Important Note to Readers:
The following is a translated transcript of an interview video conducted in Burmese with Sayar Shwe War Tun. He was the third fighter in history to be recognized as a Lethwei Openweight Champion and the fighter to held that title for the longest duration at 10 years.
The following transcript is presented strictly as a cultural artifact documenting the oral history of a veteran Lethwei athlete.
The information shared by the interviewee consists of personal anecdotes, recollections, and subjective interpretations, and has not been independently verified against historical or medical records.
These were the answers he provided, and this is how he chooses to frame his legacy.
Lethwei World is not responsible for the information included in the transcript. Readers should be aware that these accounts may contain hyperbole and memory discrepancies common in oral narratives, and reflect perspectives rooted in the specific cultural, religious, and historical context of the speaker.
Minor edits have been made in the transcription for clarity, and readability while preserving the speakers’ original words.
Credits of the interview and the original video goes to UK Matchday and interviewer Sayar Nandawun Nyein Chan.
(Chan) – Hello everyone. Welcome to the UK Match Day Facebook and YouTube channels. Hello to all the fans as well. I am currently here in Thaton. I am at the Two Lakes Hotel, which is one of the well known hotels in Thaton. We set up our equipment at this hotel to interview traditional Lethwei fighters currently based in Thaton and Hpa An.
Among them, we have filming sessions with Soe Lin Oo, who can be considered the most famous Lethwei fighter in Myanmar today, and also with Sayar Gyi Thaton Shwe War Tun, who in my personal view is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in the history of traditional Lethwei. Right now, Sayar Gyi Thaton Shwe War Tun is here. We will be sharing his words, his experiences, and his journey in traditional Lethwei with the fans.
Sayar Gyi, hello Sayar.
(Tun) – Very well, hello.
(Chan) – I have wanted to meet you for a long time. We occasionally ran into each other at some Lethwei matches in Yangon, but for various reasons, we never got to talk. Now I have come straight here to Thaton. Are you currently living in Hpa An?
(Tun) – I am currently living right here in Thaton. The club, however, has been temporarily relocated towards Naung Pyan in Kayin State.
(Chan) – First, please tell us a bit about your health.
(Tun) – I consistently train well with the kids, so my health is good. My health remains good even up to now.
(Chan) – Yes. And your age?
(Tun) – I am 63 years old.
(Chan) – I heard you are still fighting in Lethwei matches, still fighting occasionally even now. Is that true?
(Tun) – Yes. I do fight. I compete in exhibition matches requested by fans who want to see me fight opponents in my own age class.
(Chan) – Senior divisions, then. Are they exhibition matches for seniors?
(Tun) – There are real competitive matches as well as exhibition matches.
(Chan) – When you say real competitive matches, do you mean people are still fighting for real at this age?
(Tun) – I even fought Wanchai recently (laughing). I fought him in Chaung Sone, Myawaddy.
(Chan) – There is a large age gap between you two.
(Tun) – There is. There is a gap with Wanchai.
(Chan) – So you are still fighting for real.
(Tun) – Yes, we fight.
(Chan) – Can you still fight at this age?
(Tun) – I can still fight (laughing). But they are not five round matches; they are two round matches. They are entertainment matches that the fans want to watch.
(Chan) – In those entertainment matches, do you still think about winning and losing? Do you still want to win?
(Tun) – Since it is an entertainment match for the fans, and Wanchai’s health has not been great, I did not fight with the intention of winning. It was just an evenly matched fight that the fans wanted to see.
(Chan) – You also fought Ko Lone Chaw recently, didn’t you?
(Tun) – Yes. I fought a match with Lone Chaw last year. Honestly, it was supposed to be a beautiful exhibition match for the fans. But once we got into the ring, the beauty went out the window and we just went at each other, trading blows (laughing).
(Chan) – So, let us talk about your youth and the beginning of your Lethwei journey.
Since our childhood, we have greatly respected and admired you. The name Thaton Shwe War Tun echoed across the whole country. Everyone knows it. Even little kids like us knew it. Our parents loved Thaton Shwe War Tun. Nowadays, people love Soe Lin Oo very much. Before Soe Lin Oo, there was Ko Tway Ma Shaung, loved by the whole country. And before him, there was Ko Lone Chaw.
However, as far as I can recall and understand, the name Thaton Shwe War Tun is the most famous name in Myanmar’s history, I believe. Furthermore, Thaton Shwe War Tun is officially the person who held the Myanmar championship title for the longest time. This is not just my personal opinion. It lasted for about a decade, right?
