I came across a news item from ESPN that Jean-Claude Van Damme has big plans this year. The fact that he’s turning 50 in October is the reason for making big plans.
First and foremost, Van Damme wants do a kickboxing bout for a reality TV show. The martial arts action movie star wants to fight in a legitimate kickboxing match.
Quite the Opposite
According to the news report, the nearly 50-year old actor is passionate about proving his skills in the ring.
He wants to prove that being 50 doesn’t mean you slow down, quite the opposite for Van Damme. That’s one of the reasons why he’s schedule a fight during the month of his birthday.
ESPN says he plans on fighting Somluck Kamsing. Kamsing is a 38-year old Thai boxer with over 300 bouts to his credit.
Kamsing is also an Olympic Gold Medal winner from the Atlanta Olympics. He is known for boasting and putting on a showmanship.
Van Damme is very serious about the bout. He says it will be a real fight. The Huffington Post posted a You Tube video of his press conference about the match and his other plans this year.
In the video, Van Damme clearly states his intentions to be successful in his bout with Kamsing. The kickboxing match will be the first one in history with a 50 year old in the ring.
Staying in Shape
The importance of staying in shape whether you are young or old is the message that Van Damme wishes to convey from the October match.
Contingencies are in place to keep the actor’s mug appealing. The kickboxing match will follow the Muay Thai format. Elbow jabs will be prohibited based on Van Damme’s personal request.
He doesn’t want his face cut or disfigured. He stills plans to make more movies and Hollywood loves a handsome mug.
The bout will take place in Macau, a seaport in China. Similar to the Las Vegas backdrop, Macau is an ideal location to draw an international audience.
Kamsing Confident
Kamsing told Boxingscene.com he thought Van Damme was of much larger stature. But when they were standing next to each other, Van Damme wasn’t any bigger than the Thai kickboxing champion.
Kamsing is more confident now. He feels he is better in Muay Thai techniques than Van Damme. He is looking forward to kicking the movie star.
He is not going to let his over-confidence keep him from training for the match. He plans workout and be sharp for the bout.
The 1996 Olympic gold medal-winner is also an actor and sings. He has played Thai kickboxer roles in multiple films.
He appeared in Jet Li’s Fearless. But he can only be seen in the Thai cut. He made his singing debut in 2006 with his own pop album.
As October approaches, we will find out more about the Van Damme versus Kamsing bout in Macau.
In the meantime, you can catch Van Damme’s Universal Solider: Regeneration. The DVD just hit the streets last week.