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SATURDAY, May 29th, 2004, AT 12:10 PM, PT
KONGNAPA!
Where Are You?
If you are reading this,
WE NEED TO TALK TO YOU! We have a challenge for your IKF World Title. we need to know where you are and
if you are still fighting. If so, we would like to discuss the challenger and
proposal with you ASAP!
The 36 year old Kongnapa won his IKF Light Middleweight Pro
MuayThai Rules
World Title on
November 10th, 2000 - (KONGNAPA
IS BACK!) in Atlanta Georgia on one of Lane Collyer's
IKF events. In the win he defeated Pedro
Villaoobos (Left) by KO at 1:54 of round 2. As of our last update on
his record he had 106 wins, 10 loses, 6 draws and 53 wins by KO/TKO. Since his
title win, no one has ever challenged the Champion. However, over the last 18
months, we have had no luck in contacting him for updates. Even his last known
trainer/contact (Mick Doyle in Omaha, Nebraska, USA) didn't know how to
find him. Now our contact with him is a priority
because we have a challenge for him with a promoter who is willing to promote
the bout, but we still can't seem to find him.
So if you know where Kongnapa is, or if you are reading this Kong, please contact us here at the IKF by phone at (916) 663-2467 or by e-mail at main@ikfkickboxing.com. Please leave us a return phone number for contact if you are greeted with our answering machine.
Otherwise
We will
have no other choice but to retire his IKF
World Title so that others have an opportunity to fight for it.
FRIDAY, May 28th, 2004, AT 12:50 PM, PT
INSIDE KUNG FU & IKF MUAY THAI!
If you haven't already, you may want to
check out the July Edition of
Inside Kung Fu (On News stands now - Cover
shown is not the cover for July, 2004). The issue has a special "MuayThai" section beginning on page 114.
the section starts off with an article from the book "Muay Thai - A
Living Legacy" entitled "Approaching the Ring Rites".
Next they have an article from California based Referee Nelson "Doc"
Hamilton. On page 116 there is a section called "Technique WORKSHOP".
On page 117 they have a Gym Profile written by writer Michael Afromowitz
along with an article about MTV following Master Toddy's team (From
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA) around.
Also on page 117 is a press release about this years 2004 IKF/TKO North American Classic. There are some errors in this press release that were our fault, not Inside Kung Fu. The first is not really an error but a revision. As many here know, the event is now in Orlando Florida, not Cedar Rapids Iowa. The other errors were the number of fighters in each division from last years 2003 IKF/TKO USA Nationals. The article says there were only 17 International Rule fighters. There were actually 63. The article said there were 29 MuayThai rule fighters but there were only 25. The Full Contact Rule style numbers were correct at 112 for the total of 200.
On the following page (118) you will find the IKF Pro Muay Thai Rules Rankings. The rankings you will see are from March, 2004. These have changed of course some since we sent this list to Inside Kung Fu so for actual "Current" Rankings, please see our IKF Pro Muay Thai Rules Rankings by clicking HERE.
We here at the IKF would like to thank Inside Kung Fu Editor Dave Cater for his work in putting this new section together for not just Muay Thai fans but all fans of the sport of Kickboxing. we would also like to thank writer Michael Afromowitz for recommending the IKF Rankings for this section. Support their efforts by purchasing a copy of Inside Kung Fu today.
MORE NEWS OF 5-10-04
Wouldn't It Be Great...
By Steve Fossum
Wouldn't it be great if we went a whole week on the Kickboxing Message Board without attacks at other people and other events? It sure would. Recently on the Kickboxing Message Board there has been a lot of discussion about an IKF Regional Tournament and another organizations National Tournament, both taking place in Virginia in June. To avoid more attacks, (We have removed a lot of these from the Message Board) let me address a few things.
1: BYPASSING THE
IKF REGIONAL IN YOUR REGION
If you have an
IKF Regional
in your area but also another event, and for whatever reasons (It doesn't
matter here what they are) you want to attend the other event or you just
don't want to go to the regional in your region, we have no problem with this.
However, if you plan to go to the 2004 IKF/TKO
North American Classic, you will need to pay the $20 Regional
Directors fee. to do so, you will register using the page at this link:
Regional Waiver
Registration For The IKF Classic
2: THE STAGE HAS BEEN
PROVIDED
To add to number 1, I find it kind of odd that so many in the
North East in the past have always complained they didn't have an
IKF Regional
in their region, thus, always putting them at a low seed at the Championship
Finals. Well, now you have one, and I understand some
of you would rather go to another event to win belts. Thats fine, but consider
your support here of your Regional Director that has spent his own money, time
and effort to bring you this Regional Tournament Many
of you always ask us to support you, or ask this promoter to get you a fight on
his other events, yet you don't feel it works both ways. In turn, you simply
don't support him and some of you, don't even have the professional respect and
courtesy to simply return his phone calls. There is something to think about
there.
3: DATES AND TIMING
As
for the "DATE" and "TIMING" of the IKF Central East - Virginia Regional Tournament,
there was NO INTENTION to cross with another event in the same state.
ALL IKF
Regionals have always been done in either May or June. ALL must be completed
by July 1st. This meant that Craig Smith had NO CHOICE
to move his event away from the other. It had to be done in June. So get off the
"attacking Craig for his date" issues. We here at the IKF should take the blame for this if there is any
because WE told him it had to be done by July 1st.
4: RULE STYLE
As I
understand, this other tournament in question has mainly been a supporter of leg
kick and muay thai fighters. Yes, they have had some full contact, but mainly
leg kick and muay thai styles. Mr. Smith's Regional
is ONLY Full Contact rules. Which
means, if you want to attend the 2004
IKF/TKO North
American Classic in Muay Thai or International Rules, you will "NOT"
have to pay that $20 Regional directors fee we mentioned above. This is because
the fighters in these rules styles, still do not have a regional in their area.
Instead, you would register for the 2004 IKF/TKO North American Classic as a "Walkover
Fighter". To do so, go to this link: Join Walkover.
5: LISTING FIGHTERS
Last
year the person who heads up this other tournament in question "Promised
and assured me personally" that he would list ALL registered
participants of his event WEEKS prior to it. The reason for this was so others
could see who their competition was, who was scheduled to fight who, and more
so, to assure they had competition so they would not make a trip there for
nothing. So I ask, "Where is this list?"
We here at the
IKF have ALWAYS made our
Fighters List PUBLIC to everyone on the
IKF pages for the IKF Championships. In addition, Mr. Smith
has chosen to make his list public as well which you can see on this page:
HERE.
So it
would be nice to see a list for Every Tournament so everyone can see who
is attending and who, if anyone, there competition will be. No, boxing does not
do this, but hey, I will always believe that we are BETTER than those organizing
boxing. At ANY LEVEL! So lets "BE BETTER! WE ARE
KICKBOXING!"
6: WHICH IS BETTER
Which
of these two events in question are better? Simple answer, Neither.
These
are two separate events, two separate organizations, two separate promoters.
NEITHER should be slammed and neither should be made out to look better than the
other. From what I have been told, Brian Crenshaw (R) has done a
great job with the
WKA Nationals event over the years. Simply put, BOTH
are providing opportunities for fighters. Because of this, it is not our job or
Craig
Smith's (L) job or Brian Crenshaw's job to FORCE
you to go to one over the other. YOU as a fighter and trainer shall choose which
you desire and we "DO" support your choice at taking
the opportunity to fight on either event so there should be NO BICKERING about
this issue.
7: OPPORTUNITIES
Years
ago, NONE of us had an opportunity to go to ANY Amateur Tournament. Now the
amateur fighters have been offered 2 and sometimes three choices to attend
tournaments around North America to become the best. We should ALL be thankful
of these opportunities no matter what alphabet letters are at the top of the
poster. The fact is, WE ARE ALL KICKBOXING! Lets try to SUPPORT each
other rather than destroy each other! Support for each other will only mean more
growth of our sport. If we pull out our guns and shoot it out there will be less
of us and less of our sport. Lets support our growth and the growth will reward
us all in the end. Besides, it never hurts to be able to put SEVERAL Titles on
your fight bio. That is ALWAYS an impressive site to see!
8: IN CLOSING
Support
and Opportunity.
These two things are what this whole topic is all
about.
Support those who you "WANT" to support you. This goes
both ways so don't expect others to do for you what you are not willing to do
for them.
To succeed in life, sometimes we need to grasp at every available
opportunity. Make our own path and go for it. I have two sayings on my desk that
say,
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I... I took the one less
traveled by, and that has made all the difference." by Robert
Frost.
And
"Sometimes you can get where you want to go by
just going there." - Unknown Author.
Odly enough, these phrases
have helped us here in the IKF to push
forward into new ventures that grow our company as well as the sport overall.
Some succeed, but as the natural balance of life goes, some of course will fail,
but still, we are never afraid to try and we never give up! Sometimes such
choices will require
sacrifices, but you will have to
determine for yourselves if the sacrifices are worth the exchange of the reward
from the opportunity.
I hope all this makes sense and is not taken the wrong way
where some of you will still feel you have to argue what I have said here. I
wish Brian Crenshaw the best of luck with his
WKA Nationals. I wish Craig Smith the best
of luck with his IKF "Full
Contact Rules" Regional Tournament.
Now... Lets move on...
THURSDAY, May 27th, 2004, AT 7:00 PM, PT
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The Axeman
Retains His Title
And The
Wonderboy
Is Wonderful!
Ray Thompson's
Martial Arts Mahem IV In Simpsonville, South Carolina, USA
May 15th, 2004!
By Steve Fossum
IKF Simpsonville, South Carolina, USA: With all the work that has been going on around here at IKF headquarters the news on this event had to be held up a bit. Not because it wasn't worthy of getting out to you fight fans immediately, but I just couldn't see rushing a good article about a great event so I have been adding to this story when I get a moment since getting back. To understand more about what all transpired on the way back I took the time to explain it all at the bottom of this article.
