13 Weeks In The Making

Finally, after 13 weeks of hard hitting action featuring the worlds top Muay Thai fighters, we were finally down to our top two. After three consecutive wins, it was now time for both John Wayne Parr of Australia and Yodsaenklai Fairtex of Thailand to fight it out in the Contender Asia Finale. The finale was held in the Singapore Indoor Stadium before a sold out crowd which brought together Muay Thai fans the world over, the lucky few who did manage to get their hands on tickets were in for a night to remember.

We were first introduced to the commentators for the night, former international kick boxer, Michael Shiavello and former Muay Thai fighter, Mark Castagnini. Michael Shiavello got the ball rolling as he introduced the finale night; "We started 15 weeks ago where 16 of the world's fighters converged here in Singapore. At stake was the highest prize money ever offered in Muay Thai, USD$150,000 and the Contender Asia belt. We're down to the final two, Australia’s gunslinger John Wayne Parr and Thailand's phenomenon Yodsaenklai. No matter which way you look at it’s going to be history in the making here tonight."



Apart from the night’s main event, the Contender Asia grand final, the nights other fights involved UAE’s Dzhabar up against France’s Rafik Bakkouri for the WMC European Championship as well as a Contender Asia rematch featuring Singapore’s very own Zig Zach Khan against Zidov Dominik of Croatia. Both fighters had met in the round of 16 with Zig Zach forced to retire due to a dislocated shoulder and the onus was now on him to show the world his true Muay Thai abilities. Although his shoulder injury forced him to quit the match earlier on in the competition, Zach was finally back to show the world his true Muay Thai abilities. Mark felt that Zach was coming out as one of the most popular fighters of the competition and that he was going to show off his skills tonight.

The other fight was a grudge match between two guys who just could not get along with each other. Tempers flared between the both of them throughout the early days of the competition and it finally boiled down to a few cheap shots being thrown at each other in the training arena before they were forcefully separated by their trainers. Both fighters had a score to settle and this bout had all the makings for an epic which could even perhaps outshine the grand final itself. If pride itself was not enough to fight for, the WMC European Championship was also up for grabs. Mark commented, "Whenever there is a emotionally charged up fight like this one they're so charged up and geared up that the technique goes a little bit out of the window. Either way you look at it’s going to be a war.”



With regard to the main event, it was billed up to be a rematch 2 and a half years in the making since the 2 aspiring contenders last met. In that fight Yodsaenklai had the edge over John Wayne throughout the encounter. Now, 2 years on, will John Wayne get to exact his revenge on a much bigger stage? For John Wayne, situations in his life have not been going too well. His father had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer and has only weeks on his side now. However on the flip side his wife was pregnant with their second child and due in three weeks.

Michael asked Mark how these two factors could affect John Wayne Parr’s mental focus on the biggest night of his life and Mark responded saying that, "He's had a lot to deal with. He's used to having his dad ringside for all of his main fights. Tonight because of his illness, he can’t be with him ringside. My heart says John Wayne Parr, let’s hope he can do it. My head says Yodsaenklai, how can you touch him? Who can beat him?” The question remained then who would go home $150,000 richer, with the one year membership from Fitness First and with the title of being the first ever Contender Asia.

3 Days Before The Fight

As soon as John Wayne arrived in Singapore, he started training for his big fight. John Wayne said, "I’m almost 32. In Muay Thai years, I'm pretty ancient. If I can set it up and beat Yodsaenklai, the prize money is going to set me up for the future. And hopefully be remembered as the Muay Thai greats of this era.” He had to be away from his family while training up for the fight and although it was hard he said that it was good as it allowed him to focus on the fight that at hand.



Luckily for him, he was set up with Skype, an online programme that allowed John Wayne to see and speak with his family members in Australia. John Wayne said, "Even being so far away of home, it’s nice having the laptop there and not feel so lonely. I can see my wife and daughter on the computer." He was very impressed with the Skype programme and said, "With Skype it’s so easy. In just a couple of clicks you can have live web cam with your family, and it’s like they're just in the next room." John Wayne then asked his wife if she had gone to see his father. She responded that she would bring the web cam to his father so that he could speak to him via Skype.



