Nokweed Devy
Thai Name: นกหวีด เดวี่
Nickname: "The Chest-Shaking Master of Kicks"
Real Name: Wichit Somboon (วิชิต สมบูรณ์)
Born: August 19, 1965
Died: August 31, 2016
Hometown: Lang Suan, Chumphon, Southern Thailand
Height: 177 cm
Stance: Orthodox
Style: Muay Tae
Era: Golden Era · 1980s–1990s
Nokweed Devy was one of the better-known power kickers of the Golden Era. A tall and physically strong Muay Tae, he built his reputation around the effectiveness of his round kicks and competed successfully across several weight divisions during his career.
Born in Lang Suan in Chumphon province, Nokweed came from southern Thailand and began training at a young age. His kicking ability quickly became the defining part of his style, and he eventually progressed to competition at the major Bangkok stadiums.
Nokweed was particularly known for his ability to generate power with both his lead and rear round kicks. His strong base allowed him to kick without giving up much balance, even when opponents were applying pressure. Rather than relying on long combinations, he could use individual kicks to the arms and body to affect an opponent's movement and scoring.
His nickname, "The Chest-Shaking Master of Kicks," reflected the reputation his kicking power developed during this period.
Nokweed won championships at Rajadamnern Stadium in three weight divisions. He captured the super bantamweight title in 1984, followed by the featherweight and super featherweight titles in 1985. He also later won the WMC World Welterweight Championship.
His career included fights against a number of leading Thai fighters, including Sagat Petchyindee, Krongsak Sakkasem, Jomwo Chernyim, Wanpadej Phukrongfah, Sangtiennoi Sor.Rungroj and Issara Sakgreerin.
His 1991 fight with Issara was recognised with the Sports Writers Association of Thailand Fight of the Year award.
As Muay Thai became increasingly international, Nokweed also became known for competing against foreign fighters, sometimes at considerable differences in weight. His opponents included Jérôme Le Banner, Dany Bill, Paul Slowinski, Jayson Vemoa and Jeff Ortzow.
These fights were part of a period when established Thai fighters were increasingly being matched with international opponents under different rules and at different weights. Nokweed's willingness to take these fights added another part to his career beyond his success in the Thai stadiums.
His Muay Thai record is difficult to establish precisely, with documented totals generally listing more than 200 wins and more than 60 losses, along with several draws. His career covered a wide range of weights and included stadium, international and later openweight competition, meaning records vary between sources.
After his fighting career, Nokweed moved into coaching. He worked in Koh Samui and trained a number of international fighters, including Paul Slowinski, Dzhabar Askerov and Joanna Jędrzejczyk.
He remained involved in training until his death in 2016 at the age of 51.
Nokweed's career is remembered primarily for his kicking. At a time when Thai stadium Muay Thai produced some of the sport's most accomplished technical fighters, he established himself through a more power-oriented Muay Tae style and successfully carried that approach across multiple weight divisions and into international competition.