Rebellion Muay Thai builds an experience.
The lighting, the quality match ups, the Bob Marley play list for every single Roots (development) show.
A brand is the product of what the promotion does. It is its reputation.
Professional sports photographer William Luu understands that. He’s been with Rebellion from the start. The show came to the Australian scene when there were events with mixed rules.
“The promotions were driven by ticket sellers or spectacles over quality match ups,” Luu said. “When Rebellion came to the scene it was a very clean look and feel. It was promoting 100% Muay Thai which really caught the attention of trainers and fans.”
Building a reputation takes time.
It is the creation of fighter’s stories. There must be marketing and narration behind the athletes to develop them. The boxer’s on Rebellion have grown into giants.
For instance there was the classic battle between two titans Tum Winner Muay Thai and Sam Bark. The war took place at Malvern Town Hall in 2015.
You can check out the fight here.
“Tum was cleaning up the scene in Australia and Sam was bought into give him his toughest fight,” Luu said.
At the time Bark was training at Saengtienoi’s and Don Millar’s Supafight. Muay Thai legend Saengtiennoi and his family came to watch the fight.
Match ups like Bark versus Tum attract the purist fans. They gave a good hard and technical fight. The simple and clean aesthetic made it easy to understand.
The story lines develop from each bout.
“The strength of Rebellion is it builds upon each show and builds to the next show,” Luu said.
“It's almost like it sets up the next event based on the matchups and it;s outcomes.”
Tum headlined Rebellion 26th against Khumsab Eagle Muay Thai.
You can watch his fight here.
Other Athletes like Tim Ngyuen, Roy Wills, and Joanne La went from openers to headliners. Their careers have grown with the promotion.
The athletes on stage aren’t the only part of the brand. The workers create the atmosphere, especially backstage.
“Other shows you might have hired staff or you might have a rotating roster of volunteers each show,” Luu said. “For Rebellion it's the same core team from show to show.”
Staff like Ben White, who went viral for tying gloves, have a huge role in creating the feeling. They help the athletes relax and feel taken care of. This leads to better performances.
Brands in Muay Thai are built on experiences. From the story lines, to the backstage staff, Rebellion Muay Thai is building a brand.
Rebellion Muay Thai is developing stories for it's next show on May 27th at the Melbourne Pavillion.
Stay tuned for more match story developments!