Indonesia’s Paisal Panjaitan creates an exquisite and intriguing match up with Vietnam's Nguyễn Văn Hải.
At face value, their fight stats are remarkably similar, and both like to box out of the orthodox stance.
But that's where the similarity ends.
Nguyễn Văn Hải has been immersed in "fighting" for more than 20 years, and has been a high level amateur. In contrast, Paisal Panjaitan has been boxing for less than 5 years, and is clearly ㅅstill learning the trade. That said, it's transparent that he has improved markedly with each performance, and his energy levels will obviously prove a challenge to his Vietnam opponent.
Panjaitan is tough too!
Unbeaten in his 3 fights to date, Panjaitan has been a flawed, yet exciting proposition. He has absorbed punishment in titanic battles in his home country, and whilst in stages looking vulnerable, he has managed to win each contest convincingly.
This is a boxer dubbed Geronimo, and his first three bouts have really embodied that. They have been exhilarating roller coaster style rides, and make no mistake, his bout with Nguyen Van Hai will be no different. This kid knows what he is in for with a far more technical and experienced opponent, and he is really up for it!
He will really look to impose his youthful exuberance in this bout, and see where it takes him. He is prepared to learn as he goes, and will attempt to outwork and out-enthuse Nguyễn Văn Hải in their clash.
This Vietnam v Indonesia match up will be over 4 rounds, so expect to see fireworks in this one. Old dog versus young dog and only one bone!
Really looking forward to this one !



Vietnam has recently seen the emergence of some great fighters, and Nguyen Van Hai is undoubtedly one of the greatest among them. The "Hanoi Hitman" is set to grace the ring once again, this time at VSP PRO #3 in HCMC. Fans are eagerly waiting for his showdown with promising young northern boxer Ha Minh Tuan, who has already made a mark with an impressive debut win in February at VSP PRO #2.
Nguyen Van Hai is a force to be reckoned with, and his appearance at Fortunes of War in Ho Tram last December was a testament to that fact. In a dominating performance, stopping unbeaten Indonesian prospect Paisal Panjaitan.
It's not just his impressive win record that makes him stand out, but his boxing skills and style that sets him apart from the rest. He has a deadly combination of speed, agility, and power that make him a dangerous opponent for anyone who dares to face him in the ring.
His upcoming bout at VSP PRO is a testament to his dedication and hard work. Fans are eagerly waiting to see him in action once again, and with his impressive track record, it's hard not to feel excited.
Nguyen Van Hai is a true icon in the world of Vietnamese boxing, and his legacy will undoubtedly continue for many years to come.

Hanoi Hitman takes on unbeaten Indonesian prospect Paisal "Geronimo" Panjaitan.
Both fighters were looking for the KNOCKOUT !

Hanoi strong man Nguyễn Văn Hải made an impressive return to the professional arena, stunning unbeaten Indonesian Paisal Panjaitan with a stoppage victory.
The bout began quite evenly, with the visitor boxing carefully, and even dictating ring position, but then BOOM!
The Indonesian fighter began to launch heavy shots at Nguyễn Văn Hải, and found himself side on to his Vietnam nemesis. Quick to sieze the moment, Hải unleashed a perfect left hook to surprise the chin of Panjaitan.
It was a superb performance from Nguyễn Văn Hải against a confident and unbeaten opponent. His distance and timing were a big improvement on his loss in Manila, which was also against an unbeaten prospect named Jerald Into.
The Hanoi champion advances to 3 wins and 1 loss, and appears a potential professional star for Vietnam boxing.

FORTUNES OF WAR FIGHT REPLAYS
All the action from 7 great bouts at The Grand Ho Tram Resort and Casino :

Paisal Panjaitan and Defry Palulu send out dire warnings poolside at The Grand Ho Tram Resort and Casino today.
"TONIGHT, I SMASH YOUR BOYS !"
was the echo heard loud and clear at a fight day interview session with Aussie fight caller Ben Mcculloch.
Panjaitan will battle Vietnam fight legend Nguyễn Văn Hải, whilst former WBC belt holder Defry Palulu takes in the Philippines Charly Suarez for the IBF Asia title.

