3 years after their last encounter, MuayThai superstar Buakaw Por. Pramuk, and Holland's best at 70KG square off for the third time. Score one for Souwer in 2005, and one for Buakaw in 2006. What makes this event even sweeter?
The third fight is almost guaranteed to be the best one yet.
~ 2005
Andy Souwer made his debut in K-1 MAX way back in 2003, Masato's first year as MAX champion. Souwer, a shootboxing world champion at that point, got the invite to take on defending champion, Albert Kraus, in the tournament's quarterfinals, only to have his night cut short after the opening three, where he took a brutal beating at the hands of Kraus and having the doctor wave it off in his corner
Souwer then returned in 2005, defeating veteran Marfio Canoletti in the opening 16, and to get then matched up with Japanese hometown favourite, Takayuki Kohiruimaki. Souwer comfortably dispatched Kohi, then reserve fighter (Masato had an injury which forced him to pull out) Yasuhiro Kazuya, to make it to the K-1 WORLD MAX 2005 finals.
On the other side of the bracket, reigning 2004 champion, Buakaw Por. Pramuk, was impressing once again, dispatching always game Mongolian Jadamba Narantungalag, then setting things straight with Albert Kraus, winning a lopsided decision to right the wrongs of a weak 2004 decision against the Thai phenom.
What unfolded as shootboxing met MuayThai was a pretty uneventful final, one which can pretty much be summed up with Buakaw clinching and throwing Andy around like a rag doll for 15 minutes, while Souwer tried to close the gap with hand combinations as Buakaw made him pay with round kicks. Controversy is always brought up with this match, there wasn't much in it, with two judges for Souwer and one for Buakaw. I thought Buakaw, the judges disagreed.
~ 2006
When we discuss performances in MAX tournaments, people will say they'll remember Masato's 2008 tournament win, Buakaw's first time in 2004. 2006 still remains the most devastating anyone has ever looked in MAX, at that moment on June 30th, 2006, Buakaw looked unstoppable.
While a strict MuayThai fighter at heart, Buakaw's boxing had always lacked up until this win. He took out Yoshihiro Sato, a fighter known for his ability to take a beating, with a beautiful hook off a kick catch. He made Gago Drago look like he never deserved to be on the plane to fly to Japan and fight Buakaw.
On the other side, Souwer had a rough opening fight with South African boxing whiz Virgil Kalakoda, getting knocked down in the first, but making an impressive comeback in the second and third to finish it late as Virgil crumbled in Kakuda's arms as Andy's hand was raised, a fight that still remains a favourite of mine. The semis never promised a walk in the park either, as 2003 champion Masato awaited. One of MAX's greatest fights was made, as Souwer and Masato went at it for 9 minutes, only for Andy to snatch the win in the dying seconds as he clipped Masato to get a knockdown, one still debated present day.
After absorbing an almost inhuman amount of punishment through about 17 minutes of fighting, Souwer faced a Buakaw that never looked so focused. The result was almost a forgone conclusion just by looking at Andy's face as he met Buakaw for the referee's instructions. Three knockdowns in 3 minutes later, Souwer lay collapsed on the canvas and Buakaw raised as victor.
~ The space inbetween
Things have changed since 2006. The landscape of K-1 isn't the same as it once was.
Souwer has went 1-1 with newcomer "Mr. K-1 MAX" Artur Kyshenko, and for one of the first times in a long time, was just simply outclassed by Giorgio Petrosyan in Milan this year. While these are setbacks, Andy has steadily improved, and can almost be described as a "perfect" kickboxer, combining great boxing, painful kicks and a virgin defense into one. Plus, a win over MuayThai's pound-for-pound king, Yodsaenklai Fairtex, should help one's stock too, right?
As for Buakaw, recent performances have led people to believe that ever since 2006 something was lost in Buakaw. 2007's tournament gave him an easy first win over Nieky Holzken, and was made to look slow against Masato in their quarterfinal fight, where Masato's hands reigned supreme. 2008 never faired much better, as Buakaw proved he is better than Kraus (don't deny it) again, but was for the first time ever, was knocked out by old rival Yoshihiro Sato in a third bout between the two. 2009, Buakaw fans feared would be the same, as DREAM's Andre Dida made a foray into K-1 and almost knocked Buakaw's head into the front row, luckily enough class shone through as Buakaw took the decision after an extension. A win over JWP in Jamaica and a win over Holzken a second time in one of the most technically astute performances I've ever witnessed have Buakaw fans hoping for the crown again.
~ October 26th, 2009
So, now that that's out of the way, who's going to win?
Well, if someone said either fighter you can't argue with them. Buakaw and Souwer are both legends at the weight, and are two warriors I have the utmost respect for. They both have two of busiest schedules in combat sports today, and will fight anyone, anytime, anywhere.
Buakaw, I remember when I first began to watch K-1 never really appealed to me. His style was too one-dimensional I felt. But as I watched more and more I saw what everyone else saw - an animal, a fighter trained in one of the deadliest fighting arts in the world present day since a child, with impeccable defense and brain for fighting. It was almost as Buakaw could just feel what his opponent would do before they even did it. Some could call him boring, I would call him a master. I've heard people say his rematch with Nieky Holzken was one of the worst fights this year, but I think that fight could be framed if it were a picture, as we watched a new school get a lesson in old school with it's most basic technique - a push kick.
Souwer, say what you will about him, is one of the most (arguably, THE most) exciting fighter at the weight. Easily one of the best boxers at the weight in how it translates to kickboxing. Every time I see Souwer rattle off a 1-2, left hook to the body, I feel the need to just shadow box the combination until I somehow feel I've gotten better than I had been 5 minutes prior. A kickboxer that can make your legs looked like BBQ'd flesh after 6 minutes, and just last year put one of the best knock outs in K-1's history on Mike Zambidis with a back-leg round kick to the head in an extension round.
The most anticipated fight on the card for my money. I hate to draw a line between the two greats, but right now in 2009, it's Andy's for the taking. While Buakaw still has the ability to beat 95% of the competition, he has declined slowly over the past 3 years, as Souwer had gotten better. Andy's boxing will pay off dividends in this match, and holds the key to his win. It won't come easy, and not after 9 minutes. There won't be much in it, but when the scorecards are in they'll read Andy Souwer.
