Chann Thonson is on a journey to make a name for himself in the lightweight division. Literally.
Thonson will face Ruben Neri Munoz on Saturday night at the Casino Buenos Aires in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 10-round bout will precede the main event between junior featherweight contenders Nazarena Romero and Paulette Valenzuela.
Both fights will be streamed live on DAZN (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).
Thonson (16-0, 13 knockouts), who lives in Brossard, Canada, will face a fighter in Munoz, who has struggled of late, losing two of his last five fights. Munoz (15-2, 11 KOs) will fight in his hometown, but Thonson believes he can both overwhelm the other lightweights in the division and make a statement.
“I feel like I’ve reached the true halfway point in my career,” Thonson told The Ring on Wednesday. “I definitely want to make a statement. Winning this (regional) title will open doors, so I want to kick them off and announce myself with a big dominating performance.”
Including Saturday, Thonson will now have fought in five different countries. He 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 undefeated 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 ranked no. 3 by the WBA. “It was a big fight for me to show that I could handle (fighting) on a big stage and perform perfectly. Under the lights, and also in boxing, there is a lot of work that goes into the sport. Outside the ring I had to be patient, but my time is now and I just go up.”
Thonson’s twin brother, Trevor, is also an undefeated lightweight, with a record of 12-0, 10 KOs. Trevor Thonson will also fight on Saturday’s card at the Casino Buenos Aires, along with undefeated middleweight prospect Jayquan Carty (6-0, 5 KOs).
All three are managed by Cedric Boswell, a former heavyweight contender who thinks highly of the twin brothers and that it’s only a matter of time before they both make an impact in the lightweight division.
“(Chann) is a good boxer with a good work ethic, trains very hard,” Boswell said. “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 due to represent Jamaica at the 2020 Olympics but withdrew due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chann Thonson is grateful for the opportunity boxing brought both brothers together, whether inside or outside the ring.
“Training with my brother has been a real blessing,” said Thonson, who made his pro debut in September 2016. “I don’t think I could have gotten this far without him. Just having that person who has been with me in our career, and that we are both doing so well, pushes me and makes the journey that much more rewarding. It’s actually twice as rewarding.”
Thonson hopes to stay active and is eyeing a fight again in December or earlier 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 title holder. Winning a world title belt would mean everything to Thonson, considering his background and family history.
“A world title would mean a 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. To win a world title gives more testimony to the strength of a people that comes from a small country.”
When measuring himself against other lightweights in the division, Thonson believes he is up there in the upper echelon of the division. Despite being in his early 30s, Thonson is confident that the boxing world has yet to see his full potential as a pro.
“I believe I am the best. I bring unique qualities to the division and, as I get the chance to prove it, 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 grow as a fighter.
“The boxing world will finally 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 (email protected)