John Wayne explained that a lot had happened since the last fight. His wife was now three weeks away from having their little boy and his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Teary eyed, he spoke, "The roller coaster that I’m going through right now is crazy. My dad's my ultimate motivation for me. I’ve got to do this for him. He’s my ultimate motivation to do my best for him before he dies."

On the other hand Yodsaenklai was also training hard for his upcoming fight as well. Yodsaenklai said, "I’ve come well prepared for this fight. Normally my training isn’t as tough as it has been. But this time round it's a life changing fight so I’ve had to train a lot harder and with more discipline. So now I’m feeling 101 percent." He had heard about John Wayne's father being ill and thus, he knew that John Wayne would want to win the fight for his father. However, Yodsaenklai wanted to win it for his mother as well. Before they both had left the loft, they were both rewarded with 40 inch Samsung plasma television sets. Yodsaenklai said, "When I got the TV and brought it back to Thailand my mother saw it and was so proud of me.”



Before the finale, The Contender Finale official weigh-in was held at Brewers Bar and Grill. Yodsaenklai said, “The prize money of $150,000 would change his life immediately. Not only for my life, it will change the lives of my mother and my family. I will buy a house for my mother and the deed will have her name on it.” John Wayne too shared his dreams of winning, "This is my time, it is my destiny to win this competition. I’m not going to let Yodsaenklai stand in my way of fulfilling my dream. It’s going to be the biggest war you've ever seen in a Muay Thai competition.” Yodsaenklai said in English, “I feel strong. I feel good. I want to be the Contender champion!”

Zig Zach vs Zidov Dominik

Singapore's very own Zig Zach who to date had only eight professional fights but came into the competition with a lot of heart. Zach said, "I've got enough courage and heart to take on all these people." However Zach's time in the competition did not get off to the best start. He had a tumbling fall in the first challenge when he aggravated a shoulder injury. Although his injury made him a weak target, the other fighters did not pick him early on as they did not want to take the easy way out and instead wanted to fight the big guns. Luckily for Zach he was given enough time to recover in the course of the competition. His first fight was with Zidov Dominik, the competition’s most undersized fighter. Despite his size, he did not fear taking on the leader’s of the Tiger King’s for his teammates. Zidov's personality made him the most popular fighter in the loft. Dzhabar had said that Zidov had a crazy mind and always had a surprise for them. By the time the fight came around, Zach was hoping his shoulder would hold up but it was unable to withstand the pressure of the fight. That night, Zidov finally had the chance to have the fight he wanted, as he was not too pleased of the way he had won the earlier fight. After having surgery on both his shoulders, Zach wanted to show the world his true Muay Thai prowess.

Fight Time

First to enter the ring was Zidov. He was descrbed as the greatest personality of the competition representing Croatia and Switzerland. Next was homeboy, Zig Zach Khan. Pressure was on for Zach to prove his worth from the previous fight as well as to uphold the name of Singapore in front of his very vocal countrymen. From the Tale of Tape, Zach had a three-centimeter height advantage and a three-kilogram weight advantage over Zidov. The men got ready for five full rounds of Muay Thai.

Round 1

The bell sounded as the men teased their way into the centre of the ring. With much to proof, Zig Zach started of as the aggressor. He delivered kicks straight to Zidov’s head. Zidov retaliated with a straight kick and punch to Zach though it was blocked. Both men were very calculative with their and positioning and maneuvering not willing to concede a very early advantage to the other. Zach finally, delivered a hard kick directly to Zidov's abdomen. When Zidov tried to retaliate with a punch, Zach cleverly blocked it. Finally, Zach’s efforts worked in his favour as he swept Zidov’s leg causing his to tumble onto the ring floor.

