Samart Payakaroon pugile

Samart Payakaroon (Thai: สามารถ พยัคฆ์อรุณ; RTGS: Samat Phayak-arun), real name Samart Tiptarmai (Thai: สามารถ ทิพย์ท่าไม้; RTGS: Samat Thiptha-mai, born 5 December 1962, in the Klong Khet village in the Chachoengsao Province), is a former Muay Thai fighter, boxer and entertainer. He is considered by many to be the greatest Muay Thai fighter of all time, becoming a multiple time Lumpinee stadium champion, as well as a WBC world champion in boxing. He also went on to have an entertainment career, releasing several successful music albums in Thailand and appearing in several films.Samart has an older brother, Kongtoranee Payakaroon, who induced Samart to start training in Muay Thai. Samart started training Muay Thai when he was 7 years old. The First Muay Thai teacher of Samart was Yodtong Senanan (Kru Tui) who taught both Samart and Kongtoranee. His first fight name was Samart Lookklongket. After he fought about a dozen fights, he came to Bangkok to fight at Lumpinee Stadium in 1978.He possessed an extremely high fight IQ, lightning quick reflexes, and excellent ring vision. Samart also fought using creative techniques that were effective and unpredictable, even against elite competition in the 80s and 90s (dubbed the Golden Age of Muay Thai). There were contests where Samart was pushed past the brink of exhaustion, and still gave his opponents the fight of their lives. Even in the period where Samart was more concerned about his music and acting career, he defeated some of the greatest fighters of his generation.In 1982, he turned to boxing where he fought from a southpaw stance. In 1986, he won a WBC junior featherweight title with a surprise KO over rock-chinned Lupe Pintor in the fifth round and defended against the respected Juan Meza before being stopped by undefeated Australian Jeff Fenech. He made a comeback in the 1990s and challenged unsuccessfully for another world title.Payakaroon was named The Ring's Progress of the Year fighter for 1986. He now teaches Muay Thai in Thailand.Muay Thai