Vicharnnoi Porntawee The immortal Boxer

Trained by Chaleao Tinnamora who was his first mentor when he was a boy As a young boy he took up his first boxing name of Vicharnoi Srimuangnont. He started his boxing career in 1960 weighing 47 kilograms and continued to box until he was 34. He officially hung up his gloves in 1981. During his twenty-year boxing career, from a thin small boy to a

Lightweight champion, Vicharnnoi changed his camp three times. He started with "Srimuangnont", then switched to "Porntawee", before finally joining the "Petchyindee" camp where he stayed until the end of his boxing career.
Altogether, he has boxed in more than one hundred matches.
The combination of his high-skills and his extraordinarily long prime in the boxing ring when compared to other boxers accounted for his being named the "Immortal Boxer".

Vicharnnoi won public admiration as a real fighter. He has a lengthy fighting history and great success to his credit. He was a three-time champion of Thai boxing, a Flyweight champion of both stadiums and a Junior Lightweight champion of Ratchadamoen Stadium.

A highly skilled fighter, his bout always guaranteed an exciting match for boxing fans. This is why Vicharnnoi often appeared in the crowd-drawing leading pair in various charity matches. Sometimes he had to fight an opponent more than 10 pounds heavier than himself. But one thing the crowd could be sure of, Vicharnnoi always gave his best. Win or lose, Vicharnnoi always impressed his fans with his guts and style.

This "Immortal Boxer" has one special characteristic. He only agreed to fight when he felt he was physica!ly fit. With'the slightest hint of not being at his peak condition, Vicharnnoi would ask to postpone his fight fearing he would give his fans less than his best. And he admitted his worst fear was to be booed out of the ring by his fans. His fears were well-justified. He had earlier been dismissed from the ring twice for not fighting up to his honour. The rumours that Vicharnnoi had been "bought" was later cleared. He was simply not physically fit enough to give a good fight.

Vicharnnoi was an exceptional model to other boxers. From a humble origin, the poor boy with only a primary school education has successfully built himself up to be a highly respectable figure in his community. Financially, he also operates a successful business, set up with his hardearned savings. And socially, Vicharnnoi has been elected municipality council member of the Nonthaburi Province for several terms up to the present. Indeed, his success is certainly not confined to the boxing ring.

But the love of boxing is in his blood. Even after he has quit professional boxing, Vicharnnoi still cannot divorce himself from the boxing circle. With money to support his devotion to boxing, he has set up a boxing camp of his own which he named "Vicharnnoi Store." And his store has produced several young boxers who seem to be well on their way to their own prominence.
He said: "Thai boxing is. an art' of self-defence and a profession which can yield fruitful and fulfilling results. It is a national heritage we Thai people should cherish and protect with utmost love ....Forever.