To the SHOW!
Nothing new to report from South Carolina! Nothing new to report about Ray Thompson! Nothing new to report about Raoul Doucet! Nothing new to report about Stephen Thompson! Nothing new to report about referee Dan Stell. Nothing new to report about MC Sky Drysdale. In fact, I see no reason to fill anyone in on anything about this event because it was just the same ol thing from all of them. FANTASTIC!
As usual, EVERYONE from
the State of South Carolina was Fantastic to us while we were there, but that's
nothing new. The folks there have always went out of there way to make EVERYONE
feel great. From the Hotel to the restaurant sponsors to the venue team and of
course, the crew of Upstate Karate! Can't forget Tim Bachman's (L)
Remote Control Production Crew for
doing another Fantastic job behind the cameras either. In addition, the State of
South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulations (State Boxing
Commission) was also great to work with. We would like to thank Mr.
Larry Hall and Mr. Jimmy Knotts along with the rest of the State of
South Carolina Team in attendance at the event for assisting the IKF and Mr. Thompson in such a great event.
We hope to see you all next time. So as you can see, nothing is new to report
about the great state of South Carolina.. So we can move on...
Nothing new to
report about Ray Thompson! (R) Ray was once again a
true Master at work in every action. From the organizing of this event to
dealing with the many people involved, all the way to the love and proper
discipline of his children, I couldn't ask to be associated with a better man.
Ray, I am honored to call you friend! But we only like you because your
wife Gloria makes you look better... But don't all our wives...
Fantastic job to Ray Thompson... But again, Nothing new there.
Nothing new to
report about Super Heavyweight Pro fighter Raoul "The Axman"
Doucet. (L) As he has always done Raoul took his time to get
started but once the gears were in motion, its hard to stop a true and strong
Super Heavyweight like him. Always the professional gentleman and always a great
Champion in the ring. Copeland gave him a great fight for the first few
rounds but size does make a difference when you get into the Super Heavyweight
ranks and Brooks will be pleased to know, he didn't miss anything by
missing Raoul's fight this time. It was yet another win for his record
book so nothing new there.
For all the
news you have been waiting about as far as that kid Stephen Thompson, (R)
the one they call "Wonderboy". I am sorry to inform
you that if you have seen this kid fight before, you didn't miss anything here
either. Stephen moved left with extreme quickness, he moved right with
extreme quickness, he moved back (when needed to which doesn't happen often
in his fights) with extreme quickness. Sadly to report for his opponent,
Kadir Kadri of West Babylon, New York, Stephen was once again,
as usual, able to move forward with his "Super - Wonderboy - Extreme -
Speed" too. Unfortunately for Kadri, as he did he usually
brought some heat and leather with it and it, as usual, resulted in doing damage
to his opponent by way of a knock out.
Nothing new to report
about referee Dan Stell. (L) As always he was the lead man in
charge of the ring all night and once again, surprised none of us with his
excellent work. He protected the fighters and made the right calls when they
needed to be made, including catching a difference in glove size on one of the
bouts that was an honest mistake made by the glove runners. Still, very few
referees would have caught such a thing but it was business as usual to Dan.
I think the fact that Dan was a 3 or 4 time kickboxing Champion himself
makes his awareness in the ring so great. But whats new with that, he has
continued to 
impress is in the
middle of the action for years now... So nothing new to report here either.
Nothing new to report about MC Sky Drysdale. (R) As usual Sky took center stage and gave us all the information from center ring. Dressed to impress in the known SKY-MAN Tux, Sky made all of us look like a bunch of bums, but than again, whats new about this. Sky has always been about one thing, Lookin Good! And there was no change here, as usual, Sky looked and sounded great as the nights MC! So nothing new to report here either.
So as you can see, there is really nothing new to report to you if you missed this event. Especially if you have heard about any of this before or had the pleasure to either see these people in action or, in a worse case scenario, be on the receiving end of one of Raul's or Stephen's heat in the middle of the ring... Or on the ropes, wherever you happen to be inside that square with the ropes. So I guess I can take a break now since I have nothing to report new. I think I'll go watch some new reality TV show. Something always seems to turn up a surprise on one of them...
So much for the latest in Reality TV! They had NOTHIN
on this event!
And besides, I haven't told you about all the other
great fights, not to mention the competitive desires of those who faced the
Wonderboy and the Axeman! The question is, where to start... Well, lets start
from the beginning. that always seems to work in other things.
Junior Amateur FCR - 3 Rounds: The night started out with a Junior bout that was nothing short of action. If people looked at this bout as a warm-up bout, I can assure you, things were "HOT" in the arena room by the time of the final bell! Andrew 'Hotshot' Potts of Simpsonville, South Carolina (2-0/1, 75, 4'6", 11, Ray Thompson) faced off against Tyler Price of Kernerville, North Carolina, USA (6-2, 80, 4'6", 11, Frank Price) in what looked like a bit of a mismatch on paper but it was anything but this in the ring. These two young Gladiators went at it like seasoned pros looking for a title! When the dust cleared, you could have tossed a coin in my opinion as to who won, which was exactly why I was glad I am never a judge. Although judge Lee Branham saw all three rounds for Potts with a final score of 30-27. The other two seemed to see it as close as I thought it was. Judge Tony Gouge apparently didn't get his coin out of his pocket in time to call a winner (just a joke there...) because he saw it like I did, 29-29, Even. Across the ring, Judge Randy Pogue of Pennsylvania scored it 29-28 Potts giving Andrew 'Hotshot' Potts the majority decision win. Great fight by both these Juniors! We hope to see them both at the North American Classic in August!
Amateur FCR - 3 Rounds: As if things were not heated up enough Kevin Corron of High Point, North Carolina, USA (8-3-1/1, 264, 6'2", 18, Ronnie Copeland) and Brandon Williamson of Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA (4-3/0, 348, 6'2", 19, Craig Smith) took it to yet another level! These were two big men in small square and all that stood between them both was little Dannie Stell... The third man in the ring. But as always, no one is ever too big for our man Dan! Just the same, he let these guys go at it as best they could. In the end, Kevin Corron was able to pull out the close win by split decision as Judge Tony Gouge scored it 29-28 for Corron. Judge Lee Branham also scored it 29-28 for Corron, while Judge Randy Pogue had it 30-28 for Williamson.
Amateur FCR - 5 Rounds: In bout three I guess Ray Thompson thought he needed more fireworks since he matched up our good friend Brendan 'Cash Money' Carpenter of Simpsonville South Carolina (Am KB: 1-0, AM BX: 70-2/38, 208, 6', 37, Ray Thompson) against 'Super' Spencer Tart of Archdale, North Carolina, USA (11-3/4, 206, 5'10", 47, Ron Chewning). Carpenter has had a lot of amateur boxing experience but that was about 10 years ago. this would be his first shot at kickboxing and Ray couldn't have put him with a stronger opponent for his first time out of the gate. Carpenter looked composed and smooth in his skills but what impressed us most in this bout was the tenacity of his opponent, Tart. We have seen Spencer fight before but I must say, we have NEVER seen him fight like he fought on this night. Maybe Carpenter brought something out of him but whatever it was, this Lion was re-born. I'm sure that years ago, some of the Tart faithfuls have seen the Lion in him come out before, but to us it was an impressive treat! Why are we talking Tart up so much? Well, anytime we see a "47" - Ya thats right, a FORTY SEVEN year old man fight like a 22 year old young gun, HE DESERVES PRAISE! don't sell Carpenter short here and I especially don't want to hear some stupid comment like someone put on the message board that read, "If he was so good, how come he didn't knock out a 47 year old man?" Well Mr. critical, and nameless I might add, I know very few who could have stopped Tart on this night. VERY FEW! With every shot he seemed to only get stronger! Carpenter hit him with several clean shots and Tart stood solid as an Oak! Although it was clear Carpenter won every round, our hats go off to Tart who reminded us of when Adrian Turpin fought Adam Silvia here in South Carolina and even more so when Turpin fought Bill Jadine, which was another great war just last November. Tart like Turpin stood up to every shot and gave back plenty in return! In the end Carpenter won it by unanimous decision as Judge Tony Gouge scored it 50-42, Judge Lee Branham scored it 48-45 and Judge Randy Pogue scored it 50-42. a Great first time showing by Carpenter and a great test for him too. And as noted, give it up for Spencer Tart! If he were to retire today, we would NEVER forget the effort in this bout!
IKF
Amateur US Super Middleweight Title - 5 Rounds:
By now you
might have thought you had seen enough, but if you have ever been to one of Ray
Thompson's events, you would know that you were just getting started. So was
the case when Peyton 'The Artist' Russell of Minneapolis,
Minnesota, USA (34-6/9, 169, 6', 34, CB Bunkholt) climbed in the ring to
face off against Clint Martin of Augusta, Georgia, USA (4-3/1, 172,
6'2", 22, Mark Grubel) for an IKF
Title! Russell had moved up in weight and we must say, he looked GREAT!
And he looked this way BEFORE the first round bell rang! Russell had not
only put on muscle but he was ripped too and was looking for a shot to be one of
the 2005 IKF Calendar boys! As round 1
started he looked stronger and in the same moment, more relaxed than we have
ever seen him in the ring, picking and choosing his shots with relaxed timing
and accuracy. This of course was bad news for Martin. Martin had won the
2003 IKF North American Tournament Middleweight Title
with ease last November when he defeated Michael Harris of Trinity North
Carolina, USA by unanimous decision, 50-45, 49-45, 49-45. Russell
couldn't be there because he was scheduled for a foot operation which we might
add, went successful and showed in his ring movement tonight. Round by round
Russell simply picked away and never seemed to shot for the stars and
try to win by a knockout. He simply did what he had to do and easily took the
win by unanimous decision as all three judges, Judge Tony Gouge, Judge
Lee Branham and Judge Randy Pogue scored this one 50-45 for the
new IKF US Super Middleweight Champion,
Peyton Russell.
