KONGNAPA WATCHARAWIT
INTERVIEW OF KONGNAPA WATCHARAWIT
by Serge TREFEU (2016)
Serge TREFEU: Hello Ajahn Kongnapa, how are you?
KONGNAPA WATCHARAWIT: I’m doing great, thank you!
How old are you?
I’m 48 years old
You come of what region of the Thailand?
I come from the city of Suvarnabhumi in the Roï Et which is in the Northeast of the Thailand
What is what you are married, you have children?
Yes I’m married and divorced with my first Thai wife with whom I had two children, I got married then to an American with whom I had a child
You have brothers and sisters?
I have five brothers
Your brothers also practiced boxing?
Yes my younger brother was a great champion his fighter’s name was Daonapa Kiatsamran
You began the boxing at which age?
I began the boxing enough late towards the age of 15 years
You fought at once?
Yes and I won my first fight at points, I took away the 150-baht sum
How you discovered the boxing?
It’s the professor of boxing who came home, he showed us how to give a punch…
In what camp you began your training?
My first camp belonged in my home town to Jampakhan near Suvarnabhumi in the Roï Et, he was called Kietanine
You have make how much fight for this camp?
I stayed approximately 8 months in this camp and I have make has little near 9 fights
Towards what age you left to Bangkok?
At the end of my 15 years, I left to Bangkok to the camp Mister Phetnoy Mahanat’s Kietpetchnoy
KONGNAPA WITH MR. PHETNOY MAHANAT
There were a lot of fighters in this camp at the time?
Yes it was an important camp there were about thirty Boxers
THE CAMP KIETPETCHNOY WAS ONE OF THE BEST CAMPS OF BANGKOK IN THE 90S
In what category you fought?
At first in 122 lbs and I ended my career in Thailand in 140 lbs
What are the titles which you gained?
I gained four belts of the stadium Ratchadamnoen, in 122 lbs, 126 lbs, 130 lbs and 140 lbs. My first belt in 122 lbs, I won him by beating by KO in the third round Deangnoy Loukprabat, my second belt in 126 lbs, I beat by KO in the second round Panomtuanglek Ha Phalang in 1989, my third belt in 130 lbs, I won at points against Prasongpetch Loukprabat and my last belt in 140 lbs I gained him by beating in points Seankang Pinsinchai in 1995!
I also won world champion IKF’s belt in 1998!
KONGNAPA WAS FOUR TIMES RADJA CHAMPION
How much have you make of fights in your career?
I have make 140 fights with 120 victories, 15 defeats and 5 draws
How many victories by KO?
I gained 30 victories by KO
You had which style of boxing?
I was a boxer with fast feet and fists
You had a technique which you liked to make in fight?
I liked well enough “Tip” (Front Kick) and all the techniques of fists I liked very much
What was your hardest fight?
I think that every fight was hard, at that time the matches were very hard every time..
Your best memory of boxing?
It’s when I gained my first belt of Radja against Deangnoy Loukprabat, in more I win by KO!
What are the known Thai fighters that you faced?
There was a lot, Chokdee Kietphayathai is one of those whom I respect most because we trained together then, but I met Daengnoy, Panomtuanglek, Prasongpetch, Saenkang, Sombat, Jack, Wanpichit, Taweechai, Namphon, Namkabuan, Phayrot, Lankrug, Pepsi, Samaisuk, Suwitlek, Jomwo, Roongrit, Kwagthong, Jongrak, Phetrung, Sangtiennoi, Chanchai…
You have already fought abroad?
I fought in the United States
The boxing made better your life?
Of course, I was able to buy a house and a car thanks to the boxing
What was your promoter in the time?
I had several promoters, Chujaroen, Siyang, Petchyindee, Songchai…
What was your purses in Thailand when you fought?
I gained very good purses of more than 200 000 bahts
What are the strongest foreign fighters at present in Muay Thai?
I cannot tell you, I don’t know enough the foreign fighters…
And the Thai fighters?
I think that it’s still Saenchai
Today you became a trainer?
Yes when I left to the United States, I stayed over there and I became now a trainer, at present I’m in the gym of Coban in New York
KONGNAPA AND COBAN, TWO TERRORS OF RINGS
THREE LEGENDS OF THE 80S AND 90, COBAN, BURLEK, KONGNAPA
Thank you very much for the interview
Thanks to you
Kongnapa is a member of great champions of ” the Golden age ” of Muay Thai in Thailand, he was nicknamed by the fans of Muay Thai ” Diek Exocet ” (The Exocet) who makes a reference in the ” Missile Exocet ” (The Exocet is an anti-ship missile of French manufacturing), because his blows of feet and fists were as well rapids and the powerful as a missile!
