Saenchai vs Penek Lumpinee stadium, June 8th

I think you're right but as with all things ATG time will tell.

To me the moment a fighter becomes no 1 in his weight division up to lightweight in Thailand the striking Mecca of the world he automatically qualifies for ATG status what ever era.

The breadth and depth of competion in Thailand is staggering, it just can't be described. In everycorner of the country there are MT gyms training fighters who dream of becoming Raja or Lumpini champ. It is the most competative and active striking scene in the world to get to the top of it is a true achievment.

The one thing i'd say about ranking him up there with the greats of the late 80 and 90s it that I even though now the scene is competative it was more so then. It was a boom time for the sport, football had not yet become a popular spectator sport so many more were tuned into MT. You had fighters staying in the sport longer and earning more(3-400,000 baht compared to 100,000 now) so hence more exerienced warriors stiking around and repetedly fighting each other creating soap opera like fights that Arum would dream for. Also in the late 90s early 2000s the gamblers took over and you saw a trend towards younger fighters who fought at a faster pace and were less prone to damage due to lack of developed power. The gamberlers like fast paced fights without stoppages as the betting gets more furious. This new trend combined with less poeple watching MT as soccer became a TV rival the pay got less and hence you would see guys leave the sport earlier than before. Most fighters on the circuit these days are under 24, so before they develop real man power and stregth they are gone even though they've already had 200 fights.

You can't blame Saenchai for the above and I'm not saying he's not worthy but the pre 2000 ATG club is a pretty serious group of guys, the sport has changed alot since then and I think fighters will always be looking back to the 90s and that kind of level of competion won't be seen again, but you definately have a new breed such as Bukaw who are fightiing more forigners and doing it internationally and dominating and I think as Thais start to take the international scene more seriously a whole new generation of welters to middles fighting in thier primes will herald a new golden age of MT.

 

Yeah , it'll be good to see theem fight again and they probabaly will a few times.

I do really think weight played it's part. Penek is a stalker with powerful kicks,he bullies, but if you can take the sting out of his power due to natural weight you have a massive advantage that lets you walk though him and boss it, basically do what you want.

Your'e right Saenchai's speed and timing was great, but to me his timing looked great cos Penek fought the master's fight he couldn't fight his own as his power had been taken away from him and his experrience couldn't match Saenchais. He knew what Penek was gonna try to do, Penek
treid to adapt in round 4 but on the whole was pretty one dimensional and Saenchai using great experience picked him off at will and used his ringcraft and a good a few tricks to stop him form setting prperly and getting him off balance.

 

I'm not disagree with you Yaca, maybe I should say heavier man not bigger man. What you decribe for me was the second part of the fight. Saenchai had tested him in the 1st few, sinking in good low kicks and hands to etsablish his stregnth and power. He walked through his shots at this stage to test Penek's power, by round 3 he knew Penek's power wasn't enough so could jump in and out as he wished with out the real worry of being contered withheavy power, but was wary of gettng pulled into one of Penek's clinches where Penek the taller man with good knee skills had the natural advantage,hence his choice of distance even though he was the naturally heavier man.

Bloody hell he get's around!!! Didn't knw about this show,thanks.

 

saenchai ****ing schooled this *****

penek beat Sam-A as well

honestly at this point i wasnt sure Saenchai would even get the win - let alone look som impressive