MONDAY, October 13th 2003, 5:35 PM



Was K-1
As Bad As We Have Heard?
Question... Mr. Ishi (Right)... What has happened to your "New Fighting Sport?
Various Writers From Around The Globe Contributed To This Story."
If you are reading this at a later date when the posts from the Kickboxing Message Board have already been removed, all posts from the board about this can be read at the end of this article.


From the looks of the Kickboxing Message Board, this last weekends K-1 in Osaka Japan was anything but a great show. As someone stated on there...

"The Fighting Sport of the Future??? LOL"



With the edition of Bob Sapp, (Taking the chair above and being choked below) K-1 has been given the title of "The K-1 Circus" by many in kickboxing.

The only problem is, that circus name is attached to all of us in the sport and when fight fans see K-1, they think all of kickboxing is like this... Even the potential high powered and big money sponsors. A picture speaks a thousand words as seen above and below from a K-1 event earlier this year.


Now wait K-1, before you go and get upset with us and send us nasty e-mails etc. etc., understand that "YOU" put yourselves in this spot. As everyone here knows, the IKF has went above and beyond to assist in supporting K-1 over the years through web articles, ad banners and more. We say "Above and Beyond" because these K-1 events are not sanctioned by the IKF and we have never been paid a penny for any of our press coverage of any of the K-1 Events. Also, as a policy, we only do news on our news page that is related to IKF people or for events that are sanctioned by the IKF. In the past though, we have only made exceptions for one group... K-1.



Is Bob Sapp (Above) the answer to kickboxing's Popularity and Success around the world or just the ring leading clown of the once admired K-1 Circus?

Over the years, there have been times we could have spoke up negatively about some of the decisions K-1 made that many have questioned, but we held silent out of respect. We held back from speaking our minds and writing stories about some of those questionable decisions because it would have sounded like a jealous action instead of constructive criticism. However, it wasn't until this last January that we couldn't take some of these recent decisions any longer. In January of this year we posted a story asking your views about Japan and K-1. The story was entitled "Is Japan Setting The Standards Of Our Sport? It's Impressive What Money Can Do... Lots of IT!"

Later in May of this year Johnny Davis, felt he had to say something as well in his article entitled, K-1- If It Glitters…Is it Gold? Both articles brought e-mails from those involved in K-1 as if the thoughts were "Out of line". The question today is, "Where they or were they a vision of what was to come?"

After this last Saturday nights K-1 Osaka event, we as the leading organization for kickboxing in the world today, decided we can no longer hold back all those thoughts about the direction K-1 has been taking ever since Ishi was arrested for tax evasion (See stories on our December 2002 news page). Since this happened, it seems the direction of the mighty K-1 machine has taken a drastic turn SOUTH! Nearly every school or gym owner reading this are being asked today by their students and even some potential kickboxing sponsors, "Was that REALLY Kickboxing I saw Saturday night? Some of it looked like a Circus Act to me! Some of those fighters couldn't even kick. And this is what Kickboxing's BEST Promotion looks like?"

All this wasn't nearly as damaging as the 2 TV Executives and several potential TV Sponsors we spoke to today that asked us pretty much the same thing. "You want us to put what we saw on TV Saturday night on our Network Station? You want us to put our name on that? You have to be kidding! If we wanted big time wrestling we would be talking with the WWE!" But wait we responded, "Our IKF TV Program is different!" Which they replied, "Never mind, we seen enough... CLICK!"

With this being said, as the leading promotional company in our sport, the Public Eye is on K-1 more than the rest of us. K-1's actions speak for all of us to those unknown in our sport and recently, those actions have really hurt our sport as a whole.
While K-1 is pocketing money from PPV, ticket sales, merchandise and those "OTHER" means of income we all know about, the rest of us are losing it from potential sponsors who are appalled and laughing at our sport from what K-1 has represented it to them as. Attention K-1... You "REALLY" need to listen. That is, unless you could care less what you're doing to the rest of us in Kickboxing.

