IKF
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THIS PAGE: AUGUST 2002 |
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FRIDAY, August 30th, 2002, AT 12:15 PM, PT
Win-River
Casino and LTD Productions Present
"HOT
AUGUST FIGHTS!"
IKF SAN SHOU WORLD TITLE!
Ott Vs Marinoble In
Redding CA, USA!
The time is NOW for Rudi Ott (L) of San Jose,
California, USA. Ott (who is featured with IKF San Shou
World
Champion Cung Le in this months Black Belt Magazine) is looking for his
final chapter in San Shou before venturing into other styles of fighting. The
IKF WORLD Title!
Ott will enter the ring to fight for that goal this Saturday night, August 31st at the Win River Casino in Redding California USA. He won the IKF Intercontinental Title at last years United For The Children Event in San Jose, CA, USA when he defeated Peter Kaljevic of Montenegro, Yugoslavia (After victory with Kaljevic at left) by unanimous decision. Although we all knew little of Kaljevic at the time, we all know his opponent for Saturday nights bout very well.
IKF Pro FCR Middleweight World Champion Dave "MADMAN"
Marinoble (Below Left & Right) is no stranger to the fight game
and he's certainly no stranger to IKF
Kickboxing. He's only a stranger to the rules that he's fighting under Saturday
night. However, there's a reason he's called "The MADMAN!"
As an amateur Marinoble won 3
IKF
US Titles. As a Pro, along with his IKF
Middleweight World Title he also currently holds the IKF
Pro FCR Super Middleweight North American Title. One thing we found out though
is kickboxing has not been Marinoble's only game. He's competed in mixed
martial arts as well as won the Silver Medal at last years (2001) World
Ju-Jitsu Championships in the Channel Islands in sport combat JuJitsu. Why
didn't he win the GOLD? Because he was disqualified for excessive contact and
lost the title he was clearly winning for simply hitting too hard...
Hitting too hard won't
be an issue for "The Madman" on Saturday night. It will be a
chance for Marinoble to open up his arsenal against a seasoned veteran
in the throwing fight game of San Shou, Ott.
On the other side of the ring, Ott welcomes the challenge and could care less what Marinobles background has been. This is Ott's game and according to his San Shou peers, it's his title to win. The San Shou crowd believes Ott will fling Marinoble around like a rag doll while Marinoble says "Feel free to TRY."
The bout will be fought under FULL SAN SHOU RULES which
include ALL types of throws, leg kicks and KNEES. Yes KNEES. So not only
will Marinoble be new to the leg kicks but very new to knees as well, at
least to us. According to Marinoble he's fought many times with leg
kicks and knees over the past 5 years in the sport of mixed martial arts which
has provided him with some fight opportunities that he feels will help him in
San Shou. However, that's the 
same thing UFC Veteran Shoni Carter
said before facing Cung Le in their World Title bout at last years
United For The Children Event before
Le "Flung him around like a rag doll!" However, Le's
throwing skill wasn't what made him standout against Carter. It was his
stand up striking skills that surprised everyone as he hit Carter at
will with pretty much everything he threw from right hands (Left) to
kicks (Right). Knowing that Le trains Ott should make
this a very interesting bout. What we think one may lack in (Ott in
stand up striking and Marinoble in throwing) they both claim to be
strong in. It makes picking a winner for you fight fans a lot harder. We must
say, this is the only bout we have EVER sanctioned where we TRULY have NO IDEA
who to give even a slight favor to, regardless if we would be wrong or not. It's
all going to depend upon who is the most rounded fighter for the fight rules of
FULL SAN SHOU. We don't think it will be won by strikes or throws alone, but who
are we to think this. Again, this one's a tough one to pick and as of today,
after what we've learned of Marinoble, Ott isn't as highly favored as
believed to be. In fact, if we had to offer them, we have the odds on this
match-up at 50-50.
So with that being said, we feel sorry
for those of you who didn't buy a ticket to this one. As of last night there
were 
only about 120 tickets remaining for the 1,200 seat venue. So if your planning
on just showing up and grabbing a ticket at the door, you may want to call ahead
to Win-River
Casino to reserve one of those few remaining tickets with the ol
charge card. To see a seating chart click
HERE.
Not only will you be sorry you missed the Ott - Marinoble match-up but your also going to miss a GREAT undercard as well. Topping the undercard bill will be the quest for the vacant IKF Pro U.S .Welterweight Title between number 2 ranked Welterweight Erik Marshall (36-5) of Bradenton, Florida, USA and number 6 ranked Light Welterweight Heath Fonnest (11-1) of Forest Lake, Minnesota, USA. Some of you west coast fight fans may remember Marshall when he was out right robbed of another organizations world title last year in San Jose. Regardless, he's looking to start with the IKF US Title and work his way to an IKF World Title shot. That title is currently held by Paul Biafore. Although Biafore has not fought since winning the title in May of 1999 he said he's open to an offer from the winner. We'll see how that plays out when the time comes. Biafore is currently living in Los Angeles CA, USA.
Fonnest and Marshall won't be traveling across the country to go to sleep in the ring for the fight fans. These two are sure to put on an exciting show that will be plenty of build up for the nights Main Event World Title bout. While Marshall's record of 36-5 speaks for itself, Fonnest is no friend to the losing column at all. Although he's only had 12 fights he's only walked out of the ring with 1 loss in his career. He may lack in experience as compared to his opponent Marshall, but he doesn't plan to put loss number 2 on his record Saturday night. Which is exactly what Marshall plans to give him.
Here's the nights undercard bouts (In no particular order) which includes some Exciting Amateur match-ups!
Ira
Myrick, Modesto, CA Vs Jose Palacios, San Jose, CA.The event gloves have been provided by
TKO Fight Gear.
For more event info please Contact Dan Stell at (707) 372-0882 or Win-River Casino at 1-800-280-8946 or (530) 243-3377. Win-River Casino is located at 2100 Redding Rancheria Rd. Redding, CA, USA.
This event is a Win-River Casino and LTD Productions Event.
THURSDAY, August 29th, 2002, AT 8:30 PM, PT
IKF NORTH
AMERICAN
AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
IKF South Carolina Press Staff
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Well fight fans we are at it again. For those of you that attended the 2002 IKF USA National Amateur Championships in beautiful Davenport, Iowa you were able to experience the country's ONLY national kickboxing TOURNAMENT. The IKF has been hosting a national tournament for the last four years and each year it gets bigger AND most importantly BETTER. The IKF crew along with the many promoters, trainers, fighters AND fans have made this THE event to compete in. Now we are stepping it up a knotch in that we are promoting the FIRST IKF North American Championships. This event will be in the mens "full contact rules" division. We are planning the International and Muay Thai Rules N. Am Championships for early next year.
Earlier this year promoter Ray
Thompson (Right) from Simpsonville, South Carolina, USA was
approached by IKF President Steve
Fossum to see if they could work together, develop and promote the first
North American Championships. They started brainstorming and planning and
finally it is to come to pass on November 16th in Simpsonville, South Carolina,
USA.
Why Simpsonville? It's really quite simple. It is the stomping grounds of
the FIRST promoter that was willing to step up to the challenge issued by the
IKF President and give it a go so that the
fighters can again "Walk the Walk" but this time at a
higher level and for a bigger prize, the coveted IKF
North American Title. Simpsonville is a small town with a "Small Town"
feel. If you are looking for bright lights and tall buildings then you WILL be
disappointed (and your sights are on the wrong subject) but if you are
looking for a beautiful venue with two gymnasiums connected by a common foyer
that can hold two separate events simultaneously then you WON'T be disappointed
. If you are looking for friendly people Simpsonville is the place. If you are
looking for a promoter that has connections with the largest cable company in
the 
country, Charter Cable, and is
having his event filmed and aired than you have found him.
