Connect with us

Articles

What’s in a Name? Maybe Plenty, If You’re a Boxer

Published

on

When he authored “Romeo and Juliet” (probably in either 1594 or 1595), William Shakespeare likely did not consider the ramifications of one of the play’s most oft-quoted lines as it might pertain to some distant generation of professional boxers, particularly those from the Republic of Congo, Thailand or Poland.

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” Shakespeare had Juliet proclaim, but perhaps her affection for Romeo would not be so deep if her beloved were a fighter from Bangkok, Kinshasa or Warsaw, where the filling out of birth certificates for newborn children no doubt induces terrible cases of writer’s cramp for their mothers. Then again, what seems so complex to the average American might not be for natives of those countries. College basketball enthusiasts eventually learned how to say and spell the last name of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, right?

My fascination with certain fighters’ names again was piqued when I read that Bangkok’s Eaktawan Krungthepthonburi had recently captured the vacant IBF Asia title by stopping Lionel Legada in five rounds. Other winners on that card were Patomsuk Pathompothong and female Petcharas Mor Krungthepthonburi, who outpointed Petchladda Sor Prauthong.

It also caught my attention that cruiserweight Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, of Los Angeles by way of his native Ukraine, would be taking on Paul Parker at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia on Tuesday, a scheduled 10-rounder televised by Fox Sports 1 and Fox Deportes. It proved a main event worth watching, and not only for the chance to hear harrowed announcers attempt to avoid mangling the featured attraction’s name. Shabranskyy overcame two first-round knockdowns to win on a third-round TKO.

But even Thais, Poles and Ukrainians have nothing on athletes from Congo. Former NBA center Dikembe Mutombo is one helluva long human being at 7-foot-2, but his full name – Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo, a whopping 49 letters in all – is even lengthier.

Mutombo, however, must take a backseat to Congolese middleweight Alex Bunema, who turns 40 on July 28 and hasn’t fought since 2013. The apparently retired Bunema was pretty good at one time, as evidenced by his 31-10-2 record, which includes 17 wins inside the distance, but perhaps his primary distinction is his full name: Katonji Alex Bunema Sylvester Goudha Le Grand Tshibuta Wa Ndintumba Wa Dinene. That’s 65 letters, if you’re counting.

“But you can call me Alex,” he told reporters after he scored a 10th-round TKO over former IBF junior middleweight champ Roman Karmazin on Jan. 19, 2008, on the undercard of a show headlined by Roy Jones Jr.’s 12-round, unanimous decision over Felix Trinidad at Madison Square Garden. As it turned out, that was “Tito’s” last fight.

Bunema’s drastic shortening of his name, for professional purposes, is the rule rather than the exception. Samoa-born, New Zealand-based former heavyweight contender David Tua’s actual birth name is To’aletai David Mafaufau Tua, which is a relative snap compared to some of those Congolese, Thai and Polish names, but was made even more manageable by excising some presumably extraneous letters. The same can be said of the “Foul Pole,” Andrew Golota, who changed his name from Andrezej Jan Golota after he emigrated from Warsaw to Chicago, even though Polish names aren’t particularly uncommon in the Windy City.

What’s really curious, at least to me, is the practice of Thai fighters – in Muay Thai as well as boxing — to campaign with adopted surnames that reflect the name of the gym in which they learned their craft, rather than those with which they were born. Can you imagine former junior welterweight and welterweight contender “Rockin’” Rodney Moore going into the ring as “Rockin’” Rodney Bluehorizon? And even if he did, he’d be one of maybe hundreds of Philadelphia fighters adopting similar monikers.

Researching what seemed to be to be an oddity, I learned that last names in Thailand weren’t required of citizens until 1913. Before then, most Thais used only a first or individual name, which generally conveyed positive attributes. Under Thai law, only one family can use a given surname, thus any two people of the same surname must be related.

Somewhere along the line, it became fairly standard practice for Thai fighters taking their gym name as a means of identification. Hence the proliferation of such tongue-twisting handles (at least to non-Thais) as Watcharachai Kaewsamrit, Rittijak Kaewsamrit, Keim Sitsongpeenong, Sittichai Sitsongpeenong and Anuwat Kaewsamrit.

It also is part of the fabric of boxing when “other” names become the “real” names (sometimes legally, sometimes not) of notable fighters. Would Sugar Ray Robinson be as venerated had he conducted his legendary career as Walker Smith Jr.? Or Willie Pep as Gugliemo Papaleo? Rocky Marciano as Rocco Francis Marchegiano? Kid Gavilan as Gerado Gonzalez? Jersey Joe Walcott as Arnold Cream?

