Phan Kran is knocked to the canvas. He recovered his strength and went on to knock out his Thai opponent. Photo supplied
New Year’s Eve saw three very close international Kun Khmer bouts excite fans, with the hard fought victories – and one defeat – reminding people of the heartbreak and romance of high quality martial arts events.
Veteran fighter Phan Kran stunned fight fans at a TV5 Kun Khmer event on New Year’s Eve, rising from an early knock down eight-count to KO Thai boxer Ba Bou.
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Bong Hov looked close to an early win over his Thai opponent, but was forced to settle for a win by decision after the Thai fought back in the final rounds. Rin Saroth had to accept a close points loss to his opponent from the neighbouring Kingdom.
Phan Kran is a former champion, having held a belt in the 60 to 63.5kg weight class, but his form has declined in recent years, with the fighter weighing in at 69kg at his heaviest.
His victory, in the 65kg class, won plaudits from the watching fans.
Powerful kicks by the Kun Khmer exponent forced the referee to halt the fight in the first round and check if Ba Bou was able to continue. The Thai showed courage by opting to fight on, and successfully knocked Kran down. Kran was saved by the bell on the count of eight, by came back to unleash a series of elbow strikes, eventually knocking his opponent unconscious.
Kran expressed surprise at the result, noting that the Thai’s height and reach advantage left him unsure if his elbows would be effective. Fortunately, they were, leaving his admirers thrilled by his return to form.
Bong Hov landed several powerful kicks to the neck of Amy Selakchhai, dropping him in the second round. The Thai fought on as Hov rained kicks and powerful knee strikes. Selakchhai’s toughness saw the match go the full distance, although Hov was able to claim a comprehensive points decision.
Boxer Rin Saroth began his bout against Kang Nampha strongly, with a series of fierce kicks to the Thai’s legs leaving many onlookers unsure if Nampha would be able to continue. The Thai dug deep into his reserves of endurance and fought back in the later rounds, landing a series of heavy elbow strikes, punches and kicks.
When the bell rang at the end of the fifth round, both fighters appeared confident they had done enough to secure the win. Unfortunately the judges believed that Nampha’s heavier strikes in the final rounds deserved more points that the early kicks of Saroth, awarding victory to the Thai.
Kun Khmer fans were extremely pleased at the quality of the international match-ups, each of which was filled with drama.
Seng Kadeka, boxing promoter at TV5 station, told The Post that even though some of the fighters were less well-known, they had given their all, and put on an incredible show for those watching.
“We tried to match up fighters with similar abilities, so the bouts would be close, and exciting to watch. This also made the Cambodia boxers work harder. The harder they have to work, the stronger they will become,” he said.