Paisal Panjaitan 61.0kg (Indonesia)
Nguyễn Văn Hải 61.2kg (Vietnam)

NEWS FROM WEBTHETHAO
Professional boxing events in Vietnam began to rekindle in the period of 2015, when management units such as Vietnam Boxing Federation (VBF) or Ho Chi Minh City Boxing Federation. Ho Chi Minh City (HBF) organizes this form of competition, with the participation of famous boxers in the domestic amateur boxing village. After that, promotion companies began to appear with names like VSP Promotions, Cocky Buffalo, Saigon Sports Club, VBC, Trigger Boxing... continued to appear to bring more national elements. economic: events, title matches, friendlies.
However, it was not until 2018, when the promoters really embarked on a comprehensive approach, at this time, the challenge for the development of professional boxing began to really appear.
To be recognized at the professional level, competitions must be under the supervision of organizations capable of recognizing professional achievements around the world. This supervision is based on the rules - the rules of the game (regulations) are specified in the operating regulations of professional organizations such as WBC, WBO, WBA, IBF...
In Vietnam, the presence of these organizations is not much. Therefore, boxers have only one option: to conduct tours in countries with developed boxing backgrounds such as Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, ... to be recognized for their achievements. However, the issue of funding, training procedures - competing with Vietnamese boxers is not a simple problem, despite the participation of experienced promotion companies in the region.
As a result, promoters have opted for a more pragmatic approach: organizing events right in Vietnam. To do this, they need to contact to get the approval of professional organizations in the world, through sending professional teams, supervising the organization and competition of martial arts.
Since 2019, units like VSP Promotions have made their mark with a series of events such as Victory 8, VSP Pro,... bringing Vietnamese boxers to participate in professional matches at home, recognizing their achievements. in the international system, gradually removing barriers for boxers who want to pursue this path.
From professional events, title fights began to appear. Victory 8: Legend of Hoan Kiem with the title of WBA East Asia; events of IBF, WBO at The Grand Ho Tram Strip with champions Dinh Hong Quan, Song Chan Ho... and here comes Fortunes of War with 3 matches for WBO - IBF title in weight classes on 10th December.
Not only for boxers, bringing international events to Vietnam also creates opportunities for domestic professionals, namely management units, referees, supervisors, etc. exposure to professional environment according to world standards. From there, events in Vietnam will gradually move to international level - something we all want in the development of all sports.
Following the success of two title events in April and July, Fortunes of War witnessed the title defense of the IBF Asian champion - "Black Hawk" Dinh Hong Quan in his 11th fight. The fighter born in 1998 will face the boxer from the Philippines - "Silent Assassin" Arnel Baconaje.
In addition to the defense of the IBF Asian lightweight title between Dinh Hong Quan and Arnel Baconjae, Charly Suarez - a three-time SEA Games gold medalist and silver medalist at ASIAD 2014 will welcome an opponent from Indonesia - Defry Palulu for the IBF title. Asian super-featherweight.
Previously, WBO Oriental champion from Korea - Song Chan Ho will face Thai boxer Anusong Thonglueang in his title defense match. The competition took place over 10 rounds in the super-lightweight division.
In addition to the three matches/defending of the IBF and WBO belts, Fortunes Of War also witnessed the return of Vietnamese boxing monument Nguyen Van Hai, promising fighters Le Hoang Hiep, Thai Hoang Huy or Pham Minh Quan before the competition. boxers from Indonesia and the Philippines.
List of matches at Fortunes of War on December 10:
Dinh Hong Quan (c) vs. Arnel Baconaje - IBF Asian lightweight title defense (12 rounds)
Charly Suarez vs. Defry Paululu - IBF Asian Super-featherweight Championship (12 rounds)
Nguyen Van Hai vs. Paisal Panjaitan - Lightweight (4 rounds)
Phan Minh Quan vs. Mark John Yap - Super-featherweight (4 rounds)
Song Chan Ho vs. Anusong Thonglueang - Defending the WBO Oriental Youth super-lightweight title (10 rounds)
Le Hoang Hiep vs. Jetro Pabustan - Super-bantamweight (4 rounds)
Thai Hoang Huy vs. JonJon Estrada - Featherweight (4 rounds)

