Boon-Rot: What's In a Fighter's Name

By Frances Watthanaya

We had five fighters up from the gym, three of whom had already fought. I only just arrived at 5pm but everyone else had been there since morning. The fights started at 11am, and showed no signs of ending quickly. This was going to be a long day, typical of temples fights in Isan. I look over the program and can't find Lai on the list. I walk over to where he is sitting, taking refuge from the sun he had found a flat patch of dirt underneath a large tree. He didn’t smell of Thai Boxing liniment, so I knew he was one of the ones who hadn’t fought yet.

Photos by Scott Hirano

He has been my favourite fighter at the gym for a while now. I’m able to make a lot of money off of him, and he appreciates the tips. He is the only fighter at the gym with nowhere else to go. His dad dropped him off a year ago; we haven’t seen his father since.

Lai sees me holding the program. He looks straight down to the dirt ground and I quickly am reminded of the fact he can’t read.

“Who is this? Pet-Satuek Giatbundit Gym เพชรสตึก เกียรติบัณฑิตยิมส์,” I ask him.

“Me, Dad changed my name” he responds, relieved I can read a bit of Thai.

Dit is the owner and head trainer at the gym, to the fighters he is known as Dad. Lai’s family comes from Satuek Distrct in Buriram Province; one of the poorest areas in Thailand. The 'Pet' in Lai's fight name, Pet-Satuek, translates as 'diamond,' thus Lai is ‘The Diamond of Satuek’. Localized names likes these are very common through out Isan but rarely last in Bangkok. If the fighters make it to the bigger stadia they are given names that are more identifiable to a national audience.

Thai parents give their children powerful names at birth, though these names are rarely used in a person's daily life. At birth relatives will also bestow the child with a nickname, often characteristic of their appearance or delivery story. A child born in a rainstorm will be known as Fon (rain), or a child with dark skin will be called Dam (black). These names stick for life.

Fight names, however, are much different. Fighters will often cycle through names, determining which name sees them through the most success. Usually bestowed by managers, elder family members, or trainers, fight names often change in the natural course of a fighter's competitive life, for example, when fighters move gyms, are stuck in a losing streak, or become markedly more successful.

Fight names have always been of interest to me. There are so many layers of meaning and interpretations. Learning a fighter’s name is like learning a secret about them. The complexity of the name can show their value at the gym.

Lai was no exception to this, he had fought under more names than he could remember. One that he did remember, though was Tuung-Ngen ถุงเงิน. It was given to him by his grandfather and means bag of money. He had a lot of victories under that name, but during a down swing he was re-christened Lek-Lai เหล็กไหล again by a family member, most likely his mafia uncle. Lek-Lai is a magical, yet mysterious substance that is believed to be indestructible and immortal. The name fit for Lai; there were so many layers to him that he kept hidden and despite being abandoned repeatedly, he still was alive.

The name saw him through typical ups and downs of a fifteen-year-old fighter but Lai was not managed well, nor was he taken care of at the gym. Most of the local fighters were subsidized both emotionally and financially by their families. Lai was left largely to fend for himself until I arrived at the gym.

Over time Lai became my responsibility. Before big fights he would come live with us so that his training and nutrition could be properly monitored. I realized quickly that this would be a long-term relationship and asked Dit to sign him over officially to me. The gym laughed at me, told me there were better fighters and that he wouldn’t amount to anything. They laughed at Lai too; the kid who can’t read is going to be adopted by a foreigner?

But I persisted and Lai became my fighter. I gave him the name Boon-Rot บุญรอด, which means one that has escaped death through virtue of their own self. Everyone at the gym applauded the name. Dit even said he could imagine it on Channel 7. Thus far, Lai has remained undefeated under his new name. When he hears it over the loudspeaker at fights, I can see a sense of pride welling inside him. I named him right.

List of Fight Names with Translations:

Faabrataan [ฟ้าประทาน] Bestowed from the Sky

Malaipet [มาลัยเพชร] Diamond Garland

Senchai [แสนชัย] One Hundred Thousand Victories

Samart [สามารถ] The One That Can

Yodsanklai [ยอดแสนไกล] The Furthest Peak

Krongsak [ก้องศักดิ์] Powerful Echo of Prestige

Aikpracha [เอกประชา] Foremost Among the People

Somrak [สมรักษ์] Suited to Defend