MOOSE JAW -- Years of dedication to training and rapid-fire development have led to success on one of Muay Thai kickboxing’s biggest stages for Moose Jaw’s Cameron Billy.
The 19-year-old Control Jiu Jitsu and WBC Muay Thai Canada competitor brought home a silver medal from the Amazing Muay Thai Festival, which took place in Verona, Italy this past week.
Fighting in the Adult C Beginner / Male / Novice under-90 kilogram class, Billy put together a 2-1 record, with his only loss coming in his division’s championship final.
The Festival is an absolutely massive celebration of Muay Thai kickboxing, with over 800 competitors from all over the world taking part in the event.
For the uninitiated, Muay Thai kickboxing involves the usual punches and kicks in the traditional version of the sport, but also allows elbows and knees and limited clinch work. And watching Billy hit the pads during a training session prior to heading out to Verona was more than enough to see his potential for success.
Billy opened his bracket with a decision win over France’s Quentin Lo, and in an interview after the victory expressed his joy at being able to compete in the tournament.
“It feels so good to just have Canada on my shoulders and Saskatchewan, everybody back home constantly telling me good job, you got this,” Billy said. “This gives me strength and makes me feel so good to do well and perform and showcase my skills. It’s my expression of Muay Thai, it feels great, man.”
Billy had spent months dedicating himself to the sport in the lead-up to the Festival, even taking part in a training seminar with ONE kickboxing champion Superlek in April -- and that all led to his biggest win of the tournament in his next match.
Facing France’s Massy Boutaleb, Billy would record a knockout victory and book his spot in the championship final.
There, Billy would run into one of his Muay Thai Canada teammates in Winnipeg’s Hayden Sneesby and would fall by decision, claiming the tournament’s silver medal.
Cameron arrives from Italy in Regina on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., and well-wishers are encouraged to welcome him home!
You can click right here for a look at all the matches from the four-day event, and find coverage from each day on the WBC Muay Thai YouTube page.