(Tun) – Yes. I became the champion in February 1986. On February 12th, which is Union Day, I fought Ko Thaman Kyar and won by points, securing the championship title.
(Chan) – What about losing the championship title later on?
(Tun) – After becoming champion, I successfully defended it. After defending it for a while, at the May Day event in May 1996, I fought a decisive match with Shwe Du Wun and passed the championship title to him.
(Chan) – We can discuss those details later. Right now, what I want to know first is about this traditional Lethwei sport. Who influenced you to start fighting in traditional Lethwei?
(Tun) – My father himself was Peking-Pyan U Phyu Gyi (meaning U Phyu Gyi who returned from Peking). My father had seven siblings in total, and had four sons. My eldest brother also fought. My eldest brother was Tin Aung. He was short in stature. Because he was short, he settled around the third class division. In the past, it was the era of the Aung Lan (flag) system, so he only reached about the third class due to his height.
(Chan) – Around the third class Aung Lan, I see.
(Tun) – After he competed for those third class Aung Lan titles, his competitors moved up to higher classes, so he eventually stopped. It was a situation like that. As for me, I was just a farmer. My parents were farmers too. I also worked in the fields. While farming, I unexpectedly went with my father’s disciples to the funeral event of Sayadaw U Zawtika in Mandalay. I entered a flag tournament there.
(Chan) – Regarding the flag tournament, was it a fourth class flag?
(Tun) – For us, it was Special Flag 1. There were many flags. They awarded two special flags. After the special flags came the fourth class and so on. I fought there in an 8 man bracket. I won that 8 man Aung Lan tournament.
(Chan) – It was a tournament where 8 people fought for a single Aung Lan, correct? You won there and received the Aung Lan. Is that when the Lethwei bug first bit you?
(Tun) – I won the Aung Lan there. To be precise, that was my very first time fighting traditional Lethwei inside a roped ring. Previously, during my childhood, I had only fought in small ground pit matches.
(Chan) – When you fought in those small ground pit matches, were they organized as formal events?
(Tun) – No. They were just for village festivals and pagoda festivals. Enthusiasts and local Lethwei fighters from the surrounding areas would just gather and fight.
(Chan) – Yes. In the past, people fought in ground pits. Moving from that to fighting in a roped ring started in Mandalay, correct?
(Tun) – Yes, at the funeral event for Sayadaw U Zawtika in Mandalay. That funeral festival was the very first time I stepped up and fought inside a roped ring. I also won the Aung Lan in that debut match. After winning it, the Lethwei bug really got into me.
(Chan) – I am not sure if you remember, but did that Aung Lan tournament include any prize money? How much did you receive?
(Tun) – Back in our era, that Special Aung Lan 1 prize was 700 kyats. Combined the 700 and the points increment bonus, I received 975 kyats in total.
(Chan) – You received almost 1000 kyats.
(Tun) – If we calculate it back in terms of paddy for our era. Since I am a farmer’s child, I calculate it in paddy. Back then, one hundred units of firm paddy was priced at only 180 kyats.
(Chan) – When you say one hundred units of paddy…
(Tun) – One hundred baskets.
(Chan) – Even one hundred baskets of paddy was only 180 kyats.
(Tun) – The market price was only 180 kyats.
(Chan) – That means you earned quite a lot back then.
(Tun) – That was back then, so we made the comparison. Upon comparing, fighting just one match yielded enough money to buy at least three hundred baskets of paddy. So I thought to myself, what is the point of continuing this farming work? (Laughing). That is how I ended up pursuing Lethwei.
I returned home and told my parents that I was only going to fight Lethwei and that I would not farm anymore. I told them that farming for an entire season would only get us about 50 baskets of paddy, whereas fighting one single match here earns this much. From there, I started buying sports equipment. I bought and saved up match by match. Back in my era, these Lethwei punching bags were very difficult to buy. You could not just buy them anywhere.
I had to look for friends in the military. My father had friends there. We sourced the kickboxer bags through them from the military.
(Chan) – Boxing bags, right?
(Tun) – Punching bags, sandbags. They were cheap back then. One bag cost exactly 23 kyats. But not every traditional Lethwei fighter could afford that 23 kyats. Once I managed to buy one, my friends and associates would come over to train with it.
(Chan) – Around what year would that be, Uncle? Maybe 1981 or 1982?
(Tun) – It was 1979.
(Chan) – Oh, in 1979, you started fighting in Mandalay. So once the Lethwei bug got in, you started fighting in roped ring matches, the junior division matches. How old were you at that time, Uncle?
