This Jul 22, eight female boxers will take to the ring and fight for the first time since the venue opened in 1945 in Rajadamnern Boxing Stadium.

 

For 77 years, Rajadamnern has never hosted a women’s Muay Thai match. Following traditional beliefs that the boxing ring is overseen by a venerated deity, on Jul 9 the stadium held a ceremony to ask the boxing ring’s god for permission to let women fight.

 

This is part of the Rajadamnern World Series (RWS), with a B1 million prize for the winner in each weight class. In the future, there will also be a division for women. RWS is a new Muay Thai league in Thailand that abides by international rules.

 

Rajadamnern Boxing Stadium is currently undergoing a revamp under new management. The first ever women’s fight is part of a campaign to give the historic boxing stadium a more modern and international appeal.

 

Four of the eight athletes are Thai, and the four others are international fighters; see the full list here.

 

The boxing stadium also recently got a boozy upgrade from the Asia Today team.