Thanit "Boom" Whatthanaya talks about his upcoming fight with Rami Ibrahim at the Warriors Cup XVIII

Muay Thai Athority was able to catch up with Thanit “Boom” Watthanaya in preparation for his WBC Title fight against Rami Ibrahim at the Warriors Cup XVIII in New Jersey on September 7th, 2013. Boom will move up ten pounds to fight Ibrahim as he looks for this third consecutive victory.

Boom talks about how the change in weight class affects his training camp and the pressures that come with having to support his family in Canada and Thailand being a Muay Thai fighter.

MTA: You haven’t fought since December 2012 when you defeated Andy Howson at Muay Thai in America: In Honour of the King.  How do you feel about that?

Boom: I definitely feel well rested, but I wish to fight more often.  I have been given a big opportunity and this fight will be well worth the time I waited.

MTA: You will be moving up 10 pounds in weight to face off against Rami Ibrahim; in terms of training is there anything you have changed?

Boom: Usually in training I lose weight naturally but for this fight I am working hard to maintain my weight.  I am taking this fight very seriously and only working part time.  As well as my team in Vancouver I came to Eugene Oregon to train with Kru Thongsai.  Otherwise, just training very hard, twice a day.

MTA: What are your personal goals as a professional fighter?

Boom: I want to be happy in what I do, and I want to be a champion.

MTA: Given your unique situation, do you feel that you have more pressure on you in terms of providing for your family in Canada, as well as in Thailand?

Boom: I feel pressure because this is what I have chosen to do.  I train hard, and I am focused so the pressure to take care of my family is because I have made the decision to do this.  Winning this fight will open a lot of doors me, and I need those opportunities for my family.

MTA: Do you see yourself as a role model?

Boom: For my family I am.  I train very hard and take good care of myself.  I don't drink or smoke.  I know that the kids in the village look up to me, as does my daughter so I want to set a good example.

MTA: Back to the fight against Rami, what do you think of this match up

Boom: This will be a very exciting fight for the crowd; everyone will be entertained!

MTA: Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, any last words?

Boom: First I thank my family, especially my wife and daughter for their dedication to me.  Thank you to my sponsors Thai Sports USA, Monster Muay Thai, One Whey Nutrition, and Gravity Muay Thai for their support. To my strength and conditioning coach and pad man Michael Lin, as well as Osmond Cheng and Wayne Li, thank you for your time.  To Master Song all the guys at Kai Singthong and everyone at Eastside Boxing, I couldn't of done it without you.  A special thank you to Kru Thongsai and everyone at Sit Thongsai for the training, cooking for me and my family and the singing of Isarn music.