Some of Asia's best fighters come together for an end of year celebration like mo other.
Watch the action live from Vietnam !
THE GRAND HO TRAM RESORT AND CASINO
Saturday December 10

The Fortunes of War will introduce some of Asia's best fighters to Vietnam, and be advised, Indonesia are sending their "A" TEAM !
Paisal Panjaitan, coach and manager Armin Tan,and Defry Palulu formed an intimidating triumvirate pictured after yesterday's training.
And the team are pumped for bold showings at The Grand Ho Tram.
Paisal Panjaitan has been boxing less than 5 years, yet has already chalked up three impressive wins in his short time in boxing. "Geronimo" is in stark contrast to his Vietnam opponent Nguyễn Văn Hải, a legendary fighter who is adept in multiple
fight forms, and has dedicated most of his life to martial arts.
Defry Palulu is likely the best performed Indonesian boxer since the legendary Chris John, and he has amassed 25 wins and a WBA Asia title in his superb career. The southpaw with the ominous ring name of "the Unseen Hammer" will tackle Philippines quicksilver Charly Suarez in the main undercard of the night.
Vietnam staged events such as Fortunes of War offer the fans a great opportunity to see the best fighting the best, but also give everyone a glimpse of the different styles and faces that international boxers bring, and VSP extends a warm welcome to the talented and hard working Indonesian team.
Thank you for your support Indonesia, you add much needed dimension and colour to our event, and we wish you truly great performances.
FORTUNES OF WAR
The Grand Ho Tram Resort and Casino
Saturday December 10

Hanoi boxer Nguyễn Văn Hải competed in his first match in almost 3 years this past August. In what was viewed as a welcome back contest in Manila for Hai, he came away with a points loss, and a bagful of "what if" scenarios on his performance. The end result was a steely resolve to make amends for that defeat as soon as possible.
Nguyễn Văn Hải is very likely the most experienced mixed fight form exponent in Vietnam, and he returns to his love for boxing on December 10 at the Fortunes of War show in Ho Tram.
Hai was a highly decorated amateur in younger days, having won multiple national titles and achieving medals at the SEA Games. In spite of those successes, the revered Hanoi legend has had precious few chances to box in recent years.
Hai was intent on embarking on a pro career back in 2019, and signed with VSP to pursue that ambition. The pandemic put the brakes on those plans, and unfortunately, Hai did not see any ring time until August of this year.
Nguyễn Văn Hải ventured to Manila to take on rangy southpaw prospect Jerald Into, and despite incurring a points loss, it was a decent display for a boxer with lots of ring rust. The Vietnam fighter certainly showed many of the trademark moves of his amateur days, but his distance, timing and punch volume were below the required level. But he actually looked very good, and it will no doubt be a vastly improved, and perhaps vengeful, boxer that returns to the ring at The Grand Ho Tram on December 10.
This boxer dubbed "the Hanoi Hitman" will look to reverse that loss in Manila, and he will be determined to teach his whiz kid Indonesian rival some veteran tricks of the trade !

Nguyễn Văn Hải is very likely the most experienced mixed fight form exponent in Vietnam, and he returns to his love for boxing on December 10 at the Fortunes of War show in Ho Tram.
Hai was a highly decorated amateur in younger days, but has had precious few chances to box in recent years. He was intent on embarking on a pro career back in 2019, and signed with VSP to pursue that ambition. The pandemic put the brakes on those plans, and Hai did not see ring time until August of this year.
Nguyễn Văn Hải ventured to Manila to take on rangy southpaw prospect Jerald Into, and despite a points loss, it was a decent display for a boxer with lots of ring rust.
The boxer dubbed the Hanoi Hitman will look to build on that loss, and will be joined at The Grand Ho Tram by four other Vietnam fighters.
Dinh Hong Quân will contest the main event, while novice prospects Pham Minh Quân, Le Hoang Hiep and Thai Hoang Huy will take on top class Philippines boxers in the undercard bouts.
Indonesia’s Paisal Panjaitan creates an exquisite and intriguing match up with Vietnam's Nguyễn Văn Hải. At face value, their fight stats are remarkably similar, and both like to box out of the orthodox stance. But that's where the similarity ends.
Nguyễn Văn Hải has been immersed in "fighting" for more than 20 years, and has been a high level amateur. In contrast, Paisal Panjaitan has been boxing for less than 5 years, and is clearly still learning the trade. That said, it's transparent that he has improved markedly with each performance, and his energy levels will obviously prove a challenge to his Vietnam opponent. Panjaitan is tough too!
Unbeaten in 3 fights, he absorbed punishment yet won each contest convincingly.
This Vietnam v Indonesia match up will be over 4 rounds, so expect to see fireworks in this one, as both these talented fighters will be looking to impose their will.
Really looking forward to this one !
Nguyễn Văn Hải v Paisal Panjaitan
4 rounds Lightweight 135lb
THE GRAND HO TRAM STRIP VIETNAM
Saturday December 10

