Chaichan Ramoon (Thai: ???; born: November 11, 1970), known professionally as Boonlai Sor.Thanikul (Thai: บุญหลาย ส.ธนิกุล), is a retired Thai Muay Thai fighter. He is a former two-division Lumpinee Stadium champion who was famous in the 1980s and 1990s. He is respected as one of the most skilled fighters of the Muay Thai golden era who fought a wide variety of opponents.
| Boonlai Sor.Thanikul | |
|---|---|
 Boonlai in 2019 | |
| Born | Chaichan Ramoon November 16, 1970 Bang Nam Priao, Chachoengsao, Thailand |
| Other names | Wangyu Sor.Ploenchit (1984-1986) |
| Nickname | The Iron Twin (Faet Lek) |
| Height | 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) |
| Division | Super Flyweight Super Bantamweight Featherweight |
| Style | Muay Thai (Muay Femur) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Team | Sitmabon (until 1984) Sor.Ploenchit (1984-1986) Sor.Thanikul (1986-1994) Sor.Korpilap (founded 2010) 11th Infantry Military Base |
| Trainer | Phairaj Lawiraj (Pueng Sor.Thanikul) |
| Occupation | Muay Thai trainer |
| Notable relatives | Boonlong Sor.Thanikul (twin brother) |
He won both of his Lumpinee Stadium titles against "The Wonder Boy" Karuhat Sor.Supawan and "Mr. Merciless Knee" Langsuan Panyuthaphum and defended them both against Oley Kiatoneway.[1]
Biography and career
editEarly life
editRamoon and his twin brother were born into a poor family living in Chachoengsao province on November 16, 1970. At the age of 10, the twins started training Muay Thai at home with their father. They later joined the small Sitmabon gym near their home. After Ramoon fought out of Sitmabon around 50 times, the twins were found by a talent scout from Bangkok and were transferred to the Sor.Ploenchit gym at 13-years-old. Ramoon then used the ring name of Wangyu Sor.Ploenchit. After 2 years of fighting out of the millionaire-owned elite gym, the twins were given to the mafia-owned Sor.Thanikul gym in 1986 as a way for their boss to clear a gambling debt. The twins would adopt the ring names Boonlai and Boonlong Sor.Thanikul and made the rest of their careers fighting out of their new gym.[1][2]
Despite the fact that the Sor.Thanikul gym was owned by notorious mafia godfather Klaew Thanikul, who was responsible for murder, drug trade, human trafficking, et cetera, Thanikul treated his gym's fighters well and gave them large sums of money.[3][4] The Sor.Thanikul gym was unusually large and had higher quality training equipment compared to most Thai gyms of the time. Like the other fighters in the gym, the twins trained everyday under headman Pueng Sor.Thanikul[5] in what was considered one of the best Muay Thai gyms in Thailand which produced a total of around 20 champions in the Lumpinee and Rajadamnern stadiums.[6]
Elite career
editBoonlai and Boonlong would go on to be the most famous fighters in the Sor.Thanikul gym's history. They would fight under the Onesongchai promotion. In 1989, Boonlai would defeat an elite fighter who the Thai audiences considered a superstar at the time, Karuhat Sor.Supawan. On the same card, Boonlong defeated the renowned pressure fighter Pongsiri "Rambo" Sor. Ruamrudee. Boonlai would face "The Top Master" Karuhat a total of 4 times with Boonlai defeating him in 3 bouts.[1] Karuhat would later cite Boonlai as his most difficult opponent, admitting Boonlai's technicality and height as the reasons why.[7] Oley Kiatoneway cited his first bout against Boonlai as his most painful fight, as Oley was winning on points until Boonlai darted forward with a right cross and knocked down Oley with a series of punches.[8] Oley suffered from a headache after the knockdown and had to be hospitalized.[9] Boonlai won the fight to successfully defend his 115 lbs Lumpinee title that he won for defeating "The Heartless Knee Striker" Langsuan Panyuthaphum.
