Personal reasons ring final bell on a pioneer
Blue Lotus, the Bangkok battler who went from being a fangirl to a pioneer and ultimately a champion, has rung the final bell on her wrestling career.
In many ways, the timing of her announcement will come as a disappointment to both fans and her promoters, SETUP Thailand Pro Wrestling, especially as the latter emerges from pandemic-enforced lockdowns and starts to rebuild impressive momentum.
But as the great PT Barnum said of showbusiness: “Always leave them wanting more”.
Leading by example
Blue Lotus will do exactly that, but she has already achieved more than she once thought possible, and has grappled her way into the history books.
The woman known to her friends and family as 28-year-old Duangta became a true pioneer on October 10, 2013, when she stepped through the ropes as Thailand’s very first female pro wrestler.
That night, in Tokyo, she teamed with Japanese icon Riho in a tag-team match against the legendary Emi Sakura and Kaori Yoneyama and set in motion an upswell of enthusiasm in Thailand for women’s involvement in the world’s oldest sport.
She simultaneously capitalised on the rising momentum for women’s wrestling being taken seriously in the US, and tapped into its long-established tradition in Japan. And while Duangta got to grips with her sport in the gyms and rings of Gatoh Move, Thailand’s first pro wrestling promotion, her exploits inspired other girls and women to give it a try, too.
A difficult decision, but reasons to cheer
It was in her most recent incarnation, as Blue Lotus with SETUP, that Duangta hit the richest vein of form in her career, with starring roles in the promotion’s regular programming, foreign assignments to Japan and Singapore, and finally her crowning achievement, a 24/7 Championship reign with SETUP.
Unfortunately, citing personal reasons, Blue Lotus has had to step down from active competition, but while the feeling is that she may well have had much more to give, she’s already done so much – indeed, more than any other Thai woman in wrestling.
And what better way to go out than on a winning note? Blue Lotus and SETUP already knew that her last match was on the cards – even if this unfortunate news was not yet known to the public – and so they made sure she would bow out in the best possible light.
After repeated coronavirus-related postponements, that swansong took place on April 23, when Blue Lotus faced off with Mr Pumi. Despite plenty of skulduggery on Mr Pumi’s part and plenty of outside interference, Blue Lotus secured victory in front of the G Studio cameras in her Bangkok hometown. It was the perfect ending to her competitive career.
But the woman who fell in love with wrestling as a young girl will not be lost to the sport. Having occupied various roles on both sides of the ropes, she will remain a fixture on the Thai circuit, and continue to produce her highly regarded wrestling fan art.
“Blue Lotus has been with us since day one of the Gatoh Move training camp,” says SETUP co-founder Pumi Boonyatud, speaking in a non-kayfabe manner befitting the news. “She’s been important to us both in and outside the ring for more than 10 years.
“Her performances have inspired many women to follow their dreams, her story has been told through the media, and she has raised the profile of Thai wrestling.
“There’s been laughter and anger, fun and quarrels, but in the end we can only thank Blue Lotus, and we all hope to work with her again in any capacity.”
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