Rithy Socheat (red) tries to land a punch on his Thai opponent Pich Nakhorn in the moments before he was knocked out. Photo supplied
Cambodian fighters Rithy Socheat and Puth Sambo met similar fates during their January 6 international bouts, losing to Thai opponents taking wins by way of knock out and technical knock-out.
The Kingdom’s pride was somewhat restored when fellow Kun Khmer exponent Morn Prum Manh claimed a win over another Thai boxer, in the third international match of the event.
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In the first bout of the night, held at TV5 Station, Socheat fought as hard as he could against Thai fighter Pich Nakhorn, but was unable to find a way through the Thai’s defences. Eventually, a flurry of knee strikes from Nakhorn in the third round saw Socheat knocked out.
Sambo was pitted against Thai boxer Sen Sakgnen, and again struggled to match the aggressive tempo of the neighbouring country’s elite fighter. The Cambodian was knocked down in the middle of the second round by a series of powerful kicks.
He rose to his feet almost immediately, on the three count. Sakgnen showed no mercy, giving him no time to recover. He was knocked down again, and struggled to rise. On the count of eight, the referee stopped the match.
The Cambodian losses in the first two fights put extra pressure on Prum Manh, who faced off against Thai boxer Neiv Vangchan, known for the extraordinary power of his kicks and knee strikes.
Over the course of five action-packed rounds, Prum Manh was able to more than match the skill of his opponent, eventually being awarded a points victory.
His win restored some of the faith of Cambodian fans, avenging the defeats of Socheat and Sambo.
The matches were originally scheduled for Sunday, January 7, but were moved forward to Saturday, January 6.
Seng Kadeka, TV5 boxing organizer and promoter at the station, explained that fights will now be held on Saturdays.
“From now onwards, our ring will host bouts on Saturday evenings. Sunday is for other programmes. Perhaps if we attract more sponsors, we will hold more competitions,” he said, on January 7.
He also clarified that the defeats of Socheat and Sambo needed to be taken in context, as it was always difficult to match Cambodian fighters against foreigners. In addition, he pointed out that overall, TV5 matches have seen far more Thai boxers knocked out than Cambodians.
“Tonight we saw two of our fighters defeated, but we have to remember that these are elite Thai boxers, so the matches were always going to be tough. We were pleased to see Prum Manh claim a good points win,” he said.
“It is good for Cambodia boxers when elite-level foreigners come to compete because they gain valuable experience. We can learn from tough opposition, and use that knowledge to get better. This is why it is the principle of TV5 Station that we will continue to arrange high-level foreign boxers. Pitting our own elite fighters against them will make the matches tough and interesting for true fight fans. This in turn will attract a wider audience,” he added.
He continued that he expected to see elite Cambodian boxers like Thoeun Theara and Khim Dima appearing in the TV5 ring.
“From January, we will enter a number one-ranked fighter from the Kingdom at least once a week. We will continue to provide B-category boxers, as well as young fighters with the chance to meet top-quality international opposition so they can test their skills and strengthen their abilities,” he said.