But maybe my favorite adopted name is the one taken by one William Horatio Butler Jr., who was born in Bimini, the Bahamas, relocated to Miami Beach and went on to have a very successful career in the late 1950s and early ’60s as a middleweight contender named Yama Bahama. The colorfully monikered Yama, who was 76 when he died on June 29, 2009 (rest in peace, bro), was a TV staple back in the day, world-ranked for several years and good enough to have posted victories over Kid Gavilan and Joey Giambra, among others. But you have to wonder, would he have been nearly as popular as William Horatio Butler Jr.? I think not.

When I think of Yama Bahama (whose name was mentioned by HBO blow-by-blow icon Jim Lampley in his acceptance remarks when he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on June 14), I automatically feel cool tropical breezes, see the swaying fronds of palm trees and taste ice-cold pina coladas. And that’s more than I can say when I think of Kalonji Alex BunemaSylvester Gouda Le Grand Tshibuta Wa Ndintumba Wa Dinene or Eaktawan Krungthepthonburi.

WATCH RELATED VIDEOS ON BOXINGCHANNEL.TV

Share The Sweet Science experience!
Continue Reading
Advertisement Ad - Web Hosting from SiteGround - Crafted for easy site management. Click to learn more.
Advertisement Ad - SiteGround Web Hosting - Crafted for easy site management. Amazing Speed; Powerful Tools; Top-rated support. Learn more.

Vito-Mielnicki-Whitewashes-Kamil-Gardzielik-Before-the-Home-Folks-in-Newark
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Vito Mielnicki Jr Whitewashes Kamil Gardzielik Before the Home Folks in Newark

Results-and-Recaps-from-New-York-Where-Taylor-edged-Serrano-Once-Again
Featured Articles5 days ago

Results and Recaps from New York Where Taylor Edged Serrano Once Again

From-a-Sympathetic-Figure-to-a-Pariah-The Travails-of-Julio-Cesar-Chavez-Jr
Featured Articles1 week ago

From a Sympathetic Figure to a Pariah: The Travails of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr

Results-and-Recaps-from-NYC-where-Hamzah-Sheeraz-was-Spectacular
Featured Articles4 days ago

Results and Recaps from NYC where Hamzah Sheeraz was Spectacular

Catterall-vs-Eubank-Ends-Prematurely-Catterall-Wins-a-Technical-Decision
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Catterall vs Eubank Ends Prematurely; Catterall Wins a Technical Decision

Philadelphia-Welterweight-Gil-Turner-a-Phenom-Now-Rests-in-an-Unmarked-Grave
Featured Articles6 days ago

Philadelphia Welterweight Gil Turner, a Phenom, Now Rests in an Unmarked Grave

More-Medals-for-Hawaii's-Patricio-Family-at-USA-Boxing's-Summer-Festival
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

More Medals for Hawaii’s Patricio Family at the USA Boxing Summer Festival

Callum-Walsh-Umar-Dzambekov-and-Cain-Sandoval-Remain-Unbeaten-at-Santa-Ynez
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Callum Walsh, Umar Dzambekov and Cain Sandoval Remain Unbeaten at Santa Ynez

Jake-Paul-Outpoints-Julio-Cesar-Chavez-Jr-plus-Other-Results-from-Anaheim
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Jake Paul Outpoints Julio Cesar Chavez Jr plus Other Results from Anaheim

Avila-Perspecrive-Chap-334-Back-to-Back-Boxing-Cards-in-the-Big-Apple
Featured Articles6 days ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 334: Back-to-Back Boxing Cards in the Big Apple

A-Fight-Fan-and-Teremoana-Samson-Junior-Leon-Teremoana
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

A Fight Fan and Teremoana Samson Junior Leon Teremoana

A-Boxing-Card-in-Alabama-Goes-Pfft-A-True-Tale-from-the-Underbelly-of-the-Sweet-Science
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

A Boxing Card in Alabama Goes Pfft: A True Tale from the Underbelly of The Sweet Science

Avila-Perspective-Chap-333-Jake-Paul-JC-Chavez-Jr-Zurdo-and-More
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 333: Jake Paul, JC Chavez Jr, Zurdo and More

Paro
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Liam Paro Returns with a Flourish on Wednesday’s ‘No Limit’ Card in Queensland

Avila-Perspective-Chap-331-Callum-Walsh-Brian-Norman-Galal-Yafai-and-More
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 331: Callum Walsh, Brian Norman, Galal Yafai and More

A-Closer-Look-at-Mario-Barrios-Poised-to-Wreck-the-Comeback-of-a-Legend
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

A Closer Look at Mario Barrios, Poised to Wreck the Comeback of a Legend

Gibbons
Featured Articles2 days ago

From the Boondocks to the Big Time, The Wild Saga of Manny Pacquiao’s Sidekick Sean Gibbons

