Moe Kyoe

The journey to first class started in Mon State, in particular Thaton, Kyaikto and Sit Taung. For a short period of time he also fought Thais in Myawaddy in the mid-60's. It was actually in Kyaikto where he received his nickname of Moe Kyoe (meaning thunderbolt/lightning), when a travelling circus shared the festival grounds with the boxing ring and an attending member of the circus noted his swiftness in the ring. Ringside judge and announcer U Sein Tin Maung overheard this and promptly presented the boxer with his new name. By 1969 Moe Kyoe was ranked as a second class boxer and hailed as a promising new star.

Moe Kyoe (Burmese: .mw-parser-output .script-myanmar{line-height:120%;font-family:"Noto Sans Myanmar",Pyidaungsu,"Myanmar Text",Myanmar3,Myanmar2,Myanmar1,Padauk,mm3web,TharLon,"Masterpiece Uni Sans",Parabaik,Yunghkio,Thanlwin,"Win Uni Innwa","MyMyanmar Unicode","WinUni Innwa"}မိုးကြိုး; MLCTS: mui:krui:; IPA: [mód͡ʑó]) (born November 6, 1947) is a retired Burmese lethwei fighter and first class flag champion, known for his endurance and speed. He was a key figure in changing the match format to usher in the national champions era. After his career as a Burmese boxer he entered monkhood in 1998.

Moe Kyoe was born on November 6, 1947, son of U Ngwe Thaung and Daw Ngwe Yin. In a family with seven siblings, he was the fifth after three sisters and one brother. His father, uncle and three of his brothers were or became boxers as well. As a child he followed his brother around to local pagoda festivals and monks funerals to join the kids matches. He grew up on the west side of the Thanlyin river in Hpa-an but due to the Karen conflict his family was forced to relocate across the Mon State border where they settled near Bin Hlaing along the state border, not far from Thaton. His father who had stayed behind was later killed. Thaton was a hotbed and great stomping ground for many traditional boxers in the area and Moe Kyoe's love for the sport only grew stronger.