As a saying goes in self defense and martial arts, "If you don't put yourselves in a position where you HAVE TO defend yourself, you don't have to worry about defending yourself." However, in the last few months, K-1 has done just about everything to bring them under the watchful eye of "ALL OF US" in the sport of kickboxing as well as EVERYONE else in the Nation. Having fighters (If you can call him that) such as Bob Sapp on the "Tonight Show" brought attention to the sport as a whole. But after Saturday, did it do more harm than good? YES! Because even those outside our sport watched this last weekends show on ESPN PPV.

Over the years we have all grown to respect and admire the great works of Ishi and his great powerhouse K-1 invention. However since his "Public" departure (He is still VERY ACTIVE in ALL of the K-1 decisions as we were told recently from Japan) we have decided to take a stand today and say "Enough is Enough!" All this Sapp, Tyson and Botha (Left) parade is not just making people question K-1's reality, It's now hurting ALL of KICKBOXING!


Mike Tyson's recent K-1 signing (Above) brought a lot of attention to K-1. However, what K-1 paid him still remains a mystery. Questions still remain as to whether or not he played a KEY part in the ESPN K-1 PPV Partnership deal between ESPN & K-1 signed around the same time. Even more AMAZING to the Kickboxing World is why did K-1, an organization that prides itself on CLASS and Professional decisions, sign a fighter who has NEVER kicked a day in his life and has shown NO CLASS in his recent Boxing bouts. Also STILL in question is where exactly will he fit into the K-1 Game plan or as some have called it,
"The Bob Sapp Circus."

We as the kickboxing faithfuls have all supported K-1. Those with websites have all done stories on them. Those with magazines have all wrote about them. Nearly every kickboxing or MMA/NHB website has placed their links or ad banners on our pages. Yes, so many have gone above and beyond for K-1 while out-right ignoring the many other fighters, trainers and promoters in our sport just because they don't have the big star studded promotions or all the big $$ to offer. Look at magazines like Inside Kung Fu or Black Belt just to name a couple. WHERE are the stories about the fighters NOT in K-1? These are really the ones making things happen in our sport yet the only place we read about their accomplishments are on the IKF News page. Are they not worthy enough to have an article in a magazine? These very people BUY and SUPPORT those magazines, yet the magazines shun them for the Glitz and Gold portrayed by the Mighty K-1 Machine.

Those in the trenches (The amateur trainers, school owners and fighters) who are doing all the work to bring fighters to the level of a promotion like a K-1 event are being shunned by todays media sources. Is their work worthless to those in the media? And worse yet, are these up and coming REAL Kickboxers soon to take a back seat to TOUGHMEN FIGHTERS and now, BOXERS?

How many of you trainers or school owners have bought a Inside Kung Fu or Black Belt magazine to put in your school lobby? How many of you have put up a K-1 Poster and urged your students to purchase this last weekends ESPN K-1 PPV show? Lots of you! All because K-1 has told us all "They are not our competition, they serve us all." Well, do they truly "SERVE" us all or are they now "Hurting" us all?

Lets take the first part first. HOW are they serving martial arts and kickboxing?
What have they brought to the sport in the last 5 years? A tournament for HEAVYWEIGHTS. Is that it? What about the other 90% of the kickboxers fighting today? Why are they not on TV earning the big K-1 $$$? OK, for arguments sake, K-1 does not have to put them on any of their events, but isn't this a two way street? If they don't serve us, why are we serving them? Just because were all "Nice Guys" who want to "Help" the sport? Are we really HELPING the sport or are we Helping K-1 make a lot of $$$? You don't have to think much on that one do you...

In the IKF, we always answer to the people. You the kickboxing fighters, trainers, officials and fans. You speak, we listen. We listen, we take action. From this action we improve and from that improvement, We have ALL made our sport better for ALL of us. Kickboxing is more organized today than it ever has been yet why isn't a company like ESPN re-signing any kickboxing contracts? Instead, they signed into a partnership deal with K-1, an organization that features ONLY Heavyweights. Again, what about the other 90% of the fighters in our sport. Will we forever be left with just watching Heavyweights on a large network such as ESPN? It appears so.

Money has a way of grabbing peoples attention. All of us have followed K-1's growth and have been very impressed with what they have built and always eager to see their next move. We have seen them land the "BIG" Sponsors the rest of us seek for, the TV deals with groups such as ESPN and put on the Biggest Shows we have ever seen! Nearly all of us have even been to a K-1 promotion and have been awe struck at the pyrotechnics, the light show and the glitz and glamour. The GOLD was what we saw, but now I look back and ask myself about Johnny Davis' article...It Is Glittering…But Is it Really Gold?



