Kickboxing Message Board

P.J. Reilly

09-28-2006, 11:38 AM

I got these results from another website:

Submitted by: Jessica Robeson
09/27/2006
The World Combat League is coming to the end of its first full season and, while some things end with a fizzle, the World Combat League's events seem to get more and more exciting. The recent Western Conference Championships were action-packed and as thrilling as ever, proving that stand-up fighting definitely deserves a spot in prime time as a true sport of entertainment.

Four teams were on the schedule for the Western Conference Championships; the Oklahoma Destroyers facing the Houston Enforcers and the Los Angeles Stars against the Texas Dragons. As witnessed at the Frank Erwin Center, University of Texas at Austin at the September 22, 2006 event, experience is not always the winning ticket. The Los Angeles Stars, a team comprised mostly of young sport martial arts point fighters (Raymond Daniels, Jack Felton, Donald Vickers and Cayenne Uno Mayes), cleanly defeated the mainly kickboxing fighters on the Texas Dragons with a 133-114 score. The victory for the Houston Enforcers came down to the wire over the Oklahoma Destroyers. The final match between Tim Connors and Nick Gonzalez resulted in an unprecedented tie score. The crowd was on the edge of their seats as these two fighters battled it out with heart and grit in the final two-minute overtime round. Connors' tenacity resulted in a three point lead after overtime to give the Houston Enforcers victory over the Oklahoma Destroyers with a 134-131 score.

Oklahoma Destroyers v. Houston Enforcers
With WCL founder Chuck Norris sitting front and center, the enthusiastic crowd was cheering for the home state of Texas as the Houston Enforcers took to the stage. But, with WCL veterans and superstars Jeri Sitzes, Ryan Madigan and Thomas Longacre representing Oklahoma, it appeared that the road to victory for the Enforcers would be a difficult one. The symmetrical talent of the teams was demonstrated when the teams ended with a tie after regulation. However, in this match, it was the light weight Tim Connors who stepped up to the plate for the Enforcers to lead his team to an amazing victory both during regulation time and in overtime.
Jeri Sitzes (Oklahoma) v. Sarah Ponce (Houston)

Starting off the evening with explosive high energy, Jeri Sitzes blazed across the ring with a flurry of punches to open her round. Her taller and longer-reaching opponent, Sarah Ponce, withstood the barrage of fists with solid determination, countering with powerful knee strikes. Sitzes' relentless combos spiced with picturesque hook kicks were the foundation for the initial six point lead of the Oklahoma Destroyers over the Houston Enforcers.

Team score: Oklahoma 16, Houston 10

Jesse Lawrence (Oklahoma) v. Dusty Miller (Houston)

Brute strength and muscle characterized the tone of the Miller and Lawrence fight. Dusty Miller grimaced with pain as he sustained two groin shots with a knee before Lawrence received a warning. After recovering, Miller was able to knock down Lawrence for a mandatory eight count which closed the point gap for his team with his 15-7 winning score.

Team score: Oklahoma 23, Houston 26

Anthony Njokuani (Oklahoma) v. Bryan Corley (Houston)

The cracking of shins and feet echoed across the arena as Anthony Njokuani showcased his notorious knee strikes against his opponent Bryan Corley. With both fighters going out of bounds at times, the match transitioned to fist power before the first mandatory eight count knock down was delivered by Njokuani to Corley. Within seconds of resuming the fight, Njokuani ended the round with a left-right combo to Corley's face that flattened Corley.

Oddly enough, in his haste of tending to Corley, the ringside doctor tripped over the corner of the inclined-designed ring and threw his hip out (he had recently had hip replacement surgery). All action stopped for a few minutes as WCL personnel scrambled to get medical attention to the ringside doctor, who was carried off the stage on a stretcher.

Since Corley was knocked out in the round, the scores ended with an automatic 15-0 award for Njokuani, which catapulted the Oklahoma Destroyers to twelve point lead.

Team score: Oklahoma 38, Houston 26

John James (Oklahoma) v. Mark Selbee (Houston)

The pressure was on for Mark Selbee to close the point gap for the Houston Destroyers. With a significant height advantage over his opponent, Selbee's flexibility and elongated axe kicks surprised some spectators not expecting a heavyweight to be such an adept kicker. James covered up well and held his ground, though occasionally was muscled out of bounds. In the end, Selbee's mission to close the gap was achieved with his 15-7 win which brought Houston within two points.