Simpsonville is located in what is called "The Upstate" which is where our title sponsor is located, Foothills Ford. Foothills Ford is owned and operated by Mr. Mike Kennedy who is a big fan and supporter of the martial arts. Without his sponsorship this event WOULD NOT be possible. A special thanks to Mike and the Foothills Ford Team!!
Simpsonville is also home of Ray Thompson, owner of one of the
largest martial arts schools in the 
south
east and trainer of Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, (Right)
three time National IKF Champion. Ray
is hoping to bring the same skills to the tournament that helped him build a
martial arts school and business that accommodates over 650 ACTIVE students
studying seven different arts in a community of only 16,000 residents. That
takes skill and Ray is planning on using that skill to promote an event
we all will be proud to say we were a part of. Along with the IKF Staff this event will sure to be the best one
yet. Of course it will be NOTHING without the warriors that are willing to "Walk
the Walk" for THE title of IKF
North American Champion.
Now trainers, fighters and fans mark Nov. 16th on your calender and make preparations for the FIRST ever IKF North American Championships. Come be a part of IKF history for we're sure this one will go down in the books as one of the Great ones!!! Anyone wanting to find out about registration can go to the "upcoming events" page and scroll down to the "November" calender and find the info and registration Registration Link on the ad for the event.
To all our friends from Canada and Mexico, you are a very important part of this event. This event needs to have representatives from your countries that are willing to step up to the challenge and "Walk the Walk". See you on Nov 16th.
USA Fighters Who Won The 2002 IKF USA National Championships and REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT Will be the Automatic Number 1 Seed and Automatically placed in the FINAL Bout at this event. All second place finisher of the 2002 IKF USA National Championships may REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT with all other REGISTERED Fighters. If the Second place finisher of the 2002 IKF USA National Championships Chooses Not To attend this event, The third place finisher may REGISTER To Attend Instead....If not him, we go to number 4, etc. They will be placed in the tournament fight brackets to determine the opponent of the 2002 IKF USA National Champion For the IKF North American Amateur Title.
MORE NEWS OF 8-29-02
POSTED AT 11:20 AM, PT
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"MAYHEM IN
MIDTOWN"
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, USA
A
Round By Round Review By IKF Event Representative
Brooks Mason.
Mayhem in Midtown was one
hell of an event. The venue featured amphitheater type seating with a great view
from every seat. Excellent lighting and sound system along with the obligatory
smoke entrance for the fighters gave the night the kind of professional look
Kickboxing needs. 
Sukotai
did a bang up job on preparation. Over 40 volunteers came out to support and
assist at the event, catering to every necessity as the fights ran flawlessly.
This was truly one of the best run shows I have been to in years. The Kickboxing
community thanks you for a job well done. Pros and amateurs alike came packing
for the event and what an event it was. Here's a full rundown of the nights
action.
Fights are numbered as to the bout of the night. The missing numbers were ISCF Mixed Martial Arts Bouts. ISCF Event Representative Matthew Waller has registered those results in an article earlier in the week below.
Fight
#6: IKF Pro FCR Super Heavyweight East
Coast Title: Kelly "The Lion" Leo (Right) Vs Ronnie
Copeland (Left): Seven rounds of professional kickboxing where
skills outweigh clout and the corner plays a role
that can determine the outcome of the
contest. We saw that in this fight. Round 1:
Clean crisp hands and feet by both fighters. The stuff people pay to see. Leo
set the pace in the first round with both fighters obviously comfortable and
setting their strategy. Leo the "Left Handed" vs Copeland
"The Right Handed". These fights are always interesting. Round 2: The fight evolved quickly. Both fighters
showed excellent skill, with training that marks a pro. The first time I saw
Leo land a straight left I knew where to look……at the
footwork. When south paw versus right hander and straight lefts or rights start
to land you know someone is taking the outside. Leo's right foot and
Copeland's left foot were the telling factors of the round. Taking the
outside and the round, Leo put his straight left and legs to work. Round 3: Ronnie Copeland is a very good fighter. The
round opened with him countering well on Leo and taking the reins at
times. Leo pressed the fight however and once again the straight left
went to work. My only thought was surely he will see his mistake and come out
for round 4 with an adjustment. Copeland over came the footwork with
shear guts and took the round. Round 4: I
went to sleep, the crowd went to sleep……Leo went to sleep. A
rest. A lull. A sabbatical. Call it what you will but Leo was tired and
Copeland never had a better chance to continue his comeback. With Leo
obviously tired and squaring up his feet, Copeland could have ended the
left hand advantage and maybe even the fight. Copeland however decided
to play Leo's game and got out his pillow. I gave the round to Leo,
on better hugs and shrugs. What a missed opportunity.
Round 5: The nap must have worked because
both fighters came out firing. Excellent leg work by both fighters but the round
soon changed to a slugfest. Leo and Copeland both landing blow
after blow. Once again the footwork came to take it's toll as Leo's
shots were doing more damage and Copeland was delivering arm shots. What
a waste of Copeland's talents. Round 6:
Copeland takes the counter punch route and does quite well. Leo has
a hard time landing any shots without making a payment. Copelands
counters lacked the zip to hold Leo off and his kicks are coming up
short as Leo takes the outside. Round 7:
Round seven opened with the same performance. It is all I can do to keep from
screaming at the corner. Joe Lewis, probably one of the best fighters
whoever lived and one of the best trainers I ever saw was in Copeland's
corner. Staying quiet, not wanting to interfere, Joe must have been
biting at the bit to take charge. Leo landed another straight left and
the fight went down it's seven round path. Copeland battled valiantly to
the bitter end never knowing why the kicks were cut off and the punches just
wouldn't sink in. Leo took the fight on every card and the vacant
IKF Pro FCR Super Heavyweight East Coast
Title. I would love to see a rematch. I doubt a corner as well versed as
Copeland's would make the same mistake twice.
Fight
#7: Kent "The Horseman" Hensley (Right) vs
Ramaz Kikalishvili: As the fighters entered the ring you couldn't help
but notice one of them wore a big shiny helmet, had long blonde hair and looked
as if he were carved from white granite. It could be no one but Kent
Hensley. Round 1: Kent came out with
some new skills since the last time I saw him fight, especially the leg kicks.
Dominating the round with leg kicks he never gave Ramaz a chance to move
in. Round 2: Once again Kent took
the low road, so to speak, and went to the legs. Ramaz showed remarkable
toughness and tried to press the fight inside. A couple of times it looked as if
he might take the advantage but Kent fended him off and took the round.
Round 3: The last round was a blessing to
Kent as he seemed to tire. The three minute rounds of fighting was
taking it's toll. Ramaz had no such problem and continued to try and
press the fight inside. Ramaz simply could not get a handle on Kent's
style. Hell no one could. He uses more angles than a Pathagoran groupie. Kent
takes the fight. Ramaz may want a rematch but I bet he opts for more
rounds.
Fight
#9: Duncan Arlie James vs IKF Pro
MTR Super Heavyweight U.S. Champion "Big" John Dixon: (Non
Title Bout) Round 1: Quite frankly I
expected Duncan 
(Left)
to handle Dixon (Right) over the course of the fight. This was
not to happen. Dixon is not called "Big" by accident
and he used every ounce of weight to smother Duncan in the clinches.
Good knees and a right hand that would bend a bumper, he made Duncan pay
for every mistake. Round 2: Once again
Duncan came out firing but Dixon took the fight to the ropes and
punished Duncan for daring to breath in his presence. The third knock
down ended the fight in Dixon's favor. Good win John. Duncan on
the other hand did not turn in his usual performance. I talked to him after the
fight and the reason was simple. He flew in for the fight from Scotland and
didn't allow enough time to get over the dreaded jet lag. Duncan's
comment was "I stepped on the gas and nothing was there"
Unable to use his customary excellent footwork and inside fighting he succumbed
to the ready Big John. I would like to see these two do it
again.Well Boys and Girls that was the fight. Once again I would like to thank The
crew of Sukotai for the well run event. Also thanks out
to Tad, who is stearing Sukotai
down the path corporate stability, and Hudson who did a marvelous job of
overseeing the judging.
