Muay Thai I-1

Some vid and pics from last night's 'I-1 Muay Thai Grand Slam' held last night in Kowloon Bay:

Here's a video:

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vUfGdRG4es

And a few pics:

It started a bit late, but to keep us entertained they had this blonde girl in a bikini standing next to some vintage BMW that someone was trying to sell for ~US$20k.  (not sure exactly why...) 

one of the fighters decided this was probably the best chance he'd ever have to get his picture taken with a blonde girl in a bikini AND a 1939 BMW at the same time, so he'd better take it...

The place was the same room as the 'Let's Fight' concert... good for a concert, but not so great for a kick boxing:

Since there were no stands, every seat was pretty obscured by the ropes and poles and what not,  even the far away ones (unlike stadium seating).  but they did a pretty good production, w/ fireworks and fancy lights, etc.

this guy was Boon's coach.  he was in a back-up match, in case one of the main 'tournament' (of four) guys couldn't continue. 

but I have to say that the thai guys almost all looked like they were taking it easy most of the time.  they were fighting hard enough to make the fight interesting without getting hurt and without making the other guy look too bad by whooping on him. 

This was the fight between the tunisian guy who came out in an Arab headdress (a la the Iron Shiek)... and this Ukrainian guy with curly blond hair...  I kept thinking of Jon Heder's character in 'Blades of Glory'....

holy smokes! isn't that Billy Chow?!?    You may remember him from such films as 'Fist of Legend' or 'Dr. Wai' (a good youtube link of his early film work).

One criticism of the event I had was the length.... between each fight they gave a lot of awards out in the ring, which slowed things down quite a bit:

they gave a medal to both the winner and the loser... and a bunch of VIPs, etc...  too slow!

Jimmy MacElroy in his 2nd fight...   unfortunately he lost out to the Czech Muay Thai champion...

This was the final 'super fight'... last year's 'I-1 Grand Slam' Champion against another Thai guy...  (who looked a bit like Boon,  but not as buff...)