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SATURDAY, September 27th, 2003, AT 11:55 PM, PT

NINE NEW
IKF Amateur MTR North American Champions!

IKF Promoter Ryan Blackorby can breath a sigh of relief now. Placed in the IKF History book will be his name beside the first ever IKF Amateur MuayThai North American Tournament. Saturday saw 32 fighters compete for the 9 IKF Amateur MTR North American Titles up for grabs. Blackorby treated all in attendance like winners and in the end, everyone, especially MuayThay, was! Here are the day time prelim results and tonights Championship bout results as well.

As noted earlier below, after the Amateur North American Title Bouts, IKF Pro MuayThai Pro U.S. Champion Jeremy Harminson of Lerna, Illinois, USA, 20-2-1/15 defeated former IKF USA Amateur Champion Chris Weitz of Dubuque, Iowa, USA, 13-2-1 by TKO in the first round. Look for more bout stories later in the week.

FRIDAY, September 26th, 2003, AT 10:55 PM, PT

Few Changes In
IKF Amateur MTR North American Tournament Line-Up
But There Are Some...

As always, we will lose some fighters before a tournament begins but we were thankful we only lost 4. After the changes we still had a total of 32 Amateur MuayThai fighters ready to "Walk The Walk" at the first ever IKF Amateur MuayThai North American Tournament. The 32 will make 23 action packed bouts and by days end tomorrow we will have crowned 9 new IKF Amateur MuayThai North American Champions. Here is the complete match list for tomorrow's Championships.

Adult Men - Light Middleweights - 148.1 lbs to 160 lbs.
There were no changes here. ALL 7 fighters showed up which will make for a long day for someone. This will be a major test for these amateurs. If the number 1 seed and 2003 IKF/TKO USA National MTR Tournament Champion Marshall Blevins does not make it to the final, both our finals fighters would have had to fight 3 times in the one day event. If he does make it, only his opponent would have had to fight 3 times since his USA Nationals win gave Blevins the number 1 seed and a first round bye tomorrow morning. Here's how the division stacks up below with the daytime prelim bout schedule listed in red. The night time Finals bout order will be established after the daytime prelim session.

Adult Men - Super Middleweights - 161.1 lbs to 175 lbs.
Like the division above, there were no changes here either. Again, ALL 7 fighters showed up which will again, make for a long day for either 1 or 2 fighters. If the number 1 seed and 2003 IKF/TKO USA National MTR Tournament Champion Andy Hoffman does not make it to the final, both our finals fighters would have had to fight 3 times in the one day event. If he does make it, only his opponent would have had to fight 3 times since his USA Nationals win gave Hoffman the number 1 seed and a first round bye tomorrow morning. Here's how the division stacks up below:

Adult Men - Heavyweights - 190.1 lbs & Above
There was some shake-ups in this division. Of the scheduled and registered 6 fighters, 2 did not make the weigh-ins. As for the reasons Flavio Gomes of Farminton Hills, MI, USA, via Mexico and Alex Beck of Westmoreland City PA, USA didn't make the show, we can't tell you. What we can tell you is that the other 4 kept their commitment and did show up. In addition, Yahosuah Yahudah of Bogart, GA, USA, was moved up into the Heavyweight division making this a division of 5 fighters. Here is how the 5 stacked up for tomorrow:

Adult Men - Light Heavyweights - 176.1 lbs to 190 lbs
There was a couple of shake-ups in this division too. Of the scheduled and registered 4 fighters, Yahudah was moved up to the Heavyweight Division while Tom Hopper of Dubuque, IA, USA had to pull out due to illness. With these changes done it made this a division of just 2 fighters instead of the scheduled 4. In the night final will be:

Adult Men - Welterweights - 134.1 lbs. to 147 lbs.
Of the scheduled and registered 3 fighters in this division, Philip Petersen of Birmingham, AL, USA contacted Promoter Ryan Blackorby by phone the morning of weigh-ins, informing him that the complications with a minor surgery performed on his ear the preceding day was not going to allow him to be able to participate. This brought the division down to two. In the night final will be:

Other than one issue with one of the ladies making weight, both woman's divisions showed up 100% which meant no change in their division line-ups.

Adult Women - Lightweights - 121.1 lbs. to 134 lbs.
All here, and here's their line-up:

Adult Women - Featherweights - 108.1 lbs. - 121 lbs.

Like the Women, the Junior Boys all showed up to "Walk The Walk" too! This of course meant no change in their division line-ups.

Junior Boys - "Junior" Welterweights - 134.1 lbs. to 147 lbs.

Junior Boys - "Junior" Cruiserweights - 90.1 to 95 lbs.

As noted earlier below, after the Amateur North American Title Bouts will be an IKF Pro MuayThai bout featuring IKF Pro U.S. Champion Jeremy Harminson of Lerna, Illinois, USA, 20-2-1/15 Vs Former IKF USA Amateur Champion Chris Weitz of Dubuque, Iowa, USA, 13-2-1.

WEDNESDAY, September 24th, 2003, AT 1:40 PM, PT

Blackorby Ready For IKF Amateur
MuayThai North American Championships

This Saturday, September 27, 2003, IKF Promoter Ryan Blackorby will launch the inaugural IKF North American Amateur MuayThai Championships at the Riverplex in Peoria, Illinois, USA. The event will feature Amateur MuayThai Rules Fighters only fighting under IKF modified Muay Thai rules: (no elbows and knees to the head). Although the event was open to fighters from USA, Canada and Mexico, the only fighters on the roster are from USA. Be it travel expenses, other commitments or whatever, these USA Fighters will be fighting others on Team USA for the title. So does this make it a rerun of the 2003 IKF/TKO USA Nationals as someone suggested on the Kickboxing Message Board? Not at all.

