The Phnom Penh Post has a photo essay on their web site of the international fights held June 15 at Bayon TV.
Bayon TV presents an afternoon of international boxing today, Sunday June 15. The fight card includes what has become Cambodia’s de facto national boxing team — Eh Phoutang, Vorn Viva, Nuon Soriya and Meas Chanta — against four foreigners. Two local matches will be on the undercard, making a total of six fights.
Undercard
- Aem Lihto v Chim Sarath (Lihto by decision)
- Kao Bunheng v Pich Sombath (Sombath by decision)
International matches
- Meas Chanta v Ahmed Sadi (Chanta by TKO, 3rd)
- Abbas Ahmadi v Nuon Soriya (Soriya by decision)
- Vorn Viva v Ken Tsubosaka (Viva by decision)
- Benjamin Cahe v Eh Phoutang (Cahe by decision)
Soriya has been working on his boxing skills with Paddy over the last few months. It will be interesting to see how this translates into the ring. In his last fight, March 1 against German Valdet Gaishi, Soriya scored two knockdowns, both with punches. Perhaps a TKO today?
The Bayon TV stadium is located 2 kilometers past the Monivong Bridge on Route 1. The show starts at 43 p.m. and includes music performances by local pop stars. Tickets are 10,000 reil. Seating is open. Gates open a 2. Get there early.
UPDATES: Decisions added.
Bheut Somkhan and Chey Kosal both fight June 22 in Paris. Good luck, boys!
The Phnom Penh Post has boxing news today. Mey Sopheap and Lao Sinath both fought in South Korea in May. Both fighters were victorious.
The Post has the details — including that Chey Kosal and Bheut Somkhan are both in France training for a June 22 fight. Good luck, boys.
The FCC Newsletter, The Wires, ran a story in their June issue about the resurgence of Kun Khmer.
…..
The Emergence of Kun Khmer
After decades in the doldrums, Cambodian boxing is in the midst of a renaissance.
To the ire of Cambodians everywhere, what the world knows about the sport of Southeast Asian kickboxing comes from exposure to its Thai brand name. Even most professional fighters know little of the sport’s origins.
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand all claim kickboxing as national heritage. Yet over the last half century — largely due to the political tragedies that engulfed her neighbors — only Thailand found much success in marketing the sport to the world.
Cambodian boxing supporters grimace at the name Muay Thai. They point to bas reliefs at Angkor Wat, a temple that predates the Kingdom of Thailand by more than 300 years, as evidence that the sport is authentic Khmer martial art.
So to many Cambodians the revival of the sport now underway is not merely a hard-won victory; it’s manifest destiny, an inevitable step on the path to reclaiming the sport for its original masters.
Angkor Youth Boxing Club fighter Seung Panya will get a chance to even the score Friday when he faces his last opponent for a rematch (sorry, i don’t know the opponent’s name). Despite 8-counting the guy in the third round in their first fight two weeks ago, the decision went to the other club. Panya say he won’t let it happen again. Friday at TV5, 5 p.m.
Round 1 of the Kun Khmer Champion series is complete. There are now six fighters left. They will take this weekend off, and pick up fighting again next Sunday. The three fights left, in order, are:
Cheam Adam v Seung KangsanAi Kosal v Khon MakaraRak Vichay v Nhean La- Cheam Adam v Rak Vichay (Cheam Adam by decision)
- Seung Kangsan v Khon Makara (Seung Kangsan by decision)
- Ai Kosal v Nhean La
The three winners will automatically make it through to the semi-finals. The three losers will face each other in some sort of non-fight contest of strength and agility. The winner of that contest will pick his opponent. The loser of the fight and the fighter not chosen will both go home. The winner will advance to the semifinals.
In the final fight of round one, Ai Kosal vs Khun Reach, Reach got TKOd in the fourth after three eight counts.
UPDATE
The original list above was wrong. It’s been corrected. Cheam Adam KO’s Rak Vichay in the fifth. It was the best fight so far. The difference was fitness. Rak Vichay may actually be the better fighter, but Cheam Adam was stronger in the later rounds.
The Kiwi’s didn’t get the results they wanted, but they all fought hard.
- Vorn Viva vs Steve Donaldson (Viva by TKO in the 3rd)
- Meas Chanta vs Joel Nadin (Chanta by TKO in the 4th)
- Nuon Soriya vs Andy Donaldson (Soriya by TKO in the 2nd)
- Eh Phoutang vs Tony Angelov (Eh by TKO in the 2nd)
Many people thought the Angelov fight could have gone on a little longer. Angelov had definitely won the first round. Early in the second Angelov and Eh Phoutang were trading punches in the corner. Eh seemed to be getting the better of the two when the referee jumped in and gave Angelov an eight count. Two quick 8-counts followed on seemingly lesser exchanges bringing the mandatory stoppage rule into play.
“I’m not saying I would have won,” said Angelov after the fight. “But I’ve taken a lot more punishment than that and come back.”
Sill, the New Zealand boys all left happy and all were extremely impressed with Cambodian hospitality. New Zealand coach Terry Hill said working with CTN and Paddy Carson was one of the best productions he had ever been involved with. Many photos in the gallery.