IKF
Amateur East Coast Title - 5 Rounds:
If your tired of reading,
you may want to take a break.. That is if your not a real fight fan! For the
rest of us it was on to the next title bout! Shannon 'The Cannon'
Hudson of Greer, South Carolina, USA (22-9/10, 159, 5'8", 24, Kevin
Hudson) has been jinxed when it comes to winning title bouts. However on
this night, the curse was kicked away and Hudson had his mind and body
working in harmony as he stepped in the ring to face Steve 'The Warrior'
Mann of Richmond, Virginia, USA, (14-4/4, 156, 5'10", 36, Steve
Burna). Mann was exactly as his name calls it, "A WARRIOR!"
Like Tart had previously done in his bout explained above, the 36 year
old Mann took everything Hudson had to give him and still fired
back his own amount of punishment. This was a slugfest that was simply won by
the point game. Neither fighter was really in any trouble by the other but both
dished out plenty of leather on the other. In the end it was clear to the judges
that Hudson edged out the scoring round by round and took this title by
a hard fought and closer than the scores sound, unanimous decision. Judges Zack
Day and Lee Branham scored it 50-45 while Judge Randy Pogue
scored it 49-46, all three for the New IKF
East Coast Champion, Shannon 'The Cannon' Hudson
IKF
Pro North American Super Heavyweight Title *Defense
- 10 Rounds:
On the message board leading up to this fight there
were some posters that had predicted an early stoppage of Ronnie 'Kid'
Copeland of High Point, North Carolina, USA, (PKB: 22-5-1/17, 10-3-1/2,
PBX: 8-3/7, 217, 6'4", 30, Ray Thompson) when he faced the current IKF Super Heavyweight Champion, *Raoul 'The Axeman' Doucet of Hawkesbury,
Ontario, Canada, (PKB: 8-1-1/4, AKB: 6-1/3, 231, 6'2", 36) I could
not make such a prediction because I had never seen either fight at 100% and
with so much at stake. I had seen Copeland on video in a simple non
title bout where he seemed a little sluggish and not really motivated and I had
seen Doucet live in a fight that was over before it started when the
California State Athletic Commission made him and his opponent wait over an hour
after being warmed up to finally enter the ring after the event held an auction.
In that bout, Doucet's opponent simply "Gave-Up" in
like the 2nd round before taking any of Doucet's punishment as
Brooks Mason (R) has informed
us he is capable of dishing out from previous bouts he's seen Doucet in.
Needless to say, I was truly looking forward to this match-up.
Some thought we had given Copeland bad press in the
past because of who he fought and won his 2 KICK World titles against. However,
the truth is, no one can blame Ronnie for who finally steps in the ring
against him. The points we have tried to make is that Ronnie has done
what he had to do to win and win he did in those bouts. Our only worry going
into this bout for 
Ronnie when we
heard he made the challenge was that he was coming up in weight and to us, was
not a true "Super" heavyweight like Doucet is. This
was something even Karate and Kickboxing Legend Joe Lewis (Left -
who was at ringside for the event) commented on before, during and after the
fight. On Copeland's side though was that he had plenty of ring
experience. If the cards went Ronnie's way in this bout, it would be
because of that experience that would make a difference for him on this night.
Overall Copeland has stepped in the ring against opponents 53 times
coming away with a victory in 40 of those bouts, 26 winning by KO/TKO. Thats
saying a lot for any fighter! so with the match-up billed as "Strength,
Size and Power Vs Speed, Technique and Experience", we were set for the
first round bell.
Ding for Round 1: This round was in my
opinion went to Ronnie. He used his boxing skills to the best of his
ability picking and jabbing at Raoul and managed to follow up his hands
with some good kicks. On the other side Raoul looked like I was told he
would look by others that had seen him in long scheduled 10 round wars before.
Not explosive, not powerful, just plodding along to get a feel for the ring and
Copeland. In a way, some saw it as a lion stalking his opponent for a
future kill, but I saw it as a lost round for Raoul and a win for Ronnie.
Two of the three judges saw it as I did as Judge Tony Gouge and Paul
Pearman scored it 10-9 for Copeland while Judge Randy Pogue
scored it even at 10-10.
Ding for Round 2: In this round it seemed that Copeland had settled in and gotten comfortable with his hands and continued his needed kicks. Still, Copeland never really "Sat Down" on any of his power punches. Some had said after the fight this was a smart move with such a weight difference. Sitting in on his punches early could have made him an easier target for Doucet and Ronnie made sure he wasn't sitting very long anywhere in the ring for Doucet, making sure he kept on his toes and kept his movement alive. Still, Doucet wasn't sitting down on any of his punches either. In fact, Copeland's "Appeared" strategy of "Pick and Move" didn't hurt him because Raoul continued the same plodding game plan he had going in round 1. Was he stalking or was he getting warmed up for the later rounds? The question would be asked by many. Unlike a Dennis Alexio (Former IKF Heavyweight & Super Heavyweight World Champion) who came at fighters like a seasoned Welterweight from the opening bell forward, Doucet instead choose to be methodical and set his pace early, knowing he had plenty of time to bring on the heat. All of us saw round 2 for Copeland 10-9 giving him the lead on everyone's cards.
Ding for Round 3: Don't blink fans because things seemed to turn in a matter of moments here. It wasn't a landslide by any means but in round 3, Daucet seemed to get his feel of the ring down and started picking his own shots... At least in the opening part of round 3. As the round drew on, the two went quiet. Neither seemed to land any decisive shots and left little for the fans to watch until about 10 seconds left in the round Doucet landed clean spinning back kick to the right side of Copeland's head. So clean that "IF" there were any power with it it could have been the end. However, there wasn't anything behind it as Ronnie simply shook it off as the round ended. Even though the action was little, the judges seemed to be able to pick a winner, Judges Tony Gouge and Randy Pogue scored it 10-9 for Doucet while Judge Paul Pearman scored it 10-9 for Copeland.
Ding for Round 4: Copeland realized he needed to go back to square one, "Pick and Move" if he was going to win this thing. It was starting to be clear that Doucet would have the power as the rounds kept going and Ronnie needed to stay away from any chances of getting caught in a corner where Doucet could unload on him. Copeland worked his "Pick and Move" to perfection in round 4 taking the win on 2 of the judges cards, Judges Randy Pogue and Paul Pearman 10-9 while Judge Tony Gouge scored it even at 10-10.
Ding for Round 5:Things heated back up in Round 5... At least for Doucet. This round seemed to be a turning point for Doucet and a setback for Copeland. This was the round Doucet choose to "Pick things Up!" Copeland started the round busy but after one of Doucet's kicks to Ronnie's stomach hit Ronnie's arms and slid off them down low, Ronnie tried to acknowledge the kick was low, but the move cost him. Doucet answered Copeland's jester with a left leg round kick followed by a strong left hook square on Copeland's head. Quick to escape additional blows, Copeland was in the middle of Doucet's fire within about 15 to 20 seconds later when Doucet landed a couple of right hands, two great left leg round kicks and closed in more with several unanswered right hands squarely on Copeland's head. Another left leg kick by Doucet came up high and just missed Copeland in the corner, but it was the aftermath of the close call that cost Copeland the most. Doucet followed with a strong right hand as Copeland was still against the ropes which forced referee Dan Stell to step in to give Copeland a standing 8 count. Copeland took the count and went back into action. Doucet wasted little time in landing a couple more strong shots to Copeland's head. As the two went to their corners, Copeland's eye started to gush blood. A closer look and it was clear he had a wide cut over his left eye that was caused after he got his standing 8. What caused it though didn't know. Maybe a left jab that landed on his left eye directly after the 8 count or maybe the 3 punch combination Doucet threw after the jab, we just were not sure. We honestly thought the ringside physician may stop the bout at this point. However, he allowed it to go and a great job by Copeland's cut-man made what was a large cut seem like nothing at the start of round 6. Regardless, no question who won this round as all 3 judges scored it 10-8 for Doucet... And those watching started to feel that he Lion was waking up...
Ding for Round 6: As round 6 started, Copeland was determined to ignore the set-back he suffered in round 5. It was back to basics for Copeland and for the first time gave the crowd their brightest moment. Only seconds into the round Doucet threw a high left leg kick to Copeland's head. Not to be out done, Copeland gave us a Shot back for the IKF "Hits & Highlights" as he returned the favor back to Doucet with a beautiful left leg round kick of his own that landed squarely in Doucet's face and ROCKED his head back! This woke everyone up and brought back the Copeland fans who thought the end was near after round 5. A few seconds went by and the cut above Copeland's eye was back open again. Doucet seemed to stay active while Copeland's brightest moment in the round stayed with the 2 of the judges. Judge Randy Pogue scored it like we saw it, 10-9 for Doucet but Judge Paul Pearman scored it 10-9 for Copeland and Judge Tony Gouge scored his second even round for the bout at 10-10.
Ding for Round 7: In round 7 Doucet must have seen the judges cards because he realized he needed to pick the heat back up. It took awhile but Doucet woke Copeland up with a strong right hand square on Ronnie's head that sent him tumbling into the ropes but not down so referee Dan Stell didn't count it as a knockdown (Good Call). Doucet didn't waste any time as he fired back a right - left combination on Copeland. Copeland looked dazed on his feet but stood strong and continued to try and keep on his toes. Doucet went on to land a lazy ax kick and another right hand, still not phasing Copeland. Then a strong right leg round kick by Doucet against Copeland's arms drove Ronnie into the ropes and the power of a true "SUPER" Heavyweight was starting to show through as the rounds wore on. Ronnie was there physically but you could see in his eyes, he was not all there, at least not like he was in the beginning. Doucet's had landed plenty of clean right and left hands on his head but Copeland's heart and desire kept him in the bout. Then a STRONG straight left by Doucet ROCKED Copeland enough to force referee Dan Stell to step in and give him his second 8 count. Stell made sure to let Copeland know he was watching him close while in the corner and continued the round. This time it seemed as though the round bell couldn't have come soon enough for Ronnie. as Copeland went to his corner referee Dan Stell brought the ringside physician up to the ring to assure he was OK to continue. Copeland was simply "Spent!" He had been rocked several times and it was starting to show more and more in his eyes. All 3 judges saw this round the same at 10-8.
