Singdum (Black Lion) Kiatmoo9 will take a giant step forward in becoming a top contender for this year's Muay Thai Fighter of the Year when he steps into the Lumpinee stadium for a big fight on Tuesday.
Singdum, right, is one of the strongest boxers at 133 pounds.
Singdum takes on in-form Nong-O Kaiyanghadao in a much-anticipated battle of the bantamweights.
While Singdum has been a consistently strong fighter at the elite level of Muay Thai for several years, the big awards for the top Thais have eluded him.
Winning the main event at one of the year's biggest tournaments will go a long way towards getting him into top contention for this year's nominations.
Singdum is one of the strongest boxers at 133 pounds and Nong-O will need to have his long-range kicks firing to win.
Tactics will be a vital factor for this heavy-duty match-up, and should Singdum make the fight a grappling contest he'll be the likely winner.
On the same card, super talented F16 Rachanon will be tested by Diesel Lek Ud Donmuang, and the talented Wanchalerm Ud Donmuang will be firing his full arsenal of weapons _ from the upper and lower body _ to overcome the stamina and endurance of Pechabooncham FA Group in the Lumpinee featherweight showdown.
The following Tuesday (Aug 7), also at Lumpinee, will be the lightweight 121 pounds fight between superstar Sam-A Kaiyanghadao and a heavier flyweight rival in Tong Puidao.
The normally near-perfect Sam-A has had his immaculate sheen dimmed somewhat this year with some shock defeats, and he'll have to be at his best to overcome Tong who is known for having the nasty habit of collecting champion scalps.
Both fighters are defensive conscious before attack and an early stoppage would be most unexpected, as both have huge reputations to protect.
Boxing rap: It's all about the money
When the great Muhammad Ali was king of the ring he did his own publicity and sold out all stadiums when ticket sales were more important than pay-per-view television.
Later on Ali and a string of boxers that included Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson were taken for publicity rides by boxing promoter Don King.
Now just when boxing was establishing itself away from all the extreme publicity hype along comes rapper 50 Cent who's successfully applied for a boxing promoter's licence in New York and with applications pending with the fight commissions in Nevada and California.
50 Cent's got the licence to promote and organise boxing events under his passport name Curtis Jackson and his new company TMT (The Money Team) Promotions has listed ira first client as Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Mayweather is staying locked up at the Clark County Detention Center where he's serving time for domestic violence until his expected release from jail on Aug 3.
By then expect that 50 Cent will have all the hype fully activated when the boxer is free and able to continue his life as a professional fighter.
Jackson cum 50 Cent says boxing is all about the money.
As a business he's right on the money in saying that, but if boxing is to stay relevant as a sport in the modern era of cage brawlers the sweet science needs super talented stand-up fighters like Mayweather to perform in the ring with gloves and punches, and hopefully spare the public of all the rap trollop.
It would be lovely if 50 Cent could put a bond between Money Mayweather and Congressman Manny Pacquiao to have them do what they're good at and what the world wants now: To get into the ring and fight.