Sports Notes EXTRA - CONTENDER ASIA'S FINAL FOUR

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

Monday April 7, 2008

John Wayne Parr from Australia, Thai champion fighter Yodsaenklai, Sean Wright from Scotland and Dzabhar Askerov from Russia MAKE THE final four. The live fight final is scheduled for April 12th at the Singapore Indoor Stadium with tickets priced at $50, $80, $200 and $300. That event will be televised on April 23rd.

Contender Asia SEMIFINALS BEGIN

It's down to the final four in the Contender Asia reality Muay Thai reality show. The remaining fighters include John Wayne Parr from Australia, Thai champion fighter Yodsaenklai, Sean Wright from Scotland and Dzabhar Askerov from Russia and the UAE. The match-ups haven't been decided at press time but it will all be unveiled on Wednesday nights show. The program is hosted by Vice President of World Muay Thai Council and former World Champion Stephen Fox (who also serves as the show's main trainer) and Jaymee Ong who is also the host of E BUZZ on AXN.

The live fight finals are scheduled for April 12th at the Singapore Indoor Stadium with tickets priced at $50, $80, $200 and $300. According to an AXN media rep the tickets are priced in Singapore dollars. That event will be televised on April 23rd. The champion will win $150,000. Previously the Contender Asia website noted that the winning purse would be $250,000. There is no explanation why the change in purse. Parr and Yodsanklai are now favored to win the title.

It was a strange course of events that took place to bring about this final four. When the fighters were announced as to whom would participate in the program the top three favored to win the title were Parr and the two well respected Thai fighters Yodsaenklai and Naruepol. Given their experience the Thais were favored to be in the final. With the exception of Parr the remaining 13 fighters were not of their class.

When eight fighters won their first round fights a Chinese chest with a blue and a red gnome were in two of the eight draws. To determine which fighters would face each other the fighters were to choose a draw to see who picked the draws with the gnome. The two that did would fight each other the color of the gnome determined what corner they would be in.

All of the fighters chose a draw before the Thais had a chance. None of the other fighters picked the draw with the gnomes thus the two Thais who are very close friends and train at the same gym and represent the same club had to face each other. Naruepol's heart wasn't in it and he lost to his friend.

In doing so what was anticipated was never going to happen that being an all Thai final. Thus there is a final four that represent four different nations. The question is why were the Thais the last to pick a draw and why weren't they separated in the order that the draws were chosen? File this away in the GO FIGURE FILE.

Parr has won over 58 (30 by knockout) from 78 Muay Thai/kickboxing contests and is a four time world title holder. He also compiled a 10-3, 10 KO's boxing record, winning the Australian middleweight title in 2001. He's also lost to Yodsanklai Yodsanklai is the current WBC Muay Thai Junior Middleweight Champion (154lb division). He is well known for his devastating counterpunches and kicks from a southpaw stance.

In August 2005, Yodsaenklai won arguably the most prestigious title in Muay Thai, when he won the Lumpinee Stadium title belt with a knockout victory over Runglaew. In December 2005, he defeated Parr in a fight held at the Gold Coast, Australia, to gain the World Muay Thai 154lb Division title. There's also a twist to this reality show.

Throughout the year after a fighter loses at the end of the show they announce if you would like to see whomever that fighter is return and fight the champion to send in their votes. How that will be done has never been explained. At this juncture the four remaining fighters are the quality the show should have started with as those eliminated except one were far less skilled than the final four.

Given his background as a top flight fighter Naruepol is the best qualified to return to the competition. The problem is he has a mental problem fighting his close friend and fellow club fighter Yodsaenklai who is the best of the contenders. This match-up proved to be a disaster in their previous meeting..... BUT.... there is another option where a real fight that would have substance and a revenge factor could take place.