Ding for Round 8: Was it time for the Lion to Roar or would Copeland get his feet under him again and get back to his "Pick and Move" strategy in hopes to out-point Doucet for the win? It was clear the difference in the weight was now becoming more and more of a factor. Doucet still had his and Copeland seemed to have lost his sharpness and agility. Copeland was here with his heart at this point because he wasn't scoring like he did in the opening but then again, Doucet didn't make much of a showing in this round either. However he made enough for all 3 judges to give him the round unanimously 10-9.
Ding for Round 9: By now the fight fans thought Doucet was way up on the cards and far enough ahead he could coast to victory. But was he? Our thoughts were on Ronnie Copeland... What did he have left in his tank for Doucet? Was Doucet ready and primed now to drop the hammer on him and end it in round 9 or even 10? It appeared as so. Doucet was still strong while Ronnie looked tired and still dazed as he sat on his stool in the corner. Little did he know how close he was. Copeland had come this far as a Gladiator, fighting all the way, taking what Doucet had and even giving some back. With two rounds to go, was it close enough for Copeland to take the title or even be within reach? Many thought he needed a knockout to win. However, the truth was something different. Copeland was STILL in this fight mathematically but needed to win the final two rounds, one of them he needed to force Doucet to a standing 8 count, if he wanted to win. however, the chances of that were slim at this point. Ronnie had given his all and had little power left to offer, let alone a true Super Heavyweight. At the end of round 8, Judge Randy Pogue had Doucet way ahead as most expected 78-74. However Judge Paul Pearman surprisingly had Copeland close. VERY CLOSE! On Pearman's cards Copeland was only down by 1, 76-75. If Copeland could win the final two rounds, he could lead on Pearman's card 95-94, enough to take the title. However he needed to win both rounds and one of the last two by a 10-8 round on Judge Tony Gouge's card to take the title. Gouge had Doucet ahead by only 2 points at 77-75. If Copeland won the last 2 rounds by only scores of 10-9, he could finish with a draw on Gouge's card which would give him a "Split Decision Draw" at best and not enough to take the title. Simply put, the thought was true. He needed a knockout to win.
Doucet though was ready to close the door on Copeland.
He had had enough of Copeland's ability to stick with him and he was
ready to open it up. However Copeland wasn't ready to bow down yet... in
fact not at all, he started the round with a great kick and stood straight up to
Doucet. However in a blink of an eye, this fight was over! What I am
going to explain to you next was not known until we saw the replay a few seconds
after it all happened, but here is how the end came:
Doucet went to
high kick Copeland with a right leg round kick and Copeland
ducked straight into Doucet's right knee which hit directly on Ronnie's
temple. The blow knocked Copeland out COLD before he fell to the
canvas motionless.
Referee Dan Stell immediately waived the fight off and called for the Medical Doctor to the ring. WHAT HAPPENED? None of us could see? Did Doucet's kick dislocate Copeland's shoulder someone yelled? All in attendance were in shock! What hit Copeland? Copeland was eventually brought to his feet and helped to his corner and thanks to the EXCELLENT Camera work of Tim Bachman's Remote Control Productions crew, we were able to watch the replay to see how the end came.
Due to IKF Rules, the judges scored the final round and the decision went to the cards. Doucet was ahead on all the cards and appeared to be close to winning by KO or TKO at the time of the incident. As the judges cards were read, Judge Tony Gouge had it 87-84 since he scored the last round 10-9 for Doucet. Judge Randy Pogue had his score 88-84 since he had the final round a draw at 10-10. Judge Paul Pearman had it 86-85 and he too had the final round even at 10-10. By final tally, Doucet had successfully defended his title, in an ending he didn't desire, but will take. The win was ruled as an "Early Judges Decision due to a non intentional foul." Copeland was immediately taken to the hospital where he was fully checked out and it was reported to us he was recovering well. A TRUE GLADIATOR performance by Copeland who had come up a weightclass to challenge Doucet. We wish him a safe recovery.
All of us are feeling much better after receiving an e-mail
from Ronnie on the 23rd that said:
I just wanted to let you
know I am recovery and doing fine. After the fight, at the hospital the doctor
did an X-ray of my spine and also did a CT scan of my head. The results were
normal and I was released from the hospital after the tests were completed.
Take
Care Ronnie Copeland
Great to hear this Ronnie! You impressed A LOT of people with your performance on this night! Probably enough to come back and fight for the IKF Heavyweight Title now, a better and stronger weight for him. Time will tell if this happens and if it does, you want to be there for it! Wouldn't it be a GREAT Show if Ray Thompson promoted Roul Doucet's IKF Super Heavyweight World Title against... ? And the IKF Heavyweight World title between for example, number 1 ranked Mark Selbee and Ronnie Copeland? Now thats a show you better come see! Our hats off to Copeland for a gutsy performance and of course, to Champion Raoul Doucet. We look forward to seeing you both in the ring again soon!
OH WAIT... We still have another PRO BOUT!
Pro FCR - 7 Rounds:
This has probably been the most
awaited Pro debut of ANY Fighter in IKF History! Twenty one year old Stephen 'Wonderboy'
Thompson of Simpsonville, South Carolina, USA (189, 6', Ray Thompson)
had swarmed through the amateur ranks winning
16 Titles - 6 of them IKF
Titles including 3 IKF National Tournament
Titles and of the 16, 3 of them World Titles including the IKF Amateur World Title on way to an
undefeated record 
of 33 wins with 18
wins coming by KO/TKO. What was hard here was finding an opponent for Thompson
to take on in his Pro debut. A duty no pro fighter seemed to want. Already,
three fighters had pulled out of previous matches with the Wonderboy but
a call to New York didn't go unanswered as former kick Pro World Champion Kadir
Kadri (R) of West Babylon, New York, USA (PKB: 13-6-1/5, AKB:
14-4-1/6, 192, 6'1", 22, Thomas Ingargiola) answered back with a
resounding, "I Accept!"
So it was to be... The Wonderboy's PRO DEBUT! May 15th, 2004 in South Carolina, USA! The anticipation leading up to this bout was far worse than the action of the fight. Palms sweating, hearts throbbing, all wondering things like "How would the Wonderboy take a shot to his head without headgear?" or "How good is the former Pro World Champion Kadir?" or "Would Thompson be strong enough and have enough stamina to go all 7 rounds if needed?" After all the waiting, there was only one thing left for both these fighters to do and that was "Bring It ON!"
Ding for Round 1: After the
fight I had asked Kadir's cornerman if there was any one thing that took
Kadir out of the fight mentally or physically. He had told me that
before the fight Kadir had told him he was worried about Thompson's
round kick to his ribs. Well, nothing like getting right to the point for Kadir...
"THREE" seconds into the opening round Thompson landed
his powerful left leg round kick squarely on Kadir's right rib cage. As
Kadir's cornerman put it, this fight "Mentally" for
Kadir, was over at that moment, and from the sound of the impact, it
might have very well been the beginning to the end physically for Kadir
as well.
Thompson's stance is a lot like boxer Roy Jones.
Hands up but open, baiting his opponent to strike and when you do, Thompson
is so fast, the opening closes and you find yourself eating his right hand. Such
was the case all night long for Kadir. I asked him hours after the fight
if he tried to punch Thompson when his hands were open like that and he
simply answered, "I tried man, I REALLY tried. He was just too fast. It
was open and in an instant, it was closed!" Kadir found out
about the frustration other Thompson opponents have faced through his
career. For Kadir, he experienced it in the first few seconds of the
opening round and it didn't get any easier for him either. A few seconds later
and Thompson landed a spinning kick to Kadir's jaw, Kadir
tried to retaliate but Thompson answered with a right, a left, another
right... Well you get the picture. At the midway point Thompson started
shooting left hooks to Kadir's head and body. The round didn't come soon
enough for Kadir. Mentally game and here to fight, Thompson had
taken Kadir out of his game plan in only 3 seconds of the fight... This
bout started way faster than I expected for Thompson. He started like a
Dennis Alexio or a Kentucky Derby horse straight out the gate and into a
sprint! will Kadir last at this pace? We will soon see. However one
thing was sure here, Thompson was having NO RUDE
awakening to the Pro division as all 3 judges gave Thompson the round,
10-9.
Ding for Round 2: This was a
different Stephen Thompson tonight. NOT just because he shed the
headgear, but because he has matured greatly as a MAN! He has grown up and has
developed himself with the help of his trainer/father Ray Thompson into
a Top Fighting Machine! Will he continue or will he "EVER"
meet a match? Or is it here in Kadir? Did Kadir just get
surprised in round 1? Will he change his strategy in round 2? Lets see.
The
bell rings and right away these two start throwing kicks, but nothing to
highlight. than Thompson begins his combination, "Right hand, Left
hand, Left hand, Right hand and BOOM, a right leg kick to the
side of Kadir's head!" But wait, Kadir tries to counter
back, chasing Thompson across the ring.... but this is like chasing a
cat into a corner and in turn, the cat becomes a TIGER... Or in
Thompson's case, a LION! Thompson's avoids Kadir's
attack with his swift footwork and when ready, fires a right hand to Kadir's
head that lands square! One, Two punches later and a boot to boot sweep... What
kind of Wheaties
does this kid eat in the morning? Another Left, a Right and another HEAD
KICK! But Kadir comes back, he lands a left leg round kick of his
own on Thompson's face, but it doesn't faze Thompson at all as
he answers back with a spinning kick that misses but lands a strong left
followed by a right to Kadir's head. WOW! No surprise
here, Thompson 10-9 on all 3 judges cards!
Ding for Round 3: Do I really need to stress my fingers typing this round out? FINE!... I continue on... Within 5 seconds of round 3, a left leg to the ribs, a right hand to the head... Yes, by Thompson. More of the same. A few seconds later, spinning right leg side kick by Thompson's drives Kadir into the corner hard! still Kadir continues to try to penetrate Thompson's defense but to no avail. Every attempt is answered by more of the same by Thompson. Kudos to Kadir for staying tough through all this. Many have fallen before him and many will fall again by the hands and feet of Thompson, but Kadir stays in there. Nothing new on the score cards, 10-9 Thompson on all 3!
Ding for Round 4: How do you want this round description to start? The truth? Kadir comes out of his corner a defeated man in his eyes. He has experienced what many fighters don't want to, "He's been worked!" Better him than me or anyone else reading this! Kadir shows Gladiator GUTS and comes out to face the Lion again! Few would have even come out for another round, but here he comes, with no thought of giving up! The first contact is Thompson's right foot on Kadir's jaw as if to say, "Welcome to round 4... Remember me?!" Kadir stays strong, despite soon taking a spinning side kick to his chest by Thompson only seconds later. Then suddenly, "Here comes the storm! Raining down on Kadir!" It all starts with a straight left, then a right, a left uppercut, a right leg round kick, another left, another right, another left, another right and then the BIG Finish! A left hook to Kadir's ribs that sends him wincing to the canvas. It hurt us at ringside it was such a good shot! Referee Dan Stell steps in to start his count. It will be the first given 8 count of Thompson's pro career and it comes from the most unlikely of shots, a BODY SHOT! Will Kadir stand? Of course this Gladiator will, but still clearly in pain, as ANY of us would be! But NO MERCY here by Thompson. A Lion knows when their pray are hurt, injured and they know how to go after them. Thompson's first strike after the 8 count? A precisely placed left hook to.. you guessed it, Kadir's left rib cage and yes, Kadir goes down again for his second count of the round. But hey, he's up again. what a warrior! No giving in here. Not now, or at least, not yet! Thompson waste little time and throws a left leg round kick to Kadir's ribs which he blocks on his arms but Thompson fires his right leg which scores on Kadir's head. This is followed immediately with "TWO" right leg side kicks to Kadir's body. do you really need to read all this? the round ends and again no surprises. with the 2 8 counts, Thompson wins the round 10-7 on all 3 judges cards.
Ding for Round 5: Well, good thing for me this bout is about to end. My fingers are getting tired. Thompson opens the round with a left leg round kick that Kadir blocks. Then, at 16 seconds into round 5, history is made as Thompson lands another crushing left hook to Kadir's ribs. It didn't take referee Dan Stell too long to waive this bout over after looking at Kadir's face. Thompson gets his first Pro win by TKO. The official time of referee Dan Stell's stop is 19 seconds into round 5. Oh and don't forget the quick Thompson back flip in the ring to "Seal the Win!" At the time of the stop all three judges had this bout at 40-34. This ones in the history books, and all Stephen Thompson must be thinking about is, "Who's NEXT!?"
Kudos to Kadir for the first praise, SHOWING UP when others left Thompson hangin! Kudos to him for going toe to toe with Thompson from the start, never backing down and showing a true warrior spirit! We are sure to see Kadir back in the ring again on another event. But for tonight, all hats go off to Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson!
As usual,
a great job by Referee Dan Stell, Ring Announcer Sky Drysdale,
Promoter Ray Thompson and his "DYNAMIC"
Upstate Karate Promotional Team and don't forget, Tim Bachman and his
Remote Control Productions Crew
doing the nights filming for the IKF TV Show! For more direct info please
contact
Mr. Ray Thompson at (864) 967-3930 or by e-mail at:
TETSUSHIN2@aol.com or check out
www.upstatekarate.com
SO... WHY WAS THIS ARTICLE SO LATE?
The delays for this article actually all started at the Greenville
South Carolina Airport where my flight was delayed for takeoff due to Atlanta
weather for almost 2 hours. This of course caused me to miss my flight out of
Atlanta on Sunday. Rather than spend the night in Atlanta, I tried to catch a
connecting flight from Atlanta to Salt Lake City and then into California so I
would be able to do this article on Monday morning, the time I had blocked in my
schedule to do it. Well those plans were smashed when the Atlanta flight also
left late, about an hour late actually. Needless to say, I got into Salt Lake
City around midnight Sunday night, May 16th and after an experience in the Salt
Lake City Airport Sunday night, I finally boarded a plane for home, getting back
here Monday afternoon. Simply put, this simple delay threw my schedule off a
full 24 hours and with other things pressing us here (Orlando contract
issues for the IKF North American Classic, News for the Regionals, Web page
updates, etc. etc.) it just got delayed. Not to mention the fact I didn't
want to rush it through. I personally apologize for this delay to our readers.
WEDNESDAY, May 26th, 2004, AT 6:25 PM, PT
North
Central
Full Contact Rules
Regional Tournament.
Saturday, June 19th, 2004
Lake Zurich, Illinois, USA
ATTENTION Northern Midwest Full Contact Rule Fighters! Don't miss your upcoming IKF North Central Regional Event, June 19th!
STATES
States
included in this regional are Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan,
Indiana, Central& Eastern North Dakota (Time Zone Line East) and
Eastern South Dakota (Time Zone Line East).
REGISTRATION
Please
Note; The Registration DEADLINE is JUNE 9th!
Registration Forms need to be "Delivered"
- Not Mailed - by June 9th! This includes
the Regional Registration fee of $35.00. All checks for this regional must be
made payable to Z's Martial Arts Academy.
Applications
can be sent to the address below or faxed to the number below.
For your
Regional Application Form CLICK HERE.
HOTEL
Lodging can be
had at the Holiday Inn Express in Palatine, IL for $69.00 Night. This hotel is
approximately 4 miles from the venue. The telephone number is 847-934-4900. The
individuals must make accommodations and to receive that rate, you need to
mention you're with the Z's Martial Arts Academy Kickboxing Event.
TIMES-DAYS
This will
be a one-day event with weigh-ins and the rules meeting starting at 4:PM.
Central Time. The event will be held at Jimmy Z's
Ringside Fitness Facility at 410 E. Main St. Lake Zurich, IL. 60047
CONTACT FOR INFO
For questions
regarding this event, Ticket and other Fighter Information contact Rob
Zbilski at Z's Martial Arts Academy,
166 N. Randle Road, Lake in the Hills, Illinois 60156 847-458-8333, Fax:
847-458-8180.
"Walk the Walk"
To
the 2004 IKF/TKO Amateur North American Classic
Kickboxing Championships!
Your True Test to be The Best! BRING IT ON!
BELOW POSTED AT 3:30 PM, PT
MORE NEWS OF 5-26-04
What's It Worth?
By Steve Fossum
Sometime on Friday,
August 6th of this year, IKF Photographer
Glenn Berg and I will have decided which 3,000 (+ or -) mile
route to take for our trip to this years 2004
IKF/TKO North
American Classic in Orlando, Florida. We have 2 choices for our
journey. The Northern route will take us 2,994 miles (46 hours and 3
minutes...according to Yahoo maps) while the Southern route will take us
3,124 miles (48 hours and 18 minutes ...according to Yahoo maps) I'm not
sure why it's longer going the Southern route but it is...
Regardless, our 3,000
mile journey from the front door of the IKF
Headquarters to this years 2004
IKF/TKO North
American Classic in Orlando Florida will be as always, a looooong
drive.... If we take the Northern route starting off on Highway 80 East we will
blast out of California within about 90 minutes and into the open desert of
Nevada. Once in Nevada it will be some time before we get to any major size
city. The first one we will come to though will be the bright lights of Craig
Lamanna's city and home of Lamanna's 20,000 square foot "MEGA"
MuayThai Center, the Muay Thai Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah.
There were no fighters from Utah at last years Nationals but Lamanna
says that will change this year when he brings his own team of stars! After Salt
Lake the next big place is home to our good friend Dave Smith, Cheyenne,
Wyoming. Last year teams in Wyoming sent 8 fighters to the Nationals but all 8
lost in the opening round of competition. After Cheyenne someone will be sleepin
because it's about 1,000 miles until the next big attraction along this all too
familiar journey each year.
Highway 80 eventually takes a weird turn north just outside of Lincoln, Nebraska... well, weird for us anyway... at least for this year. The road will take us up through the Brooks Mason and Mick Doyle Country where Doyle's Mugendo Modern Martial Arts Center is located in Omaha Nebraska. Last year Doyle was the only Nebraska gym to send fighters. He sent 5 fighters to the Nationals and 2 came back with National Title Belts. Bryan Corley, MTR Middleweight and Tony Stumpf, IR Light Heavyweight. After a short stop to let Uncle Brooks slap us around to wake us up, we will get a visual of where this whole thing started some 6 years ago in 1999. It's called Harrah's now but it use to be Harveys Casino Hotel in Council Bluffs Iowa.
Just outside of Council Bluffs our route suddenly turns south onto Highway 29 which works best for us since we need to go South about then. From there we jump into Iowa but not close enough to see our friends up north such as Russ O'Connell in Waterloo, Dean Lessei in Dubuque and Pat Miletich in Davenport. Last year the 3 teams in Iowa sent 16 fighters to the Nationals with 3 of them, one from each team coming back with National Title Belts. They included Mariah Betts, Team Lessei, IR Junior Division, Junior Lightweight, Nick Anderson, Team O'Connell, FCR Junior Division, Super Welterweight and Marshall Blevins, Team Miletich, MTR Light Middleweight.
As we come out of Iowa around Hamburg, Highway 29 comes into
Kansas City, Missouri. Last year there were no fighters from Kansas but
Team Finney
of St Louis, Missouri and TEAM Voyles of Pacific,
Missouri sent 14 fighters to the Tournament with 10 of them coming back with
National Title Belts. Three were female and five of them were Junior Division
fighters. Champions from Team Finney included Leslie McNamara, FCR
Woman's Atomweight, Erin McNamara, FCR Woman's Flyweight, Marc
Mayfield, FCR Super Welterweight, Kevin Engle, FCR Light
Cruiserweight and Kevin Bozada, FCR
Heavyweight. Team Voyles had all
Junior Division (Ages 8-17) Champions. They were Brittanny Anic,
FCR Junior Division Light Atomweight, Sean Felts, FCR Junior Division
Junior Lightweight, T. J. Weir, FCR Junior Division Junior Welterweight,
John Felts, FCR Junior Division Lightweight and who could forget,
4 Time National Champion, 13 year old Justin
Lawerence (Right - 19-0/10) FCR Junior Division Light Atomweight.
As we exit Kansas City we move onto Highway 70 East towards our final destination, still some 1,300 miles away but as we go through Missouri we will be thinking of even more IKF people such as B.J. Huffman, Chuck Wolfe, Bon Terre, Dan Tharp and Jeff Ford just to name a few.
From Missouri Highway 64 takes us more East until we jump onto Highway 24 South through Southern Illinois headed for Nashville, Tennessee. Last year Illinois sent 12 fighters to the Nationals and came back with 3 National Title Belts. Those Belts belong to Sarah Ross, Team Z, FCR Junior Division Flyweight, Andy Hoffman, Team Blackorby, MTR Light Cruiserweight and "BIG" Mitch Matrasko, Team Garstki, FCR Super Heavyweight.
We will be too far south to shout out to the other known teams of the IKF such as Jim Klauba, Joe Gangi, Glenn Hudson, Sky Drysdale, Jimmy Blann and Ronnie DeLeon just to name a few. we will enter Tennessee around Clarksville on Highway 24 and into Nashville. Only one fighter entered the tournament last year, William Whitlow of Memphis, Tennessee. However he lost his opening bout to eventual champion Andy Hoffman by split decision 29-27, 29-26, 28-29. After Glenn humms a few notes at the Grand Ole Opry we will head out South-East on Highway 24 towards Georgia. We will enter Georgia near the town of Chattanooga where we eventually jump onto Highway 75 South. We will shoot straight through Marietta Georgia but according to the map, the city of Atlanta will tour us around the city rather than through it. But we still may need to stop in to say hello to a few of the Georgia faithful like Brett Moses, Mark Selbee and the crew of LA Boxing - Georgia. Others such as Mike Carlson, Ken Hudson, Gary Brown, Eddie Monger, Mike Wood and Scott Hicks just to name a few may be a little too far off the path to say hello to, but we will be sure to think of 'ya all' as we come through. We may get close enough to Macon Georgia where we can honk at Matthew Waller, and the same goes for James Corbett and his Valdosta Martial Arts Center in Valdosta but can't promise they will hear us. Last year Georgia sent 16 fighters to the Nationals and 3 came back with National Title Belts of which 2 of the 3 were women. Those Belts belong to Susan Wood, Team Wood, FCR Woman's Super Lightweight, Terrie Hicks, Team AMAA, FCR Woman's Super Welterweight and John Greubel, Team LA Boxing, FCR Welterweight.
As we enter Florida on Highway 75/93 we still have about 200 miles to go. Last year Florida sent 2 fighters to the Nationals and only 1 came back with National Title Belt, Jarett "JP" Perelmutter of Ft. Lauderdale, IR Light Welterweight.
If all goes as planned, sometime on Sunday, August 8th after something like 2 straight days of solid driving ( 46 hours 3 minutes according to Yahoo Maps.... ) we will pull up to the front door at the Wyndham Palace Resort and Spa and start the next big mission, unloading and setting up camp. Once we get set up, we will continue the additional work needed to prepare the place for those we created this weekend for, "The BEST Amateur Fighters in North America!"
So the question now is,
"What is it worth to all of you to get there?"
I
doubt anyone else will make the 3,000 mile drive Glenn and I will, and
don't forget, once the 2004 IKF/TKO North American Classic is over, we still
have to drive 3,000 miles back home. Gas alone just to get there for our trip
will be around $700.00 one way while flying there would only cost us about $200
each from Sacramento, California. But to us there is far more to it than
convenience and money saved in travel. As many remember, in
2000, UPS (United
Parcel Service - Who was actually our Shipping Sponsor for the event...)
lost all of the 75 Championship Belts between here and Council Bluffs, Iowa.
NONE of the Title winners were awarded their National Championship Belts
that year which meant fighters fought their hearts out and those who won had
nothing to take home with them. Lucky for us someone had brought their 1999
Championship belt to the event so we just used it over and over again to award
in the ring. Sure, the Champions all got their belts a few weeks later when UPS
finally found them. However, despite all this, I personally vowed at that event
that I would never again allow any fighter to leave the event without their
deserved award.
Nothing hurt worse than to see not just the adults, but the Junior fighters walk away with nothing. So, for the last 3 years, I have drove to this event. In 2001, Glenn made the trip with me when we hosted the event in Olathe (Kansas City) Kansas. To give you an idea to compare this years event venue to the one in Olathe that year, the event room in Kansas was only 6,600 square feet in size. In Orlando, we will be in a Ballroom that is over 18,000 square feet in size plus another 5,000 square feet of warm-up space just outside the door.
In 2002, I made the trip solo to Davenport, Iowa to the Radisson Hotel and River Center. A trip of a little over 1,800 miles. The River Center to us was too big (35,000 sq ft) but had plenty of open space for warm-up area. Last years drive to the 2003 National Tournament was about the same, a tad over 1,800 miles. With me, IAA Director Frank Curtis made the trip to the Crowne Plaza Hotel and the dynamic U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids Iowa. (Frank is the one who makes all the belts for the IKF.) As many know, we would have been going back there this year if not for a matter of several thousand dollars... and a better offer from Orlando for the Tournament. It would have also been about 1,200 miles closer for us to drive too. But this event has never been about convenience for us... and this event never will be. It's about creating the best stage for THE BEST amateur fighters and providing them an opportunity to be able to truly call themselves "THE BEST" when they win it!
This year those who win will be able to call themselves "'THE BEST In NORTH AMERICA!"" Yes, there will be some who say "Well he/she is not the best because I wasn't there..." My response is, "You could have been, but you choose not to." No attacks intended, but this is simply the truth. The SAME words have been spoken for 5 straight years by us here, and all the other camps and fighters who have made the sacrifices to travel to and attended this event from throughout the nation. Anyone and EVERYONE can attend this event but who will is the question every year? You need no prior qualifications, no minimum bouts, not even a winning record. Come August 14th, the first day of competition, all of the past means nothing. It's ANYONE'S Title to win now! The question is, "Will you be there?" If not, where will you be...and what will you be doing...? Instead of trying to be THE BEST?
There have been numerous fighters who entered this event with NO FIGHTS, only to walk away as Champions on Sunday. Fighters with losing records who have done the same. On the other hand, there have been great fighters with great winning records who have been surprised by the great competition and lost in the first round of the bracket on Saturday.
Some will be cutting weight all week leading up to the event just to secure their spot in their division knowing if they don't make weight, even after their allowed time limit to do so, they made the trip for nothing, which has happened only once in the tournament history. Some fighters will fight up to 3 times over the weekend while some may only fight once or twice. ALL the division brackets this year must have a minimum of 3 fighters in them to be a confirmed bracket. This way we are assured of great competition for all. Some will need to be awake early Saturday morning enough to bob and weave as well as kick and punch if they want to make it to the next round and of course, Championship Sunday. Some will stay in the event room all day just waiting for their moment to enter the ring. For those who win on Saturday, it's still not easy. Some will leave the ring victorious but with physical injuries that leave them questioning whether to return on Sunday... But as they think of the prize, all get back in the ring to "Bring it ON!"
No, this event is not about convenience and it's not about "What is Easy." If promoting this event were so easy, Everyone would be doing one. But we don't see any other events even close to this for Amateur Kickboxers in North America. Why? Because it's a lot of work and not to mention, expensive to do. The North American title belts alone this year will be a little over $230 each. Do the math on that number alone and with an estimated 60-80 Champions to award belts to, this number gets up above $13,000 and could be over $18,000 pretty easily. This event isn't about what is cheapest, what is easy or what is convenient. This event is about being a WINNER for all of us involved. As the saying goes, "Winners DO what losers won't!" So true a saying and we know that us here at the IKF want to be Winners!
There will be sacrifices made by many to make it to this event. Time off work, expenses for travel. You name it, we too can think of a thousand reasons why an Amateur fighter would not be able to make this event. Too far away, flight too expensive, can't get off work, can't afford the entree fee, afraid to fight unknown competition, will be somewhere else, will be fighting somewhere else that weekend, has other plans or even those who will say, "The IKF isn't good enough for me to go." Well my friends, this event has far outgrown the three letters "I-K-F." It is far bigger than any one person too. Far bigger than you or I and many others. This event is not about "1" organization or "1" person. This event is far more than that. It was not created by 1 person and it is not achieved every year by one person. This event is about "ALL of Kickboxing" and ALL who help to make it happen. The officials who will make this trip are "THE BEST in North America!" Most making the trip from their own expenses just to be with THE BEST! The trainers who give their valuable time for their fighters dreams will also be known as "The BEST in North America!" Of course, we can't forget those in the ring, the fighters, who ARE THE BEST! But those outside the ring play just as important of a role, the family, friends and fans who support each and every one of them. Speaking of support, lets not forget all of the sponsors of this event and sponsors of the many Fight Teams who have made themselves a part of the best thing for our sport... In North America!
This event is greater than any other event!
Yes, "ANY"
Other!
No offense to those "Other" big events but lets
look at what we have here...
Where else is there an event of this
size where truly EVERYONE is a part of it's success?This event is about being on the GREATEST Stage in North America for Kickboxing! Still, there will be reasons why some will not be able to make it to this event. And of those thousand or so reasons why someone may not be able to make it, we can only think of one reason why they should...
"To be Called
the BEST in North America!"
Fighters, trainers,
officials and of course, the friends, family, sponsors and FANS of our Great
Sport, KICKBOXING!
I guess the prize just needs to be worth more than the sacrifice to us all. I can assure you, when I see the first Title Belt wrapped around the first fighter on Championship Sunday, I will be reminded, WHY it was all worth the sacrifices made here. We will be there not just because of amateur kickboxing, but Kickboxing as a whole DESERVES such a stage where we can all see, in a fare event judged by the greatest of our peers and in front of those peers, who really are "THE BEST!"
MORE NEWS OF 5-26-04
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The Heat Is On
At the C & B Club Haydock England
Sunday
16th May 2004 - Promoter: Alby Bimpson
Reported By
IKF England: This was the first
show in several years in Haydock, England and had a great turnout. It was a
great night with great fights that thrilled the crowd who showed their
appreciation to both the local fighters and the visiting opponents.
BUT once
again we have the problem with professionalism in the sport or the lack of. We
all know with novice (Amateur) fighters who sometimes have their courage
disappear before the night and the odd one backs out. The week leading up to the
fight we had 12 bouts matched, on the night of the event, this was reduced to 5.
Trainers please let us remind you, if your fighters are not ready to fight DO
NOT PUT THEM FORWARD to be matched. Two fighters on the night were badly let
down, James Quirk and Mark Kiernan. It is not only the fighters
that are let down but all their friends and family that have attended to watch
them.
The bouts we had were so entertaining and technically good
bouts that everyone still had a great night, and are looking forward to the next
BUT FIGHTERS BE WARNED, promoters are getting sick and tired of putting
their own money up to put these shows on and end up running at a loss because of
fighters and trainers letting them down. There is a growing number of EX
PROMOTERS refusing ever to put shows on again for this reason. Many are
happy to break even, such as myself, to give people opportunities. If you cannot
take the sport seriously then please stay out of it, for the sake of the
fighters that do.
The bout results are as
follows:
IKF Event Officials:
Mike
Fowles, IKF International Referee
Clive
Tennant
Leon Kelly
Master Ronnie Green
Jacqui
Thompson
For more event info please contact Alby Bimpson at
jacquithompson@msn.com
MORE NEWS OF 5-26-04
The Next Big Thing
A few years back, we saw K-1 emerge as "The Next Big Thing". There were other things that followed this for our sport. The IKF Nationals, SuperLeague and the Golden Belt in Europe, the IKF TV Show just to name a few. But the question is now, "What is the Next Big Thing?" We have some ideas as to what they may be, who will be doing them and how they will effect you. Look for some of thee thoughts in the coming weeks. Or better yet, ask yourself, "What can I do for the sport to become 'The Next BIG THING!'"
TUESDAY, May 25th, 2004, AT 9:30 PM, PT
For The
6th Year In A Row The IKF Presents...
2004 IKF/TKO North American Classic
Amateur
Kickboxing Championships
MUAYTHAI - FULL
CONTACT - INTERNATIONAL LEG KICK
-Formerly The
IKF USA Nationals-
ALWAYS The Largest Amateur
Kickboxing Event In North America
OVER 200
Fighters Ages 8 and up.
This Year Fighters Will Come From USA,
Canada, Mexico, Greenland & Bermuda
August 13th, 14th & 15th In
ORLANDO, FLORIDA USA!
The 2004 IKF/TKO
North American Classic, Amateur Kickboxing Championships will be held
at The Wyndham Palace Resort and Spa in
Orlando Florida in the Walt Disney World Resort. The Wyndham Palace Resort and
Spa has 1,014 guest rooms and suites and is connected by hallway to the 18,000
square foot venue Ballroom. The hotel is located 17 miles from the Orlando
airport and has "3" Pools, Sauna, full Fitness Center, Steam Rooms,
outdoor whirlpools, Tennis 
Courts,
Volleyball, Basketball, Hot Tubs and Massage Therapy Center. Along with TKO,
Ringside Products is also an event sponsor.
Last years event (The 5th year of this event) registered 216 Amateur Kickboxers between the ages of 8 and 45. Of them 115 were above the waist Full Contact American rule style Kickboxers, 69 were International leg kick rules and 32 were MuayThai fighters. The actual 200 fighters that showed up to "Walk the Walk" fought a record number, 146 bouts over 2 days to determine the best amateur kickboxers in America in their perspective divisions. In the end, there were 55 IKF/TKO USA Championship Title Belts awarded.
This year the IKF will welcome amateur kickboxers from not just
the USA but from Canada, Mexico, Greenland & Bermuda (All part of North
America). This event is the Largest Amateur Kickboxing Tournament in North
America and has become the standard assessment for amateur kickboxers. It is the
true "Golden Gloves" for amateur kickboxing.
It is the incubator for the future of the sport and has
produced such Pro Stars as K-1 USA Champion
Carter Williams
of
Modesto, California, USA and 3 Time National, North American, Amateur World
Champion and Undefeated Pro Fighter
Stephen "Wonderboy"
Thompson
of Simpsonville, South Carolina, USA.
FIGHTER INFO
Regional Seeding events have been
scheduled for the month of June in several regions of North America. To see if
you are in one of these regions CLICK HERE.
To read more about the 2004 IKF/TKO North American Classic
CLICK HERE or contact the IKF Kickboxing Organization at (916) 663-2467.
Due to various reasons we have less regional events scheduled for this year. Regardless, Registration Deadlines for each Regional are approaching fast and the first registration Deadline for the Championship Finals in Orlando is July 10th, 2004.
Regional Events
North Central Muaythai &
International Rules Regional
Peoria, Illinois, USA, June 5th, 2004
REGISTRATION
DEADLINE: May 26th, 2004
Contact Mr. Ryan Blackorby: (309)
657-6787
STATES INCLUDED IN THIS REGIONAL: Illinois Minnesota
Wisconsin Iowa Michigan Kentucky Indiana Missouri - Above St. Louis North
Central
East - Mid Atlantic Full Contact Rules Regional
Virginia
Beach, Virginia, USA, June 12th, 2004
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: June 4th, 2004
Contact
Mr. Craig Smith (757) 491-1733 or by e-mail at:
Kickingboxing@aol.com
STATES
INCLUDED IN THIS REGIONAL: Virginia West Virginia North Carolina
Northern South Carolina - Columbia North Maryland Pennsylvania New Jersey
Delaware
South Central - AL Rule Styles - Regional
Memphis,
Tennessee, USA, June 12th, 2004
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: June 4th, 2004
Contact
Mr. Jeff Mullens (901) 406-2460 or by e-mail at:
jmullen@memphis.edu
STATES
INCLUDED IN THIS REGIONAL: Tennessee Arkansas Mississippi Louisiana
Southern Missouri - St. Louis South
North
Central Full Contact Rules Regional
Lake Zurich, Illinois,
USA, June 19th, 2004
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: June 9th, 2004
Contact
Mr. Rob Zbilski (847) 458-8333 or by e-mail at:
info@teamzs.com
STATES INCLUDED IN THIS REGIONAL: Illinois Minnesota Wisconsin Iowa
Michigan Indiana Central & Eastern North Dakota: Timezone Line Eastern South
Dakota: Timezone Line
For all other Regional Info CLICK
HERE.
All Other Regions For fighters in regions not listed above,
you may register for the 2004 IKF/TKO North American Classic directly as "Walkovers".
To do so CLICK HERE.
HOTEL INFO:
For Reasons of Important Contact Availability,
Except for the individual Fighters who live in Florida ALL fighters NEED to Stay
At The Host Hotel, the Wyndham Palace Resort and Spa. At Registration we
will be asking you for your room number in case we need to contact you for bout
or schedule changes. Last year we had some fighters we needed to locate due to
bout changes but we could not find them in the event room or in the hotel
because they were at another hotel sleeping. This caused a lot of problems and
we do not want to face such issues this year. The Host Hotel for this years 2004 IKF/TKO
North American Classic is the Wyndham Palace Resort and Spa.
It is connected by hallway to the venue Ballroom. The hotel is located 17 miles
from the airport and there is a $12.50 per person Shuttle Fee one way, or $25
Round Trip (Discounted for us from $29.00). We suggest Large Teams
should rent a van is desired. It may cost less depending upon the number on your
Team. The hotel has 1,014 guest rooms and suites that feature private balconies
or patios. All rooms include mini-bars, newspaper delivery, coffee makers, voice
mail and cordless phones which are standard amenities in all guest rooms.
High-speed Internet access, Sony Playstation® video games and Web TV® are also available. Our special room rate is available
to Everyone associated with our group, fighters, trainers, family, friends
and fans of the Sport. Our special rate is only $89.00 for a 2 bed room for
2 and $99 for 3 or 4. We do not pay the $10.00 resort tax on these rooms. This
has been waived. Upgrades to two room suites available upon request. Toll Free
Hotel Reservation Line: 1-877-999-3223. When calling outside the U.S. or Canada,
dial 972-915-7070 or you can e-mail the hotel at
gmced@lodgian.com
Check-In Time:
03:00 PM Check-Out Time: 12:00 PM
For More Info on the 2004 IKF/TKO North American Classic Championship Finals CLICK HERE.
Sponsorship,
Program Ads and Product Booth Space
CLICK HERE.
