YING YAI: MUAY THAI BOXER EXTRAORDINARY
Ying Yai trains at the Sangsong Gym, Krabi, Southern Thailand; his elder brother, Rungthong, is a trainer at the nearby Suwit Muay Thai camp at Phuket. Both are tall, strong fighters, and this advantage of height, not typical of Thai fighters, has encouraged Ying Yai to try his skills against English kick-boxers. Here he was televised in two fights: defeating Lee Chesters to win the WMC (World Muay Thai Council) world middleweight title on 29th December 2002; but losing the title on points to Steve Wakelin in a mighty five-round contest in London, 16 February 2003. The photo left shows Ying Yai just prior to the announcement of the result of this second bout.
English commentators were not kind about Ying Yai's bold, distinctive style of fighting. He was accused of "showboating, taunting", "spoiling tactics", of mounting "reckless attacks", of being "a little crazy and unpredictable"... Yet Ying Yai's two English fights are among the classics of the sport, and even an unsymapthetic commentator called the Wakelin fight "one of the most entertaining world class fights ever seen in the UK."
His masterly, seemingly effortless technique, deep understanding of the Muay Thai game, its urgency and humour, and his unique combination of endurance and excitability may make him difficult for Western observers to relate to, but it is hoped there will be many more opportunities for him in the international arena in the future.
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