(Tun) – At that time, I was 15 or 16 at most. I was only about that old.
(Chan) – When you were traveling and fighting like that, could it be called the fourth class? Was it the fourth class Aung Lan?
(Tun) – It had not quite reached the fourth class yet. There was still a fifth class Aung Lan. In the past, Lethwei fighters mostly started from the fourth class, but when there were many tournament days, it was set up like that.
(Chan) – So, to reach that fourth class, you had to fight a lot of matches at the grassroots level first.
(Tun) – We absolutely had to fight. But we fought for the fifth class Aung Lan first. You had to win the fifth class Aung Lan before you could advance to the fourth class. Back then, it was strictly the Aung Lan era.
(Chan) – So at that time, you were only traveling and fighting in Mon State and Kayin State, right?
(Tun) – Primarily, I mostly fought in Mon State and Kayin State.
(Chan) – You had not reached Yangon yet.
(Tun) – Not yet.
(Chan) – As for Mandalay, you fought one match right at the very beginning…
(Tun) – Regarding Mandalay, after fighting that one match there, I didn’t go back again later on.
(Chan) – So later on, you only traveled and competed in regional matches. When you were competing, who was the main person training U Shwe War Tun?
(Tun) – For training, my father was always nearby. When I hit the sandbag, he would teach, guide, and instruct me. I trained with my friends and peers. Since my parents were somewhat well off, I bought sandbags, gloves, skipping ropes, chest expander springs, a complete set. A wide variety. I bought all the necessary training equipment.
(Chan) – There were no club teams or anything like that.
(Tun) – There were no clubs at that time.
(Chan) – Since there were none, how were the matches and events organized?
(Tun) – In the past, for example, if there was going to be an event in Hpa An, the promoter from Hpa An would invite a master from Thaton. My father was well known. Since my father was U Phyu Gyi who returned from Peking, they would contact him. They would tell him to bring the Lethwei fighters from Thaton and inform him of the exact date of the event in Kayin State. My father would go there with the group from here.
(Chan) – So you do have a Lethwei lineage, Uncle.
(Tun) – Yes, I do. On my father’s side, many of our relatives are Lethwei fighters.
(Chan) – So, please tell the fans how the name Thaton Shwe War Tun came to be.
(Tun) – When I first fought for the Aung Lan in Mandalay, after my match was paired up, they asked for my name. I suddenly did not know what to put down. Since I was a farmer, I told them to just put down Shwe War Tun. That is how it became Shwe War Tun. When I competed under the name Shwe War Tun, I won. After winning, that name became official, and I made a firm resolution to continue fighting with this name that brought me success for my entire life.
(Chan) – Yes, the name brought you good fortune. Around what time did the country and the Lethwei fans, for example, the Yangon fans, start to recognize your name, Uncle?
(Tun) – After winning those first Aung Lan titles, I mostly fought in the regional areas. After fighting a lot in the regions, Sayar U Sein invited me to fight in Yangon. Through his invitation, I fought against one of his disciples at the Kabar Aye Pagoda festival, but I do not remember the exact year. I won that match. However, even up to that point, I had not broken through yet. Later, I also competed in Boxing around 1985. Through competing in Boxing, my name started to get out there a bit. After it got out, they set up a match for me against Hpa An Maung Yone on the running track at Aung San Stadium.
(Chan) – Boxing meaning English Boxing, right?
(Tun) – Yes. I competed in English Boxing and won gold there. After winning gold, I gained a bit of a reputation.
(Chan) – It was the State and Division tournament, right?
(Tun) – Yes, the State and Division tournament. A lot of fans came to know me. Once they knew me, they set up a roped ring on the Aung San Stadium running track and had me fight against Hpa An Maung Yone. A massive crowd of fans showed up for that match. The attendance was enough to almost completely fill the entire Aung San football stadium. From that point on, the name Shwe War Tun spread all across Yangon. Furthermore, when I competed in matches, I mostly fought decisively. I had very few draws. As for the Yangon fans, they prefer it when fighters go toe to toe and produce a clear winner and loser. Because of that, I received a lot of support from the fans. Also, when I fought like that, I deeply craved the fans’ support. I actively tried to be friendly and close with the audience.
(Chan) – Back in those days, how many rounds did you fight?
(Tun) – In our era, it was 15 rounds. Three minutes fighting, three minutes resting.
(Chan) – Three minutes of fighting, three minutes of rest for 15 rounds. Each match must have taken a very long time to finish.
