A fighting chance for foreigners
Until recent years, any foreigner wanting to box in Thailand was limited to one of two options — either switch to Muay Thai, or get thrown to the wolves in the pro ranks.
With pro managers having no reason to invest in a foreigner, and with virtually no access to the formal amateur programme, it was a case of enduring mismatches for low pay, or switching to a different sport.
That started to change in 2011 when “white collar boxing” (WCB) came to Thailand for the first time.
The inaugural event was a fundraiser for the excellent Operation Smile charity, which provides free cleft palate and cleft lip surgery for poor Thai and Myanmar children and adults.
It was a glitzy dinner-show affair at the five-star Dusit Thani Hotel, attracting big corporate players, high-society figures and even some celebrities.
The Operation Smile Fight Night (OSFN) ran annually for six years, raising more than 20 million baht for the foundation.
Perhaps WCB is somewhat of a gimmick, typically pitching businessmen against each other in a format that appeals more for its incongruity than its athletic standard, but OSFN planted the seed for expat boxing to grow.
Today, it is a thriving sub-genre of the sport in Thailand; an alternative amateur circuit, if you will, and even a legitimate path for some to more serious competition.
What used to be a once-a-year occurrence is now a regular fixture, with at least four active expat amateur boxing promotions in Bangkok, and one in Pattaya.
Some are for profit, while others continue the charitable tradition established by OSFN.
Bangkok Brawl, for example, twice a year raises funds for the HDF orphanage in Klong Toey slum, while the Dogfights, a boxing and MMA hybrid event, benefits the Soi Dog Foundation and Dog Rescue Thailand.
These shows run the gamut of expat boxing, from the older, more corporate and corpulent types associated with WCB through to young and hungry competitors using the scene as a springboard toward a more legitimate boxing career.
Indeed, some have even gone on to turn professional.
Britain’s Tee Jay Chang, who organises the Bangkok Brawl events, will make his professional debut in Singapore next month after winning nine of his 10 bouts on the expat boxing circuit. His exciting style and wide social network saw him build a reputation as the biggest ticketseller in the city’s amateur scene.
And local cult figure Tangmo Sirrikul, a rotund but powerful Thai heavyweight who has fought on seemingly every amateur promotion, started punching for pay in Australia last week, largely thanks his sensational 21-second knockout of a hulking American at Dogfights last year.
The video of that fight went viral, notching up more than 330,000 online views overnight and even ending up on a Fox Sports Asia cable TV fight sports roundup.
Nobody is suggesting these guys are professional champions in the making, but the buzz generated by this alternative amateur circuit is starting to gain attention beyond its own ranks.
These events are typically wellmatched and offer a fun and exciting night out — not to mention a surprisingly decent standard of boxing.
Compare footage with WCB events in many other countries, and the difference is clear.
Furthermore, they provide an accessible alternative to the foreign boxer in Thailand, whether their ambitions are bucket lists or belts.
‘Dogfights 3’ takes place at BigBox Rama 4 on Saturday at 6pm. Tickets starting from 500 baht are available on 089-211-7967 or www.facebook.com/dogfightsboxingmma.