The undercard also lived up to expectations, with fifteen rounds of hard-fought action.
- Thy Narin vs Cheng Rithy (decision to Rithy)
- Keo Rumchon vs Nuon Setsong (decision to Rumchon)
- Wan Chanvey vs Sarim Vonthon (decision to Vonthon)
Four New Zealand fighters will face off against four Cambodian fighters on Friday April 25 at CTN in a special night of international fights to celebrate ANZAC Day.
The four international matches will be:
- Meas Chanta vs Joel Nadin
- Vorn Viva vs Steve Donaldson
- Nuon Soriya vs Andy Donaldson
- Eh Phoutang vs Tony Angelov
Aaron Dixon was a last minute scratch. Andy Donaldson, Steve Donaldson’s twin brother, will replace him. The two look so much alike that the CTN television promos for their fights inadvertently switched the two. There’s an artsy promo up on YouTube, and some pics from tonights press conference in the photo gallery. Paddy Carson, working with CTN and Terry Hill on the NZ side, is the promoter who brought the guys out.
Rogue Magazine,a New Zealand boxing fight rag, tells the story from the Kiwi side.
The ANZAC undercard will be just as good.
- Ti Narin vs Chay Rithy
- Wan Chan Way vs Sarim Vonthon
- Kai Rumchon vs Nuon Setsong
Narin and Rithy have fought twice before, with each one getting a win. These two are probably the very best Cambodian fighters at 51kg. Wan Chan Way and Sarim Vonthon have fought 3 times recently. Vonthon won the first two times in very, very close decisions. Wan Chan Way got the last decision. Under the international spotlight, these guys are expected to fight like demons. Kai Rumchon is a relatively new up-and-comer, breaking onto the scene last November during the Nationals. Nuon Setsong is the methodical veteran, super strong in the clinch. Both fighter are coming off recent loses — Setsong to Nuon Mony and Rumchon to Yim Deap.
PREDICTIONS: Rithy and Wan Chan Way both by decision. The third fight is a little tougher to predict. Setsong is probably the favorite, but I’ll go with Rumchon, who has a much higher work rate than the older, slower Setsong. The key for Rumchon will be staying out of the clinch, where Setsong is lethal with the knees.
Angkor Youth Boxing Club Western boxer Saeng Ratana will rematch against Chorm Kosal on Sunday April 27th at the CTN boxing stadium. The two fought three weeks at TV5 and after four extremely close rounds the decision went to Chorm Kosal. Saeng Ratana expects to even the score on Sunday.
PHNOM PENH, April 24 (Xinhua) — Cambodia will host an international female boxing match between Japanese boxer Kayoko Ebata and Thai boxer Samson Sor Siriporn on April 26, a press release from the World Boxing Council (WBC) said Thursday. The two boxers wanted to compete in a neutral country, therefore WBC selected Cambodia as the host country for their match, the press release said.
They will fight 10 rounds in flyweight match, it said, adding that Samson has to defense her belt from WBC.
The match will have three judges and an American arbitrator called Gene Debianco, the press release said.
Cambodian Television Channel 5 is the event organizer and the boxing match will conduct at the old stadium in Phnom Penh, it added
SOURCE: China View
In round 5 of the Kun Khmer Championship series, Cheam Adam KO’d Cheng Thithi in the 4th. That leaves Ai Kosal and Khon Reach to battle it out this Sunday for the last remaining spot in the first round. This should be the best fight yet. And the winner here could very likely go on to win it all.
Seung Kansang vs Morn Kimlong. Kangsan, with twice as man fights as Kimlong, is the favorite.
Suang Panhya and Michael Aranton are both fighting this weekend at CTN.
Suang Panhya fights Sunday on the undercard of Kun Khmer Champion. Michael fights Saturday against Tim Veasna, a Kun Khmer Champion contestant knocked out in the second week by Rak Vichay.
SATURDAY UPDATE
Michael by TKO in the fifth. A flurry of hands got the first 8-count, and then a brutal low kick put Veasna down for good.
SUNDAY UPDATE
Panhya 8-counted Tith Samone in the 4th on his way toward getting the decision.
Highlights from fight two — Rak Vichay KO win over Tim Veasna — and previews of fight three scheduled for Sunday, Nean La vs Pon Sophean.
April 25 at CTN.
- Tony Angelov versus Ei Phouthang
- Aaron Dixon versus Nuon Soriya
- Steve Donaldson versus Vorn Viva
- Joel Nadin versus Meas Chantha
Names confirmed 29 March 08.
(Referee Meas Sokry gives Tim Veasna a standing 8-count.)
Rak Vichay TKO’d Tim Veasna in the second third, bringing the 3-knockdown rule into account. The third fight, scheduled for this Sunday, will be Nean La vs Pon Sophean.
Same background information from the video below plus preview of this Sunday’s fight, Tim Veasna vs Rak Vichay.
Some background on the show and highlights from the first fight — Khun Makara KO’d Sok Vichay in the second round.