114
NOVEMBER 2013
•
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
“Giving these guys a ring and an oppor-
tunity to prove themselves in front of the
rest of the inmates––and the world, actu-
ally––that’s pre y important,” Sokur says.
I
n the moments before Sawangsuk
and Burton resume their fight, the
ringside inmates of Klong Pai crowd
the edge of the canvas, jockeying for the
best view. Half the prison has been invited
to the event, but not everyone can fit in
the pavilion, so a tiered seating structure
has been jerry-rigged. Prison officials and
local politicians sit on a big dais above
the ring; prisoners on particularly good
behavior (identified by pristine white
shirts) sit on folding chairs arranged in tidy
rows on the floor; the rest of the inmates
are arranged willy-nilly against a nearby
chain-link fence.
As the second round gets underway, the
roar fromthe crowd is deafening. Sawang-
suk turns and nods. In some sense, he is
fighting for his fellow inmates, too.
The first round went decisively to
Sawangsuk. Nowhe turns up the intensity,
pummelling his opponent with feet and
knees and fists. Burton does his best to
shield his face, but a number of punches
get through, the heaviest of which make
his ankleswobble. It’s not looking good for
the Brit.
The inmates howl over the tinny
sarama
music being played, and the black-
shirted referee raises his hands to stop the
fight and restore order. Despite the delay,
Sawangsuk stays focused, eyes narrowed.
When the referee gives the signal to
resume, Sawangsuk rips forward with
shocking speed, catching Burton in the
chinwithhis elbow. Burton tumbles down
in segments. The top half of his body flops
out of the ring. He does not wake up for
a full 10 seconds, and even then he looks
dazed. The fight is over.
Afterward, in the small, sweltering,
makeshift trainer’s room in one of the
prison barracks, Sawangsuk stands
surrounded by his crew, one of whom
tenderly unwraps the tape on his hands,
while another wipes the oil off his
shoulders and neck. “It went the way I
thought it might,” Sawangsuk says of the
fight. “Just a li le bit faster.” His friends
laugh appreciatively.
After his release, Sawangsuk says,
he plans to accept Sokur’s offer to fight
professionally. But first he is heading to
a monastery in the south of the country,
where he says he will don saffron robes,
shave his head and serve as a Buddhist
monk for three months. “The other life,”
he says, “I think it’s really behind me.”
MATTHEW SHAER
is the author of
The
Sinking of the Bounty: The True Story of
a Tragic Shipwreck and Its Aftermath
. He
writes for
New York
,
Harper’s
and others.
FEATURES
||
FREEDOMFIGHTERS
PHOTOGRAPHY: PATRICK BROWN
BOARDING PASS
Muay Thai is only one of the traditions to experience in Thailand. With more than 40,000 temples, beautiful
beaches, jungles, elephant rides and the flavors of Bangkok cuisine, Thailand offers something for everyone. Book a trip through our hub at
Tokyo-Narita using your United MileagePlus Explorer card, which gives you priority boarding, your first checked bag free, and two award
miles for each $1 spent on your ticket purchase.
To see detailed schedule information or to book your flight, go to united.com.
»
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 82
KEEPING AN EYE
ON THINGS
Ringside at Klong
Pai with guards
and crewmen
