Early career

Chucheep Iam-erb was born in January 25, 1948 in Pathum Thani province, Thailand. After moving to Nonthaburi province, he started his Muay Thai training in 1961 under the tutelage of Chaliew Tinmora who was the owner of the Srimuangnon gym. Vicharnnoi's brothers Cherdsak and Direk were also fighting out of the camp. He then adopted the ring name of "Vicharnnoi Luktalatkwan" and fought 10 times until he was considered a rising star and the bettor's favorite in Nonthaburi. After changing his ring name to "Vicharnnoi Srimuangnon," he would travel throughout Thailand for several years to fight for various awards. During his travels, the Srimuangnon gym disbanded and Vicharnnoi would catch the attention of Boonyiam Sophon who was opening the Porntawee gym in Buriram province. Although the large Porntawee gym was populated mostly by top fighters from its local province, the first fighter to make the gym famous was the Nonthaburi-based Vicharnnoi who was also the gym's first fighter.^[1][4][5]

In his teenage years Vicharnnoi was considered the best up-and-coming fighter in the Thai circuit and would become famous under the tutelage of Sophon. With the help of assistant promoter Sei Lithavornchai AKA Kong Sei, Sophon would have the Porntawee fighters primarily get matchups in the Rajadamnern Stadium which was the most prestigious fighting venue during Vicharnnoi's rise to fame as the top Muay Thai promoters of Thailand focused their efforts there.^[4][5] The Porntawee fighters would also be frequently sent to the Lumpinee Stadium which would later become as prestigious as Rajadamnern.

Fighting style

Vicharnnoi was an unusual and extremely technical orthodox Muay Maat fighter meaning that he was a high fight IQ pressure fighter who focused on punches as well as low kicks. He studied his opponents and also had the movement and rhythm of skilled rope-a-dope Muay Femur fighters on top of his aggressive fighting style, allowing him to be well-rounded and adaptable.^[2] He exercised active footwork as he pushed forward or moved backward, allowing him to be light on his feet like a boxer and easily throw punches as he quickly traversed in and out striking range. His footwork allowed him to quickly put power behind some of his punches such as in his KO win against the taller and heavier Huasai Sitiboonlert.^[2][6][7]

Vicharnnoi excelled at using fast, non-committal attacks such as lead low kicks and jabs to the head and body to control his opponent and manage distance like a Muay Femur. Vicharnnoi would use a lead side teep thrown to the opponent's hip which he would use to cancel kicks from southpaw fighters, a tactic that would later be used by Samart Payakaroon. Vicharnnoi would use these controlling tactics in a seamless combination with his aggressive punches and strong low kicks. It is rare for a Muay Thai fighter to use long punching combinations, but Vicharnnoi excelled at it as well as using a wide array of punches to immediately counter his opponents. He used active footwork to control when pocket exchanges would occur as well as being able to pivot away from his opponents, a tactic that he would use to dodge Dieselnoi's knees in their first fight.^[5] Vicharnnoi also used head movement to dodge punches alongside his angling footwork to create openings for body kicks or punches. Vicharnnoi's slightly crouched stance that allowed him to quickly move in and out was not conducive to being able to quickly raise a leg in order to check kicks, but willingly taking hits to get inside is something that Vicharnnoi embraced as a Muay Maat fighter.^[2][6]

Elite career

Vichannoi would take advantage of his adaptable and unique Muay Maat style to become extremely successful from flyweight (112 lbs) to junior lightweight (130 lbs). He would win both the Lumpinee and Rajadamnern stadium flyweight titles and defended them both, becoming one of the few fighters who held titles from both stadiums simultaneously at the same weight class. He only lost these titles because he had to move up in weight. His manager Boonyiam Sophon worked to match him up against most of the top fighters at every weight class that he fought in, casuing Vicharnnoi to become famous in Thailand. Vicharnnoi earned the Rajadamnern junior lightweight title against Saifah Saenmorakot and defended it 4 times, resulting in the Thai media labeling him as Jonghang Huangkai ("King Cobra Who Guards His Eggs") in reference to his belts.^[1][5]

Vicharnnoi was praised for his ability to remain successful in the highest competitive level of Muay Thai for an unusually long time as he would fight into his 30s,^[2] an age where most Thais would have already retired from the sport.^[8] As a result, the Thai media nicknamed him Tao Sarapatpit ("The Venomous Old Man"). The victories Vicharnnoi earned against the most significant fighters of the 1960s to 1970s is extensive and covered in names that are still respected decades later such as Dieselnoi Chor.Thanasukarn, Saensak Muangsurin, Pudpadnoi Worawut, Nongkhai Sor.Prapatsorn, etc. In 1973, Vicharnnoi's dominance reached a point where he ran out of opponents, thus he began fighting up to 20 lbs above his actual weight class of junior lightweight (130 lbs). He would defeat the 139-pound Huasai Sithiboonlert (KO),^[9] the 150-pound Somsak Sor.Thewasoonthon (KO), and the 135-pound Wichit Lukbangplasoi^[10] among other heavier fighters.^[1] Vicharnnoi's level of fame at this time would cause the venues he fought at to reach full capacity, filled with spectators who came specifically for him.^[11]

In 1975 Vicharnnoi faced Poot Lorlek to determine who would win the most prestigious award in the history of Muay Thai: The Sports Writers Association Fighter of the Year.^[12] This fight became the first in Muay Thai history to reach a gate of 1 million baht. Poot won the fight and earned the award; in addition both fighters received the Fight of the Year award.