THE GRAND HO TRAM JUST GOT HOTTER !!!
Saturday December 10 Fortunes of War !

The Grand Ho Tram in Vietnam has grand plans !
Saturday December 10
Full fight card coming soon, but already signed :
Vietnam - Dinh Hong Quan
Philippines - Arnel Baconaje
Indonesia - Defry Palulu
Philippines - Charly Suarez
Uzbekistan - Olimjon Nazarov
Vietnam - Nguyễn Văn Hải
Indonesia - Paisal Panjaitan
and will soon include top fighters from South Korea and Thailand.
This end of year festive event at The Grand Ho Tram wil also give young Vietnam hopefuls Phan Minh Quân, Le Hiep and Thai Hoang Huy the chance to share the ring with Philippines idols Mark John Yap, Jetro Pabustan and the Wolverine JonJon Estrada.

So, you are watching a boxing match and it is clear that Boxer A is getting his faced punched in by the Boxer B. After many rounds, the final bell rings and you are 100% certain that the Boxer B had won the fight but suddenly judges award the win to the Boxer A and you are left thinking "what just happened?". This post will shed some light as to how this could easily happen.

At VSP, we have our own boxing gym (VSP Boxing) where boxers under company management are trained for professional matches. We also have our own boxing promotions company (VSP Promotions). We even have our own boxing event brand called Victory8. What I am about to tell you is something which happens behind the curtains that may help you understand why some boxing matches end up favoring a boxer who you are quite sure lost the match.

To fully understand what happens, you need to put yourself in the shoe of the Boxer and his/her manager. the manager generally thinks that if the boxer has an "unbeaten" record, it will help him go up the rank. This achieves two objectives. It can lead to the manager asking more money for the boxer to fight from the promoter. Secondly, the manager is hoping that a streak of victorious matches will allow the boxer to fight for the championship title which can be quite lucrative. Depending on the country/region, a regional championship title can earn 5~10,000 USD while world title can be anywhere from 50,000~1,000,000 dollars earning per fight depending on many factors which I will post another time. So, if you are the manager for the boxer, you would think your job is to try to get the boxer to fight an opponent whom you are quite confident can be beaten. (This often leads to a terrible quality fight because it is lopsided match).
Promoter (that's us) is the company that organizes and pays for everything and everyone. Here, "everyone" includes the boxers, referees, and the judges. Now, what happens when boxers are managed by a company instead of an individual? And what if that company happens to also be the "Promoter" of an event in which those boxers fight?

Let's think about a situation whereVSP has organized a boxing event in Vietnam between our Vietnamese fighters and Thai fighters. To make the scoring "fair", VSP flies in referees & judges (R&J) from Japan, China, and the Philippines. The promoter would be paying for their flight tickets, their fees, hotel, meals, as well as transportation. Lobbying can start even before the R&J arrive in Vietnam.


How about this: The promoter upgrades the flights of R&J to a business class and personally picks them up from the airport. The promoter then put them in a nice hotel with complementary drinks and takes them out to good restaurants. There, he talks about how wonderful some of the boxers are in the event (our boxers of course). The promoter never once said who the judges should vote for but as you can see, the R&J may have started to develop a certain bias.

