The Striking Corner was recently able to attend the Triumph Kombat 4 event held in NYC at the iconic theater at Madison Square Garden. While the original fight card was slated to feature 20 fights total (18 amateur, 2 pro), as is customary in the fight game, injuries and other unforeseen issues ended up bringing the number of fights down to a final 17.
However, the 17 fights did not disappoint and the matchmakers for Triumph Kombat did a great job bringing together some very talented amateurs from around the tri-state area to showcase the promotion’s brand of fast-paced full rules Muay Thai. Traditionally in Muay Thai, all bouts are 5 rounds (2-minute rounds for amateurs and 3-minute rounds for pros).
Triumph Kombat rules push for high paced action by making all fights 3 rounds, in an effort to prevent stalling, and motivate fighters to push the pace from the opening bell.
A few Muay Thai promotions worldwide have also adopted a similar rule set and it seems many more casual fans are enjoying the change. While traditionalists may frown upon this change, we believe there is room for both presentations of Muay Thai in the US. Yet, if we want to see Muay Thai grow in America, perhaps some innovation is necessary.
With that said, even though the faster paced, full rules Muay Thai should open up the opportunity to see more knockouts, it did not happen on this night. Regardless, the amateurs, even those with less than a handful of fights, put on solid performances that often times made them look far more experienced than what would be expected given their records.
Most, if not all fights, were action-packed and entertaining. The judging was also far less controversial than usual, except for the main event, where the decision was, in our opinion, a complete travesty. But as Muay Thai grows in America and until more judges are trained in how to properly judge Muay Thai, we will still have to suffer through growing pains.
All in all, a great night of Full Rules Muay Thai action in one of the most historic venues in America and the newest member of The Striking Corner family, Pari Aryafar AKA Pari Cherry, was on hand to capture some of the night’s highlights which we have shared in the gallery below.
If you are interested in seeing more of Pari’s pictures from the Triumph Kombat 4 event or would like to purchase one of the images she took, please head to her official website at www.pari-cherry.com
Also, on the recent episode of The Striking Corner Podcast Vinny and Eric take some time to discuss the event and you can listen to that on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Google Play Music or you can listen to it here on our site at the following link.