Zidov came back fast with straight punches but were blocked by Zach. Zidov had been doing a lot of training with Dzhabar in preparation for this fight and everyone eagerly anticipated him to release one of Dzhabar's trademark hard right punch. Apparently, in the news lately, there had been much controversy about a lady claiming that she was carrying Zidov's child. While the commentators gave us this information, Zidov gave a combination of a punch and kick, however Zach caught his leg. With the magnitude of the audience that Zach had behind him it was no doubt that it would pump Zach up tremendously. He was desperate to show off his skills in redemption of his last fight. He was successful as at the end of the fight as Zach got an upper hand in the early part of the fight gaining a 10-9 score in his advantage.

Round 2

As Zach had truly showed his technically mastery in the previous round, Zidov had a lot to make up for in this round. Zidov tried to corner him with a flurry of punches but Zach managed to block across his face. Zach was concentrating on his kicks and delivered many inner kicks to Zidov's very red thigh. Both threw in combinations of kicks and punches however they were mostly blocked. In the process of throwing combinations, Zidov had un-intentionally given a hard kick to Zach's groin and he needed a moment to rest. This drew quite a few shouts of “Boos” from the crowd. Immediately they got into a fierce action of kicking each other in the ankles in hopes to throwing the other over. Zach finally managed to tumble Zidov as he held on to the ropes for support. Towards the end of the round, they moved slowly and finally Zidov tried desperately to attack with his kicks. However Zach caught his leg and toppled Zidov over to the ground yet again. This time in Zach's attempt to put in more effort, he accidentally kicked Zidov's groin. It was so painful that Zidov fell onto his knees in pain. The bell rang as soon as they were about to re-start the match. After two rounds Zach was very happy and confident as he had gotten an obvious edge over Zidov.

Round 3

As his usual behavior in the fight, Zach started off with his kicks. First he focused lower down on his ankle, then at the abdomen and then the chest. Zidov got into action with combinations of kicks and punches. Zach threw a high right kick to Zidov's left shoulder but was defended by Zidov. Zach concentrated on delivering his high kicks to the inside and outside of Zidov's thigh. Though Zidov tried desperately to strike back he kept making the mistake of remaining within Zach's kicking range. Instead, he should have been in elbow range for him to effectively punch and block punches from Zach. Although he attempted to block himself from Zach's kicks, Zach was extremely calculative with his kicks and delivered them with precision. Finally at the end of the fight, Zach gave one last hard accidental kick into Zidov's groin again which caused him to crumble onto the ground in pain. His trainer rushed to his side to make sure he was fine before the bell rang. The crowd boomed with a chorus of “boos” to the groin shot although it was hardly on purpose.



At the commentators’ table, Stephen was asked if he were in Zidov's corner knowing that he was losing to Zach's textbook fighting, what advice would he have given. Stephen said, "Zidov has to start to boxing, he has to get into mid range. He needs to deliver powerful combo jab and kick combinations. By the way the fight is going Zidov is definitely going to be losing.” Mark commented that Zidov was really in the danger zone it amazed him that Zidov was not giving more aggression. “We know that Zidov is a warrior but he looks like he's intimidated by Zach,” Mark said. Stephen replied, that Zidov was making a mistake in waiting for the big punch to come that would knock Zach out but unfortunately for him it was not going too.

Round 4

Up till that point, Zach had been winning the last three rounds with 10-9 scores and in total he had three points above Zidov. Finally he embraced the fourth round with more aggression charging toward Zach with a combination of hard boxing to his face and kicks. He delivered a hard punch to Zach’s head that almost knocked him off his feet. As if he heard what was spoken at the commentators’ table, Zidov suddenly became active in the fight. He was on constant attack against Zach, shocking his opponent. However, Zach did not give up and responded with equal aggression. However it his excitement of delivering his high kicks, Zidov unfortunately tumbled onto the ground due to his own folly. Also, Zidov was still punching too low and had to instead aim higher up and block his head, as it was an open target for Zach. Zach, on the other hand, managed to sweep Zidov legs again and he tumbled onto the ground. Unfortunately Zidov got kicked in the groin again by Zach and both looked frustrated at this continued mishaps. The referee called for Zidov to continue on and Zach to keep his kicks higher up. As both continued to attack each other, Zach cowered himself against Zidov's punches. Zidov finally responded with an aggressive right handed punches as learned by Dzhabar. Zach was driven around the ring while protecting himself. After much aggression by both fighters, they both came to a slower end at the end of the round.