I am sure there are lots more to thank but that's all I have to say.
TUESDAY, August 27th, 2002, AT 11:25 AM, PT
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FALL
BRAWL 2002
IKF AND
ISCF ACTION
TO RETURN TO AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, USA
2001 IKF
Promoters of the Year, Mike and Elizabeth Carlson announce
"Fall Brawl 2002," an IKF and ISCF
sanctioned martial sports event to be held on Saturday, September 21, 2002, in
Augusta, Georgia. The event will feature nighttime IKF
kickboxing bouts and ISCF
mixed martial arts matches. This will follow a daytime shootsparring and
grappling tournament. Fall Brawl 2002 will
be held in Fort Gordon's Gym One, which has served as a popular and successful
venue for numerous martial sports competitions. Elizabeth Carlson is
pleased to be able to bring her promotion team back to the home of the U.S. Army
Signal Corps, "After September 11, we were unsure about the future use
of the venue. But the great folks at the Fort have welcomed us back, and we are
excited about coming back and supporting our armed services by putting on our
card at Gym One. People can get in and out of the Fort easily, it's safe, and we
will be giving a discount to the soldiers coming to the fights. They deserve it!"
For information, contact Elizabeth Carlson at Augusta
Martial Arts Academy via E-mail at amaa@prodigy.net
telephone at (706) 855-5269 or FAX at (706) 855-7119. Bouts are still being
matches so those interested in competing should contact Mrs. Carlson "post
haste!"
MONDAY, August 26th, 2002, AT 7:00 PM, PT
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Leo
Wins Title By Decision
While Hudson
Loses His To Hall At
"MAYHEM IN MIDTOWN"
Here are the Quick Event
Results from Georgia Associate Matthew Waller (Right)
FULL
STORY COMING LATER THIS WEEK... From
IKF Event Representative
Brooks Mason.
Fight #3:
IKF Amateur FCR Super Middleweight East Coast
Title *Defense: Steve "Hitman"
Hall defeated previous Champion *Shannon "TNT"
Hudson by unanimous decision.SUNDAY, August 25th, 2002, AT 7:00 PM, PT
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The
LION, Madigan ROARS!
While
Rawlings CHOPS Down Nesbitt!
At age 14 Ryan Madigan of Cuyahoga Falls Ohio, USA
started karate lessons. At 17 he entered the
ring for the first time to compete in
his first kickboxing bout. After an impressive amateur career of 18 wins and
only 2 loses with 7 wins coming by TKO/KO, Madigan made the move to Pro
status. Like many Pro Kickboxers, once there he found the fight offers few, but
what opportunities that have come his way, he's made the best of them winning
all 3 of his bouts without a loss.
Since his phone wasn't ringing off the hook for fight offers, Madigan felt like many pro kickboxers, "If you really want something, sometimes you have to go get it yourself." What he wanted was an IKF Pro Title! So together with his partner Mark Gerberich (With Madigan below right) of Paramount Sports Marketing and his wife Allison (Both at right after Ryan's victory Saturday night) and the Madigan's company, Lion Enterprises, they hosted their first event, FISTS and FEET of FURY.
The event was held at the Pinnacle Sports Complex in Akron, Ohio. The complex is a dynamic 70,000 plus square feet indoor soccer stadium. As many first time promotions go the crowd wasn't to capacity but it was full enough to offer plenty of roar for all the bouts.
After a full undercard of 9 bouts (See
below for reviews and results) of which 2 were exhibitions, it was time for
the number 3 Ranked Ryan
"The Lion" Madigan show!
Madigan's good friend Dan Rawlings had just dismantled well known full contact rules fighter Keith Nesbitt in a single round (See details below) and Madigan was looking to do the same to his opponent, Kevin Hobbs of Phelps, New York. The bout was for the vacant IKF Pro MTR Super Middleweight East Coast Title.
Hobbs entered the ring uneventfully (Below Left)
with a pro record of 2-1 and an amateur record of 7-3. However when it was time
for "The Lion" to enter
the ring, he took full advantage of the moment as every fighter in a title match
should. The crowd came to their feet as the music started and
Madigan took his time as he walked,
posed and danced his way with confidence for the hometown crowd to the ring.
This kind of showmanship is what we need more in this sport. Once in the ring,
the Lion dropped his elaborate fight robe (Another thing all fighters should
have.) to unveil a chiselled fighting machine. Once the ring talk by referee
Dan Stell was given the bell rang and the action started.
Madigan started strong landing several strong kicks to
Hobbs' neck. One dropped him 
(right)
and when Hobbs didn't get up quickly (In MuayThai Rules, if a fighter stands
quickly after a flash knockdown he isn't given a standing 8 count) referee
Dan Stell started his 8 count. Once recovered The
Lion went back to work landing several strong combinations as
Hobbs failed to answer back with anything of any threat to Madigan.
When round 1 came to an end, Referee Dan Stell checked on Hobbs
in the corner. After asking him several times, Hobbs came up with the
same answer, "No, I can't continue!"
As Stell waived his arms to call the bout the hometown crowd went wild as Ryan "The Lion" Madigan became the new IKF Pro MTR Super Middleweight East Coast Champion with a win by TKO! The win puts Madigan in position to strive for yet another level in the MuayThai Super Middleweight division such as a shot at the vacant IKF USA or North American Title.
Here's the results of all the nights action below.
quickly stopped Keith
Nesbitt, Marion, New York, USA, Pro: 27-8-1/5, AM: 28-5/12, 138, 5'11",
25, 7-24-77, Self, (315) 926-0819 by
TKO at *2:05 of round 1. Although Nesbitt
is a Champion in Full Contact Rules he got a very undesired lesson in leg kicks
and MuayThai from Rawlings Saturday night. We hate to see good full
contact fighters try to switch rule styles just to get a fight and after this
bout we hope Keith will reconsider doing leg kicks bouts let alone any
MuayThai bouts in the future. Especially against a fighter as talented as Rawlings.
We need to see him in the Full Contact Rules arena where he can shine in his
premier style of fighting. The stop of the fight was precluded by 2 standing 8
counts given to Nesbitt. The first from a head kick by Rawlings
and the second by a spinning side kick (See Right), right hook combo.
The end came on a powerful leg kick by Rawlings. Rawlings is
more than ready for his first IKF Pro
title shot. He's already got 1 piece of IKF
hardware that he won back in 1999 when he defeated
Chris Brammer of Omaha Nebraska by TKO at 1:56 of round 1 to win the
1999
IKF/RINGSIDE USA Amateur MTR Super Lightweight Title. However now as
a Pro, he's ready for more. He's moving down to Florida this next week and once
settled he can set his sights on his next step, a shot at his first IKF Pro Title at either Super Lightweight (132.1
lbs. - 137 lbs. or 60.1 Kg - 62.2 Kg.) or Light Welterweight (137.1 lbs.
- 142 lbs. or 62.2 Kg - 64.5 Kg)
For more event info, please contact Paramount Sports at (330) 928-5495 or by e-mail by clicking HERE!
Posted AT 9:40 AM, PT
ON FRIDAY
NIGHT...
From Atlanta...
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Leo Takes The Title By Decision At
"MAYHEM IN MIDTOWN"
FULL STORY
COMING LATER
THIS WEEK...
From IKF Event Representative Brooks Mason.
THURSDAY, August 22nd, 2002, AT 12:20 AM, PT
THIS WEEKENDS IKF ACTION...
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"MAYHEM IN MIDTOWN"
Copeland Vs
Leo and Hudson Vs
Hall Go For The Brass!
