Poor financial management. Fighters didn't get their moolaa. Heard the venue wasn't even half filled.

Big names like Andy Souwer didn't get paid. How can this be?! Seriously, Singapore's reputation is gone!

All talk and empty promises. If you watch this video (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/video/index.php?vidfile=120129_sg_kickboxing.flv), I don't even know what the hell the promoter is saying. Jibberish... "more and more agents, promoters will dare come down to Singapore" Seriously, all he gave was a smelly fart, who wants to come down now???

"It is time to clarify the situation. The Siangboxing Team had been paid 70% of the hiring fees well in advance, in excess of the original stated amount of 50%. Thus the fact that they claim they have not been paid, is grossly inaccurate. Cash payment of the balance was never a part of the contract. We offered bank transaction slips which were rejected by the team and told just 2 hours before the event that they chose not to participate, regardless of the money received. All flights, hotels and meals for this group have been paid for by our company, and it is important that the public knows this. We shall be taking this matter up directly with the team concerned, and ask that everyone not believe only one-sided information. Thank you." - Fighterzone Kickboxing

who's buying their crap?

I would like to think they were just plain stupid and it gives credence to my belief however good a trainer, fighter or coach you are does not make you a good businessman/woman or promoter hence the failure of so many gyms and promotions.

The way they went about the marketing was laughable. The only good thing that can be said was the failed first attempt had none at least in the second they made a fist of it. But again they failed to grasp the market and the marketing strategy required to deliver a succesful event.

Then you go to the show itself, this has not been said but they managed to pick the weekend when the NATAs fair was on and some Baby Event as well to boot in the Singapore Expo. So those stupid enough to go to this event like myself spent the best part of an hour driving round and then had to park a mile away. I would have hoped they would have known this and got a considerable discount from the Venue with that in mind.

Then to attempt to put on a card with so many international fighters without any real experience in these type of promotions. They should have had a bigger undercard but with fighters with a bit more experience. I mean no disrespect to these undercard fighters but some people paid 280SGD ticket, not me thank god! So the audience deserved more of an undercard with guys who had fought a number of times.

Also what was that ring, it was the size of my bath tub. Could they not afford a championship ring. The poor ring girls could barely get in and then that poor Member of Parliament, you had to feel sorry for him he must have been wondering what the hell he got himself into.

Trust me, if you wanted a 'dummies guide how not to promote an event' you had that on saturday.

Whatever people may think about One FC these guys need to go to that and see how an event is done.

shambles...however lots of bullsh*t flying around from everyone... Team Souwer etc and everyone else were paid the percentage up front..i know as i spoke to them - and know them personally...the idea was right but the execution awful... clueless organisation - money spent on the wrong things... should have done a smaller suit or function room, sold tables with booze, got sponsors, got some people in who know how to organise fights...

the changing rooms etc were lovely...the biggest and nicest i have seen (and i have been in many myself as a fighter/coach - boxs of wraps, vaseline etc all supplied - but yet no one knew how to organise where the judges tables were or commentators should be etc... far far far too ambitious...

the fights - well they were novice/amateur fights that would barely make an undercard of a small local show in the UK - should be interclubs/smokers as guys turned away and were clearly badly trained....

the idea was to compete with OneFC, but they dont have the budget...so you build a small show, get local fighters on from all of the gyms to sell tickets and bnuild a following...

The weight ins were a sign of trouble as one of the organisers said - and I quote - the fighters can be 5kg either side of the weight... we all looked at one another in a mix of astonishment - you need to at least have the rules in place for weights before you can attempt to put a show on...fighting 3/4 weight class's outside your weight wouldnt be allowed in most countries....

anyway a shame all around - what could have been a fun show (if done right and smaller ended up being a joke and reputation of the show ruined instantly).....

The ring was tiny, i checked the ring set up and laughed as the ropes were so low and loose that had anyone tall been in there - they would have taken a dive onto the floor of the venue ......

no advertising, no local fighters really, too big a venue, too grand a plan, not enough i.e no experienced organisers (DJ played the wrong songs, no one knew to send a new updated fight list, no decent medics (where were they when Mashashamte got dropped?) the list goes on.... felt sorry even for the organisers as was such a disaster must have cost someone a huge amount..... heyho.....

Siangboxing Team has signed a contract with the oganisation fighterzone in these terms:
- A portion of wages paid in advance 30 days before the date of fights (clause not complied with by the organization that paid with 15 days late).
- Balance payment of wages on the morning of February 24, 2012 at the press conference at the official weigh. (Clause not complied with by the organization while siangboxing boxers were all at the right weight).

- Siangboxing Team waited for the payment of the balance all day until midnight of February 24 and no payments from the organization.