Team score: Oklahoma 45, Houston 43

Ryan Madigan (Oklahoma) v. Kevin Engel (Houston)

High expectations abounded for Kevin Engel as his last WCL fight resulted in knockouts, but tonight's fight would not be a repeated dramatic victory for Engel. Engel just didn't seem to be bringing his usual fiery action to the ring. On the other hand, despite being pressed backwards, Ryan Madigan kept Kevin Engel at bay with numerous high-octane round kicks, which was enough to clear a victory of 15-10 and keep Oklahoma in the lead.

Team score: Oklahoma 60, Houston 53

Thomas Longacre (Oklahoma) v. Tim Connors (Houston)

Thomas Longacre came to this event with a bad reputation - one of knocking out his opponents and/or just making his opponents suffer. But, the World Combat League is proof that it only takes 180 seconds to make a hero. Tim Connors surprised everyone this evening by knocking down Longacre early in the round with a right hook. A tough and determined Longacre attempted to overwhelm Connors, but Connors was able to land some lethal spin hook kicks and stay light on his feet while working plenty of body shots on Longacre to end with a significant win of 15-5 and driving his hometown crowd wild.

Team score (1st half): Oklahoma 65, Houston 68

Anthony Njokuani (Oklahoma) v. Colby Snyder (Houston)

With a similar approach compared to his earlier fight, Njokuani's leg-based strategy with knee strikes and round kicks would not pave the way for an easy victory in the second half. Though no mandatory eight counts were awarded, the fresh alternate Colby Snyder, knocked down Njokuani. In the end, it was a close match where Njokuani edged out a one-point victory of 12-11.

Team score: Oklahoma 77, Houston 79

Jesse Lawrence (Oklahoma) v. Dusty Miller (Houston)

This fight can be summed up in three words—pain, pain, pain. Right from the beginning Lawrence landed a groin shot on Miller causing him to grimace in pain and limp. Then, Lawrence knocked Miller down with a right hook for a mandatory eight count. The final blow delivered by Lawrence that ended the match cranked Miller's head back and the center referee called it quits. The knock out thrusted Oklahoma forward in points by another 15.

Team score: Oklahoma 92, Houston 80

Jeri Sitzes (Oklahoma) v. Sarah Ponce (Houston)

Starting out as fresh as they were in their first match, Jeri Sitzes embarked on an escapade of punching combos, which Sarah Ponce took like a champ. Ponce increased the frequency of her kicks this round, but Sitzes continued to reign supreme by spicing it up with spinning backfists, higher kicks, and landing more direct hits. Sitzes 15-9 win over Ponce pushed her team to a wider lead.

Team score: Oklahoma 107, Houston 89

Ryan Madigan (Oklahoma) v. Kevin Engel (Houston)

Using a similar strategy as in the first round, Madigan used his kicks to keep Engel at bay. But Engel had a different plan in mind. Eager to show his true talent, Engel bloodied Madigan's nose through a forceful knock down that resulted in a mandatory eight count. Encouraged by his success, Engel put his team back on the forefront with a knock out win for a 15-0 score which nearing equalized the score between the teams.

Team score: Oklahoma 107, Houston 104

Nick Gonzalez (Oklahoma) v. Tim Connors (Houston)

The final match proved that anything can happen in the WCL. Both combatants entered the ring knowing that this would be the determining match. The fresh alternate, Nick Gonzalez, showed tenacity and heart against Tim Connors which brought the chanting crowd to its feet. Connors' three point win over Gonzalez resulted in a tie score.

Team score: Oklahoma 119, Houston 119

In a rare moment in WCL history, the resulting scores tied up both teams. This first tie in WCL history resulted in a sudden-victory two-minute round between the last two combatants. With a minimal break between rounds, this meant Connors and Gonzalez would be fighting nearly continuously for 5 minutes straight. With sweat flying in all directions, the fighters fought with heart as they traded high energy blows. When the dust finally settled, Connors replicated another three point win allowing Houston to claim the victory over Oklahoma.

Team score (final): Oklahoma 131, Houston 134

With the narrow victory, the Houston Enforcers ended the season with a 3-0 record and a spot in the final championships of the season. The excited fighters leapt into the ring to celebrate in front of the excited crowd.

Halftime

Texas martial arts was on stage during the halftime at this event. Students from a wide variety of schools and martial arts programs bravely entered the arena to put on performances that ranged from self-defense to board breaking.

