GOLDEN ERA GREATS
Golden Era Greats: Thailand’s Legendary Fighters
Muay Thai has really come to the world’s attention due to it’s application in MMA. Before the global glory, a group of incredible competitors fought in the great arenas of Thailand. Mostly Thais, with a few notable pioneers from Europe, the Golden Era Greats will be showcased in this new series.
The golden era of Muay Thai spanned from around the mid-1980s, to the early 1990s. During that time there were more talented fighters competing against each other than at any point in history. The big money and promotions had not yet come into the sport, with the ultimate glory being stadium champion titles from Lumpinee and Rajadamnern in Bangkok.
Modern fans now scour YouTube for grainy footage of One Songchai promotions and Channel 7 stadium fights, desperate to see the greatest of the century battle it out for supremacy. Names like Samart Payakaroon and Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn, Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn and Kaensak Sor Ploenjit inspired the next wave of Nak Muay from across the world to stand up and fight like a Thai. Sakad Petchyindee fought in Japan and captured the imagination of video game designers at Capcom, becoming the infamous boss Sagat in in Street Fighter II.
The Golden Era Greats series will look at each of these legend’s careers and examine why they were so successful, as well as their ups and downs in and out of the ring. The golden era of Muay Thai is beginning to slowly becoming acknowledged on a worldwide scale, rekindling the knowledge that the great fighters of that time held and bringing their awesome battles back to the limelight and into the imaginations of yet another generation of fighters eager to hone their craft and rise to the top in Thailand’s national sport. Stay tuned for these fascinating windows into the Golden Era Greats.
