-0 Valdemir Pereira. Sadly for the Thai Pereira would out box him to take a clear decision and the IBF Featherweight title.
 
After the bout Fahprakorb hung up the gloves, with a record of 51-4 (33). On the other hand Pereira would fight twice more, before losing by DQ to Eric Aiken in May 2016, in what was his first title defense. He would then retire himself with a record of 24-1 (15)
 
1993-Chiaki Kobayashi passes
It was on this day in 1993 that former world title challenger Chiaki Kobayashi passed away, at the age of 28. Although a relatively forgotten name in boxing he had carved out a solid record after starting his career 2-3, and building to 14-3 over the following few years. He would score a career defining win in 1987, beating Naoto Takahashi for the Japanese Bantamweight title and in 1989 he faced Sung Kil Moon for the WBA Bantamweight title.
 
Sadly Kobayashi would lose to Moon and then retire, with a record of 14-4 (5). He was still in his mid 20's by this point and went to look for new challenges, they involved driving fast and he would look to become a race car driver. Sadly though a crash in practice lead to his death at the age of 28.
 
1990-Nana Yaw Konadu v Sung Kil Moon I
Whilst Moon's former challenger Chiaki Kobayashi passed away on this day it's rather coincidental that 3 years before Kobayashi's death Moon actually won the WBC Super Flyweight title.
 
The stone fisted Korean would beat Nana Yaw Konadu in their first bout, taking a 9th round technical decision in a crazy bout that saw both men down, multiple times. The bout was Moon's second since losing the WBA Bantamweight title to Khaokor Galaxy in 1989 and saw him become a 2-weight champion in just 12 bouts.
 
Moon and Konadu would rematch in 1991, with Moon stopping the man from Ghana to record his third defense. He would continue to defend the title until losing the belt to Jose Luis Bueno in 1993, and he retired soon afterwards with a record of 20-2 (15). Despite only fighting 22 bouts, and being a professional for less than 7 years, Moon would squeeze in an incredible 15 world title fights and prove himself as one of the most legendary Korean fighters.