Round 5

Though Zidov finally came out in previous round, Zach still managed to up him by one point due to his technical fighting. As final strategy, Zach concentrated on his high kicks at Zidov. With an inside thigh kick, Zidov crumbled onto the ground. Zidov tried to hold Zach’s leg and punch him but to no avail. The aggression almost pushed Zidov off balance. After a hard elbow to Zidov's nose, blood is smeared across Zidov’s face. The referee stops the match and it seemed that Zidov had busted his nose. The doctor tried to hold back the bleeding so that Zidov could continue fighting. As soon he was allowed back into the ring, Zidov started attacking him with a flurry of punches to his face. With blood streaming from his nose, his face becomes a bloody mess but he does not stop attacking Zach. However it was too much too late, as the referee was forced to stop the fight due to the intense bleeding on Zidov face. The doctor agreed with the decision that made Zidov extremely disappointed and angry. The trainers immediately rushed to his aide to help him stop the bleeding.



Zach was obviously dominating the fight and although it was upsetting for Zidov it would make for another great re-match. Despite this, Zach would have still won even if Zidov had carried on fighting. Finally it was announced that Zach was the winner by technical knockout in the fifth round, 1 minute and 46 seconds. The Singaporean crowd went wild and cheered for their homeboy as he was awarded with a trophy for his efforts.

Dzhabar vs Rafik

Rafik oozed confidence as soon as he sauntered into the competition. After being named the Wild Boar’s captain, what he perceived to be confidence was viewed as cockiness by his teammates. As the competition wore on, his arrogance got on the nerves of all his housemates. In the third episode, Dzhabar finally had enough and confronted Rafik which led to a fierce brawl during training. It lost him the respect of his housemates and the Tigers King were looking for the next opportunity to kick him out. Luckily for them, they won the challenge that week and decided that he would be the one to remove from the competition that week. Both John Wayne and Dzhabar wanted to kick him out so badly, but finally it was captain against captain. Although John Wayne did manage to kick the thorn in everyone’s backside out of the loft, Dzhabar still had a score to settle with the smart mouth from Paris.



Rafik entered the ring and was called the cockiest, most arrogant man in the competition fighting against his nemesis twenty year old Dzhabar Askerov from UAE. The Tale of the Tape showed that despite being ten years younger, Dzhabar was more experienced in fights than Rafik. In the ring, they both had a stare down as the referee explained the rules. For this particular match, they fought for the WMC European title.

Round 1

At the sound of the bell, the fighters did not get into it immediately but instead calculated their movies carefully. Dzhabar tried to attack with a kick but missed once. Rafik who was known to be a very nasty fighter apparently could not sleep well in the last few nights as he was waiting for this match for a long time. The fight droned on slowly as they took their time to evaluate the best way of attack to each other. Rafik kicked and Dzhabar did his classic move of catching of Rafik's leg and attempted to kick him back. Rafik kicked the side of Dzhabar's abdomen and Dzhabar attacked back. They got stuck in a huddle and used the opportunity to knee each other.



According to the commentators, the following were the highest scoring for the judges: dominance in the fight, power kicks, elbows. However, punching was considered a lower scoring technique. While in a huddle, Dzhabar tried to topple Rafik, however was almost raised up. However, Dzhabar stood his ground and instead dragged Rafik along with him. Towards the end of the round both through high kicks and punches at each other before the bell rang. All in all was a slow round for the fighter to feel the competitor’s strategy before attacking fiercely. Finally it was a 10-9 in favor of Dzhabar in the first round.