Did you know that R&J are often part time jobs for many? Imagine you are one of the judges invited to come to Vietnam. You are treated very well, paid well, and even taken around by the promoter for shopping. You know that some of the boxers in the event are managed by the promoter. Now, let's say the fight was a close fight, who would you favor? If you voted against the promoter's boxer, maybe you won't be invited in the next event. Perhaps your professionalism would be so solid that none of these treatments would affect your judgement but would you be able to say the same for all of your peers?

At VSP, we don't believe in setting up our boxers to win in a match. How would a boxer improve if he is fighting an opponent worse than him all the time? We think this is a remanent of the old ways. Instead, we match our fighters such that the spectators would enjoy watching! What is the point of putting up boring shit fights that nobody wants to watch? We tell all our boxers, "It is not our job to make you win. It is our job to give you worthy challengers that will push yourself to be better" The boxing world need to change and embrace a new paradigm where the focus should be putting up fights that are 50:50 and that leads to exciting fights that viewers can appreciate and thus drive more following.
Let's change the old ways and make Boxing Great Again!

"The Cobra" set to strike hard in early 2022 ! Southpaw stealth and savagery !
WBA Asia title
Charly Suarez v Roldan Aldea
Watch your step!

Michael Pengue has been a regular fixture at VSP and Victory8 events in Vietnam. The Aussie boxer was outstanding in his performances for the World team, so it gave us all at VSP a lot of gratification and pride when Pengue raised the WBC Australasian belt recently.
Mickey Pengue had way too few opportunities to showcase his skills since 2019, but his WBC win was a really staunch reminder of what this talented fighter is capable of when in form. Jorge Kapeen proved to be a quality opponent, and he was the measuring stick that qualified it was a great return for Pengue to grind out an emphatic unanimous win.
Pengue, who is trained by Tony Del Vecchio at the world famous Bondi Boxing Club, will now take a well earned break, before setting sights on some bigger opportunities in 2022.

Vietnam's Nguyen Van Hai makes a dream come true for the rugged and too hard to tame pinoy Jino Rodrigo, who makes this special request:
"I WANT A VIETNAM FIGHTER!"
The King's Warrior Charly Suarez does more of the "Walk the Walk" when he tackles the outstanding Roldan Aldea for the WBA Asia title. Suarez has been on a rampaging path up the world rankings, and the non believers are becoming quieter and quieter! Be in zero doubt, SUAREZ is the Philippines BEST FIGHTER, so don't miss the chance to see an icon of the sport this March in Manila.

"The Rock" returned in ominous fashion scoring a stoppage with some thundering overhands at the Ultimate Knockout Challenge. Al Toyogan competed at 135, and while short in stature at that weight class, he certainly proved big on ability and POWER! It's worth remembering that Toyogan went the distance with world rated Jorge Linares only three fights ago, so he definitely lacks nothing in the class department.
This fighter has lots of upside, especially if he can drop to 130 in future bouts.

Bohol's Virgel Vitor and Palawan's Lorence Rosas' clash was high quality, and both boys signalled better things to come in the very near future.
Vitor put everyone on notice that he is one of the Philippines best young prospects with a superb welcome back performance. His work rate was high, and he was always asserting himself to create opportunities. He also looked way more imposing at this new weight of 130 pounds.
Southpaw Lorence Rosas looks to be rapidly returning to the fighter that gave Magic Mike Plania night tremors back in 2016. His classy performance against the bigger Vitor showcased an array of shots, combined with clever footwork and angles. Expect to see a breakout performance from Rosas when he returns to the lighter weight classes. Don't say you weren't told!

Lorenz Ladrada closes out the year having just engaged in a closely contested battle with the irrepressible Jason Buenaobra. The year proved busy for Bukidnon's Ladrada, who chalked up 4 wins and an SD loss to the promising Gary Tamayo. Flair and footwork were his travelling companions, and in 2022, expect to see more improvements to his repertoire.
Buenaobra was a revelation! He really toiled throughout this match, constantly taking Ladrada out of his comfort zone. He did such a great job, this smart southpaw was able to keep Ladrada on the backfoot for much of their quality bout. The effort of Jason Buenaobra was top class, and excited to see what he can deliver in 2022, especially if he drops to a more suitable weight class.
Another great pic from our friend Alvin Go!

