With big shows at the Lumpinee Stadium and Phattalung featuring some of the biggest names in the game, it was certainly a notable weekend of Muay Thai in Thailand.
The landscape between 122lbs and 130lbs had a major shake-up this week, with two highly significant fights occurring 526 miles apart. The Thailand super-bantamweight title (122lbs) was contested between two of the most amusingly named Thais (to the western ear) in the country, as Thong (pronounced Tong) outpointed Tingtong (which is not only the name of the fat Chinese stereotype in Little Britain, but also translates as “crazy” in Thai) in a split decision victory to retain his belt.
- Thong W PTS Tingtong – retains Thailand super-bantamweight championship
This is a separate title from either national stadium, the Rajadamnern or Lumpinee. It is also the only title that can rank alongside those two as “national” titles that basically equate to world champion status.
The significance of this fight is that the winner is in line to step up in weight to face Penek Sitnumnoi, the Lumpinee Stadium AND Thailand featherweight champion.
Speaking of Penek;
The WPMF world super-featherweight title was at stake as a delicious side dish, as the south Thailand town of Phattalung put on a magnificent main event to their quadri-annual outdoor Muay Thai festival, as hometown hero, Lumpinee Stadium & Thailand featherweight champion and Sportswriters Fighter of the Year Penek fought former fellow Lumpinee Stadium champion Sagetdao.
Penek was named Sportswriters of Thailand Fighter of the Year 2012 after claiming yet more titles with his toppling of super-bantamweight and p4p king Sam-A, to capture Thailand & Lumpinee Stadium featherweight gold. Sagetdao of course beat Saenchai twice in 2011, won the Lumpinee Stadium lightweight title, and also toppled the-then incumbent of the Fighter of the Year award in Nong-O. With a featherweight king taking on a lightweight elite, the stage couldn’t have been set more perfectly for a super-featherweight title fight!
Despite outstriking Sagetdao, and cutting him with a delicious elbow in the fourth round, Penek was clinched and dumped in rounds 3-5, and dropped a very unpopular decision to the bigger, stronger man.
For an in-depth review of the fight, see here – Penek vs. Sagetdao: Video & Review.
- Sagetdao W PTS Penek – wins WPMF world super-featherweight title
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- The significance of these two fights will occur in the mezzanine between the two weights (122lbs and 130lbs respectively) as the winner of one has earned a shot at the loser of the other – though it must be noted, Penek despite losing at super-feather is still Lumpinee & Thailand featherweight champion, and Fighter of the Year no less.
We will now most likely see, according to Num Noi of Singpatong (Penek’s manager) the following;
- Penek vs. Thong – Lumpinee Stadium & Thailand featherweight titles.
Penek vs Thong at 126lbs is much better.
In other news, Pornsaneh lost again, this time to Palangtip in a typically thrilling war. Having dropped a handful of fights, were it any other fighter he would be not only refused top 10 fights at this stage, but probably sent packing from the Lumpinee Stadium altogether!
- Palangtip W PTS Pornsaneh
Thankfully, they have more sense, and we will continue to see the biggest proponent of “K-1 style” in Thailand Muay Thai ply his trade on the big shows, fighting good names and always just a couple of wins from a title shot!
Pornsaneh has also been confirmed in a big Australian bout!
- Pornsaneh vs. Michael Thompson (on John Wayne Parr’s October show)
- Singdam W KO 3 Watcharachai
A female bout has been added to the Queen’s Cup in Bangkok on August 12th, between Phuket fighters Tracy Lockwood and Amy Sharp. The 71kg weight category should suit Englishwoman Sharp more, but Lockwood is a multi-time Phuket stadium champion with an all-around superior game to Sharp, and is likely to be favourite leading in, despite the horror show of a bout they just had in which the Kiwi was hit by no less than thirty illegal low knees.
- Tracy Lockwood vs. Amy Sharp – WMC female 71kg+ world title, August 12th 2012
And finally, the anticipated third scrap between “Thailand p4p vs. England p4p” has been cancelled – only eleven days away from the Bangkok affair, it is with great sadness I announce the cancellation of Saenchai vs Liam Harrison III.
Twitter @ Daniel Fletcher
