Big shoutout to Kickboxer Tommy Bottone for giving us more inspiration to look at Don The Dragon Wilson. Let’s look at how Don took his kungfu training and used it in kickboxing. In this match, he takes on a Muay Thai guy under International Kickboxing rules for WKA. This took place September 8, 1981 in Hong Kong, according to Mouseboxer’s Classic Kickboxing. Hope you enjoy my analysis and commentary.
Give the original video a watch because it has way more footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA2FhfhBo7w
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Timecodes:
0:00 First reaction
5:12 Final round second watch
7:08 Shoutout Tommy Bottone
19 Comments
Have you covered benny the jet vs muay thai fighter?
Interesting had no idea he started in Kung Fu I just know him as the OG goats from the early days of kickboxing. I can see it being he had such a unique style.
Did not know Don The Dragon Wilson as a fighter. Its a nice surprise from what I see in this combat. Thanks for sharing.
Dan was a very good fighter back in the day but the worst action actor ever !! 😅
Hook was very Bruce-esque, especially with the bouncing and taunting and pendulum-ing.
I think you should take a look at Peter Sugarfoot Cunningham
I remember Don Wilson from his movies that my brother used to rent. Seeing him fight for real is way better.
From one of his interviews, I knew he trained in Goju-Ryu Karate, but I had no idea he trained in Kung-Fu as well. Now I’m just wondering what style?
Have you reviewed Ramon decker? He was Mike Tyson's favorite kickboxer
Din the dragon is training to fight again
That is so cool. We just need more kung fu guys to incorporate kickboxing and we'll see more awesome fights 😄.
Traditional Kung Fu does not stand like that. That boxing stance is a major problem against Muay Thai. Your front leg is always the target for the Muay Thai kick. Should stand like a wrestler and circle around the Muay Thai guy. Maintain a good distance to frustrate the Muay Thai boxer.
He was a Goju-ryu fighter..
there is a fight don wilson did under muay thai rules i think the video is commented by himself
Throwing the Thai kick, spinning around from momentum and raising the knee.. man that brings back memories of doing that endlessly in training in the 90’s. Rarely see it in the modern ring. Was def supposed to be a check in case thing. Had poster of Don as a kid too along with Bennie the Jet and others. Love that you’re finding all these matches from back when I was a little kid. 🙂 Don isn’t big by any means but these Muay Thai guys are big compared to what I’d see in Thailand with lots of matches around 120lbs or son. I’m 220 lean fighting weight so it was interesting to see all that stamina and always fun. Never seen Don with a mustache.
Don Wilson good have easily adopt his style more by working on low kick bloking. His punches are very hard just because of his ''longer swing'' en relaxation. Always love to see the Dragon fight!
Have a look at ronnie machine gun green
don one the best underrated kickboxer of all time
If I remember correctly the Thai fighter suffered a detached retina during that fight and I think he retired after that.
I was Don's sparring partner back then and he was very good at blocking kicks with his elbows. It's hard to see it but after a while it made you not want to kick! LOL His timing was incredible and he was the toughest human being I have ever known when it comes to pain and mental endurance. He is also a Champion human being. He didn't have a lot of money back then like he does now but he purchased a used car from a friend of mine and gave it to one of his fighters that didn't have a car and came from a poor background. Don The Dragon Wilson changed my life. I was working the pumps of a gas station when I shiny new corvette pulled up and he got out. I could tell there was something very special about him. He was very nice to me and invited my to come to his new Martial Arts Academy in Rockledge Florida. I had no direction in life and was just kind of drifting and headed nowhere. I showed up at his Academy and sparred with him my very first day and he was impressed, I had done a little boxing. He said people were afraid to spar him. Anyway, he changed my life and the things I learned from him made me successful at life and I was able to retire at 55. I think the absolute world of Don. There is no telling what path my life would have taken without his influence.