Saturday, 9th September, 2005, was the day history was made when the first-ever WBC MuayThai championships belt was wrapped around the waist of a professional MuayThai fighter.
It has given my a not inconsiderable sense of pride to say that the inaugural muaythai championship of the WBC was staged in Hong Kong, at the new Queen Elizabeth Stadium, 2005.
It was a stupendous extravaganza showcasing seven legends in sport muaythai : “Black Terminator” Buakaw P. Pramuj (THA), “Tattooed-Dragon” Sean Charles Skarbowsky (FRA), “Tiger” Zhang Qing Jun (CHN), “Carnage” Nathan Corbett (NZL), “3-O Guy” Orono P. Muangubol (THA), “Russian Assassin” Mohamed Mogamedov (RUS), and Hong Kong’s own “Apeman” Ling Kim Fung.
It was such a luxuriant program, and the resultant fireworks were indeed memorable.
Zhang, the Tiger of Fujian, stopped the towering English “Jet” in a record 17 seconds of the opening, a stunning feat to the entire 3,000 spectators, especially the Hong Kong manager Pierre Ingrassia (RIP), who had hoped his fighter from U.K. would net the WBC green title belt on the historical occasion.
The Chinese gaugantum, weighing 231 pounds, made his third successful appearance here with a thunderous performance, giving opponent Marek Boguscewicz ( 6’5″ & 216 pounds) no breathing space at all, as he charged ahead from the opening gong and halted the man with a barrage of furious punches.
Zhang thus claimed the first ever WBC Muaythai International Heavyweight title via Kayo in 1 (0 :17). He was overwhelmed when that most prestigious belt was presented to him by Pol General Kovid Bhakdibhumi of the Thailand, President WBC Muaythai.
The event marked the first time a Chinese fighter has registered a luminous victory in a major world-level match.
This story was written by Alex Tsui.