This was an open tournament and anyone could have "Walked the Walk" here. However it appears only 35 fighters will be doing so. ALL 35 from the USA. "You can't blame these fighters if no one from Canada or Mexico wants to make the trip." says IKF President Steve Fossum. "Anyone could have entered and 35 did, 35 willing to fight to be crowned IKF North American Champion."

To the winners will go Red, IKF Amateur MTR North American Title Belts (Shown at Right, the Green, 2002 IKF Amateur FCR North American Title Belt is shown below at Left.) valued at $240.00. Also to the winners will be a blessed and framed mong kong, the traditional ceremonial head piece for all Muay Thai fighters in Thailand donated by Fairtex Fight Gear. Second place winners will receive Silver Gloves. The night time finals bouts will be filmed for the IKF Kickboxing TV Program and shown on various programs over the next few months.

Of the 3 different divisions organized (Men, Woman & Juniors) there will be 9 North American Titles awarded. Of them, 5 will be in the Adult Men's division, 2 in the Adult Woman's division and 2 in the Junior Boys division. There will be 17, 3 round prelim bouts fought during the day Saturday with 9, *3 round IKF Amateur MTR North American Title Bouts fought for in the night time Championship Event.

(*) Usually an IKF Amateur North American Title Bout is 5 rounds. However, due to this being a Tournament Style Event where we thought "Everyone" would be fighting at least 2 if not 3 times during the day, the Title bouts were scheduled for 3 rounds. HOWEVER, on Friday at registrations, fighters and their trainers will be allowed to vote by blind ballot (no one will know the actual persons name who voted) if or not they want to fight a 5 round title bout as compared to a 3. This would be mainly suggested for those who do not have Saturday prelim bouts. At last years 2002 IKF Full Contact Rules North American Tournament all the Championship Bouts were 5 rounds. However, there was only 1 prelim bout during the day. At this years 2003 IKF Full Contact Rules North American Tournament the Championship Bouts will once again be 5 rounds.

Here is how the action is scheduled as of press time today and provided all the fighters show-up at the event.

Adult Men - Light Middleweights - 148.1 lbs to 160 lbs.

Adult Men - Super Middleweights - 161.1 lbs to 175 lbs.

Adult Men - Heavyweights - 190.1 lbs & Above

Adult Men - Light Heavyweights - 176.1 lbs to 190 lbs

Adult Men - Welterweights - 134.1 lbs. to 147 lbs.

Adult Women - Lightweights - 121.1 lbs. to 134 lbs.

Adult Women - Featherweights - 108.1 lbs. - 121 lbs.

Junior Boys - "Junior" Welterweights - 134.1 lbs. to 147 lbs.

Junior Boys - "Junior" Cruiserweights - 90.1 to 95 lbs.

After the Amateur North American Title Bouts was suppose to be 2 IKF Pro MuayThai Bouts. The first will feature IKF Pro U.S. Champion Jeremy Harminson of Lerna, Illinois, USA, 20-2-1/15 Vs Former IKF USA Amateur Champion Chris Weitz of Dubuque, Iowa, USA, 13-2-1.

The other was suppose to be the nights main event which would have had Raul Llopis of Ft. Wayne Indiana USA, 26-3/18 face off against Alex Arnel of Springfield Missouri, USA, 19-8/6 for the vacant IKF Pro U.S. Lightweight Title Bout. However, earlier today Arnel called Promoter Ryan Blackorby and informed him he was injured and has pulled himself from the bout. If a replacement cannot be found by fight time for Llopis the Harminson Vs Weitz bout will become the nights main event.

Here is the weekends event info and Itinerary below:

For more information please contact Mr. Ryan Blackorby at blackorby@bitwisesystems.com



On Saturday September 27, 2003, IKF Promoter Ryan Blackorby will launch the inaugural IKF North American Amateur MuayThai Championships at the Riverplex in Peoria, Illinois, USA. The event will feature Amateur MuayThai Rules Fighters only fighting under IKF modified Muay Thai rules: (no elbows and knees to the head).

There are be 3 different divisions. Adult Male, Adult Women and Juniors ages 17 and below. In each division there were "7" weightclasses.

THE FINALS:
After the daytime prelim bouts the tournament will culminate with the championship bouts on the night time event and an IKF Pro MuayThai Main event featuring IKF Pro U.S. Champion Jeremy Harminson of Lerna, Illinois, USA, 20-2-1/15 Vs former IKF USA Amateur Champion Chris Weitz of Dubuque, Iowa, USA, 13-2-1.

Raul Llopis of Ft. Wayne Indiana USA, 26-3/18 was scheduled to fight an IKF U.S. title fight against Alex Arnel of Springfield Missouri, USA, 19-8/6 but Arnel pulled out of the fight on the Wednesday before, September 24th.

First place prizes will be of course the IKF North American Title Belt and a blessed and framed mong kong, the traditional ceremonial head piece for all Muay Thai fighters in Thailand. Second place winners will receive Silver Gloves.

IKF North American MTR Tournament
Registration Deadlines

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