Ruenroeng took a lead in the qualifying round after outpointing Germany’s Arthur Bril in the early rounds. The win allows him to face Italy’s Carmine Tommasone.
The 36-year-old orthodox Thai fighter is one of the few professional boxers who responded to the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) call for professional boxers to compete in the Rio Olympics.
AIBA recently allowed professional boxers to jump into the final qualifying tournament for the Rio Games, a move that initially caught the attention of professional boxers who wish to win Olympic medals for their countries. But it was vigorously opposed by promoters and boxing sanctioning bodies.
Two of the more prominent boxers who earlier expressed intention to compete were Manny Pacquiao and Wladimir Klitschko, but they may have been prevailed upon by their promoters.
Ruenroeng had an unblemished pro record of 17 wins until he succumbed to a relentless assault by Filipino flyweight challenger Johnriel Casimero in a rematch in Beijing last May.
It took Casimero only four rounds to dispose Ruenroeng with a left hook to the chin in the fourth round followed by a power shot at the liver, sending the previously unbeaten Thai fighter to the canvas. Ruenroeng failed to beat the count as the referee waved off the fight at 2:10 of the fourth round. a power shot at the liver, sending the previously unbeaten Thai fighter to the canvas. Ruenroeng failed to beat the count as the referee waved off the fight at 2:10 of the fourth round.
In 2008, Ruenroeng represented Thailand in the Beijing Olympics but was unsuccessful, having lost to Mongolia’s Purevdorjiin Serdamba in the quarterfinals.
