Sahaprom, Harada etc interviews

Veeraphol Sahaprom interview:

TSS: Thanks for speaking with me and allowing me into your gym.

Veeraphol Sahaprom: No problem.

TSS: Like most Thai fighters, you first fought in Muay Thai. How old were you when you had your first Muay Thai fight and why did you decide to fight?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: I was ten years old. My family needed the money and I was a pretty good fighter so I decided to try and make some money to help out.

TSS: Most boxing fans aren’t aware that you were actually quite accomplished in the sport of Muay Thai.

Veeraphol Sahaprom: Well, I won many championships.

TSS: How many Muay Thai fights did you have before making the switch to boxing?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: I had somewhere around 180 fights. I won 150, lost 30 and had 30 KOs.

TSS: So after a long and successful career in Muay Thai, what made you change to boxing? Was it the lack of money in Muay Thai?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: No, it really wasn’t about money. I fought everyone who was anyone in Muay Thai and had nothing left to prove.

TSS: So you ran out of people to fight?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: I ran out of challenges. I won the Rajdamnern stadium championship three times and felt I had done all I could do in Muay Thai so boxing was a new challenge.

(Rajdamnern and Lumpini stadiums are the two main stadiums in Thailand. Winning a title at one of these stadiums is considered a major achievement)

TSS: You were 29 years old when you started your boxing career. That’s quite old to start a career in boxing don’t you think?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: I’m 37 years old now and still don’t feel old.

TSS: On March 25 you get your rematch against Hasegawa. Have you been in training?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: I’m always in training.

TSS: How’s the training going?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: I train the same way every day and everything is good. In Thailand we do not train the same as boxers in some other parts of the world. In America, for instance, fighters train six to eight weeks before they fight. We train six days a week, all year round and rarely change this routine.

TSS: Before the Hasegawa rematch was confirmed, you had been scheduled to fight on Feb. 17th. Has this changed or is this fight still on? Who is your opponent?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: Nothing has changed. The fight is a warm-up (tune-up) for the Hasegawa fight. All I know is my opponent is from Africa and the fight will be six rounds. It’s just to stay busy.

TSS: You fight at 118, how is your weight now and what is your walking around weight?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: Like I said, I train year-round so I don’t gain much weight. If I do, the most I’ll gain is 4-5 kilos.

TSS: Any injuries?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: Truthfully, the only time I have injuries is after a tough fight. Usually I’m ok a few days afterwards though.

TSS: You’ve fought over fifty times in boxing. Who was your toughest opponent?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: Nana Kanadu and Adan Vargas were both strong. Kanadu was very experienced when I fought him and I was not. It was only my fifth fight in boxing when I fought him. Vargas hit hard and was a tough fighter.

TSS: Who hit the hardest?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: Nana Kanadu and also Ricardo Barajas. When Kanadu knocked me out I didn’t know what happened. I thought I had him beat and he surprised me. If I had fought him later in my career I might not have made the mistakes I made. I learned to be more cautious from that fight.

TSS: Ok, let’s talk about the Hasegawa. How many days will you be in Japan before the fight?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: I think five days before the fight. I don’t want to be in Japan for long. I don’t like the air.

TSS: Were you surprised Hasegawa defeated you?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: Yes, very much so. I didn’t think he had much of a chance of beating me.

TSS: So what happened and what do you now think about Hasegawa? How do you feel about fighting him again and what are his strengths and weaknesses?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: I took him lightly and wasn’t at my best physically or mentally. I’m sure I will beat him this time. He is quick and has good basic skill but he doesn’t have a very hard punch.

(Sahaprom’s trainer Monsawan Laemfapah chimes in, “Veeraphol will be champion again on March 25. Sure. I’m very sure he will beat Hasegawa.”)

TSS: Do you think Hasegawa believes since he beat you once he can beat you again or do you think he is going to give you respect?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: I think he is scared. He knows I wasn’t at my best the first fight and now he has to fight me again. He should be worried.

TSS: If you lose to Hasegawa, will you retire?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: Probably.

TSS: How much longer do you plan on fighting if you win?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: As long as my body feels good. If I start to have problems recuperating from my fights, then I’ll know it’s time to retire. Right now though, my body feels good and I’m not ready to stop fighting.

TSS: What do you plan on doing once you do retire?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: I’m not sure yet. Maybe open a restaurant back home.

TSS: If you could say anything to Hozumi Hasegawa, what would it be?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: Be ready for me because I will be much better than I was in our first fight! Be ready!

