Chamuekpet Hapalang

Early life

Vichean Bootdee was born in Amphoe Si Racha, Chonburi province, Thailand on August 10, 1962. He was inspired to take up Muay Thai by watching his older brother Claynoi Rasemechan train in the Sor.Worakulchai gym. He was later recruited by the famous Dieselnoi Chor.Thanasukarn who was also training at the Sor.Worakulchai camp at the time; Dieselnoi would then become Bootdee's mentor and teammate.^[2]: 46:35 After taking the ring name of Chamuekpet Sor.Worakulchai as suggested by Dieselnoi, Bootdee began participating in Muay Thai fights at the age of 12 in his neighborhood.^[1] He fought in Mueang Chon Buri and Pattaya in his local province until he ran out of opponents. He would then fight near and in Khon Kaen province for 2–3 years.^[3] He participated in around 40 fights in his time in the Sor.Worakulchai gym.^[4]

At 15-years-old he traveled with Claynoi to Bangkok and made his debut at the prestigious Rajadamnern Stadium in late 1978. He won his first title in the Pinweight division at 17-years-old by defeating Samart Payakaroon by decision in 1980, a fight that Chamuekpet himself doubted he could win. He and Samart would fight 2 more times, resulting in the two becoming best friends.^[4][3]

Fighting style

Chamuekpet started his career as a southpaw Muay Bouk and Muay Khao hybrid fighter which meant that he was a pressure fighter who was also adept at knee striking.^[5][6] He was known for his preference to land straight knee strikes (knee equivalent to a straight punch). Most Muay Khao fighters would rely on strength and aggression in order to land knees but Chamuekpet would change his fighting style^[7] in order to find new ways to land straight knees into his opponent's sternums^[8] thus Chamuekpet received the nickname of "Mr. Computer Knee" (Khun Khao Computer)^{[9]: 2:24–2:54} during the early 1980s. During this time he was also described as one of the three fighters to have the best teeps (push kicks) in Thailand; the other two were Samart Payakaroon and "Mr. Teep" Chanchai Sor.Tamarangsri.^[10]

Chamuekpet was described in Thailand to have a "strong mind" (strong will) which suited his pressuring Muay Bouk style. In the 1990s, Samart Payakaroon advised Chamuekpet to stop taking unnecessary damage if he wanted to continue his Muay Thai career and so Samart would teach him the rope-a-dope Muay Femur style wherein Chamuekpet would keep his back close to the ropes of the ring and would be more reserved with his strikes.^[7][10][11]

Despite the change to his style, Chamuekpet would retain his disruptive teeps and well-timed straight knees. Even as Chamuekpet preferred to back away from his opponents to avoid getting hit, he would still be mostly unaffected by his opponent's strikes and as a result he was described in Thai as being "slow to lose".^[10] His teeps and knees strikes were his most preferred techniques.^[4]

Prime years

Both Chamuekpet and Dieselnoi were purchased and transferred to the Hapalang gym where they would train in the 1980s. The Hapalang gym (also known as the Sor.Sirinan gym) was known for producing reputable Muay Khao fighters including Panomtuanlek Hapalang.^[12][13] The three of them would also adopt Sor.Thanikul into their ring names but were actually still training at Hapalang.^{[2]: 47:08 [9]: 13:40}In 1985 Chamuekpet would win the highly prestigious Fighter of the Year title by the Sports Writers Association of Thailand, the most respected variant of the Fighter of the Year award in Muay Thai.^[14]

He was consistently matched up against best possible opponents in the weight classes that he was in such as Samart and Kongtoranee Payakaroon, Oley Kiatoneway, Samransak Muangsurin, Jaroenthong Kiatbanchong, Wangchannoi Sor.Palangchai, etc.^[15] In Chamuekpet's first fight against Langsuan Panyuthaphum on March 4, 1988 in Lumpinee Stadium, the owner of the Hapalang gym Chaiwat "Ngo Hapalang" Phalungwattanakit was publicly murdered during the bout.^[16] The two fighters would later rematch with Chamuekpet emerging as the victor.^[9]