MONDAY, May 24th, 2004, AT 6:50 PM, PT
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Kickboxing Nite At The
Moathouse Northampton
Sunday, 25th, April 2004 - Promoters: Clive Matthews/Mike
Fowles
IKF England: This was a great dinner show, ticket only event that was sold out. Following a 3-course dinner the scene was set for a great night of Amateur Kickboxing and Thai boxing. The bout results are as follows:
For more event info please contact Alby Bimpson at jacquithompson@msn.com
MORE NEWS OF 5-24-04
POSTED AT 12:50 PM, PT
Can't Make
Your
Regional Seeding Tournament?
Recently we have been asked what a fighter can do if they are unable to make their regional seeding Tournament on the way to the IKF/TKO North American Classic Championships. These reasons can vary from other event commitments, injury, vacation, etc. etc.. To Attend the North American Classic you will need to pay your Regional Director his/her $20 Fighter Registration Fee that would have been paid if you registered for your Regional. However, you will not pay the $15 fee that would have gone to the IKF from your Regional. Please either mail this $20 fee to your Regional Director and assure us he/she has received it by them sending us verification by phone or e-mail, OR send this payment in a separate check made out to the Regional Director when sending us your Championship Finals Registration Form. In this case, this will be a special form found at this link HERE. You will basically be registering as a "WALK-OVER" fighter but you will be given a higher seeding at the North American Classic than a fighter who registers as a Walkover Fighter without a Regional.
FRIDAY, May 21st, 2004, AT 9:55 PM, PT
Blackorby Ready
For Midwest!
RE/MAX
Kickboxing Invitational
And North
Central MuayThai/International Rules
Regional Tournament!
JUNE 5th, RiverPlex Sports Arena,
Peoria, Illinois, USA
IKF
Peoria, Illinois, USA: IKF
Promoter
Ryan Blackorby (Right) is ready to Impress us all once again
this coming June 5th as his promotional team along with RE/MAX Unlimited and
Miller Lite
proudly present once again, the
RE/MAX Kickboxing
Invitational. The event will once again combine some great Pro MuayThai
bouts along with being the North Central Regional Seeding
Tournament For MuayThai and International Rule style fighters. This is one
of several seeding tournaments on the way to the 2004 IKF/TKO
North American Classic.
As for the Pro MuayThai, the Main Event will feature 3 Time World Champion Raul Llopis of Indiana vs Nat McIntyre of Minnesota. next he will have IKF Pro MTR US Middleweight Champion Jeremy Harminson Vs Eric Wu and Pro MuayThai Super Middleweights Derrick Noble and Peter Blythe will also "Bring It ON!"
Amateur fighters looking
to register for the Tournament need to do so
fast as the registration
deadline is approaching fast, May 26th. States in this regional include
Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and Missouri
- Above St. Louis North. 
All fighters need to mail in their
registration forms to Mr. Ryan Blackorby at 802 Hilldale Ave, Washington
IL, 61571. Registration forms may be found by clicking
HERE!
To see more info on the North Central Regional Seeding Tournament For MuayThai
and International Rule CLICK
HERE.
Blackorby's Peoria Athletic Club has promoted some fantastic IKF Kickboxing events in the past including last years 2003 IKF North American Amateur MuayThai Championship which was also known as the Fairtex Classic!
The event will be held at the dynamic 
RiverPlex Sports Arena. The
RiverPlex Sports Arena is located at 600 Water Street, Peoria. Doors
will open at 6:30 PM and the event starts at 7:30 PM. For tickets contact
The RiverPlex at (309) 282-1700,
Peoria Athletic Club
at (309) 672-3090, Alamo Steakhouse (Matoon
Illinois) at (217) 234-7337 or OLD CHICAGO PASTA &
PIZZA at (309) 677-6766.
For more info
contact Mr. Ryan Blackorby at (309) 657-6787. The
IKF Event Representative for this event
will be Mr. Brooks Mason and the event referee will be IKF Referee Kurt Podany. Ryan Blackorby
is the owner and head Muay Thai Kickboxing coach at the
Peoria Athletic Club.
Ryan has been actively promoting amateur and professional kickboxing for
the last five years. For more info go to
www.peoriaathleticclub.com
Other Regional Seeding
Tournaments
To see dates, locations and other
info for other Regional Seeding Tournaments CLICK HERE!
MORE NEWS OF 5-21-04
POSTED AT 3:30 PM, PST
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Sullivan
& KN Productions Presents
"RUMBLE IN THE VALLEY"
IKF Wisconsin, USA: IKF Promoter Tom Sullivan is Ready for tonights "RUMBLE IN THE VALLEY" at the Plaza Hotel & Suites in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA! Sullivan will feature an exciting night of both Pro and Amateur Kickboxing. the nights Pro Main event will feature Aaron Lassi Vs Charles Baron. There will be a total of 9 action packed bouts on the card. The doors open at 6:30 PM and the fights start at 7:30 PM. Ticket prices are $20, $30 and $50. For more info please contact Mr. Tom Sullivan at (218) 428-0073 or by e-mail at tsullivan@cirrusdesign.com
MORE NEWS OF 5-21-04
SEEDING & CHAMPION
Answers
In Regards To This Years
2004 IKF/TKO North American Classic
SEEDING:
All
2003 USA & North American Champions
still need to register to fight at this years 2004 IKF/TKO
North American Classic if they wish to defend their titles. To
register, Click HERE. These Champions
"DO NOT" have to register at a regional seeding event to be
seeded for the 2004
IKF/TKO North
American Classic. However, if they choose to register and fight
at a regional seeding event, they automatically lose their automatic top seeded
position. Seeding positions are determined as follows:
SEEDING:
Last
year's 2003
IKF/TKO USA National
Amateur Champions will automatically be seeded as the number 1
contender in their division provided they are defending the same weightclass and
rule style division as they won in 2003.
Junior fighters (8-17) need also to be in the same "Age"
division to defend their titles. If not, they will not be seeded number 1. to
see what titles are to be defended click the links at the bottom of the
Finalist Page
by clicking HERE.
Fighters who fought at and became IKF North American Champions at either of the IKF North American Tournaments (MuayThai in Peoria, Illinois or Full Contact in Greenville, South Carolina) will be automatically seeded number 2 in their division if there was a 2003 IKF/TKO USA National Amateur Champion in their same division. If not, they will be seeded number 1 to defend their title. Those North American Champions who do not register will lose their title if a new Champion is crowned. If not, their title will remain in place until someone else wins it.
MONDAY, May 17th, 2004, AT 7:30 PM, PT
Put
Your Gloves On Mickey Because...
The
IKF Is Coming To
ORLANDO!
It's Official everyone. The 2004 IKF/TKO North American Classic
has been moved to Orlando Florida to The
Wyndham
Palace Resort and Spa in the Walt Disney World Resort. The
reasons for the move surrounded a better opportunity for growth of the event by
having it at a major airport hub city. The other just as important reason was
the better financial deal the IKF was able to attain through the Orlando location
as compared to last years U.S.
Cellular Center Arena location.
"We were very happy with the deal the Crowne Plaza Five Seasons Hotel worked out for us for 2004, but there were still problems with the fees the venue (U.S. Cellular Center Arena.) wanted." Said IKF President Steve Fossum. The IKF had planned to go back to the U.S. Cellular Center Arena in Cedar Rapids Iowa for the 2004 event but suddenly things changed when the Orlando location asked to put a bid in for the event in late March. "The last thing I thought we would vote to do was change locations this close to the Tournament date." Said Fossum, "But the package was so good and the location being a major airport hub pretty much took everyone over." A vote process was created for anyone and everyone to participate in. In the process, 28 trainers from around the country cast their vote by 4:PM today. Of them, 20 voted for the Orlando location while 2 stayed neutral (Not really concerned where it would be, just saying they would be there no matter where it was) and 6 voted to keep the Tournament in Iowa for 2004.
Now the IKF moves to
phase two of their plane which is working to help some of the
Midwest Fight Teams afford the
changed venue trip. There are some great gyms and trainers in the Midwest that
have been to the event for years and the IKF
wants to do all they can to make sure they can still make it.
Such gyms include several MuayThai gyms such as Dean Lessei's Dubuque Martial Arts Group Team Singto in Dubuque Iowa, Mick Doyle's Mugendo Modern Martial Arts Center in Omaha, Nebraska, Ryan Blackorby's Peoria Athletic Club in Peoria, Illinois and Duke Roufus' Muaythai in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Several Full Contact style schools have also been with the Tournament a long time such as Rob Zbilski's "Z's Martial Arts" of which there are several locations around Chicago, Russ O'Connell's Cedar Valley Pro Fitness in Waterloo, Iowa and Jessey Finney's Championship Kickboxing in St Louis Missouri, just to name a few.
"We have a strong following in the Midwest so this is surly a risky move." said Fossum. "This was why I was not going to make the decision myself despite the large amount of money we would save by moving it to Orlando."
The six trainers who wanted the event to stay in the Midwest were from Iowa , Nebraska , Illinois, Wisconsin and Central Canada. Those 20 wanting to move it to Orlando were from Michigan, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Arizona. South Carolina, Pennsylvania, California and Texas. Other votes came in for Orlando after the 4:PM cut-off time from Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Louisiana, Colorado, Ohio, New York, Western and Eastern Canada and some other USA states. No one replied to the vote from Mexico.
The Host Hotel, the Wyndham Palace Resort and Spa in the Walt Disney World Resort, has 1,014 guest rooms and suites and is connected by hallway to the venue Ballroom. The rooms feature private balconies or patios. All rooms include mini-bars, newspaper delivery, coffee makers, voice mail and cordless phones which are standard amenities in all guest rooms. High-speed Internet access, Sony Playstation® video games and Web TV® are also available. For extra room to work and play, the Island Resort building houses over 100 spacious one- and two-bedroom suites. More than 20 suites in the resort's main tower offer ultimate VIP luxury - including panoramic views of Walt Disney World®. The hotel is located 17 miles from the airport and there is a shuttle fee unless teams choose to rent their own c