Now for the second part, Are they Hurting us ALL?
Ishi had worked hard to build in many peoples opinion, the greatest production event the sport of kickboxing has ever seen. So the question is, "Why destroy it?" We ask this because this is what we have seen happen over the last several K-1 Events. Sure, there are the issues of poor officiating here and there but lets be honest, every fight sport will have it's share of questionable calls. Sad but true, it's part of the game. But we are not writing this because so many have told us that former IKF Amateur National Champion Carter Williams was robbed in his bout this last weekend, (See sidebar story at right) although it could be a good reason. No, we are making a stand because today we are asking ourselves as many others are questions like...



Even The Real Kickboxing
Ends Sour!
Two "REAL" Kickboxers Hook It Up
Ray Sefo (L) & Carter Williams (R)
But according to sources, the K-1 Officials Failed TERRIBLY on the outcome of this bout.
The K-1 officials "CLAIMED" Williams kneed Sefo. One knee in round 1 could have very well been a call for a groin strike which Carter got a yellow card for, but it was called back by the head K-1 Official because he informed Williams corner that it should have been just a warning. In round 2 Williams kneed Sefo in the gut and Sefo faked as if he was hit in the groin. Replays of this proved to be no knee to the groin which even the commentators for the PPV show admitted this. As round 2 continued, Williams threw a forearm at Sefo which Williams got a second yellow card for which was thrown after Sefo punched Williams in the throat. After this, the K-1 Doctors had a look at Sefo's eye and decided he could not continue, and so under K-1 rules the fight went to the score cards. Here's where it gets silly. At this point, the K-1 referee came over to Williams corner and gave Williams a red card "AFTER" the yellow card. In K-1 rules, a fighter must have "THREE" yellow cards before a red card (Point deduction) is given and Williams only had 2. After the point deduction, Sefo was up by a point on two cards, the third judge scored the fight a draw. As the decision was announced even Sefo shook his head sympathizing with Williams' frustration. HOW did the judges have Sefo up on the cards? Williams SPANKED HIM, Yet Sefo got the win... What else is there to this story...

Said One E-Mailer: "This is no surprise to many though. Like in "ANY" sport, a Promoter cannot Police Themselves which is the case here...
K-1 CANNOT Police Themselves!
They are a Promotional company that has their own officials (referees, judges and doctors who happen to give all the drug tests and who have the power to call any fights) their own rules and their own regulations. It's THEIR SHOW, THEIR GAME, THEIR SPORT & THEIR RULES. If one doesn't like it, they can just go home!"

Sounds like money talking to us because K-1 is sure not helping the sport of kickboxing, and this we need to start to look at! Let us add something else to this mix. K-1 brought in Boxer Francois Botha of South Africa to debut as a K-1 fighter against Cyril Abidi on last weekends event. The question is, "How did he all of a sudden get into the mix without having to go through any qualifying tournament?" Is this truly fair to all the other Heavyweight Kickboxers around the world that have worked hard for such a shot? Here is how K-1 wrote the bout up:

_____
Botha charged in toward Abidi from the bell. A duck-and-cover Abidi slipped and fell, at which point Botha administered a totally vicious uppercut to the prone French kickboxer's head, which would have been the nice coup de grace were it not that, under K-1 rules, hitting an opponent when he is down is totally illegal. Now, Botha is a smart guy who attended the rule meeting, so he ought to have known what he did was wrong. Abidi certainly did, and so, his eye aching from the sucker punch, he elected not to continue, and was awarded the victory after Botha was disqualified. All this happened in just 19 seconds. Said Abidi at the post-bout interview space: "The punch hurt my eye, I felt dizzy, and didn't think I could continue with that disadvantage."
_____

Here is what will get you... An anonymous source of ours in Japan told us that K-1 paid right at $500,000 just to have Botha show up for those 19 seconds... Lets do the math there... Around $26,315.78 per second isn't it? Thats money well invested... How many events could that $26,315.78 of sponsored in "REAL KICKBOXING?"