During the golden era of Muay Thai, Chamuekpet broke the record for the highest number of accumulated belts from the Lumpinee and Rajadamnern stadiums. He won 4 Lumpinee and 5 Rajadamnern belts across 7 weight classes,^[3] a record that is still unbeaten. Chamuekpet's favorite memory from his Muay Thai career was his successful title fight against Chaidet Kiatcharnsing^[4] wherein he won by KO.^[15] 1990 was the best year of his Muay Thai career.^[7]

Chamuekpet's time at the elite level of the Bangkok circuit was unusually long, as by the 1990s, almost all fighters of Chamuekpet's age had retired.^[7][a] Despite often being around 10 years older than his opponents at this time, Chamuekpet would still be able to defeat younger fighters such as Chaidet Kiatcharnsing, Muangfahlek Kiatwichian, and Paidaeng Lerksak Gym (Paidaeng Devy). The Thai media would then label him as "Evergreen," "Mr. Young Forever," and "Father Time is a Myth" (Pho Banmairuroy).^[1][10][15] He trained at the Hapalang gym for 14 years.^[4]

After starting his Muay Thai career as Chamuekpet Sor.Worakulchai he would change the latter half of his ring name 7 times. He adopted Sor.Thanikul, Fairtex, Sor.Sirinan, Hapalang, Thor.Yinyong, Chorchamuang, and Singwangcha into his ring name.^[b] He is primarily referred to as Chamuekpet Hapalang.^[11]

Boxing career and retirement

In 1996 he began to participate in professional boxing fights under his 8th ring name of Chamuekpet Singwangcha as he trained at the Singwangcha gym. He would win the PABA Featherweight championship in 1997 defended it 4 times before relinquishing the title.^[18] Chamuekpet would have his last fight in 2000 against kickboxer Kensaku Maeda and won despite having his arm broken during the bout. Chamuekpet was forced to retire from combat sports due to the injury.^[15]

After retirement Chamuekpet set up a Muay Thai gym in Tokyo, Japan and became a well-known Muay Thai trainer in the country along with numerous other fellow former Muay Thai fighters.^[15] As of 2020, he has been living in Japan and had been a trainer in Tokyo for around 20 years.^[12] He is married and has 4 children as of 2012.^[4]

Chamuekpet has cited Vicharnnoi Porntawee, Orachunnoi Hor.Mahachai, Dieselnoi Chor.Thanasukarn, Samart Payakaroon, and Kaensak Sor.Ploenjit to be his top 5 best Muay Thai fighters.^[19]

Muay Thai

• Lumpinee Stadium^[1]
  • 1980 Lumpinee Stadium Pinweight (102 lbs) Champion
    • One successful title defense
  • 1981 Lumpinee Stadium Light Flyweight (108 lbs) Champion
  • 1982 Lumpinee Stadium Flyweight (112 lbs) Champion
  • 1983 Lumpinee Stadium Bantamweight (118 lbs) Champion

• Rajadamnern Stadium^[1]
  • 1980 Rajadamnern Stadium Mini Flyweight (105 lbs) Champion
    • One successful title defense
  • 1989 Rajadamnern Stadium Super Bantamweight (122 lbs) Champion
  • 1990 Rajadamnern Stadium Featherweight (126 lbs) Champion
    • One successful title defense
  • 1994 Rajadamnern Stadium Super Bantamweight (122 lbs) Champion
  • 1994 Rajadamnern Stadium Featherweight (126 lbs) Champion

• Sports Writers Association of Thailand
  • 1985 Sports Writers Association of Thailand Fighter of the Year^[14]
  • 1994 Sports Writers Association of Thailand Fight of the Year^[13]: 1:50 (vs Chaidet Kiatcharnsing on July 27th)

Professional boxing

• Pan Asian Boxing Association
  • 1997–1998 PABA Featherweight Champion (4 defenses)^[18]