Soft spoken, a young face that has been called cute, and a handful of Titles in Muay Thai and Kickboxing make the appearance of this athlete very deceiving. Called "T.N.T." because of his fast and very unexpected knockouts in the ring, this "T.N.T." is really only dangerous inside the ring. Originally from an interview in early 1998, this has recently been updated for both the magazine "MARTIAL ARTS ALBERTA" as well as for this web page.
Martial Arts Alberta: When did you first start training in the Martial Arts?
Trevor Smandych: I started training in early 1991. Originally, I started training in traditional Shorinryu Karate under my coach Mr. Mike Miles. But in 1994, I then changed from traditional Karate and started training Muay Thai and Kickboxing under Mr. Miles.
Martial Arts Alberta: What made you change from Karate to Muay Thai and Kickboxing?
Trevor Smandych: I liked the fact that Kickboxing was more realistic and when it came to competition, there was contact involved. I didn't like Karate because you stopped a few inches short of actual contact.
Martial Arts Alberta: When did you have your first fight? Can you also give me a few details about the fight as well?
Trevor Smandych: My first fight was in April 1994. It was against Calgary's David Herceg. It was a Kickboxing bout (allowing leg kicks). I won the bout even though David weighed more (2 divisions above) than me.
Martial Arts Alberta: So what titles have you won and when did you win them?
Trevor Smandych: My most recent title fight was against Thailand's Charun Sakcharoenchai in May of 2000. It was for a WMC Intercontinental Welterweight Muay Thai Title. It was televised on TSN. I think I won some kind of Welterweight Muay Thai Title under the Canadian Muay Thai Association (Acharn Songlith Singthong) by defeating his student Mark Brackenbury in August 1999. It was a very close fight! I find it strange because on television the color commentator said the bout was a CMTA Title fight. So was the win for a CMTA title, I do not know... and frankly, it does not matter to me. The fight was all that was important. I won the IKF Superlightweight Muay Thai Title against Thailand's Wittaya Sripave in November 1998. I knocked him out with a head kick. I won the WKA North American Welterweight Muay Thai Title in August 1998 against American David "Burrito" Rodriguez. In May 1998 I won the IKF North American Full Contact Title against Texas athlete Rey Amaya. I won the WKA World Lightweight Muay Thai Title in November 1997. I stopped a Korean in this match with a roundhouse kick to the neck. I also won the WKA North American Lightweight Kickboxing Title in May 1997 against Mike Dowsette. I think he is going to be a very good professional boxer in the future. His hand skills were very good and he really took my leg kicks very well. His thigh was black and blue but he kept on fighting. Finally, the pain in the legs must have been too much for him because his corner men finally threw in the towel. I figure this was because he could no longer dance and avoid exchanging with me. He is a nice kid. I won the WKA Canadian Lightweight Muay Thai Title against Toronto's Dale Beckford. I won a bronze medal at the IAMTF World Muay Thai Championships in Bangkok in 1996. At this event I was also awarded a trophy for having the "Best Kick of the Tournament".
Martial Arts Alberta: You have travelled and fought around the world right?
Trevor Smandych: I have fought in parts of Europe, across North America, and in the Orient including Thailand and China.
Martial Arts Alberta: Which of your fights do you feel was most noteworthy?
Trevor Smandych: My most recent fight with Germany's Miroslaw Lerch. He is a world ranked athlete and his style was similar to mine. There is talk of rematch soon in Germany for a World Title. My bout with Charun Sakcharoenchai. Any of my bouts with the Thai's because they are so talented and tough as competitors. As an amateur, definitely the World Title bout against Korea's Yung. Also the one I had in Thailand against the Moroccan.
Martial Arts Alberta: Why were they noteworthy?
Trevor Smandych: The fights with Lerch and Sakcharoenchai was me finally stepping into the professional ranks. Yung's was for my first big title as an amateur. The Moroccan was trained by the legendary Cor Hemmers who has great athletes.
Martial Arts Alberta: Which is your favorite bout?
Trevor Smandych: The one I had at the 1997 World Championships in Bangkok. I fought a fighter from Holland trained by Mr. Cor Hemmer's. Hemmer's is the coach (and father in law) of one of the greatest Muay Thai fighters, Ramon Dekker. I knocked the fighter out with a kick to the head.
Martial Arts Alberta: Who was your toughest opponent in the ring?
