Vietnamese boxing champion injured in accident, misses bout

Thao was set to fight Chinese boxer Rongguo Wu in Saigon tonight. But he has pulled out at the last minute, after being injured in a motorbike accident Friday afternoon. A motorbike fell on his right leg, and damaged his joint and ligament.

The fight between Thao and Wu was much anticipated by Vietnamese boxing fans who get very few opportunities to watch a Vietnamese boxer fight professional match at home.

This is the third time that Thao had his fight cancelled in 2019. Previously, he didn’t get a chance to compete for the World Boxing Federation superfly weight title in the U.S. because his opponent Lucas Emanuel Fernandez Leone withdrew. Then, he was supposed to fight Chinese boxer Yujie Zeng, but the opponent called off the fight one day before.

Although he cannot compete tonight, Thao said he will still attend the event to support his teammates. Among them is Truong Dinh Hoang, who's set for his first ever professional fight after winning many national competitions. Hoang will go against Thailand’s Arthit Bunphloeang in the middleweight category.

Thao, nicknamed the "Vietnamese Mayweather" is unbeaten in 11 matches throughout his career so far. The highlight of Thao’s career was in November 2017, when he knocked out George "Coken" Lumoly of Indonesia in just 36 seconds to take the WBC Asia belt in the super flyweight category. He is the first Vietnamese to win a WBC belt.

WBA is one of four old major boxing organizations alongside the IBF, WBC and WBO. The WBA Asia Championship is one of the most prestigious boxing competitions on the continent. 

Truong Dinh Hoang’s WBA fight will start 8:30 p.m. at the Saigon Sports Club, 514B Huynh Tan Phat Street, District 7.