Korean boss: 'Vietnamese boxers often choose the less thorny path'

At the Cocky Buffalo gym that he opened and operated, Kim owns a modern ring and high-class training equipment. But, talented boxers left him one by one.

"I'm sorry. Vietnamese boxers have top qualities to become champions such as agility, reaction speed and the will to win when in battle. But they lack patience and practice. focus on your career. In many cases, I tell you that you have achieved eighty percent, try harder, but you are still discouraged and choose another path," Mr. Kim told MetaSports.

Born in 1971, Kim came to Vietnam in 2000 when he was 29 years old to look for business opportunities. After completing his military service in Korea, he also spent two years in Japan and two years in China before choosing to return to Vietnam to start a career. Cocky Buffalo's boss has never competed in professional boxing, but has practiced this sport for six years. Thanks to that, he has many relationships in the world, not only in Korea but also around the world.

When he came to Vietnam, Kim worked at a job unrelated to boxing. But fate made him return to this subject. In 2013, Kim and a compatriot opened a boxing gym in Tan Binh, Ho Chi Minh City. The business did not go well when his friend tricked him into taking the money and returning to Korea. Two years later, Kim opened the Cocky Buffalo Club in District 7. The Korean manager dreams of becoming Asia's leading boxing promoter, and Vietnam is the launching pad for him to do that.

In October 2021, Cocky Buffalo and Kim made a splash when their puncher Nguyen Thi Thu Nhi beat Japanese opponent Etsuko Tada 96-94 to win the WBO world mini-flyweight title. This is not only the first WBO world title, but also the first world professional boxing title of a Vietnamese boxer. WBO is the World Boxing Organization, specializing in organizing professional matches. They are one of the four largest boxing organizations in the world, alongside the WBA, WBC and IBF.

By April 2022, another Kim boxer - Dinh Hong Quan - also achieved glory in his career when he defeated Philippine opponent Delmar Pellio after ten rounds by points to become the first person in Vietnamese boxing history. Men won the IBF Asian belt. However, at this point, the legacy Thu Nhi left behind from Cocky Buffalo is only the outfit she wore the day she defeated Tada - displayed at the foot of the stairs. Hong Quan also broke up with the club.

"In Vietnam, there is a paradox. That is, professional boxers return to semi-professional fighting," Mr. Kim said. "I want to make it clear that these are just two formats. A semi-professional boxing match is only three rounds long. Professional boxing is a maximum of 12 rounds. Comparing the two formats is like running a short run with a marathon. I believes that top boxing must test the endurance and psychology of athletes for a long time. But Vietnamese boxers believe that the semi-professional path is less thorny. They can be rewarded for each win and can participate. arenas like the SEA Games. With professional boxing, the important thing is your attitude after winning. The more times you defend your championship belt, the more famous you are."

Professional boxing is a high-class form of entertainment, originating long ago in Western countries. This is the cradle that gave birth to legends such as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson or more recently Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Due to its advertising appeal and large television revenues, this industry has turned boxers into millionaires. Boxers often make the list of the world's highest-paid athletes.

Meanwhile, semi-professional boxing is a foundation for boxers to accumulate experience and improve their abilities before becoming professional. Each match lasts three rounds, and boxers are required to wear head protection equipment. Semi-professional boxers are managed by federations of countries, headed by the International Boxing Federation (AIBA). International sporting events such as the Olympics, world championships or in Southeast Asia, the SEA Games, are all competed in a semi-professional format. Semi-professional boxing does not have high commercial value. Boxers are not rewarded with money from the organizer for each win.

The value of a professional boxing match lies in the organization and promotion. In particular, the promoter is the person who connects the organizers, invites boxers to compete, negotiates advertising, television rights...

According to Mr. Kim, a big problem with Vietnamese boxing is the lack of role models for boxers to follow. "As a coach, I assess that Vietnamese boxers are more qualified than Filipinos. But the Philippines has a towering Manny Pacquiao, who has won 12 major championship belts across eight weight classes. Having such a monument helps boxers. Young fighters firmly believe in the path ahead. In Vietnam, it was not until 2015 that the first professional boxer was Tran Van Thao," Kim said.

On such a young path, he hopes that Vietnamese boxing will be unchained from management so that private units can easily organize events. The Korean manager worries that despite being ahead, boxing faces more difficulties than MMA due to a different management mechanism. According to him, Vietnam needs to separate professional and semi-professional boxing. Only then can this subject gain wings.

"Currently, the need to practice boxing movement among young people in cities is very large. If favorable conditions are created, Vietnam can completely produce professional boxing champions at the world level. With boxers, I hope one day they will understand what path is worth taking. I feel in many cases it is a waste of the effort they have put in," he said.