‘I Want To Be Myself’ – Wang Junguang Sheds ‘China’s Takeru’ Moniker Ahead Of The Inner Circle 35
Being compared to a combat sports megastar can feel like both a gift and a heavy burden. “Golden Boy” Wang Junguang has lived with the weight of both for years.
The former ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title challenger makes his highly anticipated return to the global stage for the first time in nearly six years on Friday, October 16. He meets reigning ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Prajanchai Pongsuphan PK in a strawweight kickboxing clash headlining The Inner Circle 35 at Bangkok’s historic Lumpinee Stadium.
The 31-year-old Yao Fight Team standout has long been dubbed “China’s Takeru” by fans due to his relentless fighting style, and he once shared the ring with the Japanese icon himself, Takeru “Natural Born Krusher” Segawa.
Fate has delivered a fitting twist. Nearly 24 hours after Wang’s comeback, Takeru will be officially inducted into the ONE Championship Hall of Fame at ONE SAMURAI 4 at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. Subscribers of The Inner Circle can catch both blockbuster events live on live.onefc.com.
The connection between Wang and Takeru goes far deeper than a fan-made nickname. In 2017, the two men collided at the K-1 WORLD GP in Japan, where Wang traveled to challenge the Japanese icon for his K-1 Featherweight Championship on hostile home turf while Takeru was at the absolute peak of his powers.
The result was a grueling three-round unanimous decision loss, but the intense experience left a mark that went well beyond the scorecards. For a fighter dubbed Takeru’s Chinese equivalent, having actually traded leather with the man behind the comparison adds a profound dimension to the nickname that almost nobody else can claim.
Wang told onefc.com about that pivotal fight:
“I was extremely nervous for that fight. Takeru was at the peak of his career back then, it was his home turf, and I was still very young. That’s why I was so tense.”
In the years that followed the K-1 bout, Wang’s career steadily continued to build. A dazzling TKO debut win in ONE in 2019 against Federico “The Little Big Man” Roma earned him an immediate shot at the inaugural ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Championship against living legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao. There, he pushed the Thai icon to the absolute brink across five thrilling rounds before narrowly losing on the scorecards.
Through it all, the “China’s Takeru” comparison relentlessly followed him. For a time, Wang understood exactly why fans reached for it and appreciated the deep respect it represented.
He added:
“Being compared to Takeru certainly brought some pressure, but it also kept motivating me to push past him. I thought it was pretty good at the time; it was recognition of my skill. But I’ve matured now. I want to be myself — I want to be Wang Junguang.”
What the fierce battle against the Japanese megastar gave Wang was a priceless lesson that has fundamentally shaped everything he has done in training and competition since. Standing across from one of the sport’s very best in the most hostile environment imaginable and surviving three hard rounds taught the Chinese fighter something no textbook or coaching session could ever replicate.
The towering giants of this sport are not untouchable. They are human. They can be hurt, pressured, and ultimately beaten. The sole difference between those who manage it and those who do not comes down to meticulous preparation and bulletproof belief. It is a powerful lesson the Enfusion Kickboxing Champion carries directly into his return against Prajanchai — a man with nearly 400 professional bouts on his resume.
“Golden Boy” said:
“Fighting Takeru taught me that no matter how formidable an opponent is, they are beatable as long as you believe in yourself. You have to have full, unwavering faith in your own ability. If you train hard each day and commit fully to camp, anything is possible, no matter how great your rival may be.”
Wang Junguang Is Now Writing His Own Story
The cinematic timing of Wang Junguang’s return adds a poignant final layer of significance to the “China’s Takeru” storyline.
Less than 24 hours after he steps into the Lumpinee ring at The Inner Circle 35, Takeru will be inducted into the ONE Championship Hall of Fame at ONE SAMURAI 4. He takes his rightful place alongside immortals like former ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes, and former two-division ONE MMA World Champion Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang.
The monumental weekend will see the Japanese icon celebrated and enshrined as one of the sport’s all-time greats at the exact same moment his so-called Chinese counterpart steps back into the spotlight to pen a new chapter. For Wang, the striking parallel is certainly not lost on him.
The 31-year-old striker revealed:
“Having fought Takeru, when people call me ‘China’s Takeru,’ it shows they respect me. But I don’t want that nickname anymore. I just want people to remember my name: Wang Junguang. I’ve got a new nickname now — ‘The Warrior’. My old nickname was given to me by others, but this new one I chose for myself.”
As Takeru officially steps into the ONE Hall of Fame, Wang steps back into the squared circle. Their storied careers, briefly and violently intertwined in 2017, have arrived at very different destinations on the exact same weekend.
The Chinese fighter’s farewell to the nickname that connected them for so many years comes with genuine warmth and a profound respect that only a man who has actually tested his mettle against the legend can truly offer.
He concluded:
“Takeru’s career has been incredibly fulfilling. He has done so much to promote kickboxing. Many people got into the sport because of him. He has contributed tremendously to the growth of this industry.
“Takeru, I wish you all the best on the next chapter of your life. Keep shining bright.”
