Life will be easier for Buakaw now that he has the pressure of having to win lifted from his mind.
Financially, he's in the enviable position of having many options. He is the most wanted man for Muay Thai seminars and one-on-one personal training.
Considering reliable reports that Buakaw can earn US$500 an hour as a personal trainer _ with a big demand form wealthy male and female foreigners who want to learn the art of Muay Thai direct from the living legend _ there were very strong reasons why the Thai Fight and former K1 Max champion felt compelled to tell mediators of the long-running dispute that he had decided to quit fighting for good.
In his retirement, he can still make money through the marketing of his Banchamek Gym, and from personal training.
And, importantly, he's fully entitled to fly to places like Hollywood where people are lining up to pay to be trained privately by the Muay Thai master.
Maj Gen Intharat Yodbangtoey, who mediated the dispute, said that Buakaw put an end to his negotiations with Por Pramuk camp when he took his dramatic decision to retire.
Even though he was offered a new contract where he would keep 60 percemt of his fight earnings and 75 percent of public appearances and sponsorship fees, Buakaw wanted an entire new deal that would sideline Por Pramuk camp from his life and livelihood.
Specifically, Buakaw would not yield to two primary conditions _ that he would exclusively represent Por Pramuk camp and use the fight name Buakaw Por Pramuk, and that he would sign a new contract with Pro Pramuk camp lasting up to Nov 5, 2018.
As a precondition to any final agreement, Buakaw demanded the Por Pramuk camp drop their lawsuit against him for participating in a Thai Fight event on April 17.
Buakaw also wanted the Por Pramuk camp to drop their lawsuit against his sports science trainer Teerawat Yioyim.
When fighters and management fall out, it's always a messy business.
But those who are close to Buakaw said that that he showed his steely resolve and was prepared to tough out what became legally ugly.
As he now makes plans for middle life after fighting for a living, Buakaw is busy distributing a CV saying that he's a two-times K1 winner with a highly decorated and entertaining Muay Thai career.
In the eight years after his first K1 fight, Buakaw lost only six fights and ended a spectacular career with a 16-0 winning streak.
The 30-year-old Muay Thai superstar received more than one million baht for his main event fight appearances over the past decade.
He's now focused on building up his Banchamek Gym brand that is directly linked to his family name Banchamek.
And Sports Authority of Thailand deputy governor Sakol Wannapong summed up the dispute that resulted in the champion's retirement with the reality check that "it's all about money."
source : bangkokpost.com
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