TSS: If you win, is there anyone in particular you would like to fight?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: Marquez…Rafael Marquez.

TSS: Where do you think you belong among the best Thai fighters of all-time?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: I think somewhere in the top ten.

(Sahaprom smiled when I showed him my own list. I have him ranked number three or four, behind Khaosai Galaxy, his own favorite Pone Kingpetch, and possibly Chatchai Sasakul or Sot Chitlada.)

TSS: Who do you think deserves the number one spot?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: Khaosai Galaxy, definitely, but my favorite Thai fighter of all time is Pone Kingpetch.

TSS: Who is your favorite non-Thai fighter who is still active?

Veeraphol Sahaprom: Oscar De La Hoya.

TSS: Oscar De La Hoya?! Is he even fighting anymore? He does everything but fight nowadays!

Veeraphol Sahaprom: When he fights though, I like his technique, I like his style.

TSS: Well it’s been a pleasure talking with you. Thanks again for taking the time to speak with me and good luck against Hasegawa on March 25th!

Veeraphol Sahaprom: Thank you

Interesting facts about Veeraphol Sahaprom

Fought former undefeated, WBF champion Samson Dutchboygym (Kratingdaenggym) twice in Muay Thai. In the first bout he was knocked out in two rounds. In the rematch, he knocked out Dutchboygym out in the second round.

Unlike most gyms in Thailand which are outside, the Nakornluang gym where Sahaprom trains is inside, above a movie theatre.

Sahaprom, his wife and two children live at the gym / movie theatre year-round as do many of the other Nakornluang fighters. His wife runs a nearby restaurant during the day.

 

Fighting Harada interview:

Q: Who was the best fighter you ever fought?

Fighting Harada: Well, I would have to say that Eder Jofre was the toughest man I ever fought. When I found out that I was fighting him, I was scared. I beat Jofre to win the World Bantamweight Championship. He was a such a strong, hard puncher.

Q: What are your recollections of the Lionel Rose fight?

FH: All I can say was that on that night Rose had luck. God gave him the win. (Laughs)

Q: At the end of the fight did you think you had won it?

FH: I thought I did my best. After the fight I thought the judges gave him the decision because Rose's punch always landed first while I tried to get on the inside. After watching the fight, I noticed that my punches also landed on him when I did get on the inside. It was a very close fight.

FH:The first Famechon fight in Sydney, what are your recollections of it?

Q: I felt exactly how the Sydney fans felt that night. The referee, Willie Pep from USA, was the only judge on the night. He initially announced the fight a draw and then the decision was changed to a Famechon points win. Even though I lost on points, Australian fans cheered for me, and booed the local fighter. I was very moved. When I went back to my hotel, Australian reporters came to me, and told me that I won the fight. The following morning's newspaper headlines were that I was "robbed" of the World Title. Lionel Rose spoke on TV telling me to go back to Japan with my chin up because I won the fight.

Q: The second Famechon fight was in Tokyo. It was expected with your own home crowd that you would win easily. What went wrong?

FH: After my first fight with Famechon I was too over confident. I was expected to win easy on my home ground. On the other hand, Famechon was determined to win in a hostile crowd, and I believe he trained harder because of this. I was just not mentally prepared for our second fight.

Q: Having fought both Lionel Rose & John Famechon who would you regard as the better fighter?

FH: That is a hard one to answer. They were both great fighters, and I lost to both of them. I cannot choose. Famechon was a boxer with great technical skills, where as Rose was rough and strong.

 

Chatchai Sasakul interview:

TSS: Like most boxers from Thailand, you started off fighting in Muay Thai. How old were you?

Chatchai Sasakul: I started in Muay Thai when I was seven years old and I was fifteen or sixteen when I started boxing. Fighting is something I’ve done all my life.

TSS: How many fights did you have in Muay Thai and did you win any championships?

Chatchai Sasakul: I had more than a hundred fights, I don’t remember exactly, and I won around eighty of them. I didn’t win any big championships like Lumpini or Rajdamnern though.

TSS: So what made you decide to stop fighting in Muay Thai and begin boxing?

Chatchai Sasakul: We had a boxing tournament in school. I was the champion of my school. I kept boxing and ended up being the champion of all the Thai high schools in my level. Later I competed in the Asian Games and SEA Games and also the 1988 Olympics. I got to the quarterfinals in the Olympics.

TSS: Ahhh…in Korea, Roy Jones.