- The korean opponent of Leo siangboxing arrived 11h00 late at the weighting.
Korean fighter has weighed with more 5.600 kg and refused to lose weight (60kg bout/ Leo siangboxng 59.300 kg -- korean fighter 65.600 kg).
The korean is discalified by contract and must pay the penalties = 50% of salary of the boxer who refused to make the weight.
(the organization cancels the fight and refuses to pay the penalties).

- Siangboxing Team has received its tickets only 20h00 before flight departure.

Siangboxing Team drive 6h00 to go in bkk airport and don't sleep 22th night to take at time the singapore flight.
Siangboxing fighters trained more 1 mouth for this event and lose the weight.
All the siangboxing fighter are at the good weight at the official weighting.
Only Siangboxing fighters accept after weighting and press conference to go in singapore tv studios for photos shooting and interviews.

Siangboxing Manager waited 24th and 25th for the payment of the balance and the
manager of fighterzone never come and send an employed in hotel.
The employee of the organisaion fighterzone announces Saturday 25th 1pm they had just completed an international banking transfer to our account of the balance of payment! without providing us the banking document and no trace of any swift to our account online.
ha ha ha ...
Banks are closed on Saturday and Sunday in Singapore.

After all this, the Siangboxing manager asked to be paid in cash before the fights. The boxers wait until 8:00 p.m. at the hotel without ever seeing the manager of fighterzone to settle the problems.

At the same time people in the stadium warned that the place was empty (100-200 spectators) and that the boxers could never be paid.

That's the real story and we are ready to prove in court.

PS / Fairtex team and Naruepol had the same problems and they too are still at the hotel deciding to not fight without cash payment (I think Faitex is a professional team with a big experience in the boxing world).

I not sure if I would go to another event of this type in singapore again especially with those ticket prices and the likelihood of a similar failure. What needs to happen is for AMAS or one of the more forward thinking gyms to setup smaller local shows with Novice Fights, Amateurs and a couple of Pro bouts with a nominal charge to cover costs ie 10 SGD. Build a following either that or someone like Showtime come to Singapore. Never going to another locally based promotion!

3 events in singapore
3 time problems of payment
3 time fights canceled or delayed

in 2009 on floating platform
in december 2011 with fighterzone
in february 2012 with the same...
that's not good for singapore image.

LUCKY i did not buy tickets for the event, nearly bought it! And to be truthful, no offence to singapore fighters, i will not pay these kind of money for a locally organised event.

Well, i was there..

The ring was small, the venue was too big and the set up wasn't good enough.
They stated fights starts 5pm and i was so anxious to rush into the venue as there was a big jam, while the fights only started after 6pm
I paid for the 87 tickets end up sitting together with the 67 tickets, imagine those who bought the 200 tickets.
The fights was brief, two local fights.. 3 international fights, souwer wasn't going all out for the fight, more like sparring.. Korean vs south africa KO in round 2.. Albert kraus vs ekapop lasted only 30 secs via KO..
I dont blame the results of the fights.. More of why the fighters i wanted to see like antuan leo and naruepol was not present..

They should have known they had issues with the fighters and should have told the ticket buyers and holders.
I was damn shock on their arrangements and had left my number together with few of the others to ask for a refund, even if not a full refund for our tickets.. We paid to watch all the fighters on the card.. Only to know 4 stars wasn't coming and nothing was said during the event itself, only to be shocked when they suddenly said it was the last bout.

Till now, we are still waiting for SOF management to call.. Before we call or go down to have a talk with them.

And to add on, two judges were laughing through one of the local fights, at what they were seeing from the standard of the local fight..

It is common sense, this type of people they wan real cash, which they can hold.

How many Singaporeans bother to watch these fights?

And seriously, how many Singaporeans care about these so-called international fighters?

I agree there are fans. But it doesnt mean we had enough people to watch the show, sustaining a business.

Can they just organise something properly!!??

I would say there are the fans, just look at the amount of gyms and even the likes of fitness first doing their version of MT. Take that demographic and the other combat sports fans(MMA, Boxing, Sanda, Tae Kwon Do, Karate etc) and include local gyms with their fighters and you should fill 1,000 spectator hall.
Can you fill the 5,000 seater expo with a lowest price ticket being 65SGD without enough exposure, without engaging the muay thai community. You got your answer on Saturday. Absolutely not!

Look at how Vanda Promotions always sells out it White Collar Boxing. They have set up a world class event and know who to run it.

Any new promoter coming in must look at affiliating with the local gyms like One FC has done in MMA and then getting a good undercard with up and coming fighters (not paid- pretty standard practise I believe). Getting the few pro fighters in Singapore on the card with up and coming fighters from HK, Malaysia & Thailand. Then one main event with a fighter like Saiyok (i say that as he is my faourite fighter and still would be big draw but less expensive than the Saenchai's and Buakuw's) put him up against a Zach our most famous Singapore fighter.