Jason "Manefisto" Buenaobra brought the heat, and some nice technical tools to go with it, in a superb match up with Bukidnon's Lorenz Ladrada at UKC. Buenaobra pressed dangerously for all six rounds, and presented lots of problems for Ladrada from a constantly pivoting southpaw stance. It was an energetic display by Buenaobra, and one that fell just short on a hard to score bout. This was a great showing by Manefisto, who looks certain ask serious questions of rivals in future fights.

Vietnamese lightweight Nguyen Van Hai (2-0, 1 KO) has been challenged to fight dangerous Pinoy “The Silent Beast” Jino Rodrigo of Antipolo, Rizal in March; and the tough challenge has been accepted, said VSP Boxing Promotions earlier today.
The fight will fire up the ring as part of an exciting event in March in Manila, headlined by unbeaten hard-hitting Davaeño super featherweight “King’s Warrior” Charly Suarez (9-0, 6 KO’s). The Vietnamese 135-pounder Nguyen Van Hai has long been regarded as a excellent, experienced amateur fighter, although he hasn’t seen any action at all in 30 long months. Still, Hai has kept himself running, working out, sparring, and profusely sweating every day in the gym, with the mind set of “never giving up.”
As an amateur boxer, Nguyen Van Hai won the Vietnam national championships, and claimed medals in Asian Games in various weight-classes. But due to limited opportunities to battle as a pro, Nguyen Van Hai hasn’t fought much, currently being unbeaten in just 2 fights one of them he won by KO. That’s why, Nguyen Van Hai signed with VSP Boxing Promotions last year, in an attempt to kick off his pro boxing career, searching for a brighter future for his family.
...........
By Carlos Costa
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 11 Dec 2021

MICHAEL PENGUE NOW A WBC CHAMP !
Big congratulation to one of the most popular boxers to compete in Vietnam at VSP events. Mickey Pengue was twice a World Team member at the big Victory8 shows, and Vietnam fighters commented that the style of Pengue was their favourite amongst the visiting team.Michael Pengue was part of a crack international squad that fought in Vietnam in late 2019, and included pinoys Charly Suarez, Jenel Lausa and Virgel Vitor.

Perhaps Vietnam’s best known female fighter, tam is a tall southpaw fighter with fast hands and feet. She is good in both attack and in counterpunching, and very skilled at drawing opponents in and landing her shots. Nguyen Thi Tam is an outstanding young prospect that still has lots of improvement, especially as a potential professional. There is no doubt that she can become a world class pro in the future.
ACHIEVEMENTS:
2021 Tokyo Olympics qualified
2019 South East Asian Games Gold Medal
2018 Champion Boxing Club Gold Medal
2017 Asian Women Boxing Championship Gold Medal
2016 National Championship Silver Medal
2013 National Championship Bronze Medal
2012 Champion Boxing Club Bronze Medal
2012 National Young Boxing Championship Gold Medal
2012 Open Military Cup Silver Medal
2011 National Championship Bronze Medal
2011 National Young Boxing Championship Gold Medal
2010 National Young Boxing Championship Bronze Medal

John Lawrence Ordonio achieved a stoppage win over outstanding young talent Jules Victoriano at QUEST FOR GLORY. It was his first match back since 2020 for the man known as The Equalizer, and what he lacked in timing, he made up for with ring guile and power. It was a match that both fighters will derive plenty of improvement from, and word is strong that a rematch is looking a possibility. This was a great tussle between Ordonio and Victoriano - definitely worth seeing a "take two"!

Simply put, we think ULTIMATE KNOCKOUT CHALLENGE is going to be the biggest show of the year in the Philippines! 13 fights with some of the biggest names in the country coming together to show you what quality match ups looks like. To make the event even more entertaining, VSP Promotions will give away USD 1,000 to anyone that can correctly guess the outcome of each fight! It's FREE so make sure to try our VSP SUREPICK!