Trevor Smandych: Another fighter from Morocco, Fikri Tarti. I fought him in the 1996 IAMTF World Championships. He was too experienced for me. He won the Silver Medal losing to a Thai opponent in the Championship bout. He is now the WPKL Professional World Champion in his division. I would love to fight him again.
Martial Arts Alberta: Why do you feel you lost?
Trevor Smandych: I did not feel like I had very much energy. It was my fourth fight in five days. I also feel he was the better fighter that day. I could not beat him to the punch because I felt very tired. The heat was unbearable as it was during our winter so it was hard to climatize.
Martial Arts Alberta: Would you like to say anything about any of your other opponents? Who were tough?
Trevor Smandych: Morocco's Fikri Tarti, Finland's Harry Niemen, and the USA's Souphan Sayarath.
Martial Arts Alberta: I have watched those tapes. The first bout with Souphan you won convincingly but the decision was not yours. The bout with the Fin was also debatable. I felt you out worked him and outscored him. How do you feel about your fights with Souphan?
Trevor Smandych: Souphan apologized to me after the first bout. I was disappointed with the decision but sometimes the only way to win is by knockout. He stated I should have won our first bout as well. In the second bout I had to lose too much weight. At that time I would fight at 135 lbs. and even at that weight it is a struggle for me to make the limit. When I fought Souphan the second time, I had to pull down to 122 lbs. I was drained and had no energy. I feel I can beat him if he came up in weight. 122 lbs. was a very uncomfortable weight for me. Now I work best around 140 to 147 lbs.
Martial Arts Alberta: How do you feel about your loss to Niemen? He won the Gold Medal in your weight division at the same year's IAMTF World Championship event did he not?
Trevor Smandych: I want to fight Niemen again also. I accept the decisions of my fights. But I know I can beat him if we ever face each other again. Many seasoned Thai officials told me after the bout they felt I had won this match as well. Hopefully my coach Mike Miles will bring him to Canada for me to fight here as well. He is not strong but he is a very smart adversary and he has beaten some top Thai athletes by points.
Martial Arts Alberta: You have a lot of fights around the world. Thailand is the cream of the crop when it comes to Muay Thai, how many times have you fought over there?
Trevor Smandych: I have 10 bouts in that country. I want to go back and fight again soon. I hope my coach will get me some activity over there again this year.
Martial Arts Alberta: Who would you really like to fight?
Trevor Smandych: Well, besides everyone who I have stated earlier, I would love to fight the USA's Danny Steele and Melchor Menor, and many other fighters from Europe and the Orient. It would be a very good challenge for me to learn and become a better fighter. Right now I am focusing on my next few bouts which will include some Thai athletes and a few European's.
Martial Arts Alberta: Who is your favorite fighter and why?
Trevor Smandych: Mike Miles. He was exciting to watch and very inspirational to me. It would be great to watch him fight again.
Martial Arts Alberta: How do you feel about fighting Muay Thai under the full rules (allowing elbow attacks)?
Trevor Smandych: I like the fact that you can use all of the weapons. I like the freedom of it. I was preparing for a bout in Mexico with the elbows and I felt this skill had really improved for me. Unfortunately, the bout was postponed and should take place sometimes in the new year.
Martial Arts Alberta: You are respected around the world for your skills, yet in Calgary you receive very little press. How do you feel about this?
Trevor Smandych: I think Kickboxers and Thai boxers train very hard. I do not understand how the other sports get so much coverage and we get very little. They are not training any harder than us.
Martial Arts Alberta: What is your favorite fighting technique(s)?
Trevor Smandych: I love the knee and the clinch now. I also love the roundhouse kick. Our gym is also known in the Muay Thai circle for our use of the elbow. Even the Thai's know to watch out for our elbow skills.
Martial Arts Alberta: What are your goals in the sport?
Trevor Smandych: 1999 was one of the toughest years I have had. I broke my hand in Thailand (February 1999) which put me on the back burner for fighting throughout most of the beginning of the year. Then I busted up my shins and legs on 2 athletes heads (June and July 1999) before I fought in August. By the time I fought there I was so banged up that I could not even really hit my opponent. I want to rest up and heal and then I want to fight to become a Professional World Champion. It would be nice to start making some money as a fighter.
Martial Arts Alberta: Who is the most influential person in your life?
Trevor Smandych: My parents and my family are for sure. I think my coach Mike Miles has influenced me a lot as well.