Khon Reach, blue, just barely eked out a victory over Kun Khmer Champion Season One winner Cheam Adam on Sunday Nov 16. The loss knocks Cheam Adam from the 65kg title tournament. Khon Reach joins Ty Bunhan, Pich Arun and Him Saran in the semifinals.

Full story from The Phnom Penh Post.

Great night of fights at the Titan King Casino in Bavet Friday night. Preview story from The Post.

1. Cheam Adam beat Sam Ounluong on points
2. Voy Sothun beat Um Dara on points
3. Lao Sinath stopped Rafael Simonides in the 4th
4. Nuon Soriya beat Danny Taylor on points
5. Thun Sophea Stopped Jason Woodham in the 3rd 4th with low kicks
6. Vorn Viva beat Dominik Zidov on points

Some photos here. Videos of the fights via Love Khmer 2007. Text story at The Phnom Penh Post.

Check out the videos. Everyone fought with tremendous heart, and there were electrifying toe-to-toe exchanges in every fight.

Mat Chwaing (Koh Kong) v Reachesay Chaokdeap … Mat Chawaing by decision. The fight ended very weirdly. With 10 seconds left in round 5 Deap stumbled and fell to one knee on his own accord. While down, Mat Chwaing kneed him in the head. Deap stood up quickly but a little bit dazed and Chawing nailed him with an elbow to score an 8 count. Deap probably won the first 3 rounds. Chwaing the 4th, and the 5th was up for grabs until the 8-count.

Pi Oy v Put Samone … Pi Oy by decision

Long Sophy v Kao Bunheng … Long Sophy by decision

Pich Sombath v Vy Sotun … Pich Sombath by decision

SATURDAY:

At CTN: Samone Luong decision over Kao Savy, Van Savy decision over Meas Sokra, and Aem Klimkhmao decision over Mun Seyla.

At Bayon: Ong Sina decision over The Samkhan, Phal Sophat decision over Heng Samrang, and Sek Kimphan lost a razor-thin decision to Aem Vichet.

SUNDAY:

At CTN: Chey Vannak decision over ???, Khim Pichchenda decision over Khon Sichan, Sung Sovan decision over Him Saran, and Rith Arun decision over Hul Dara.

At Bayon: Put Hut decision over Mat Chaya, Aem Lihto decision over Chim Sarat, and Chan Ratanak (aka the Bokotor Kid) over Sol Say.

NEXT WEEK:

Aem Vutha returns to the ring against a very tough Phon Sophana (aka Phan Phantith from Club Koh Kong) at Bayon on Sunday (57kg), and Lao Sinath faces Van Chanvey for the 60kg title at CTN, also on Sunday.

Vung Noy against Van Chanvait (60kg) at Bayon on Saturday should also be interesting, as should Morn Samet v Reachesay Chandy, two very tough fighters at 57kg,  on the same card.

• Kao Roomchang (6-0, 2 KOs)
• Van Chanvey (5-1, 4 KOs)
• Long Sophy (5-1, 1 KO)
• Vung Noy (3-3, 2 KOs)

Kao Roomchang v Long Sophy happens next Sunday and could shuffle up the rankings. If Long Sophy wins, Van Chanvey will jump into first place, with Kao Roomchang, Long Sophy and Vung Noy behind him. Should Sophy KO Roomchang — a virtual impossibility, however — that would force a second place tie. I am not sure what happens in that case. But, the odds are on Kao Roomchang outpointing Long Sophy to maintain first place and his undefeated tournament record. Assuming that, the semifinal matchups look like this:

• Kao Roomchang v Vung Noi
• Van Chanvey v Long Sophy

Roomchang and Sophy are the favorites, although Van Chanvey has upset Long Sophy before. A Van Chanvey Kao Roomchang rematch for first place would be off the charts. Stay tuned.

Vorn Viva beat Charlie Gillespie by unanimous points decision. Charlie proved a very tough fighter. He withstood some very hard shots and got rocked with a straight right hand in the fifth but did not go down. In the end, it was all Viva, who was shaking his hips as the crowd chanted his name through later rounds.

Thun Sophea beat Dominik Zidov by unanimous points decision. Sophea looked a lot better on the night, and Zidov was never really in the fight. In fairness, though, Zidov was in a pretty bad motorcycle accident a few weeks ago that put 42 stitches in his head and banged him up pretty good. After the fight, Zidov said that under normal circumstances, “I could beat him.”

Sen Bunthen and Ervant “The Wolf” Atagyan fought to a draw. In the fifth round, Sen Bunthen caught a front kick from Wolf, and holding Wolf’s leg high in the air, Sen Bunthen ran him backward into the ropes and tried to kick Wolf’s head off. Wolf ducked, and instead Sen Bunthen went flying over the ropes where he crashed hard on the edge of the apron and then flipped and smacked his head on the concrete floor. He laid there for quite some time as doctors came over and had a look. I am not sure if he was out cold or not, but when he finally made it back to his feet, Sen Bunthen was still clearly dazed.

By that time the round was over, and the only decision that could be made was made. The fight was declared a draw. Until the moment Sen Bunthen went flying over the ropes, it was a very close fight. Sen Bunthen won rounds 1 and 2 easily, but Wolf came on strong in the third in a round that could have gone either way. Wolf clearly won the fourth, and an air of concern settled into the arena as the round came to a close.

