WOW Pinoy

Muay Thai champs defend titles

This weekend, Filipino American prizefighters climb up the ring to try to sustain the euphoric blaze of glory that compatriot Manny Pacquiao ushered here last month in winning a 4th world professional boxing crown. On Saturday, the spotlight focuses on Muay Thai world champions Michael Mananquil, 26, and Christine Toledo, 30, as they fight equally top-rated opponents at the Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mananquil (15-1-1, 8 KOs), who fights in the welterweight and super-welterweight (145-150lbs) divisions, duals with 9th ranked Daiki Koshio of Japan the main event of an evening of topnotch match-ups under Dennis Warner's promotions outfit. "Originally I was scheduled to fight Edmond Tarverdyan, U.S. Muay Thai Champion," Mananquil, a student at the City College of San Francisco and son of a native Caviteno and Japanese/Korean, told Philippine News. "My oppponent was switched to (Daiki) Koshio, ranked number 9 in the world. According to statistics, he is better fighter. I am training extremely hard for this fight. Come the day of the fight, I will be ready."

Mananquil actively trains and competes under he instruction of Kru Sam Phimsoutham at World Team USA in San Francisco in the last 11 years. "My teammates, my gym and Kru Sam are my motivating factors. I don;t want to let them down," he adds. Toledo (12-2-0), who recently beat top-ranked Emily Beardon in New York, is pitted against England's Ruth Ashdown, the reigning British Muay Thai champion. Toledo competes in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions (112-118 lbs).

"My opponent is an A class fighter from the U.K. Training to fight her isn't easy, but I'm pushing my limits and giving everything I can," says the WKA-U.S. and MTIA World titleholder and Las Vegas resident. "I just fought last month in New York and won. I feel ready to go it again, but this time in my hometown. I'm training harder than I did for the last fight because I don't want to give her a chance to take the victory home with her."

"Christine really commits herself to training and delivers the best she can. She acknowledges that she isn't perfect. After every fight, she realizes that there is always room for improvement and so much more to learn. That's what makes her a great person and fighter," Anthony Badua, Toledo's Filipino trainer, said. Two other Filipino Muay Thai fighters - Romie Adanza and Shane Del Rosario - are on the undercard.

Muay Thai is the national martial art and self-defense system of Thailand known for its eight devastating weapon-like kicks, elbow strikes, knees and punches. The art is also known by other names in Southeast Asia such as, Pradal Serey in Cambodia, Lethwie in Myanmar, Tomoi in Malaysia, and Muay Lao in Laos.

As part of the global response to sport martial arts, Muay Thai and new forms of competition like Ultimate Fighting, have gained a more pronounced mainstream acceptance and media exposure in the last decade. Ultimate Fighting Championship matches are current high-profile cable channel fares and main drawers in this city. PN. Pasckie Pascua. Photo by Womenkickboxing.com

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