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Interview with Cambodian kickboxing
champion E Pho Thoung (Ae Pu thong)

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24-Aug-2005
Last Edited

Aug 8, 2004
By Scott Mallon (scott@thaiboxinggear.com)

Cambodia: Early in June I flew from Thailand to Cambodia. I go to Cambodia often and will be going back again at the end of June for one or two weeks. The last two times I went to Phnom Penh I went searching for E Pho Thoung, the Cambodian national kickboxing champion. He was hard to find but this last time I finally was able to track him down.

For some reason I thought he would be different. I don’t know why but I thought he would carry the grizzled look of a fighter who has fought every decent Cambodian in the past few years as well as a few barang (foreigners) sprinkled in for good measure. I turned out to be wrong. He was quiet which I expected as I was a stranger and foreigner no less. His demeanor though reminded me of a happy-go-lucky kid who just wanted to have a good time and couldn’t be bothered with the stress most people feel in day to day life. He didn’t strike me as the most devastating kick boxer Cambodia has ever produced but regardless, he is. No fighters name in Cambodia carries as much weight as his and none are anywhere near as well known.

The following is an interview I had with E Pho Thoung at his house in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. My Khmer is limited and E Pho Thoung speaks virtually no English so instead of using my moto driver as a translator, the entire interview was conducted in Thai. Since both E Pho Thoung and I both speak Thai, it was much easier to communicate and after a few minutes of idle chit-chat we both begun to loosen up and discuss our mutual fondness of traditional Khmer boxing and Cambodia.

Scott: So what’s going on in your life now?

E Pho Thoung: I’ve been making movies and have took some time off from fighting. My wife and children often go to Koh Kong to relax. That’s where the best fighters in Cambodia are now coming from too.

Scott: How long have you been champion now?

E Pho Thoung: More than 3 years, nearly 4. I can’t really remember exactly. I was recently presented with a belt from Channel 5 TV but I’ve been champion for quite some time.

Scott: How many fights have you had?

E Pho Thoung: About 175 and I’ve won all but 5.

Scott: So now you are making movies. Does this mean you will no longer be fighting?

E Pho Thoung: No, I love to fight. I’m a fighter and I should be fighting again in another 3 or 4 months.

Scott: What do you like more, fighting or making movies?

E Pho Thoung: I prefer to fight rather than to make movies. The pay is better when I am acting but I would much rather fight.

Scott: Has your making movies forced you to fight less?

E Pho Thoung: No, actually I was bitten by a dog which for some reason greatly weakened my leg. Once the leg has completely healed again I will resume training and fight again.

Scott: How many times have you fought in Thailand?

E Pho Thoung: 5 times, winning 4 and losing one in the Kings B-Day in Thailand.

Scott: Do you like fighting in Thailand?

E Pho Thoung: no, not really. Although the money is quite good (B50,000 for his participation in the Kings B-day card), I like fighting in my country.

Scott: Who are your favorite fighters?

E Pho Thoung: I don’t really have any. I just like to fight because for me, it’s fun.

Scott: Do you know much about the fighters in Thailand or elsewhere?

E Pho Thoung: No, not at all really.

(I expected him to know a little bit about the fighters in Thailand or at least some western boxers. He really didn’t know about any fighters. Didn’t know the names of people like Ramon Dekker, Anuwat Keawsamrit, Cobon or anyone else I mentioned. He really does just fight who is put in front of him and not worry about anything other than fighting his fight!)

Scott: You had a fight with Timor Daal about a year ago that you lost. There were rumors that you threw the fight in order to win money from betting against yourself. Is this true and what is the real story?

(I really didn’t want to ask him about this but felt it necessary. My driver who was sitting next to me did not want to ask him this and told me not to talk about it either. At this point I felt I could ask him without him getting angry)

E Pho Thoung: That is simply not true. I took my opponent for granted which was my mistake. I was out partying with my friends, drinking whiskey, doing things I shouldn’t have been doing. I trained for 3 or 4 days before this fight and was already tired by the second round. Not only this but I was making a movie during this time. My mind really wasn’t into fighting as it should have been and that is why I lost. Anything else people say is not true. They don’t know and are only guessing.

Scott: What do you think lies ahead in the future for Cambodian kick boxing?

E Pho Thoung: I don’t know. It’s really hard to tell. My country is such a poor country and boxers make very little. They don’t make nearly enough to live. I’m the champion of the country and I don’t have much. Sometimes fighters have to get by on one meal a day because they don’t have money to eat. Until that changes I don’t know that things are going to get a lot better.

Scott: Well thanks a lot for your time. You were a hard guy to find and I’m really glad I got to meet up with you. Good luck.

E Pho Thoung: Thank you. (Laughing)

It was really hard to get a good bead on him but he and his family were very gracious to not only me but also my moto driver who helped me find him. His father gave me a poster of the recent movie E Pho Thoung made, “Buffalo Protects the Child” and I had it framed and put up in my office. I plan on seeing him again in a week or so and then again when he returns to the ring. I’m anxious to see him fight again as I’m sure many Cambodians are also. E Pho Thoung is a household name in Cambodia and perhaps in the near future more and more people in the martial arts community will recognize his abilities and accomplishments.

Interview with E Pho Thong, Part 2 – Next month

Photo is courtesy of Scott Mallon

Scott Mallon is also the man behind www.thaiboxinggear.com