Atlanta Georgia, USA
IKF and ISCF
Promoters Sukotai Corp will host yet another exciting event packed with
both IKF Kickboxing and
ISCFMixed Martial
Arts. This Friday nights event, "MAYHEM IN MIDTOWN", is scheduled at
Earthlink Live in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
The main event will be for the vacant IKF Pro Full Contact Rules Super Heavyweight East Coast Title with number 4 ranked Ronnie Copeland (Right) of High Point, North Carolina, USA ( PKB: 21-3/17, AMKB: 10-3-1/2, PBX: 7-1/6, 6'4", 220) Vs number 9 ranked Kelly "The Lion" Leo (Left) of Atlanta Georgia USA (18-5-1, 6', 216)
The semi main event
will be an IKF East Coast FCR Title *Defense for well known IKF
Fighter *Shannon "TNT"
Hudson. Hudson, (Right) of Lyman, South Carolina, USA (9-4/4) made
it to the finals of this years 2002 IKF USA National
Amateur Tournament but came up short against Kevin Engel of St
Louis, Missouri, USA (14-3/8) losing by unanimous decision 29-28, 30-27 &
30-27 in one of the most exciting bouts of the Tournament. He'll be defending
his South East Regional title against Steve Hall.
Along with the 2 IKF
Title Bouts will be plenty of ISCF
Mixed Martial Arts Action and even MORE IKF
Kickboxing!
For more info, please contact Sukotai by e-mail at: sukotaiinc@hotmail.com.
MORE IKF ACTION THIS WEEKEND...
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The Lion &
Doc
Meet In Akron, Ohio, USA!
This weekend IKF Promoters Paramount Sports will host some exciting MuayThai action in Akron Ohio, USA! The Main Event will be the quest for the vacant IKF Pro MTR Super Middleweight East Coast Title between number 3 Ranked Ryan "The Lion" Madigan of Akron, Ohio, USA (Pro: 3-0/2, AM: 18-2) and a new fighter to the IKF, Kevin "Doc" Hobbs.
Also on the card will be more Pro MuayThai when
number 5 ranked Lightweight Dan "Tanis"
Rawlings (Left) of Euclid, Ohio, USA (5-0/2, AM: 16-3/7)
takes on IKF number
2 IKF Full Contact Ranked Keith "The Hammer"
Nesbitt.
Nesbitt (Right) of Rochester, New York, USA (PRO KB: 27-6/12, AM KB: 28-5, ) has had a lot of full contact style experience so it will be interesting to see how he does in the ring against a well versed Muaythai fighter like Rawlings.
Rawlings is a past winner of the IKF USA National Amateur Tournament. He defeated Chris Brammer of Omaha Nebraska by TKO at 1:56 of round 1 to win the 1999 IKF/RINGSIDE USA MTR Super Lightweight Title.
Also on the card will be the always exciting Ben Yelle of Gwinn, Michigan, USA. Yelle (8-1/1) is the 2002 IKF USA National Amateur MTR: Light Middleweight Champion. Yelle fought 3 bouts at the Nationals this year and in the final he defeated Philip Botha of Atlanta, GA, USA (9-5/4) by split decision 29-28, 29-28 & 28-29. Yelle will face Jeff Coyle of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, USA in a 3 round Amateur MuayThai bout. There are also 2 Woman's bouts scheduled, Ann Martin of Dayton Ohio vs. Tony Kotkowski of Medina Ohio and Sara Shoup of Athens Ohio vs Melissa Carlson of Mentor Ohio. In addition the card will feature 3 fighters of Iron City Gym of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania ran by Mark "The Shark" Miller. They include Jerry Matthews, Chris Allshouse, and Alex Beck. Rounding out the nights action will be one junior Full Contact Rules Bout with the tough Jason Dent of Griffonrawl gym ran by Danny Rawlings against his 6 foot 3 opponent Ethan Minor of Athens Ohio at 170 lbs.
For more event info, please contact Paramount Sports at (330) 928-5495 or by e-mail by clicking HERE!
WEDNESDAY, August 21st, 2002, AT 9:30 AM, PT
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WORLD &
EUROPEAN
CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT NIGHT
Karen Harding Becomes New
IKF
WOMAN'S WORLD CHAMPION!
Report
Written By IKF Europe
Sunday August 18th, Reading, England: The build up to the three championship fights could not have been better. Here's how the nights action unfolded;
From Mr. Alby Bimpson, IKF European Director: The promoter of the show was Andre Mcintyre, who seems to lack communication skills and diplomacy, as it was only for Ralph Beale that made this show possible. A special thank you to Ralph Beale for his help and cooperation from all the IKF Europe Team. I also feel I should point out that officials and trainers seemed to be looked down on by certain people, as they seem to think that they have nothing to do than turn up at shows for the money. When in reality all these people "officials/trainers" have a history that goes back before the promoters and co-promoters of today existed, being fighters, trainers, managers and most importantly promoters themselves. These people understand the difficulties in promoting international shows and they will do anything in their power to ease the burden on the promoter. But some promoters of today think they can do everything, which only concludes in destroying their own reputation and the sport. It is the first time I have seen a promoter loose control of his mouth and insult the people who have bent over backwards to help him. Helping him with to name just a few:
I could go on, but I think enough has been said, and I would like to finally say that the "Penny Has Dropped", but up to date we have received no apologies. Once again a special thank you to Ralph Beale. For more info on this event please contact IKF Europe Director Mr. Alby Bimpson at Phone/ Fax: 44 174 473 9043 or by e-mail by clicking HERE!
MORE NEWS OF 8-21-02
MASS DESTRUCTION!
Video
Now Available To Help Pay Fight
Purses
It was billed to be "The Greatest Night In Kickboxing" and for most part, maybe it was. It headlined in the PPV Viewers Guide as "Mass Destruction" and featured 5 Pro IKF World Titles and 1 Pro IKF U.S. Title and was without a doubt a great night of Kickboxing. Only a few things kept it from being "The Greatest". One of them was the marketing of the event by the promoters. Instead of calling it "KICKBOXING" and featuring WHO was fighting on the event, in the PPV schedule they elected to just call it "Mass Destruction" instead. Of course, few knew what Mass Destruction was and the PPV numbers were terrible, (as has been with nearly every Kickboxing PPV event in the history of the sport due to poor marketing & advertising)
However, the balls dropped with other people on this event as well such as the Viewers Choice PPV People themselves who somehow failed to place all the "Photo" ads into the PPV Viewers Guide the week of the event. Their response... a simple "Sorry..." This of course didn't help in the viewership numbers either. However, Mass Destruction will best be remembered for just one thing. Not the titles won or the fighters on it but the failure of the Promoters to fulfill the their financial obligations in paying the fighters purses. It marked a changing point in the IKF where now we demand ALL Pro Fighter Purses to be paid directly to the IKF BEFORE the Fight starts or to the overseeing State Athletic Commission.
The idea for this event had come from 2 people (No need to mention who they were in this story.) but as the date drew closer, one of the main partners pulled out of the event taking much needed funds with him. Enter a man named Phil Malonson who didn't know anything about the sport of kickboxing let alone who fighters like Rick Roufus or Don Wilson were. Malonson was asked to step in prior to the other partner leaving as a financial backer for the event. Malonson had put in a lot of money prior to fight time which included paying out the highest fight purse in kickboxing history, $150,000.00 to Don Wilson. Malonson (who we stress, knew nothing of the promotional business before this event) was told by his associates that the event ticket sales that night would provide the money needed to pay all the remaining event purses (Remaining purse amounts vary from verification between $150,000.00 to over $200,000.00) and the million or so he would make off the PPV would pay him back and pay all the other event expenses as well. However in the end, Malonson was left with only a few thousand dollars which he paid out to a couple of fighters and a major debt.
Since
the event, Malonson has been working with the IKF
to create a way to make good on all those fight purses. Everyone else involved
with the event has jumped ship, leaving Malonson as the only one to pay
all the event debts. Unlike the others involved, Malonson's been in
constant contact with the IKF ever since
the event.
A little over a year ago Malonson teamed up with Victor Theriault (Seen interviewing Rick Roufus at left and Don Wilson at Right) of Vic Theriault Productions in Canada. Theriault was an essential part of Mass Destruction being in the right place at the right time. The day of Production, the PPV Production Coordinator quit on the spot. Because of this, instead of being a part of the "On Air" commentating crew for part of the event as well as doing other scheduled IKF duties, IKF President Steve Fossum instead had to team up with the remaining PPV Production crew in getting several pre-event projects completed such as fighters names and stats for the on air graphics, camera positioning, audio placement checks and a host of other things. When Fossum saw Theriault at the event (Knowing him from a previous event) he asked him if he could be their "On Air" interviewer which he agreed to do. Theriault matched up well and made a dual Theriault team as his World Kickboxing Champion brother Jean-Yves Theriault was teamed up with lead commentator Phil Stone at Ringside.
When Theriault and Malonson got together the two put together a finished product video of the event. Last year it went into release in Canada and just recently, the video has been put on the USA Market. "The proceeds of the video will go into paying all the fighters back." said Malonson in a phone interview today. "I'm the only one left here who's still trying to make good on this event."
The
video features 4 of the 5 IKF Pro World
Titles
Rick Roufus Vs Stan Longinidis, Don Wilson Vs
Dick Kimber, Mike Labree Vs Kevin Rosier and Paul Biafore
Vs Bernard Robinson
and as an extra bonus, it also includes
Jean-Yves
Theriault vs Reed.
The final production is 118 minutes of kickboxing action and
at
ONLY $8.49 for
VHS and $12.99 DVD
You can't beat
the price for the action!
To order the video go to the Lions Gate site by clicking
HERE
Or call 1 866 397-9455.
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The IKF does Not Receive Any Portion of Fees from the sales of this video. |
MONDAY, August 19th 2002, AT 7:00 PM, PT
Girl Gets A Kick Out of Sport!
By JEFF KOLKEY
The Northwest Herald:
Sarah Ross rips a jab-cross-hook combination into her trainer's punch
mitts. A distinct crack accompanies the impact of each blow as she circles the
Carpentersville (Illinois, USA) gym's ring. The 11-year-old Algonquin (Illinois)
girl lands a head-high roundhouse kick with surprising force for a 105-pounder.
She prefers straight punches to looping ones, and the results speak for her.
Ross is the reigning International Kickboxing
Federation junior girls light atomweight champion after recently
winning an amateur national tournament in Iowa.
It was her official kickboxing debut. "Actually, we
probably have one of the toughest 11-year-old girls on the planet,"
said Rob Zbilski, Ross' trainer and owner of Z's
Martial Arts Academy. "She is really exceptional. She is
really the cream of the crop of our students." Chatting with fellow
students, Ross looks like a pretty girl with braces. It is hard to
imagine her as a pugilist. But then she straps on the
headgear,
pulls on the gloves and steps into the ring. She is all business.
Her well-defined shoulder muscles look big for her frame. She moves with athletic ease, and as she snaps her punches, there is no doubt that she is ready for a fight. Her father, Bill Ross, a former martial-arts student, signed his daughter up for karate lessons at Zbilski's Lake in the Hills school about four years ago. "You can put any kid in it (the martial arts), and they will progress at their own rate," he said. "Even if a kid doesn't have physical skills, martial arts is still a place for that kid because they are not forced to perform at a certain level in order to keep performing. But we never envisioned kickboxing for her. She loved the contact, and that is how she happened to evolve toward it. If you've got it, why not go for it?" Bill Ross said.
He said the more she point-sparred, the more it became apparent that she thrived on the harder contact for which kickboxing is known. "It's fun," Sarah Ross said. "I like a lot of contact. I think it's a test of my abilities." She appears to be a natural. Trainers are hard-pressed to force even professional boxers to consistently perform some nuances in the ring that she has learned during the past year of kickboxing training and three years of karate. Ross sits down on her punches, turning her hips and placing her body weight behind each blow. Her jabs look sharp. She holds her hands high for protection and where they are ready to unleash punches of her own. Her kicks have good form, and they land with power.
"She is ahead of her time," said Ross' mother, Sharon. "She has fun, and she drives herself. We've never had to drag her. While most kids are home waiting for the ice-cream truck, she is here working out. She is not in the sport to hurt somebody. It is not to be a bully. This is a sport. She is there to score points and go home with a belt." The Algonquin girl beat two 12-year-old girls during the national IKF tournament in Iowa to earn her title. "The first one was a pretty easy, but the second was pretty tough," Sarah Ross said. Before fight time, Ross spotted her first opponent in an elevator. The Dixon girl's baseball cap was on backward, and her hair was cut short. She looked like a rugged opponent, and she intimidated Ross. But Ross turned her fear into an advantage. She outclassed the girl from Dixon and scored a technical knockout in about 45 seconds. She backed the girl into the ropes and threw repeated left jab-right cross combinations, prompting the referee to stop the fight.
"I just have a lot of strength," Ross said. "She kept going up on the ropes, so I kept hitting her with straight punches. A few did the job. (Being intimidated) gave me energy to go harder." Her title fight was no cakewalk. Ross faced Brittany Anic, the 101-pound Pacific, Missouri, USA., girl who won the 2001 national junior girls tournament in the light heavyweight class. She had a 6-1 record with six knockouts before the fight. Ross' camp thought she was a true threat. Anic is known for her aggression and experience not only in kickboxing, but also in amateur boxing. "Sarah was the aggressor, though," Bill Ross said. Ross won a unanimous decision after the match went the full three, 1 1/2 -minute rounds. She used her 3-inch height advantage and love of straight punches to control the action.
"I just go in, and I brawl," Ross said. "I got clocked a few times with some pretty good punches. I just did whatever I could to get her back." Bill Ross said Sarah kept her opponent at bay with well-placed front and side kicks while keeping the hooks and haymakers to a minimum. "Sarah kicks like a horse, and she took it," Bill Ross said. "So she was pretty tough, too." The Rosses have at times worried about their daughter taking part in full-contact tournaments. Bill Ross said he saw a boy land a hard kick to his daughter's stomach during training. The incident left him pondering her future in kickboxing for days afterward. "I talked to her and asked her if she wanted to continue," Bill Ross said. "I told her that maybe this is not what we got into. She never looked back. She took it and shrugged it off. At this age level and with the equipment, it is sufficient. I realize with 16-year-old boys – those guys have some contact going on. Right now, the protection is adequate."
If she continues to train with this intensity, Zbilski said she could achieve the highest honors in the sport and perhaps become a professional kickboxer or boxer. Inside the ring, Ross displays a single-minded determination to win. "I haven't been hurt yet," Ross said. "I don't really get hurt, no matter what. In the ring, I know what I have to do, and I'll do it. I just go in there and get all the points I can."
Special Thanks to Mr. Jeff Kolkey of the
Northwest Herald Newspapers For This
Article on Miss Ross.
Crystal Lake, Illinois, (815) 459-4040, Subscription
(815) 459-8118 or (800) 589-9363
MORE NEWS OF 8-19-02
BELOW POSTED AT 10:00 AM, PT
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Karen Harding Becomes New
IKF
WOMAN'S WORLD CHAMPION!
Report
Written By IKF Headquarters (USA) News Staff
The latest news from
England is that England fighter Karen Harding (At Right in a win
earlier this year) has defeated Gulzara Azizova of Kazakhstan to win
the vacant IKF Woman's MuayThai Rules
Bantamweight (120.1 - 124 Lbs. or 54.6 Kg - 56.3 Kg) WORLD Title. No
details yet on the win but a full report is due to follow later in the week.
Now that Harding has won, the question asked by many
who have been watching the Woman's Kickboxing scene is "Why wasn't she
matched up against 3 Time IKF World
Champion Holly Ferneley of Australia?"
Of course it's not Harding's call
as we all know, (Matchmaking) but the question is still there. Ferneley
(Left) has made it clear that she would fight any woman anywhere at any
time. She holds the IKF Bantamweight (120.1
lbs. - 124 lbs. 54.6 kg - 56.4 kg) World titles in both Full Contact Rules
and International Rules and also holds the IKF
Featherweight (124.1 lbs. - 128 lbs. 56.5 kg - 58.2 kg) MuayThai Rules
World Title.
REVISED 8-21-02: According to Ferneley's trainer Robert Wilesmith, they WERE contacted for the Harding match but the promoters never booked her. WHY they bypast Ferneley is still unknown and even IKF Headquarters would like to know. As many have already said, this fight needs to happen to determine who truly is the best female fighter at and around this weightclass.
Harding becomes only the 3rd woman to ever win an IKF Pro World Title. We'll see what the future brings for a Harding Vs Ferneley match-up and we'll keep you posted as well.
Also on the same event, the new IKF Pro European Super Welterweight MuayThai Rules Champion is Steve Wakeling of London England who defeated Junior Herbert of Bedford England and in the special IKF MuayThai Rules European Eliminator bout at 52kg, Kamal Suvazov of Kazakhstan defeated Paulo Silver of Crowley England to be put forward as one of the top contenders for the IKF --- European Title held currently by Imaran Shah.
A full event report is soon to follow. For more info on this event please contact IKF Europe Director Mr. Alby Bimpson at Phone/ Fax: 44 174 473 9043 or by e-mail by clicking HERE!
The only other IKF Pro
Woman's World Champion was 
Ramona Gatto (Right). Gatto was the
first fighter ever (Man or Woman) to win any IKF
World Title when she KO'ed Debbie Page of Albq, New Mexico, USA in
Honolulu Hawaii, USA on October 16th, 1992. She later successfully defended the
title when she defeated Lapin Padilla of Albq. New Mexico, USA by TKO in
the 9th round at Win-River Casino in Redding, CA, USA on February 18th, 1995.
Gatto won a total of 3 IKF World
Titles between 1992 and 1995, 9 World Titles overall if you count all the other
organizations. However after a controversial loss to Olga Vlasour of
Russia on May 13th, 1995 in San Jose, California, USA, she never fought again.
Although the IKF reversed the obvious
fixed match (The IKF had no judges on
the bout which was co-sanctioned. This bout established some firm rules about
IKF world Titles and the co-sanctioning of
any IKF Event.) she still was
devastated from the public embarrassment of the terrible decision. To read the
full story of this bout "Ramona Gatto... The Breaking Of A
Champion!" click HERE. In the end,
Gatto made her retirement official in January of 2001.
MORE NEWS OF 8-19-02
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IKF NORTH
AMERICAN
AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
OK Canada and Mexico, now
is your chance to "Walk The Walk" and "Bring
It ON!" You along with the top 2, 2002
IKF USA National Amateur Tournament
contenders are invited to register to "Walk The Walk"
at the first annual 2002 IKF North American
Amateur Championship Tournament has tentatively been set for November 16th
in South Carolina. This "First" Tournament will be for Full
Contact Rules only. The Tournament date for International and MuayThai Rules
is soon to be set as well so keep close watch here on the news page. Many have
been asking how these tournaments will work so here's the basic rundown...
adult division is classified as ages 18
and over, for this event, we will accept ages 16 and 17 to compete as adults if
they desire to. A separate tournament for Juniors and Women fighters is
currently in the plans and should be announced soon.We will be posting more info on this event in the days to come. If any additional questions, please e-mail the IKF at Main@IKFKickboxing.com
MORE NEWS OF 8-19-02
SEPTEMBER 11th...
September 11, 2002 is soon approaching. On
that day, please wear red, white and blue to work or school to show your support
for those who lost their lives on 9~11~01 and to honor the heroes who worked to
save them and the families left behind. At noon your time on September 11,
2002, no matter where you are or what you are doing, stop, put your hand on your
heart, and say the Pledge of Allegiance out loud or to yourself, remembering to
include "One Nation Under God," and say a prayer for our nation. If
all of us do this together in every time zone around the world, we will have a
powerful chain of thoughts surrounding us. Please keep this going to your
friends and family. By September 11, 2002 hopefully enough people will have read
this and will join together in unity. God Bless the U.S.A.
SUNDAY, August 18th 2002, AT 4:00 PM, PT
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THE ROXY RAGED
AT
INAUGURAL CARD
Carney Wins Rematch with Miller as Ortiz Looks On
Khunpon
Successful in first Bout in Years
IKF/ISCF South/East News Source
Atlanta, Georgia, USA: It wasn't just the Roxy in Atlanta that rocked on Friday, August 16, 2002, it was the IKF Kickboxing and ISCF mixed martial arts action that took center stage. First time promoters Mimi Sancho and Sherri Thompson brought martial sports action to the epicenter of "the Big A's," upscale nightlife, and all in attendance seemed to appreciate their efforts.
The IKF and ISCF Southeastern team was in full force and effect to support the event. Mike and Elizabeth Carlson were present in ISCF and IKF representative capacities. Legendary trainer Gary Brown served as Kickboxing and MuayThai referee. ISCF US Champion Cam McHargue was the "third man in the ring" for the ISCF bout of the night. Veteran MMA stand out George Allen judged, along with martial sports scribe and parliamentarian Cal Cooper. Rounding out the judges' tables was Athens based fight enthusiast Tripp Owings.
This was just the start. Noteworthy martial sports figures from the Southeast and beyond, too many to mention, were everywhere at the venue. A few include the following. ISCF ECUS Champion Steve Headden was present, along with in the ring MMA rivals Kevin Brooks and Kent Hensley. LA Boxing's Chris Stolzman, who was a catalyst for the successful event, was busily volunteering his time and support for the promoters, fighters and the IKF/ISCF. Trainer Dennis Palmer lent his "golden throat" to the singing of the National Anthem. UFC champion, Tito Ortiz was at the Roxy, and cornered his fighter Jason Miller. ISCF and IKF promoter Matthew "Mr. Shush" Waller was, as always, "in the house," and lending numerous hands to the effort. Up and coming heavyweight FCR kickboxer, Mark Selbee, was also in attendance, pulling for various members of the LA Boxing fight team. "Word on the street" is that Selbee and his handlers are focusing their fighter's efforts towards a possible fight with IKF US Heavyweight Champion, Kevin "Hurricane" Hudson. Stay tuned to the IKF News Page for more on this story as it develops!
Once the action started, the enthusiastic crowd got more than its money's worth. Here is a brief overview of those bouts.
For more event info please contact K.A. Productions, Inc. Mimi Sancho at (404) 245-0799 or Ms Sherri Thompson at (404) 843-0079 or by e-mail by clicking HERE!
MORE NEWS OF 8-18-02
IKFKickboxing.com
Records
Best Internet Rating Yet!
It's no surprise the IKF website today recorded it's highest Internet Rating to date with a new record of 110,994 among the Millions of Internet Web Sites.
These are not "Hits". This is a ranking among the millions of world wide web sites. Like in Golf, the lower the number, the better the rating. For example, Yahoo.com is the number 1 rated site in the world. The rating is confirmed by the world's only independent Web Tracking service, Alexa.com. Two weeks ago, the site set a major record two days after this years 2002 IKF USA National Amateur Championships. On august 6th, 2002 the site received 100,177 Hits. For a comparison example as to where the IKF web site ranks among other sanctioning bodies, the closest two competitors as of today, August 18th, 2002 are the ISKA at 426,005, the USMTA at 483,019. Other organizations rank even far lower on the scale such as since the IKF started tracking the site back in April of this year, there has never been any Sanctioning body site within 300,000 ranks of the IKF Site.
Other Fight related sights will give you even a better idea of how much more popular the IKF web site is around the world. Some of these include;
How does the IKF site compare to sites like the NFL, NBA, Chuck Norris or Bill Wallace? See for yourself by going to our Fight Site Tracker page by clicking HERE. Or check out these sites for yourself by going to Alexa.com Remember, the lower the number, the higher the site traffic rating...
MORE NEWS OF 8-18-02
Michael McDonald
Wins
Another K-1 Trophy!
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA:
He's been an IKF Favorite ever since we
saw him lose out in a decision against Maurice Smith that we thought he
won on last years May, K-1 in Las Vegas However
now, after attaining his second straight K-1 Las Vegas Trophy,
Michael McDonald (Right
with K-1 Promoter Scott Coker) seems to be
everyone's favorite.
McDonald took home his second
Las Vegas K-1 Trophy last night when 
he
defeated Pavel Majer, who had won his way here by winning the Czech
Grand Prix Tournament.
Majer stepped directly into the heel of one of
McDonald's front kicks landed
on his neck. As McDonald (Trained
by Vincent Jauncey out of Surrey,
British Columbia, Canada) prepared to advance, Majer turned and
indicated to the referee that he was done. The win earned
McDonald a trip to Saitama,
Japan for the October 5 second stage of the semifinals, where the 2002 final
eight will be decided.
On one of the undercard bouts of the night, it was made clear that Vegas is not a lucky place for former IKF Pro MuayThai Super Heavyweight World Champion Duke Roufus. Roufus was back in the ring against unknown Martin Eastman. However, after this bout, many wondered who he is. Eastman unleashed a wild jumping knee attack on Roufus and put him down for the count in the third round. It was a surprise ending to what was looking like an exciting bout. In the bout, Roufus re-injured his ankle again which now puts question into his fight future.
REVISED 8-21-02: Since returning to the ring after a previous retirement Roufus has had 5 fights. At the May 2001 K-1 in Las Vegas Roufus soundly defeated Tomas Kucharcski who he defeated by TKO in the first round in the opening round of match-ups but lost to Michael McDonald 29.5 to 28, 30 to 28 and 29.5 to 28.5 in the second round. due to other fighters dropping out due to injuries, Roufus was selected to fight in the August 2001 K-1. Although he accepted the opportunity, the sad fact was that he didn't have much time to prepare, being asked to fill the card only weeks prior to the event. It showed when he lost his opening round bout to eventual champion, Stephan Leko who dropped him with an uppercut winning at 2:34 of the 2nd round. The next month (September of 2001) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he fought and defeated Pedro Fernandez when Fernandez didn't answer the bell after the break between rounds 3 and 4. Due to injuries, Roufus was unable to fight in the May 2002 K-1 in Las Vegas but was secected as an undercard bout at the August event where he fought Easman
Despite the loss, Roufus is scheduled to fight for another organizations World title in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in October against another fighter who has seen little K-1 success, Paul Lalonde of Canada. In his defense, LaLonde "SHOULD" be that other organizations World Champion right now. Lalonde had fought former retired Champion Jean Claude Leuyer in San Jose, CA, USA earlier this year and had Leuyer against the ropes ready to go. He had already beaten Leuyer in a previous match-up at K-1 and this one looked to have the same outcome. However, Leuyer's corner brought him back to life after the 3rd round by using smelling salts (Illegal to use in the ring). The revived Leuyer came back and defeated Lelonde. Although the container was found by the California State Athletic Commission and they disqualified Leuyer, the sanctioning organization ruled the bout a No Contest... (Memories of the Alexio Vs Longinidis decision come to mind which these guys did as well) After the bout, Leuyer retired, making the title vacant for Roufus and LaLande to fight for. It would be great to see the winner matched up later against the IKF Pro MuayThai Super Heavyweight World Champion Matt Skelton of England in October, but who knows what the future may bring.
ADDITION ADDED ON 8-21-02: According to an E-mail sent from the Team Roufus Camp today, this World Title bout will not happen now due to the loss to Eastman as well as Roufus re-injuring his ankle.
FRIDAY, August 16th 2002, AT 10:15 AM, PT
This Weekends IKF Action...
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IKF & ISCF In Atlanta Georgia USA!
Tonight, August 16th, the IKF will welcome yet another new Event Promoter to the IKF Team. K.A. Productions, Inc. (KAP) headed by Ms Mimi Sancho and Ms Sherri Thompson will present their first IKF and ISCF Sanctioned event in at the "ROXY" in Atlanta, Georgia. This will be KAP's first try at promoting kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts. They will join other successful IKF Georgia promoters such as the The Carlson's, Valdosta Martial Arts, Sukotai and Gauntlet Productions just to name a few.
Although there will be plenty of exciting IKF Kickboxing action on the event the main event will feature a special ISCF (International Sport Combat Federation) Pro bout between Jason Miller who now lives in Hunnington Beach, CA, USA Vs Todd Carney of Moundsville, West Virginia. Although no titles will be on the line tonight there's sure to be plenty of exciting action. For more event info please contact K.A. Productions, Inc. Mimi Sancho at (404) 245-0799 or Ms Sherri Thompson at (404) 843-0079 or by e-mail by clicking HERE! The IKF & ISCF Event Representatives for this event will be Mike & Elizabeth Carlson. The IKF event Referees will be Gary Brown and Scott Hicks. The ISCF event Referee Cam McCargue.
MORE NEWS OF 8-16-02
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IKF WOMAN'S WORLD TITLE Up For The Taking In England!
This Sunday night, August 18th in Reading England two European
Women will face off in the ring for the vacant IKF
Woman's MTR Bantamweight (120.1 - 124 Lbs. or 54.6 Kg - 56.3 Kg)
World Title. Well known England
fighter Karen Harding (Left) of England will meet Gulzara
Azizova of Kazakhstan in what will be a thrilling 5 round MuayThai War
between 2 exciting women fighters. As an amateur Azizova won a European
version of an Amateur World Title from another organization which was followed
by winning an Asian Thai boxing Title. she currently has a "PRO" fight
record of 5 wins and 1 loss.
Yulia Khalturina of Kaliningrad, Russia is the current
IKF European Champion at the Bantamweight
class however after several repeated attempts to contact her trainer Youri
Belousov by IKF
Europe Director
Mr. Alby Bimpson
(Right)
the IKF Europe
division was forced to bypass her when Harding challenged for the
vacant World Title.
On the same event will be a special European title eliminator bout with the winner to fight for the title held by Imaran Shah (10-1) of London, England in October. Kamal Suvazov (8-2) of Kazakhstan will face off against Paulo Silver (6-3) of Crowley England. Silver already had his shot at Shah when he lost the bout and the chance to win the vacant title. If he wins Sunday we may see a rematch of the two again unless someone else steps in the picture.
There are others that come to mind here too. All 3 in mind are
all from Belarus and trained by
Evgeny Kotelnikov
(Left) who already has 3 Great IKF Champions, IKF MTR Intercontinental Welterweight and Super
Welterweight MTR World Champion Dmitry Shakuta,
IKF Pro MTR
Lightweight World Champion
Visily "Torrero" Shish and
IKF Pro MTR
Intercontinental Champion, Alexey "The Diamond" Pekarchik.
The 3 Atomweight (117 or 53 kg & Below) contenders include fighters Georgy
Beradze (31-6/8), Dmitry Koren (25-6) and Sergey Tsibulski
(38-6/8). All 3 have impressive records and if they are anything like
Kotelnikov's current three IKF Champions, we'd like to see them as top
contenders for the vacant IKF MTR
Atomweight World Title.
Suvazov is no second rate fighter though so don't let his 10 fight record fool you. He was a runner-up for the Thai boxing world amateur championship and he recently won the 2002 Prince Cup in Thailand. However, he may be short of the needed PRO Experience to go for a European let alone an IKF World Title.
Also on the Sunday card will be the quest for the vacant IKF MTR European Super Welterweight (147.1 lbs. - 153 lbs. or 66.9 Kg - 69.5 Kg) Title. Number 4 IKF Ranked Steve Wakeling of London England (8-1) has won plenty of other organizations titles as an amateur and pro but this will be his first shot at an IKF Title when he takes on Junior Herbert of Bedford England with an overall kickboxing record of 13-9. Obviously the question comes up if the record of the number 6 IKF Ranked Herbert is valid for a Pro Continental Title? His proven ability over has last several fights has brought him to be such a contender, as per example, his rank among the European fighters in this weightclass.
There has been a lot of problems with opponents falling out on this event as well as problems attaining fighters Visa's. Something many promoters are having difficulty with around the World since the tragic September 11th terrorist attack in the USA. The promoters of the September 28th, Butler Pennsylvania, USA Event are having the same problem. The challenger Jimmy Stewart of Butler, PA, USA is of course ready and waiting for his shot at the IKF Super Welterweight World Title. However getting the Champion Vladimir Avtamonov over to the USA from Omsk, Siberia, Russia to face him has not been a cakewalk. Still at this moment the Visa's for Avtamonov and his team have yet to be approved.
For more info on this Sunday's England event please contact IKF Europe Director Mr. Alby Bimpson at Phone/ Fax: 44 174 473 9043 or by e-mail by clicking HERE!
MORE NEWS OF 8-16-02
New WebSite For K-1
Star
Mike McDonald!
In this sport, MARKETING is EVERYTHING! The associates of K-1 Star Michael McDonald (Right) went all out on a GREAT WEB SITE for him! Lots of GREAT Pictures both in and out of the ring, full bio, history, press-kit, media info, booking info. You name it, the McDonald Team thought of it!
This is a site EVERY fighter who
is as serious about his or her career as Mr. McDonald is should have...
Get busy everyone...
It's time to step up to the plate
and "MARKET" Yourself!
Check it out at www.blacksniper.com
THURSDAY, August 15th 2002, AT 10:15 AM, PT
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Finney's
St. Louis RESULTS!
August 6th, 2002
After winning 4 2002 IKF USA
National Titles from their 6 fighters at the 2002
IKF USA National Amateur Championships the
Finney
Kickboxing Team stepped back into the ring to host another
Exciting Kickboxing event only 2 days after the National Amateur Championships.
IKF Promoter and trainer
Jesse Finney and his 
Finney
Kickboxing Team featured more amateur kickboxing at Lucky's
Nightclub On The Landing in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. This event was obviously
harder to get fighters due to the National Tournament. However the crowd was
about the same as previous "Tuesday Night Fights"
that Finney's promote. Here's the nights results;
For more event info, please contact Mr. Jesse Finney at (314) 351-5226 or by e-mail at finneys@finneyskickboxing.com or see their website at...
WEDNESDAY, August 14th 2002, AT 12:10 PM, PT
Bartanalli World Title Defense Is OFF!
It's breaking news so
we're posting it as soon as possible. About an hour ago the IKF was informed that IKF
Pro Light Middleweight World Champion Anthony Bartanalli (Right)
of Phoenix Arizona, USA will not be able to defend his World Title against
challenger Larry Jarrett of Bradenton, Florida, USA at the end of this
month at the Win-River Casino in Redding, CA, USA. (August 31st).
According to Bartanalli's trainer, Anthony was hit by a drunk driver about a week ago. Although he is out of the hospital, the doctor's won't release him for the fight due to injuries he sustained during the accident. This late notice now leaves promoters scrambling to try and find a replacement for Jarrett so he can at least make it to California for a fight. Although the World Title won't be up for grabs, there may be another title available for him. We'll keep you posted on this as more info comes in.
MORE NEWS OF 8-14-02
SAN
SHOU WORLD TITLE
OTT
Vs MARINOBLE!
On the same card as above,
at the Win-River Casino in Redding, CA, USA (August 31st) IKF Pro Middleweight World Champion Dave
Marinoble (Left) will
venture into unchartered territory as he walks into his first San Shou match of
his life to challenge #1 contender Rudy Ott (Right) for the
vacant IKF Pro San Shou Middleweight World
Title. "A fighter who NEVER fought San Shou is fighting for a WORLD
TITLE??? Yes, we too had our doubts of this however, as many know, San Shou
opponents are not easy to come by as proven in many past San Shou Title Bouts of
the past.
Marinoble was selected for 2 reasons, 1: Because he actually made the call to the IKF asking for the shot against Ott and 2: Because of his background in Both Sport JuJitsu and Mixed Martial Arts, not to mention his impressive undefeated kickboxing record and holder of 2 IKF Pro titles (IKF Super Middleweight FCR North American and IKF World FCR Middleweight Title).
Marinoble's background is as equal to if not more than
past San Shou title contender Shoni Carter of Chicago, Illinois, USA who
lost his quest to an IKF San Shou World
Title to 
IKF
World Champion Cung Le (Right) back on December 15th, 2001 in
San Jose California, USA. Carter's throwing background, if any, came
from mixed martial arts as a UFC fighter. However he never even came close to
throwing Le in their bout which was due in part to Le's
greatness as a San Shou fighter as well as Carter's lack of skill in San
Shou style fighting.
Originally Ott was to fight a fighter from Russia, however after a background check was done the IKF discovered the challenger only had 1 Pro fight and had no experience in any throwing styles at all. More information was asked to be sent to the IKF by his trainer but as the weeks went by, nothing was ever received.
The outcome between Marinoble and Ott is really unknown to all of us. However on paper, it's clear Ott will have the obvious advantage. We say this because everything Marinoble is good at, Ott will be able to counter with his throwing skills. If we were Marinoble's manager, we'd tell him not to take the fight, but it was Marinoble who approached the IKF "asking" for the fight, the IKF didn't ask him. The promoters of the event were surprised Marinoble stepped up as well. As a Full Contact Rules World Champion with an undefeated record he has only his ego to lose. A win will surprise many but a loss may never be questioned since he's venturing into an unchartered style for him. Some may call him brave while others will call him crazy. On the other side of the ring though, of Ott wins, some may question his opponent and his skill as a San Shou fighter. If he loses, Ott will be questioned even more. However the fact is, Ott is an "Excellent" San Shou fighter and whether it's Marinoble in the ring with him or anyone else, Ott will come to fight as well as put on a SHOW!
One thing to question is if Marinoble is not realizing Ott's skill level as a San Shou fighter? We've seen Ott improve tremendously over the last few years and there's no question he's "THE" top contender for this World Title in the minds of the IKF! If Marinoble is overlooking his skill, Ott may give Marinoble a lesson in San Shou he will never forget, and Ott has the ability to do it. But who knows what Marinoble (Ring name, The Madman) will come to the ring with. He may have just enough knowledge and skill in throwing and defense of throwing to hang with Ott. If so, we're sure to see a war. If not, it may be a wake-up call for any other fighter who is so eager and ready to change rule styles in the future just to get a fight. Whatever happens, a precedence will be set from it...
MORE NEWS OF 8-14-02
POSTED AT 11:30 PM, PT
Delayed Post...
"Butler's
Stewart Wins 10 Round Battle!
IKF
Sanctioned Butler Pennsylvania, USA - July 20th, 2002
JOHN
ENRIETTO Eagle Sports Editor - BUTLER TWP
Jimmy Stewart (Right) says his time is now. And his timing was right Saturday night, July 20th, 2002. Stewart held off a hard-charging Bernard "Swiftkick" Robinson (Left) to win a 10 round unanimous decision at Skate Castle and improve his professional kickboxing record to 15-0 with 9 KO's.
Stewart controlled the first five rounds of
the fight by keeping Robinson
against the ropes and landing combinations of punches. "I had to keep
him on the ropes," Stewart said. "He has that
nickname for a reason. Bernard is a deadly kicker and I had to cut down
on the space between us."
I