Chatchai Sasakul: Yes, Roy Jones, I remember. I also was in a fight most people thought I very clearly had won. I lost to a fighter from Hungary. Well, I don’t think anyone there, including the Hungarian fighter, thought I lost. It was given to him and taken away from me. That year there were many bad decisions and many problems with the judges. Communists.

TSS: Communists?

Chatchai Sasakul (shaking his head): Many communist countries won because of bad judging.

TSS: You defeated Yuri Arbachakov to win the 112-pound belt and retired him. Was that your proudest moment in your boxing career?

Chatchai Sasakul: It was, yes. I didn’t retire him though, his wife did! He beat me in our first fight, and then I beat him. He wanted a rematch but I guess he made a promise to his wife so he retired. His punches were not hard but he had good skill.

TSS: You’ve fought in both boxing and Muay Thai and fought more than 150 times. Who would you rate as the best puncher you’ve faced?
Chatchai Sasakul: Manny Pacquiao!!! One good punch from him and I was out. He has very heavy hands.

TSS: What happened in that fight? You were schooling him until you got caught with a few good shots.

Chatchai Sasakul: I lost my focus I guess and he took advantage of it. I don’t remember much about that fight (laughing)! Actually, I trained for ten days for the Pacquiao fight. Normally I train two months for a fight. I was having problems with my girlfriend and we were in the middle of a break-up. I let it affect my training. But Pacquaio is a very, very good fighter. He was quick and very strong. TSS: After you lost the title to Pacquiao, you were supposed to fight the then undefeated Alex Baba in a title eliminator. At the last minute the fight was cancelled though. Tell me about this.

Chatchai Sasakul: The fight was in America, in Florida. I was getting ready for the fight, having my hands wrapped. Someone comes in and says I can’t fight. When they checked my blood the found I had a problem, Hepatitis B. I didn’t know I had it.

TSS: So not fighting the fight with Baba cost you a shot at the title.

Chatchai Sasakul: Yes.

TSS: So how are you now?

Chatchai Sasakul: I’m fine. I don’t feel sick. I don’t drink or smoke and I take good care of myself.

TSS: In 2000 you stopped fighting and didn’t come back until 2003. What was the reason for your layoff and why did you come back?

Chatchai Sasakul: I got bored with training and fighting. I just grew tired of it. I had become champion and had fought many times in my life. So I took a break.

TSS: It didn’t have anything to do with your finding out you had Hepatitis B?

Chatchai Sasakul: No, not at all. I didn’t get the title shot though and I was a little bored with boxing.

TSS: So I understand Mr. Virat Vajiratanawongse is your manager, but you don’t have a trainer?

Chatchai Sasakul: I have a few trainers in my gym. One person who helps me is a Muay Thai fighter known as Superman (Narong Pholsongkram) here in Thailand. So it’s not like I have no one to train me.

It should be noted - many Thai’s use a variety of pad holders. These pad holders are in effect their trainer. There may be one elderly trainer in the gym who gives pointers, but for the most part the pad holder is the trainer.

TSS: The last time you fought, you lost a close decision to Kuniyuki Aizawa. What happened? He was a prospect and was relatively inexperienced compared to you. Why do you think you lost?

Chatchai Sasakul: The fight with Aizawa was not a big fight. I’m getting old and really, I only want to fight for big money and a world title, or if it’s a fight I need to win to get the title shot.

TSS: If you’re trying to get a shot at the title, you need to win every fight, don’t you.

Chatchai Sasakul: I should have won the fight. I got tired at the end of the fight. I’m getting too old to fight. In the past, I never got tired.

TSS: So are you going to fight again? What could make you train hard again?

Chatchai Sasakul: I have a fight scheduled for next month. I don’t know who I’ll fight though.

TSS: So are you training now and if you could choose one person to fight, who would it be?

Chatchai Sasakul: Yes, I’m training now, running every morning and at the gym in the afternoons. I’d like to fight Tokuyama (Masamori Tokuyama - WBC Super Flyweight Champion). I have seen him fight and I think I can beat him. He doesn’t scare me at all and I would beat him.

TSS: Who is your favorite fighter of all-time?

Chatchai Sasakul: Sugar Ray Leonard. He was very fast, very smooth. I would like to fight like him.

TSS: And favorite Thai fighter?

Chatchai Sasakul: Pongsaklek Wonjongkam. He has so much skill.

TSS: Yes, he’s very skilled…but many fans are disappointed he hasn’t fought Jorge Arce. Why not?