Round 2

The round started of with a high left kick from Rafik. However, Rafik did not have the power base to attack Dzhabar. Rafik tried to kick Dzhabar side but Dzhabar expertly blocked it with his elbow. Dzhabar then patted his elbow as if to say to Rafik, “Don’t underestimate my elbow.” He then went on the attack and boxed him in the face. Every time Rafik attacked Dzhabar he left his defenses open for Dzhabar to exploit. Rafik attacked with an inside thigh kick that left a red mark on Dzhabar’s thigh. Through the fight, Dzhabar had incurred a small cut on top of eye. Dzhabar occasionally attempted to topple Rafik when he caught his leg but to no avail. Rafik, on the other had, tried to throw his spinning elbow on Dzhabar but missed and hit his arm. Before the bell rang Dzhabar punched hard but missed and Rafik raised his arms cockily.



Yet again the round was progressing rather slowly although both showed more calculated aggression instead of mindless punches. Dzhabar had more strength in his punches where else it seemed that Rafik looked was playing mind games with Dzhabar.

Round 3

Finally, both fighters attacked each other immediately. Unfortunately for Rafik he was looking for that nice shot that would knock out Dzhabar. Rafik kicked him hard in the elbow. Dzhabar brought out his big right hand against Rafik head, which caused him to stumble a little. He then used the opportunity to attack Rafik hard with hard combinations of punches and kicks. Rafik attacked Dzhabar with his boxing but he was kicked and tumbled to the ground.



Again Dzhabar punched hard and Rafik crumbled onto the ground. Rafik then managed to retaliate with a high kick to Dzhabar's head. Dzhabar's caught Rafik's leg twice in a row causing him to fall twice. Expertly in Muay Thai fashion, Dzhabar held onto Rafik’s foot and toppled him. The fight started to get much more urgent for both fighters and they continued to box and kick till the end of the round. At the end of the round, it was 10-9 in Dzhabar’s favor. Dzhabar was getting more and more aggressive in pure Muay Thai fashion and was the more powerful fighter.

Round 4

They started off calculating their kicks on each other. Dzhabar delivered a hard kick to Rafik abdomen. In another fierce huddle, Dzhabar tried to throw Rafik over the ropes. Dzhabar gives a hard kick to the Rafik’s ankle. Rafik had technique and countered fighter well but did not have the power Dzhabar had. They continued to attack each other legs in attempt to topple the other. Rafik tried to deliver the spinning elbow but Dzhabar timely moves away. Rafik gives a school laugh at Dzhabar while raising his hands. His confidence and cockiness was radiating through demeanor during the fight. He delivers his spinning elbow again and finally is successful.

Due to the fierce fighting there were red marks all over Dzhabar's body. Both were calculating how to attack. Dzhabar's caught the kicking leg and toppled Rafik. Rafik delivered his spinning elbow which Dzhabar caught from behind to topple him. Rafik managed to turn around in time and they are both stuck in a fierce huddle. They spill onto the ground in huddle. With a final high kick from Rafik, the bell rings indicating the end of the fourth round.



Dzhabar had managed to secure a win in the first round. The second round was a draw. Dzhabar won the next round however Rafik came back securing his win in the fourth round. The cards were even for both side and Rafik had to win the next round for him to gain an overall win in the fight. The fourth round was Rafik's best round however he could not be too overconfident or cocky as he had to put much more in the next round.

Round 5

Rafik started off strong by sweeping Dzhabar's leg which caused him to fall. In response, Dzhabar's catches Rafik’s leg and punches him hard such that he almost fell over the ropes. Dzhabar delivered a hard kick to Rafik's side. They got into a huddle attempting to throw the other one over. In the final round, both start attacking with more kicks. Rafik fired an uppercut punch at Dzhabar and they got stuck in another huddle desperate to give in more. Rafik seemed slightly passive perhaps due to the fact that he thought he already won and did not have to do much more. As Rafik inched forward, Dzhabar kept moving away from his boxing range and driving himself around the ring of the ropes. Rafik finally frustrated taps his toes hard on the floor, as if telling Dzhabar to come forward and attack. Finally, the bell rang indicating the end of the fight and Rafik raised his hands in confidence as Dzhabar scaled the ropes.



