Thailand was doing so well. The country had their lockdown, had their share of hardships, opened back up domestically (then internationally with restrictions), and was praised for what they did to contain the novel coronavirus and “flatten the curve” relatively quickly.
But now the country is reverting back to familiar stages, putting many in a state of anxiety and unemployment. And, no more Muay Thai. Again. What happened?
“THE ERA OF MUAY YING” THE ERA OF MUAY YING. These were the words in the promotional video from Lui Muay Thai, the media company responsible for promoting and marketing Super Champ and Muay Hardcore. Followed by this were clips of women that have competed on the aforementioned shows, of them getting ready before the fights, with their game faces on, and of action clips from the bouts themselves. The video captured the grit, spirit, and heart that exist in women fighters that make their bouts all that more exciting. The entire video was voiced over from an interview with Angela Chang (the owner of muay-ying.com), with a bit that said, “It would be nice if, in the future, they [Super Champ and Muay Hardcore] put at least 30 percent, or maybe, even one day, 50 percent [women on the fight card]”. So what was the big deal? What’s the fuss with all the women? Why the promotional video? Don’t they usually put women on the shows every week anyway? That weekend, December 12 and 13, they weren’t just having one bout featuring women. And not two. Each card, with seven bouts a day, was to have three women’s bouts […]
Some more good news from Thailand regarding the fight scene: A few days ago, the Ministry of Tourism & Sports of Thailand signed an order that will allow audiences back into stadiums starting August 13, 2020. Please support the continuation of content on Muay Ying via Patreon Many Muay Thai fans are rejoicing as they have another option in addition to watching from their electronic devices. This is great news for the stadiums that charge spectators, foreigners and Thais, entrance fees. They will have another revenue of income and it will help the industry with promoting more shows and paying fighters more. However, it seems, at the moment, it’s mostly the Bangkok stadiums that are enjoying the return of Muay Thai activity ever since fights were given the green light again on July 4th, just over a month ago. Places like Phuket and Chiang Mai are struggling to hold fights in their stadiums since their revenue is heavily tourist-dependent. With the current health climate, there are very little tourists left, and the tourists that are left in the country are not likely to be spending thousands of baht to watch fights. Without foreign spectators, those stadiums do not have money to […]
With gyms given the “OK” to open up again early June, many gyms scrambled to get their fighters back in shape for the shows that were rumored to start in mid to late June. However, those shows that were announced, mainly at Channel 7 and Omnoi, were postponed due to the government still forbidding fights from happening. Many fighters breathed a sigh of relief as it gave them more time to get their bodies back in shape after months of inactivity. It is not common for fighters in Thailand to try to stay in shape when they’re not at the gym (or even when they’re simply without a fight), so many gyms saw their fighters heavier than usual and with barely any signs that they were in shape just a few months ago prior to lockdown. Please support the continuation of content on Muay Ying via Patreon On July 2, the Muay Thai community rejoiced – the government, along with the boxing committee, gave the green light for fights to officially start on July 4th. Stadiums are allowed only the fighters, cornermen, officials and judges, and venue staff. No audiences just yet. Fighters also have to obtain a medical certificate saying […]
October 19, 2019. It was a typical evening in Bangkok for most. At the tail end of monsoon season, the country wasn’t out of the clear just yet when it came in rain. The air was thick with heat and humidity. The inaugural show of Muay Hardcore hadn’t even started, and the small section outside of Baan Chao Praya was already filled with bodies. Fighters, Muay Thai enthusiasts, and passerby were all huddled around the ring, trying to find the best space among the bleachers and standing areas. Sweat rolled down the sides of even the most resistant of people. A short walk down into a parking garage were where all the fighters for the show were. A few tables were set up to sit around and to lay down on. Some were getting their hands wrapped or their bodies oiled. Some were shadowboxing. All the fighters were in that space together, in full view of each other. There was no air conditioning or other frills.
The inaugural show of Muay Hardcore on October 19 was shown on Channel 8 and was promoted by the TV’s studio’s longer-running Super Champ 8 show. The entire card showcased Muay Thai in MMA gloves in three-round bouts. Most of the fights ended by knockout. The main event was a rematch between Sawsing Sor. Sopit and Brooke Farrell. This bout made history in Thailand as the first televised female Muay Thai match with MMA gloves. You can read about this bout more in detail here: Brooke Farrell vs Sawsing Sor. Sopit II: A Photo Essay
On December 9, Korat was home to “Ladies Fight Thailand”, a promotion with almost all females on the card. There was a title fight (WMC @ 40 kg) as well as the kick-off of the featured 8-woman tournament @ 53 kg.