Chatchai Sasakul: He wants to be in the Hall of Fame.

TSS: So he doesn’t want to fight him because he doesn’t want to take a chance on losing to Arce?

Chatchai Sasakul: If Arce fights him in Thailand, maybe Pongsaklek will beat him. If they fight outside Thailand, it will be more difficult for Pongsaklek to win. Fighting outside Thailand is always hard for Thais.

TSS: I think if he can beat someone like Arce, or Parra or even Alvarez, he’ll rate higher on the list of great fighters from Thailand.

Chatchai Sasakul: Yes, definitely. But those are difficult fights for him and difficult to make.

TSS: What do you think about the sport of boxing and the state it’s in?

Chatchai Sasakul: Where? Do you mean in Thailand or in the world?

TSS: Both, worldwide and also Thailand.

Chatchai Sasakul: It’s gone down. Fighters are not as good as they used to be. Before, we had so many champions who worked very, very hard to be champion. Sot Chitlada, Khaosai Galaxy, Samart Payakarun….Now…it’s just not the same.

TSS: Where do you think you rank among the twenty all-time greatest Thai boxers?

Chatchai Sasakul (laughing): Number twenty.

All of his friends quickly chimed in, “number one, number one.”

Chatchai Sasakul: Khaosai is number one, for sure. Khaosai was very strong and had a big punch. I am more of a classic boxer. Everyone likes to see a knockout and Khaosai was good at knocking people out.

 

Khaosai "P4P№1" Galaxy interview:

Boxing Inspirations: ”Muhammad Ali. Joe Louis. Rocky Marciano. Pone Kingpetch – the first world champion from Thailand. He won the title the year after I was born in 1960. I studied his lifestyle. He spent much, much time for his profession. I tried to perfect his style. But in the ring we had different styles, as he was a boxer.”

Hobbies/Interests: ”Play snooker – I own a snooker club in Bangkok. Play a little golf. Operating the Khaosai Galaxy Sports Club in Bangkok.”

Pre-Fight Meal: ”Thai food, rice – to maintain weight of junior bantamweight. After the weigh-in, 24 hours before the fight, then a big steak [[laughs].”

Pre-Fight Feeling: ”All the time I was very well prepared. Technical, endurance – always ready. I knew my left hand was special. My power hand. In the ring I became a completely different person, full of confidence. Felt no pressure under me. Always smiling. Relaxed and confident my left hand would win the fight for me.”

Greatest Sports Moment: ”First championship fight. I tried, I tried many times, always dreaming. I waited five years – 25 fights – for the championship opportunity. Finally, I boxed for the championship in 1984 against Eusebio Espinal (in Bangkok). Espinal had a very good style, he knew a lot. But his punch was just not heavy enough. I won by sixth round knockout by left hand. At that time I was underdog, rated #8, not considered to threaten him. I was so excited, I ran five kilometers to my temple to celebrate that night.”

Most Painful Moment: ”None in the ring. But I had problems in my love life. I married a Japanese girl. Had a lot of trouble. And finally a divorce.”

Toughest Opponent Encountered: ”Kenji Matsumura (1989). Eleventh defense. Bad, bad cut from elbow in second round. Worried me about losing by TKO. It was the first cut of my career. I didn’t go for knockout. I jabbed to outpoint him on decision.”

Hardest Puncher Encountered: ”The last fight (Armando Castro in 1991). Took a standing-eight count in round three from a right hand. Very, very important fight. 19th title defense. Actually, I decided to retire after 18. But the WBA president Gilberto Mendoza wanted to see another fight. The Prime Minister of Thailand didn’t want to see it. Finally, all agreed to another fight in Bangkok.”

Musical Tastes: ”Whitney Houston. I love her. A very deep, from-the-heart voice.”

Funny Boxing Memory: ”My twin brother (Kaokor) also became WBA Bantamweight champion. The funny memory is when I was 13, my brother was knocked down in the third round of a kickboxing match. The bell came. Between the rounds I secretly put on his gloves and substituted for my brother. Nobody knew – we look the same. And I knocked the opponent out in the next round with a left hand [smiles].”

Early Boxing Memory: ”My mother started training me in boxing at five years old. My mother loved boxing and I was very close to her. Out of deep respect for my mother, I keep fighting. It is a very sad point of my life that she passed away before I won the world championship in 1984.”

Most Treasured Possession: ”The greatest honor of my career was going to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York in 1999.”

 

Khaosai Galaxy:

''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.''

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.''