It proved to be a very subdued encounter which did not live up to its promise of a crazy fight. Dzhabar was clearly much more disciplined than we’ve ever seen in any of his fights in the Contender Asia. Although Dzhabar had an upper hand initially, Rafik managed to put in more effort in the later rounds. As they stood in the middle of the ring ready to accept their fate, it was announced that the winner only won by one point. At the winner of the new European title by unanimous decision was Dzhabar! Surprisingly, both men show great sportsmanship by acknowledging each other with a hug and a handshake. (20)

Finale Fight

The following fight was between two of the world's best fighters for the largest purse the sport had ever seen. Yodsaenklai Fairtex from Thailand, who was known for his impeccable skill in the ring and John Wayne Parr, a long running legend in the Muay Thai scene. Yodsaenklai came into competition confident, which was rightly so. Being the world Muay Thai champion with fourteen years of training, he proved soon after the first round that he was the one to beat. He knew that winning against western boxes was not a feat as Muay Thai was the national sport of Thailand. Yodsaenklai cruised through the second and third round by technical knockouts and finally was in his rightful place in the finals. He said, "This round I think there's pressure because we're going into the finals. The competition at this point, is the advantage of getting USD$150000, it’s the ultimate."



John Wayne Parr came into the competition as a household name. He said that ever since he was young and fighting he always had a dream to become a champion and no matter whatever challenges life brought he never stopped believing in that dream. He said, “I’m one fight away from becoming the most famous westerner because of The Contender. I’m fully focused to do everything that I can to beat Yodsaenklai.” Although the road to the finals was not easy for John Wayne, his hard work and dedication has brought him thus fight. John Wayne said that he would do everything to win that prize money and the belt around his waist.



In October 2005, both fighters fought in Australia where Yodsaenklai had won. John Wayne hoped that he could avenge that loss. "This is the one that counts; this is big battle to say the least." Yodsaenklai said, "I rely on being in a better physical condition because John Wayne is older now. He better not think he'll get an easy KO with me. Because I know, I’ve fought him before. I was able to dodge and block his punches well. I’m not afraid.” In the finale match east will meet west as both Yodsaenklai and John Wayne will try and settle the score.



The Time Has Come

Yodsaenklai representing the blue corner came out first. John Wayne Parr, representing Australia as a multiple world champion. Also known as the best Muay Thai fighter in the world outside Thailand. The Tale of the Tape showed that there was a nine-centimeter height advantage for John Wayne as well as experience. However, Yodsaenklai had a smaller knockout ratio as compared to John Wayne.

Round 1

Unlike the other fights where the fighters took their time to calculate their moves, John Wayne and Yodsaenklai got into action immediately. John Wayne attacked forward with his boxing. However, he stood out of the range of Yodsaenklai. John Wayne then delivered body shots directly at Yodsaenklai. He retaliated with a hard kick to the inner thigh. John Wayne had nine years of experience as a professional boxer. In this fight, he was using that as his strength as he continued to attack Yodsaenklai with his boxing. However, as mentioned earlier, punches did not score many points in Muay Thai.

Despite this, John Wayne still persisted with his boxing. Yodsaenklai kicked John Wayne hard in the rib cage. John Wayne’s lightning fast handwork was coupled by Yodsaenklai. Unfortunately for Yodsaenklai, he was not kicking as fast as John Wayne was punching. Finally Yodsaenklai showed his true strength and punched him hard causing John Wayne to fall on the ground. The bell rang and Yodsaenklai had won the round. Yodsaenklai was getting confident now as the trainer gave words to advice o John Wayne.