Brian-Norman-Jr-Bombs-Out-Jin-Sasaki-with-a-Frightful-Left-Hook
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Brian Norman Jr Bombs Out Jin Sasaki with a Frightful Left Hook

When-Boxing-Was-Big-on-the-Fourth-of-July-A-TSS-Classic
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

When Boxing was Big on the Fourth of July: A TSS Classic

Mbilli-Blasts-Out-Sulecki-in-Quebec-Wilder-TKOs-Herndon-in-Wichita
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Mbilli Blasts Out Sulecki in Quebec; Wilder TKOs Herndon in Wichita

From-HEALING-to-Hate-Muhammad-Ali-Fred-Levin-and-Florida
Featured Articles13 hours ago

The Hauser Report: From HEALING to Hate — Muhammad Ali, Fred Levin, and Florida

Gibbons
Featured Articles2 days ago

From the Boondocks to the Big Time, The Wild Saga of Manny Pacquiao’s Sidekick Sean Gibbons

Results-and-Recaps-from-NYC-where-Hamzah-Sheeraz-was-Spectacular
Featured Articles4 days ago

Results and Recaps from NYC where Hamzah Sheeraz was Spectacular

Results-and-Recaps-from-New-York-Where-Taylor-edged-Serrano-Once-Again
Featured Articles5 days ago

Results and Recaps from New York Where Taylor Edged Serrano Once Again

Philadelphia-Welterweight-Gil-Turner-a-Phenom-Now-Rests-in-an-Unmarked-Grave
Featured Articles6 days ago

Philadelphia Welterweight Gil Turner, a Phenom, Now Rests in an Unmarked Grave

Avila-Perspecrive-Chap-334-Back-to-Back-Boxing-Cards-in-the-Big-Apple
Featured Articles6 days ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 334: Back-to-Back Boxing Cards in the Big Apple

From-a-Sympathetic-Figure-to-a-Pariah-The Travails-of-Julio-Cesar-Chavez-Jr
Featured Articles1 week ago

From a Sympathetic Figure to a Pariah: The Travails of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr

Catterall-vs-Eubank-Ends-Prematurely-Catterall-Wins-a-Technical-Decision
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Catterall vs Eubank Ends Prematurely; Catterall Wins a Technical Decision

Avila-Perspective-Chap-333-Jake-Paul-JC-Chavez-Jr-Zurdo-and-More
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 333: Jake Paul, JC Chavez Jr, Zurdo and More

When-Boxing-Was-Big-on-the-Fourth-of-July-A-TSS-Classic
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

When Boxing was Big on the Fourth of July: A TSS Classic

A-Boxing-Card-in-Alabama-Goes-Pfft-A-True-Tale-from-the-Underbelly-of-the-Sweet-Science
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

A Boxing Card in Alabama Goes Pfft: A True Tale from the Underbelly of The Sweet Science

Mexico's-Francisco-Rodriguez-Jr-is-the-TSS-Fighter-of-the-Month-for-June
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Mexico’s Francisco Rodriguez Jr is the TSS Fighter of the Month for June

Jake-Paul-Outpoints-Julio-Cesar-Chavez-Jr-plus-Other-Results-from-Anaheim
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Jake Paul Outpoints Julio Cesar Chavez Jr plus Other Results from Anaheim

Holly-Holm-Joshua-Edwards-and-Rene-Alvarado-Sparkle-on-the-Paul-Chavez-Undercard
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Holly Holm, Joshua Edwards, and Rene Alvarado Sparkle on the Paul-Chavez Undercard

Mbilli-Blasts-Out-Sulecki-in-Quebec-Wilder-TKOs-Herndon-in-Wichita
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Mbilli Blasts Out Sulecki in Quebec; Wilder TKOs Herndon in Wichita

Avila-Perspective-Chap-332-Jake-Paul-vs-Chavez-Jr-plus-Mbilli-Deontay-and-More
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 332: Jake Paul vs Chavez Jr., plus Mbilli, Deontay and More

A-Closer-Look-at-Mario-Barrios-Poised-to-Wreck-the-Comeback-of-a-Legend
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

A Closer Look at Mario Barrios, Poised to Wreck the Comeback of a Legend

Paro
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Liam Paro Returns with a Flourish on Wednesday’s ‘No Limit’ Card in Queensland

More-Medals-for-Hawaii's-Patricio-Family-at-USA-Boxing's-Summer-Festival
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

More Medals for Hawaii’s Patricio Family at the USA Boxing Summer Festival

Callum-Walsh-Umar-Dzambekov-and-Cain-Sandoval-Remain-Unbeaten-at-Santa-Ynez
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Callum Walsh, Umar Dzambekov and Cain Sandoval Remain Unbeaten at Santa Ynez

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending