For Khaosai Galaxy_ once dubbed the "Thai Mike Tyson" for his thirst for knockout victories _ capturing the coveted WBA legend award in Panama City recently brought back a flood of old memories of his triumphant days as Thailand's boxing torpedo.
The talented southpaw gave each challenger a run for his money.
The former junior bantamweight champion reigned during the 1980s. His boxing matches, televised countrywide, resulted in deserted roads as people from all walks of life sat glued to the television, rooting for yet another victory from the sporting talent, whose real name is Sura Saenkam. Standing at 165cm, the stocky pugilist never disappointed his adoring fans.
The prestigious boxing award was bestowed on the power-punches fighter for successfully defending his WBA super flyweight belt 19 consecutive times in a span of seven years, winning 16 by knockout. He was also recognised for being a role model both in and out of the ring. He was at the pinnacle of his career when he retired in 1991.
Khaosai with a much-deserved WBA legend award that was presented to him twenty years after his retirement from professional boxing.
During Khaosai's illustrious boxing career he was the top choice for a number of achievement awards, both locally and overseas.
"Of course I am delighted to get this honour," mused the southpaw legend in a matter-of-fact monotone. Joking that to receive this award in Panama he had to spend more time in the air than on land.
"It has been two decades since I hung up my gloves, so the feelings I get from being honoured with the boxing legend decoration now is not the same as when I was actively in the thick of things.
"During my long career, I had become accustomed to getting some sort of award from either the boxing world body or media. While each trophy has a sentimental value attached to it, the biggest honour for me was getting my name inked in the International Boxing Hall of Fame, eight years after my retirement. Those were the glorious days for Thai professional boxing."
Since being named a WBA legend late last month, Khaosai has been in a tailspin juggling his appointments for interviews with the media. Time management has never been his forte, admits the fighter with a smile after forgetting the date for this interview with Life _ he was getting ready to leave his home for the taping of a talk show when this reporter arrived at his doorstep. Looking a little sheepish, he suggested we conduct the interview in his car, on the way to the venue of his next appointment.
The first thing one notices in Khaosai's car parking space are old trophies, perched atop a cabinet, collecting rust. There is no sign that the house belongs to a boxing great until you enter the living room where a huge framed photo of him with the WBA belt clinched in his hand greets you. Photos of years gone by include his buddies _ boxing legends in their own right _ Samart Payakaroon, Sot Chitlada and Somluck Kamsing.
With the WBA super-flyweight belt that he went on to retain 19 times.
As we sat in traffic, he candidly shared his thoughts on how Thai professional boxing had progressed since his retirement. ''Boxers nowadays just don't have the discipline and motivation to succeed,'' castigated the 50-something boxer turned actor/entrepreneur.
''Boxers in my generation aimed to become the best for the match fee, which at my time was about three million baht, the monetary prizes that followed a victory and the ability to shine for one's country. It is just a different generation now, and so the mindset of today's boxers is not the same. Few are willing to put in the extra work.
''In retrospect, I don't believe I had any special talent that helped me to enjoy the success that followed. What I had was the fire in me to become the best, which of course entailed a lot of sacrifice and hard work. I was able to defend my title for up to eight years largely due to personal sacrifice, discipline and self restraint, especially during the weigh-in where boxers have to reach the contracted weight for the fight. Even a glass of water can make a difference when you are weighed. During my time we trained hard year round, not just when a match was to be held. We complied with rigid diets and made a conscious effort to keep our weight in check, even during off days.''
Khaosai admitted that the weigh-in prior to matches was probably the most stressful for him.
''I used to become anxious about not being able to lose those extra ounces in time for the weigh-in. One of the most gruelling experiences that I recall vividly happened during a match in Indonesia, where I had to lose two pounds, and only on the fourth try was I able to achieve it.
''The method I used to lose the additional weight to this day makes me cringe. I was given two hours before the mid-afternoon weigh-in to reach my stipulated 115 pounds. So during this time I tried everything from running up the staircase of the hotel to wrapping myself in shower curtains and using the steam from the rice cooker to sweat before I was able to reach my goal. If I had failed to do so I would have lost my title on the weigh-in scales that day.''
Khaosai currently assists in training up-and-coming boxers. The standard of local boxers has deteriorated because unlike in the past, he notes there are many boxing titles to vie for today. This only makes fighters complacent in their comfort zone, largely because they don't have to struggle with having to keep their weight in check as they can always vie for another belt, he said.
Today's fights are held on home turf, which does not test the potential of the pugilists because they have home advantage and judges might be inclined to show them preference. If Thai boxers are really worth their salt, Khaosai advises them to be able to fight boxers with different styles, build and on neutral ground. During his time, entertaining the audience so they anticipated not just a victory but a good time was part and parcel of his strategy.
At the height of his career, the sports personality boosted an attractive abdominal six pack, today he jokes he sports just one pack. When asked to explain why he has ballooned to nearly twice his weight since hanging up his gloves, Khaosai attributes this to the built-in frustrations of not being able to eat his favourite fatty foods since his early days as a Muay Thai exponent.
After years of keeping a stringent diet to make the scales, he took to satisfying his taste buds with a vengeance. As he has always loved to cook and obviously eat, settling for salads, sugar-free snacks and lean meat for about 20 years eventually took a toll on his ability to resist dishes with high-calorie content.
Khaosai has toyed with everything from property development to politics and acting, which he got into very much by chance. Channel 7 gave him his first break and now he gets a steady stream of offers to play the roles of a sidekick, comedian and transgender women in Thai drama serials.
''I became an actor without any proper coaching,'' smiled Khaosai. ''When I made my debut, I felt butterflies in my stomach. On my first day on the set of the serial where I was playing a tough guy, I was sweating with anxiety. Luckily, the director and actors put me at ease and I enjoyed the experience. This also made my transition into the entertainment scene a smooth one. I have taken to comedy roles because it comes naturally to me. I am an entertainer at heart.
The esteemed International Boxing Hall of Fame plaque.
''As people have observed, my roles are usually hilarious because I have a deadpan look and dry sense of humour. I just love to make people around me laugh and have a good time, both when I was boxing and now that I have the opportunity to act. The most recent offer comes from Channel 3, where I will be acting in a comedy about ghosts.''
Dipping his toe into politics during last year's election was an eye-opening experience for the boxing idol.
He ran for candidacy under the Chart Thai Pattana party banner. Despite losing, Khaosai said he was proud to get 8,000 votes from supporters, while Olympic gold medallist Somluck Kamsing, who also took part, received only 1,000 votes. Vehemently adding that from the little he encountered during the elections, politics was not his cup of tea. Politics is a dirty game where one has to sacrifice their integrity and honour, he said.
Khaosai seemed rather relieved to have failed in his efforts to enter politics.
''I would have had to compromise my belief system if I actually won. Thai politics is currently very divided. If the country is to show the outside world that Thailand is worth investing in, we have to be more united.''
Nevertheless, Khaosai praised Prime Minister Yingluck's efforts to run the country with a clear plan in mind. He was impressed with the way she managed last year's floods. His home in Thanon Nuanchan was not affected by the inundation because two pumping machines were used to keep the residential area dry.
As an athlete he said it would be nice to see the present government put more impetus on supporting sportsmen and women who have a shot at international success. Money, he stressed, is a huge factor in building professional athletes. Without the presence of monetary rewards and solid financial backing there is dismal opportunity for sporting talents to shine.
While Khaosai has tasted the best money has had to offer_ he cautions athletes in the limelight to always be proud of their humble beginnings. He speaks nostalgically about his childhood.
Born to a middle-class family in Phetchabun _ Khaosai and his identical twin brother Khaokor, who was the WBA bantamweight champion in 1988_ were introduced to boxing by their mother, who enjoyed watching Muay Thai boxing matches. He was just a few years old when she brought her boys their first pair of boxing gloves. While the family weren't hard up for money, Khaosai took a liking for Muay Thai after watching his twin fight at village boxing events.
''When I won a match I was happy to use that money to buy whatever I wanted. In this way, I didn't have to bother my parents for money.
''I have been a prankster from childhood, I used to switch places with Khaokor during boxing matches as a child. Unfortunately, this resulted in my being punished badly by the opponent because my brother trained and boxed well, while I used to just imitate the way he fought. Ultimately I began training with my brother and a coach, picking up victories that eventually set the stage for a profession that would bring me fame and fortune, not to mention prestigious awards that I would never have dreamt of.''
ABOVE The weigh-in was the most agonising part for the Thai boxing legend.
LEFT A moment of jubilation shared with his trainer.
Paying respect to his father after yet another victory. Looking on is his elder twin Khaokor, who also captured the WBA bantamweight title, making them the only twins to become world boxing champions.