Kongnapa put KO with his fists and his lightning high kick of the terrors of boxing rings such as Nampon Nongkeepahuyut, Kongnapa beat Nampon twice by KO, once in the second round and once in the fifth round. Kongnapa also struck down legendary Panomtuanglek Ha Phalang in the second round and Sombat Sor Thanikul in the fourth round, as well as Taweechai Wor Pricha, Phetrung Sitsortong, Roongrit Or Smith, Deangnoy Loukprabat, Kwagthong Singchaokeum and many others…
THE GREAT CHAMPION NAMPON WAS PUT KO HARD BY “THE MISSILE” KONGNAPA
THE CHAMPION OF RADJA AND LUMPINEE PANOMTUANGLEK LOST BY KO IN FRONT OF FORMIDABLE KONGNAPA
SOMBAT HAS BEEN LIGHTNING OF FISTS AND FEET OF KONGNAPA (1 VICTORY BY KO AND 1 WIN ON POINTS)
Kongnapa also beat in points the biggest champions of his time as Namkanbuan Nongkeepahuyut, Chokdee Kietphayathai, Prasongpetch Loukprabat, Seankang Pinsinchai, Chanchai Sor Thamrangsri, Jomho Chernyim, Suwitlek Sor Sakaorat.
KONGNAPA AGAINST PRASONGPETCH
KONGNAPA AGAINST JOMHO
KONGNAPA AGAINST SUWITLEK
Kongnapa faced several times the big champion Sangtiennoi Sor Rungroj with every time of the memorable fights but Kongnapa has never managed to beat “The Deadly Kisser”.
KONGNAPA AGAINST SANGTIENNOI, A CLASSIC OF THE 90S. THEY WERE THREE TIMES IN CONFRONTATION WITH THREE VICTORIES FOR SANGTIENNOI
KONGNAPA OFTEN MAKES A COVER NEWSPAPER SPECIALIZED IN THAILAND
At the end of the 90s, Kongnapa left making a second career in the United States. On October 24th, 1998, he gained the title of champion of the World IKF in – 69 Kg by beating the Canadian Ryan Jones by KO in the first round. He’s going to defend five times his title successfully, on February 6th, 1999, he beats English Eval Denton, on March 21st, 1999, he beats Australian Marcus Mangan (World champion ISKA and WKA), on May 1st, 1999, he beats by KO the Canadian Jeremy Abbott, on September 18th, 1999, he brings down in the second round the Belarusian Vadim Chamiakin, and on February 26th, 2000, he beats the formidable Belarusian Dimitri Shakuta (World champion IKF, WAKO, WPKL).
November 10, 2000, in Atlanta, Kongnapa won the IKF World Champion belt in – 72 Kg beating American Pedro Villalobos by knockout in second round.
Kongnapa made several fights in the United States where he beat champions as Donnie Pendleton who was a professional boxer of experience in Boxing with about 200 fights. But with an impressive list of defeats, on 185 fights, he gained only 13 victories for 166 defeats. Donnie Pendleton held just 17 seconds against Kongnapa who destroyed him with the low kick. In 2007, Kongnapa also beat by KO the French champion Pascal Lafleur (World Champion and Europe champion of Kickboxing).
KONGNAPA IS AN EXPATRIATE IN THE USA FOR 20 YEARS
Kongnapa became a trainer considered in the United States, he trained in particular the famous brothers Roufus, Duke and Rick.
In 2013, Kongnapa also prepared the great champion heavy weight of Boxing Riddick Bowe (World champion WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) who was the first one to put KO legendary Evander Holyfield. Riddick Bowe had made a come back in 2013, he wanted to go back up on the boxing ring but in the rules of Muay Thai. On June 14th, 2013, to Pattaya, he faced Russian Levgen Golovin for a world championship WPMF in heavy weights. Bowe lost in the second round being destroyed legs by the powerful low kick from Russian…
RIDDICK BOWE HAS FINISHES HIS PREPARATION FOR HIS FIGHT IN THAILAND TO THE CAMP KEAWSAMRIT IN BANGKOK
ANAN CHANTI (OWNER OF CAMP KEAWSAMRIT), KHAOSAI GALAXY (WORLD CHAMPION WBA), KRONGSAK BORANRAT (LUMPINEE CHAMPION, 6 TIMES WORLD CHAMPION), RIDDICK BOWE (WORLD CHAMPION WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO), KONGNAPA WATCHARAWIT (RADJA CHAMPION, 7 TIME WORLD CHAMPION)
KONGNAPA, SAENCHAI, RIDDICK BOWE, KRONGSAK, IN CAMP 13 COINS OF BANGKOK
Kongnapa teaches now in the United States since 15 years, at first to Master Saekson Janjira in Dallas and today in New York to the gym of the biggest to puncheur the 90s, Coban ” The Cruncher ” Lookchaomaesaitong.
KONGNAPA IS A RENOWNED TRAINER IN THE UNITED STATES
KONGNAPA WATCHARAWIT
Real Name: Noppadon Lampaa
Fighter nickname: The Exocet
Address: 32-41 Steinway Astoria st apt 4c New York 11103
Birth date: March 2, 1968
Weight: 60 Kg / 65 Kg
Height: 175cm
Number of fight: 140. 120 Wins. 15 Losses. 5 Draws
Title: Radja Champion in 122 lbs, Radja Champion in 126 lbs, Radja Champion in 130 lbs, Radja Champion in 140 lbs, World Champion IKF – 69 Kg, World Champion IKF – 72 Kg
