Troi sparkles with a TKO win in Bangkok
Troi Coleman…the Asian middleweight champ from Staffordshire
TROI Coleman – the Staffordshire fighter who moved to Thailand in search of ring glory – last night successfully defended his WBA Asian middleweight title by ninth round stoppage.
In the noisy, neon setting of Spaceplus nightclub, Bangkok, “The Hawk” clinically drained the resistance from powerful, but raw Shiva Thakran before closing the show with a left hook in the ninth. The challenger, from India, rose on disobedient legs and his corner signalled surrender.
Thakran, who entered the ring with 17 wins in 22, nine by stoppage, showed grit and enjoyed pockets of success as Coleman looked to counter off the ropes.
But the cleaner, more clinical and ultimately concussive punches were picked by 28-year-old Troi, from Burntwood.
That was his seventh contest since taking the dramatic decision to make Thailand a boxing base and his 14th bout in all. Troi last fought over here in December, 2020, when he was stopped by River Wilson-Bent for the Midlands belt.
After despatching Thakran, Troi told me: “I got a bit too involved. It was entertaining and he caught me a few times, but from round five I was saying to my corner, ‘he’s going’. I was showing more energy, he was slowing down. The last three or four rounds, I was walking him down, it was quite one-sided.
“He was rocked quite a lot during the fight. To be honest, when the corner called it off I was annoyed because I knew what was going to happen, I wanted to go in for the kill. That’s the heat of the moment. His corner told me afterwards he’d taken too much damage and they were right.”
Coleman has taken an unusual boxing route, but it appears to be paying dividends, although a fighter’s payday for a 10 rounder in Thailand is probably well below UK rates.
On the plus side, he can afford the luxury of being a full-time pro and, as the Asian champ of a major governing body, fights against big names can happen.
“There are a lot of things being mentioned,” he admitted, “but I don’t want to disclose too much. All I’m trying to do is keep improving my boxing and training hard. I don’t want to get too carried away and give too much away.”
Essentially, Coleman decided to travel after the televised loss to Wilson-Bent, walked into a Thai gym and the rest, as they say, is history.
He plans one more fight in Asian and will then again take the show on the road. Coleman definitely wants to perform at British venues, but the bouts have to be right.
“I want to defend my WBA title before the end of the year,” he said, “then I want to move away from Asia and fight back home or Australia or the US.
“There is nothing I want more than being back in a British ring, but it’s got to be the right fight for me because I have a team here who want the best for me. I wouldn’t come back for a fight that doesn’t make sense in the rankings.”
Troi is a man free from regrets. He can even clutch positives from the dramatic Wilson-Bent loss.
“That loss is the best thing that happened to me,” he added. “I wouldn’t be where I am now without it, I wouldn’t be living the same lifestyle, I wouldn’t be connecting the same way with the sport.
“In the UK, I couldn’t live the life I wanted to live, I always wanted to be full-time. I’m living my dream, I’m so thankful.
“If I could do it all again, I’d still get knocked out by him. That put me on the path.”
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