All of the fights have been boring with one exception and that being the John Wayne Parr fight against the Frenchman Rafik Bakkouri who got under everyone's skin with his constant banter and his degrading other fighters. To his credit Bakkouri took Parr to task and gave him a fight that left the Australian battered and bruised that required Parr to have his nose stitched. Parr noted that he already had 186 stitches in his face alone and this number might reach 200. Parr almost lost the fight and barely won by decision.

Bakkouri is the only fighter who is worthy of returning based on his performance. Hs presence would be a good draw since he is disliked by most all of the fighters including those who were on his team of which he was captain. Wright is the Asian edition of the American Contender 2's K-9 Brundrage as noted in our column K-9 BITES WAY into The CONTENDER's FINAL FOUR .

Like Brundrage Wright wasn't picked at all when they chose teams at the beginning of the program. HE WAS A LEFT OVER after all the other 15 fighters were chosen. He proved his worth by winning both of his fights in a strong fashion with powerful leg kicks and a strong body that can take some shots. He has decent quickness and agility. Wright is considered one of the most colorful foreign Muay Thai fighters based in Thailand. He began martial arts training at 14, trying out several forms but not liking any until he found Muay Thai, which he considers supreme in the range of striking systems.

Although his match fighting career began at 18, it was not until he was 21 that Wright began to take competition seriously, and success followed in Britain where he became the SIMTA Welterweight British Champion and IMTC Super Welterweight Champion. He also chalked up notable wins in Thailand as well, including at Ratchadamnoen and Lumphini stsdiums during WMC King's and Queen's Birthday Celebrations in Bangkok.

In March 2007, Wright defeated Kassenov Dias of Kazakhstan to claim the WMC Intercontinental title during the President's Cup in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He's recognized as a thinking fighter who takes time to work out his opponent. His skills are said to have improved since moving to Thailand where he trains at Sasiprapa and Lanna Muay Thai gyms in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Russian born Dzabhar Askerov fights under the UAE flag. His style is controversial. In his first fight he continually threw his opponent to the ground. We considered him a dirty fighter and not worthy of the win. In his second fight against Australian Soren Mongkontong he fought more and didn't throw Mongkontong to the ground but he did garb and hold on to his leg while punching him in the stomach twice before the referee pulled him away. He knocked Mongkontong out cold in the first round.

Askerov is the youngest of the 16 fighters in The Contender Asia. He now resides in the United Arab Emirates, and is considered a thinking man's fighter, fighting intelligently with swift moves, turning his lack of height into strength. Training and fighting alongside Arslan Magomedov and Ramazan has made Askerov a better fighter and is nicknamed Genghis Khan. He boasts a creditable fight record, winning two out of every three fights (33 fights, 22 wins, 11 losses, 8 KOs). Dzahabar won the WMC Muay Thai against Drug title and also the WMC Asian challenge. He's a psychology student and is reluctant to discuss his life in Russia and prefers to do his talking in the ring.

As a television show a glaring problem is the lack of information given about a sport that very few understand. When the fight is on there is no commentary explaining strategy and moves. The UFC is the perfect example of what cold happen. Joe Rogan does the color commentary. Rogan is best known as the host of the reality show Fear Factor. He is also a comedian and trains in martial arts. He understands both stragedy and various moves and fighting positions.

Contender Asia lacks that. Dead air for a fight is boring and Contender Asia needs to upgrade their production to enlarge and engage a viewing audience. A Thai government official commented in the Bangkok Post that Contender Asia is good for Thai tourism. That is a self serving point of view. The point being Contender Asia needs to explain the sport more in detail in order to grow interest in the sport.

Long after our previous critique of this lack of commentary problem with the focus being what is meant by the dances and ceremony the fighters perform prior to the fight. That was finally explained in last weeks show. Finally we now know the ceremony is called Wai Kru (pronounced why crew). Every move has a meaning and the ceremony by some fighters can go on for over an hour. Why? The answer to that is why Contender Asia needs a commentator who does know to explain what this sport is all about.

Who will win the Contender Asia title? Tune in or stay tuned. The TV schedule is in our Video Beat column.