Sen Bunthen came out slugging in the fifth, scoring with hard left kicks to the body, and was easily winning the round when he went flying over the ropes. But there was still half a round left, and in rounds 3 and 4, Wolf had come on hard in the later half. Impossible to know what would have happened had Sen Bunthen’s injury not occurred.

“Tough fight,” Wolf said afterward with a shake of his head and a hard exhale.

Um Dara scored a TKO victory over May Sopheap due to doctor stoppage in the fourth. Um Dara cut May Sopheap with an elbow in the third.

Cheam Adam came back from a second-round knockdown to score a 4th-round TKO over Sam Ounloung.

(PHOTOS HERE)

Fight Night Promo

Sen Bunthen v Ervant “The Wolf” Atagyan

Thun Sophea v Dominik Zidov Akuma

• Chey Vannak v Mao Rithy
• Suang Barang v Sarim Rithy
• Khon Reach v Long Sophy

BAYON: Saturday April 11; 4 p.m.

• Aem Vichet v Rith Arun
• Meas Vichet v Morn Bopha
• Kao Lek v Peov Soksut

CTN: Sunday April 12; 2 p.m.

• Leang Sepich v Sok Visay
• Muteh Kmang v Sambath Vanna
• Phal Phananth v Chai Oy

BAYON: Sunday April 12; 4 p.m.

• Chea Sarak v Nop Vanteth
• Chao Phalduon v Chey Sinith
• Morn Kimlong v Khon Makara

No fights at TV5 this weekend. TV5 fights next weekend will be held in Takeo, not exactly sure where. It’s supposed to be televised.

Khon Reach v Long Sophy is the big fight of the weekend. Reach is one of the few who have have knocked out Long Sophy. The pair’s last fight ended in the third (maybe fourth) roundwith a side kick — a relatively rare move.

At the lighter weights, Aem Vichet v Rith Arun could aslo be interesting. Rith Arun is a relative newcomer, with less than 20 fights. But he rarely loses. Aem Vichet will be tough for him, and a win would help propel him up the ranks.

Chai Oy and especially Chey Sinith are always enjoyble to watch.

Looking ahead to next weekend, Pich Seyha will face 67-kg title holder May Sopheap at the TV5 Takeo stadium next Friday, the 17th. The Takeo staduim is new territory for TV5 boxing, and it’s not quite clear what the station wants to achieve holding fights so far away from the city.

In previous Khmer New Years, the station has held fights at Mondial Center, a pretty sorry place to hold fights. Outdoors, Modial was incredibly hot, crowded, no place to sit and hard to see the action without. Takeo will probably be similar. It really makes no sense.

(PHOTO: Virginie Noel)

The second season of Kun Khmer Champion officially began Thursday with a press conference at CTN.

Trainers this season are Meas Sokry, far left, and Sok Vichay, far right. Paddy Carson is again the technical director for the show. The first fight is tentatively scheduled for the last Sunday in March. The fighters are:

1. Phum Pha, Kampong Thom
2. Chin Virakpheap, Takeo
3. Long Sophan, Kandal
4. Sam Ournlourng, Pry Veng
5. Serey Pich, Kratie
6. Puy Nean, Siem Reap
7. Heam Samnang, Siem Reap
8. Sok Ratha, Kampot
9. Tim Sokchan, Battambang
10. Phan Sothy, Battambang
11. Keo Savy, Kampong Speu
12. Chhorn Vichean, Banteay Meanchay

A majority of these guys have never fought. Sam Ournlong leads with 11 fights (10-1). Ma Serey, the show’s producer, seated farleft, said for this season they really wanted unknow fighters. This group is stronger than the group from the first season, says Carson.

1. Van Chanvey
2. Po Vansak
3. Nourn Phirak
4. Em Samnang
5. Phun Sophorn
6. Sang Sarith
7. Heng Samrang
8. Nourn Mony
9. Keo Rumchang
10. Long Sophy
11. Chey Sineth
12. Sek Kimphan

All 12 fighters are from different clubs. It’s a tough field. Noticeably absent from the field is Bheut Kham (instead, representing Club Saravan is Long Sophy). It would be great to see the winner of this tournament go against BK.

I’ll go out on a limb and make a prediction: Van Chanvey. Po Vansak, Keo Rumchang and Chey Sinath have to be favorites, too. I’m pretty sure everybody will fight everybody and the winner will be the guy with the most points, second place to second number of points, and so on. One or two fights per weekend, I am not sure.

(PHOTO: Mr Van Chanvey, backstage at Bayon TV.)

1. Cheam Adam lost to Seung Kangsan on points
2. Chay Kosal lost to Thun Sophea on points
3. Em Vutha beat Jacob Marks on points
4. Alban Ahmedi lost to Vorn Viva on points (World Title Fight)
5. Pich Sophan lost to Tim Thomas on points
6. Frankie Hudders lost to Meas Chanta on points (World Title Fight)

Tim scored an 8-count against Sophan in the third. Chanta scored two 8-counts against Frankie also in the third, both  times with knees. I’ll have some photos up in the next few days.