Round 2

Yodsaenklai carried over of his confidence from the previous round. He attacked first with his kick and coupled it with his boxing. It was mentioned that Yodsaenklai's boxing had improved over time. They got into fierce boxing action with one responding the other with a punch. They got into a huddle in attempt to throw the other over. Both of them did not waste a second in the ring as they had so much at stake. Yodsaenklai kicked him down and John Wayne crumbled to the ground. The countdown as John Wayne gets up looking slightly dazed. He acknowledges with the referee that he is fine to continue as he attacked with his boxing again. Yodsaenklai came back with his combinations of kicks and punches. Yodsaenklai caught John Wayne’s leg and he falls onto the ground. When he got up, his eyelid was bleeding. Yodsaenklai's was using his textbook techniques and stayed on top of his game. John Wayne on the other hand was fighting with emotion and pride. The crowd cheered for John Wayne, as the bell rang at the end of the round.

Round 3

The last two rounds had gone in Yodsaenklai’s favor. John Wayne had to change his game plan and not just concentrate on his boxing. John Wayne delivered a high round kick caught by Yodsaenklai. When he released his own kick, John Wayne bent low to miss his kick. He smiled at Yodsaenklai. John Wayne caught Yodsaenklai in a huddle and tried to topple him but to no avail. Yodsaenklai gave a kick which John Wayne dodges. It was a more cerebral round from the Australian. Although Yodsaenklai delivered his classic shin kick to John Wayne’s face, he still remained standing his ground. John Wayne advanced with his boxing which was mostly blocked. Instead of focusing on his boxing, John Wayne should have given in a right hand and a right elbow as it would score him more points. The bell rang as they were in a huddle. There was swelling on John Wayne's eye. Dzhabar, concerned, came to John Wayne’s side.

The commentators asked Stephen if he thought Yodsaenklai would have been able to knock John Wayne down. Stephen said that John Wayne was moving too quickly and trying to knockout Yodsaenklai. However this was dangerous and he should instead try to go into close range. If he tried hard enough, he could still turn the tables to his side.

Round 4

At that juncture, Yodsaenklai had outscored John Wayne 10-8 for the first two rounds and John Wayne 10-9 in the previous round. Despite this, Yodsaenklai caught John Wayne’s leg and almost toppled him. Finally, John Wayne concentrated his efforts on his kicks. However at this point in the fight, the flexibility was going from the muscle and now it was solely about the greater resolves. John Wayne’s strong right hand forced Yodsaenklai back. Yodsaenklai’s high kick was well defended by John Wayne. Both seemed to be focusing on their high kicks. John Wayne advanced forward with the punches yet again, however Yodsaenklai cleverly dodged. The bell rang on some beautiful combinations by John Wayne. Till then it was, 38-36 in favor of Yodsaenklai. John Wayne needed a knock down to win the fight.

Round 5

This final round would determine who would become The Contender Asia champion. Both desperate to win, John Wayne advanced with his punches and tried to kick but missed and hit the rope. They get into a fierce huddle and kneed each other repeatedly although John Wayne blocked getting toppled with his knee. John Wayne was closing the distance and trying not to allow Yodsaenklai to work his last round magic. However, Yodsaenklai caught John Wayne’s leg and toppled him. Toward the end the fight started to slow down. It seemed that John Wayne was getting exhausted in the fight. Yodsaenklai on the other hand was calculating his moves. Noticing John Wayne’s passivity in the fight, he attacked John Wayne with a combination of kicks and leg. To which, John Wayne could only attempt to block himself and not fight back. By then John Wayne was bleeding from his left eye. The bell finally rang and both were equally ecstatic and confident over the possible win.



The other contenders came up to hug the fighters. Yodsaenklai bowed to John Wayne as a form respect and sportsmanship. They hugged before the judge’s decision was announced. As an unanimous decision, it was announced that Yodsaenklai was the first ever Contender Asia. He ran around the ring and hugged everyone. John Wayne, the first runner up, went home with a huge trophy as the crowd went wild.



As a reward, he was given a huge cheque with his name for USD$150,000. Finally his dream of buying his mother a house could come through. Also he was given a belt to commemorate his first win in The Contender Asia.



The commentator asked Yodsaenklai if he expected John Wayne to keep getting up despite being knocked down so many times. He said, his eyes glistening in happiness, "I was very surprised, I was surprised he got up that’s when I decided it’s going to be a tough one." Finally, on a phone call to his mother he screams, “I won!!!”