(Tun) – If it went the full distance, it took a long time. If it did not go the full distance, it did not take long. Also, regarding the 15 round system, we strictly followed the traditional rules. For example, if someone fell in the corner – there were two ring referees – they would bring the fighters back to the center, reset the position, and resume fighting. Additionally, if the opponent grabbed the ropes, the referee would break the grip, and after breaking it, bring them back to the center. It is not like the modern system. The modern system allows you to get up and immediately continue fighting from a knockdown. In our era, it was not just get up and fight. No matter where you fell, the fight was always reset in the center of the ring.
(Chan) – So, moving to the time when you became the Myanmar champion. You took the Myanmar championship from U Thaman Kyar… U Thaman Kyar himself is a true legendary fighter in traditional Lethwei. U Thaman Kyar was incredibly good. Before you faced U Thaman Kyar, Yangon Aung Din…
(Tun) – To fight Ko Thaman Kyar, I had to take a lot of time to prepare. Part of taking that time involved studying which fighters Ko Thaman Kyar had fought, which round he decisively beat them in, and which round he knocked them out. I studied and watched those details. Then, when I fought against those same opponents, if Ko Thaman Kyar beat someone in the 7th round and I finished them in the 4th round, that meant my skill level was on par. Furthermore, if there was a younger fighter that Ko Thaman Kyar beat after 10 rounds, I would sometimes finish them in 3 rounds or 4 rounds. I was benchmarking my skills. After benchmarking like that, I concluded that at this level, I was ready to fight Thaman Kyar.
However, my supportive fans told me to try Boxing first. They told me not to fight Thaman Kyar just yet. They wanted me to gain some technical skills. I did not lean heavily towards Boxing. The reason was that having to wear boxing gloves did not feel satisfying when throwing punches. But listening to my teacher’s advice, I entered the world of Boxing.
(Chan) – So, entering the world of Boxing was a deliberate step to capture the championship title from U Thaman Kyar. You went and competed in Boxing for two years, correct?
(Tun) – Yes. It was solely to prepare for fighting Thaman Kyar.
(Chan) – Since you competed, I would like to ask a quick question about that. Yangon Aung Din… U Thaman Kyar… and then Thaton Ba Hnit…
(Tun) – I have fought Ko Aung Din as well. We competed. Let me tell you, I fought Ko Ba Hnit, who is also a native of Thaton like us. I also fought Ko Moe Kyoe. Then I fought Ko Win Naing, specifically Dawei Win Naing. I fought Yangon Win Naing Sein, and I fought Ko Aung Din. I fought Thamein Bayan, and I fought Chit Ko. These men were all first class Lethwei fighters. At that time, they were in their prime competitive years. Compared to me, they were slightly older, whereas I was a bit younger. There was probably a seven year age gap between us.
(Chan) – You were a rising star. So, after testing your skills against them, you felt you could finally close the gap with U Thaman Kyar, which led you to issue a challenge. It was a challenge match, correct?
(Tun) – So, after fighting and defeating them, I was confident I could fight and beat Thaman Kyar. However, there was a teacher who supported me, and he advised me to compete in Boxing first. He told me to do it to acquire proper techniques. I was not enthusiastic about Boxing because it required wearing gloves. He insisted, telling me to just compete so I would learn technique. In traditional Lethwei, I did not understand the concept of systematic technique. Our approach was simply to practice hard, maintain good training, and live a disciplined lifestyle. I thought that would be enough to handle Thaman Kyar. But my master refused to accept that approach. That is exactly why I transitioned over to Boxing.
(Chan) – To improve your technical skills even further.
(Tun) – When I started competing in Boxing, I began at the township level and won gold there. After the township level, I competed at the state level and won gold there as well. All of this happened within 1985. After winning gold, my scheduled 1985 match with Thaman Kyar fell through. Because Thaman Kyar was in poor health, the match was postponed to 1986. It took place in February 1986 on Union Day.
(Chan) – Where did you fight?
(Tun) – In Taungoo.
(Chan) – In that match held in Taungoo, you defeated U Thaman Kyar by points, correct?
(Tun) – I won by points.
(Chan) – And after winning by points, that is how you officially became the champion of Myanmar.
(Tun) – That is when I first secured the championship.
(Chan) – So, this concludes the story of how Sayar Gyi U Shwe War Tun became the champion of Myanmar. We asked these questions specifically to cover that topic. We will continue presenting more about Sayar Gyi U Shwe War Tun’s journey in later parts. Thank you, everyone.