Price the tickets starting at 20SGD, by all means go up to 200SGD for VIP seats with booze. Sell programmes, sell t-shirts, sell food and drinks. Get sponsors. Get AXN or one of the sports channels to broadcast and then I think you should be able to get a full house in a 1,000 - 2,000 seater venue.

If you read about most promoters who dont have the backing to make the big investments they have all started small and built up a loyal fan base.

The latest from the facebook account of Fighterzone, there seems to be a lot more to this by all accounts:
Mathias Father seems to be putting the blame on Serge Pinto the father of Antuan and Leo and claims he has 70% of the purse and did not allow Mathias to fight and has also not paid him. There's a lot being said, not sure what is true or not. But in all of this the people who suffered were the fans and I am yet to see any apology from either the promotor or the fighters who did not turn up.

70% of salary is not 100%. Missing 30% more the penalties of the match leo siangboxing = 50% salary of korean boxer who was not the weight and refuses to lose weight.

Siangboxing refused to fight without cash payment of the balance prevue at the weighting 1 day before fight.
the day of the fight promoter refuses to pay cash and the manager of siangboxing decided to stay in hotel with 3 boxers.
They wait for the promoter who never came.

Mathias was proposed,matched and managed by siangboxing,has approved the salary, has agreed to come to singapore, was at the weighing, fought under the siangboxing colors ....
Is perfectly normal and common practice that the manager of siangboxing sign for him ... as for the other boxers from the gym.

If Mathias had not been agreed it would remain in Thailand or would manifest its disagreement on the spot and did not.

..nice idea.... Saiyok vs Zig would be a huge mismatch...Saiyok is just too good.... but anyone until all the gyms here work together its all pipedreams and tiny tiny shows bar the One FC MMA and also the UFC once it arrives.... still too many egos here and unwillingness to all work together from what I have seen.... which just means people will go to thailand to fight bar the odd SMU type event, or save their money for the MMA shows.... a white coller style event would be good...i had a chat with the promoter of one and might do a mixed event 50% boxing, 50% k1 type rules or modified thai which would at least be a start

The white collar Muay thai sounds good. Always wondered why Vanda never did this especially as they had the white collar boxing organised so well. I did hear from one of my old coaches in BKK that they were going to do White Collar Muay Thai there as I had been looking to do something, didn't fancy fighting any tuk tuk drivers and bit too old to fight any young pro's.

In the meanwhile I decided I am off back to the UK for a couple of months in the summer and am planning on doing a c class fight there just to get some incentive to train a bit harder lose some weight and get fit. Been training for a while on and off in a few gyms in Singapore but its a bit like taking driving lessons and then not driving. So I get bored easily and its too easy to get on the beer and good food. So hoping this will give me the incentive to really train hard.

which gym back home mate? C Class a good place to start, plenty of shows

if you ever want to train here just give me a shout - also useful to have your details for any amateur/white collar/c class type fights

looking at Keddles & Semtex.

I have interest in doing tournament too count me in... Maybe we can make Singapore a history.... :party:

i know them both well so your going to be in south east london/kent

get on very well with the Semtex boys and girls (even though a competitor gym wise unlike in Singapore we all speak/get on/spar each other and help each other out) - some good coach's / fighters in all disciplines and also promote some nice shows....Steve and kieren very good guys...

Really, it would be great to have a chat. If you get a chance could you PM your contact details appreciate a chat with you on this. Free pint on offer.

email me direct at

Im out here for a bit.... not sure how long, have considered opening a branch of my gym here - done the proper way (in my eyes) - as hardly any experienced coachs here...lots of fighters (mainly thai) but very few coach's and even less who have coached non-thais - a big difference getting a novice in their twenties whos not had 10yrs of thai behind them to being a national/european/world champion in my opinion - i have trained guys/girls of all abilities up to first fight to genuine champs - but in Singapore racism runs riot as unless thai certain groups will view you as no good...crazy but something i have seen. Water of a ducks back to me - cornering a person for a first fight is more about knowing them and talking, comforting is way more essential than tactics (i know having cornered nearly 100 fights in 2010/2011) - there also is a market for decent amateur/white collar/small club show type events if done right - dont be something you are not...at Fighterzone half the crowd were family of one fighter - so it proves it CAN work....

anyone interested in fighting feel free to drop me a mail...no promises but the bigger the interest the easier it will be to structure...also (and be honest) as to how many tickets you can sell - as again makes it simple maths to promote if you know tickets will be sold in a certain number - anyway enough waffle.... drop me a mail and will help out either way

Hey, has anyone who bought the tix for the event been compensated? I went to SOF few days back, but no one was there.

I think they must be so far down a hole after that event, their probably going to struggle to keep the gym running. Its sad as they probably were more naive than anything else but then again business is not fair. I would think you have more chance of seeing Elvis than a refund from them to be frank.