Ayrshire Thai Boxing Ace is a TV contender

Oct 17 2008 by Stuart Wilson

HE’S so good that nobody in Scotland dare fight him.

Now ace Thai boxer Chris Shaw will bid to become a household name on the world stage.

The Mossblown teenager is one step away from a place on The Contender Asia.

It’s the Muay Thai answer to Big Brother – only much tougher.

Contestants travel from across the globe to live in a reality TV house before fighting each other for the ultimate prize.

And Chris, who trains out of Ayr’s Wossobama gym, is being tipped to go all the way.

Alan Currie, his coach and mentor of 14 years, revealed: “Chris is the epitome of all my dreams rolled into one.

“He’s the highest graded student in Scotland for his age and there’s nobody in this country prepared to fight him anymore – that’s how good he is. If he makes The Contender he’ll be the least experienced of anyone in the house, but he has all the tools to become a star.”

At just 18, Chris already has a raft of junior titles including a bronze medal at the World Championships in Bangkok at the age of 12.

And the Ayrshire star stopped English world title holder Steve Primrose in little over a minute during a bout three weeks ago.

Chris, a martial arts and gym instructor at the Wossobama, admitted: “It’s a huge prize for the winner – $150,000.

“The show is filmed in Singapore and the sport is massive over there so if I made it big I’d probably be looking to fight over there.

“I’ve been doing this since I was four years old and it’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

Chris is the only Scot going to an elimination show at Watford on November 30 where he will battle with seven other fighters to represent the UK on The Contender Asia.

Alan added: “It would be fitting if Chris won through with that being St Andrew’s Day.”

Before then, he’s in action this Saturday at the Citadel in Ayr’s own Muay Thai show Martial Mayhem – Clash of the Titans.