In 1977 Vicharnnoi himself would win Fighter of the Year. Around the same time, Vicharnnoi would be awarded 10 baht of gold (worth 348,500 baht in December 2023) by the Rajadamnern Stadium for his performances. From 1976 to 1980, on top of fighting some of his best rivals such as Nongkhai Sor.Prapatsorn and Narongnoi Kiatbandit, Vicharnnoi would get matched up a total of 6 times each against the 1.8+ m (6+ foot) elite Muay Khao fighters Posai Sitiboonlert and Dieselnoi Chor.Thanasukarn. His fights against them were considered the best in his career, with Vicharnnoi defeating them in all bouts except for the final one against Dieselnoi in 1980.^[1] Vicharnnoi is the first person to defeat Dieselnoi ever since the tall knee fighter started fighting in Bangkok,^[13] as well as being the only Bangkok fighter to have defeated him more than once.

Vicharnnoi is described in Thailand as one of the fighters who "fought everyone," a euphemism for being matched up against most of the best fighters in the weight classes he fought in during his career. The highest purse Vicharnnoi received was 250,000 baht (around 2.5 million baht as of 2021) which was significantly higher than the usual pay of yodmuay (elite fighters) of the 1970s.^[14]

WBC boxing champion Sagat Petchyinee (formerly Sagat Porntawee) and boxing gold medalist Chatchai Sasakul (Nuathoranee Petchyindee) are both Muay Thai fighters who excelled in punching and practiced techniques taught by their teacher Vicharnnoi.^[15][16] Hippy Singmanee cited Sasakul to be the most skilled fighter he ever faced, stating that his movement made it difficult to catch him^[17] as he used evasive footwork tactics that most probably stemmed from Vicharnnoi's. Sagat recalls that when he was 10-years-old Vicharnnoi scouted him in Nakhon Ratchasima province and took him to the Porntawee gym where he would become a Rajadamnern bantamweight champion (118 lbs).^[18]

Retirement and later years

Boonyiam Sophon was an avid gambler and lavish spender. He would ask for loans from his close friend Virat Vachirarattanawong, a Muay Thai aficionado who was forced to become a promoter by the Lumpinee Stadium officials. Sophon had to spend 3-5 million baht (around 30-50 million baht as of 2021) for every election campaign he had and eventually ran out of money. Because of this, instead of asking for money for debt payment, Vachirarattanawong asked Sophon for the Porntawee fighters to be transferred to the Petchyindee gym, a Muay Thai camp that he opened specifically to accommodate the Porntawee members. Ruengsak Porntawee was the Petchyindee gym's first fighter, with numerous others following suit. Vicharnnoi and Sagat Porntawee were the last fighters to make the transfer. Vachirarattanawong paid Sophon 550,000 baht (around 5.5 million baht in 2021) to purchase Vicharnnoi in 1980. Vicharnnoi would then change his ring name to "Vicharnnoi Petchyindee."^[4][19]

In the final 2 years of this Muay Thai career, Vicharnnoi would lose 5 times in a row with his last fight being against Kengkaj Kiatkriangkrai. In August 14, 1981, Vicharnnoi tearfully announced his retirement from Muay Thai in a formal ceremony in the Rajadamnern Stadium, causing the usually noisy fight venue to quiet down.^[1][20]

After his retirement he became a real estate trader and successful businessman, becoming a millionaire by owning several-hundred-million baht businesses as well as making good investments. Vicharnnoi continued to involve himself with Muay Thai by being a trainer in the Petchyindee gym for several years as well as sponsoring fighters who would include "Vicharnnoi Store" in their ring names. He was also close to the community of his native province where he was involved in its municipal association.^[11][21] Vachirarattanawong and Vicharnnoi's relationship grew to the point where they considered each other to be like brothers; he continued to follow the Petchyindee gym, citing that in the era where Muay Thai was rapidly declining due to gambler-induced corruption and harmful rule changes,^[2] Vachirarattanawong's gym was still headed in the right direction.^[5] The Petchyindee gym would later serve as the training grounds for future yodmuay (elite fighters) such as Yodsaenklai Fairtex, Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy, Rittewada Petchyindee, etc.

Death

Vicharnnoi's older brother Cherdsak Iam-erb disclosed that he had taken his last breath at 8:45 pm of January 31, 2022 in Paolo Hospital. His death was caused by renal failure complications at the age of 74. His funeral ceremony held at the Bang Phraek Nuea Temple had numerous attendants including various yodmuay such as Samart Payakaroon and Samson Isaan as well as former rivals Dieselnoi Chor.Thanasukarn and Pudpadnoi Worawut.^[22][23]