As one of the most skilled rope-a-dope Muay Femur of the golden era, Boonlai excelled in all attacks, particularly in counter-striking, as can be seen in his fights. At the peak of his career Boonlai received purses as high as ฿200,000 (equivalent to ฿396,935 in 2020). Boonlai beat an unusually wide variety fighters of his era such as Langsuan Panyuthaphum, Namkabuan Nongkeepahuyuth, Jongsanan Fairtex, Wangchannoi Sor Palangchai, Jaroensap Kiatbanchong, and Somrak Khamsing.[10] Boonlai stated that his victory against "The Ring Genius" Namkabuan was his favorite memory in his fighting career as he was the most significant fighter of Boonlai's weight class at the time. Boonlai recalls both Somrak and Namkabuan as the most difficult opponents he has ever faced.[2][11]
Boonlai's final matchup was against Silapathai Jockygym. After it was observed that Boonlai was not performing to the best of his ability, Silapathai threw a question mark kick at his head followed it with a series of punches, knocking Boonlai out. Suspicion grew as Boonlai fell after receiving weak punches, and an investigation concluded that Boonlai faked the KO to intentionally lose the fight. Boonlai was supposedly banned from competition afterward.[12] Despite this, Boonlai is remembered as one of the most talented fighters of the 1990s.[11]
In Thailand, Boonlai is one of the few Muay Thai fighters who is said to have "fought everyone" as in he was matched up against an unusually wide array of elite fighters during his prime.[11]
Later years
editAfter his Muay Thai career, Boonlai became a trainer in various camps in Bangkok as well as opening his own gym called Sor.Korpilap in 2010. His twin brother Boonlong passed away from a car accident.[2] Boonlai was also a Muay Thai coach for the 11th Infantry Military Base in Chachoengsao province.[11]
Titles and honours
edit- Lumpinee Stadium
- 1990 Lumpinee Stadium Super Flyweight (115 lbs) Champion (1 defense)
- 1992 Lumpinee Stadium Super Bantamweight (122 lbs) Champion (1 defense)
Fight record
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c Trefeu, Serge (2020-11-16). "BOONLAY SOR THANIKUL (Career 1980-1990)". SIAM FIGHT MAG. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
- ^ a b c Trefeu, Serge (2015-05-10). "BOONLAY SOR THANIKUL". SIAM FIGHT MAG. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
- ^ Yindeeman's Talk | EP.18 Part 1 l เบื้องหลังที่ไม่มีใครรู้ของ 'แคล้ว ธนิกุล' (ENG CC) (in Thai), January 14, 2022, retrieved 2023-12-18
- ^ Reynolds, Alexander (2017-04-22). "The Rise and Fall of Klaew Thanikul: The Mafia Godfather of Muay Thai". Vice. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
- ^ "ค่าย ส. ธนิกุล" [Sor.Thanikul Gym], Yod Muay Ek (in Thai), 25 November 2018, retrieved 2023-12-18
- ^ Trefeu, Serge (2014-09-22). "SOR THANIKUL GYM". SIAM FIGHT MAG. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
- ^ Trefeu, Serge (2014-02-08). "KARUHAT SOR SUPAWAN". SIAM FIGHT MAG. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
- ^ "บุญหลาย ส.ธนิกุล VS โอเล่ห์ เกียรติวันเวย์" [Boonlai Sor.Thanikul vs Oley Kiatoneway], ศึกยอดมวยไทย ศึกวันทรงชัย [The Best of Onesongchai Promotion] (in Thai), vol. 21, 25 March 2020, retrieved 2023-12-18
- ^ เรื่องเล่าจากยอดมวยไทยในอดีต "โอเล่ห์ เกียรติวันเวย์" กับปัจจุบันหน้าที่ในค่าย "พรัญชัย" (in Thai), Muaysod.com, August 10, 2023, retrieved 2023-12-18
- ^ "The fights of Anthology of Golde Era Muay Tai Chapter I". siamfightmag.com. Archived from the original on 2021-05-13. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
- ^ a b c d von Duuglas-Ittu, Sylvie (March 4, 2019). "#57 Boonlai Sor. Thanikul - Kicking Excellence (66 min)". Patreon.
- ^ "Silapathai Jockygym vs Boonlai Sor Thanikul", Yod Muay Ek (in Thai), Channel 7 (Thailand), 1994, retrieved 2023-12-18
- ^ "บุญหลาย ส.ธนิกุล ชนะคะแนน โอเล่ห์ เกียรติวันเวย์ 13 ต.ค. 2535". facebook.com.
- ^ "บุญหลาย ส.ธนิกุล อัดแข้งขวาเนื้อๆเข้าลำตัว โอเล่ห์ เกียรติวันเวย์ ครบห้ายกบุญหลายชนะคะแนนขาดลอย นแชมป์รุ่นจูเนียร์แบนตั้มเวทลุมพินีไว้ได้/ศึกวันทรงชัยอังคารที่24เม.ย.2533". facebook.com.