From what we have observed in the last 8 months, K-1 is starting to care less and less about the sport of kickboxing and more and more about the $$$ they can put in their pocket. Oh sure, we support anyone making a buck and the truth is, we are not afraid to admit that many of us are jealous of the money K-1 is raking in. Who wouldn't be?!

However, what you are all missing is that money they are raking in is because all of us have been supporting them and continue to do so.

You purchase the K-1 PPV, tack up their posters, post their articles and ads and go to those events. Yes, we are all guilty of supporting a Giant that is in reality doing nothing for us. Or are they...?

Why yes they are, they are destroying the name of Kickboxing by bringing in the Sapps and making them their stars which is an insult to those who are REAL FIGHTERS!

"Oh but I won't turn my back on them because what if K-1 wants to work with me? I can't afford to burn a bridge there." We have heard this so many times it's getting old, even several times today. We have continued to support a production that has given NOTHING back to the mass majority of us in the sport. Let us say that again, They have given NOTHING back to the mass majority of the sport! In fact, K-1 has only pleased leg kicking super heavyweights. What about the other 15 weight classes and the other rule styles? But wait, now they are even slowly turning their backs on those kickboxers who have given their all in our sport as they now turn to... TOUGHMEN FIGHTERS and BOXERS?

If you listen closely enough, you can hear the world of boxing laughing their heads off at kickboxing today. Bob Sapp is nothing more than an over-rated "TOUGHMAN" fighter who is being paid BIG MONEY by K-1, as if he is our STAR! Did Sapp make K-1? Hell NO! "REAL" kickboxers made K-1. Real kickboxers gave their sweat and blood to make it the king of the fighting sports. Some gave so much to K-1 that in their gallant efforts they destroyed their own careers by the injuries that got from it. Some who come to mind are Curtis Schuster, Rick Roufus, and Jim Mullen.

What is worse, according to the K-1 report on the event, "IF" the "Heavily-favored" American fighter Bob Sapp would have won his bout against rising K-1 star Remy Bonjasky Saturday night, he would have joined the evening's six other winners in advancing to this years K-1 GP Final, set for December 6th at the Tokyo Dome. NO WAY! HOW did Sapp even get a shot to qualify for such a spot?

But wait, K-1 swears they are "NOT" kickboxing! They claim to be the "New Fighting Sport!" So is the "New Fighting Sport" a bit of big time wrestling, kickboxing and MMA/NHB all mixed together? Isn't their use of the name kickboxing insulting to us all when we see it being mixed in with big time wrestling and circus? Sure, they don't need the name kickboxing... Ya right... Just like "Cardio Kickboxing" classes assure us they are doing kickboxing moves...

Earlier this year ESPN said "NO" to showing kickboxing programming that would have featured TRUE TALENT in our sport in "ALL" the weightclasses and rule styles. Instead, ESPN made a deal with K-1 that had some ties to the Tyson signing even, to partner up with them and have ESPN PPV Kickboxing with K-1. Was Saturday nights event really what ESPN was thinking when they bought it? Who knows... As the Reality TV Programs have proves, "Entertainment SELLS" and so do the right characters like a Butterbean, Bob Sapp and of course, Mike Tyson.

The Osaka event also saw an appearance in the ring by Shannon Briggs, (Left) a 31 year old boxer who fought against (and beat) George Foreman in 1997. He also lasted 5 rounds against Lennox Lewis in 1998 before being stopped. will he now take the place of another up and coming kickboxer who has been working to get to the K-1 Show?

Saturday's event drew a crowd of around 31,700 to the Osaka Dome, and was same day broadcast on Fuji TV network in Japan, on ESPN Pay-Per-View in the United States, and on different regional sports television networks across Europe and Oceania. It was as always one of the largest productions for kickboxing in the World. Our only worry though is will we soon lose K-1 to boxing or will it always be a sport supported by Kickboxing? If they continue to sign toughman fighters and boxers, the question we will ask to all of you is,



"Why do we in the sport of Kickboxing want to support an event that turned it's back on us all for a Circus Act
Yet still asks for our TOTAL SUPPORT?"




K-1... We can only hope this article serves as a Wake-Up call to you.
We can only hope that you do not destroy what ALL OF US have helped you build...





Posts Below Taken From The Kickboxing Message Board
On October 13th, 2003



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