Los Angeles Stars v. Texas Dragons
Sport martial arts versus kickboxing was next on stage. After the excitement of the Oklahoma and Houston contest, the crowd was still crying out for more action and the next line up did not disappoint. The Los Angeles Stars is led by the charismatic Raymond Daniels who was the champion for the team at the last western conference event when he knocked out his first opponent and brought his team back from behind to defeat Oklahoma in the second round. Daniels, who started his competition career in sport martial arts point sparring, was back with a team that consisted mostly of sport martial arts fighters like him. Most expected the Texas Dragons to make mincemeat out of the sport fighters, but don't underestimate them, they may compete in sport fighting but back in the training gym, they fight for keeps.

Jack Felton (LA) v. Santae Wilson (Texas)
No two fighters of the evening exhibited a greater contrast in fighting styles than the sport karate fighter, Jack Felton, and his more experienced kickboxing opponent, Santae Wilson. Felton threw the first sidekicks of the evening and his sideways point fighting stance stood out markedly against Wilson's more squared off kickboxing stance. Felton's repeated explosive blitzes surprised Wilson, causing him to lose his balance on multiple occasions. Felton steamrolled his way to a 15-9 win over Wilson to open the contest.

Team score: Los Angeles 15, Texas 9

Donald Vickers (LA) v. Mike Sheppard (Texas)

Perhaps the bloodiest fight of the evening was the Vickers versus Sheppard match, Vickers' overpowering strength caused Sheppard to suffer a bloody eye and later a mandatory eight count. Though many tough blows were traded between both opponents, the audience was taken aback by the large point spread (15-6) earned by Vickers at the end of the round. The point differential was primarily explained by the mandatory eight count, which is a valuable incentive for ensuring a hard-hitting match.

Team score: Los Angeles 30, Texas 15

Alicia Ashley (LA) v. Marily Martin (Texas)

With her team down by fifteen points, the pressure was on for Marily Martin to close the gap and pull the Houston Enforcers back into the game. Up against the agile Alicia Ashley, Martin relied on power hits to gain the advantage, including a well-placed axe kick. Despite Ashley's strong punches, Martin gave Ashley a knock down and mandatory eight count, which ultimately jettisoned her score to 16-8, pulling the team scores noticeably closer.

Team score: Los Angeles 38, Texas 31

Angel Valerio (LA) v. Fabrizio Bergamini (Texas)

Starting off with fancy jump reverse hook kicks, Angel Valerio blazed onto the stage giving Fabrizio Bergamani a knock down and mandatory eight count early on in the match. Frustrated with the referee's call, Bergamani staged a fierce comeback with full energy -- landing a jump reverse hook kick to Valerio's head. Much to the chagrin of Bergamini, his efforts to recoup the point loss from the earlier knock down did not pan out. With a score of 16-9, the Los Angeles Stars garnered a solid lead over the Houston Enforcers.
Team score: Los Angeles 54, Texas 40

Cayenne Uno Mayes (LA) v. Freddie Poole (Texas)

Powerhouse Freddie Poole was anxious to thrust his team back into the spotlight. Up against the towering 6' 4” Cayenne Uno Hayes and his extraordinary reach, Poole had to withstand Hayes' aggressive energy coupled with hard-hitting pump side kicks. But it was Poole's spinning back fist that turned the tide of the match and shut down Hayes' fearlessness. With the explosive power of Poole's right hook to the face, a technical knock-out along with 15 points were awarded to the Houston Enforcers, which put the score back to a nail-biting one point difference with Houston now in the lead.

Team score: Los Angeles 54, Texas 55

Raymond Daniels (LA) v. Lawson Baker (Texas)

Always a crowd pleaser, the charismatic and confident Raymond Daniels made his grand entrance into the ring sucking the glow of the spotlight away from his more conservative opponent, Lawson Baker. With the flash of his tornado kicks, darting angles of his footwork and dramatic jumping knee strikes, Daniels gave an unforgettable show. At one point, after Daniels was toying and baiting his opponent, Baker pushed Daniels out of the ring in frustration. Daniels' repeated pummeling gave him a clear point advantage over Baker of 15-8 to put the Stars back into the lead at the halfway mark.

Team score (1st half): Los Angeles 69, Texas 63

Jack Felton (LA) v. Santae Wilson (Texas)

Convinced that his experience and knowledge gained in the previous fight could topple the young upstart Felton, Santae Wilson came out of the gate more aggressive compared to his previous round. However, Felton's speed and blitzing power repeatedly caused Wilson to fall to the mat. In this fight, speed and youthful energy overtook experience and style with a score of 15-6; Felton over Wilson.

Team score: Los Angeles 84, Texas 69

Raymond Daniels (LA) v. Lawson Baker (Texas)

With Los Angeles in a commanding 15 point lead, the pressure was on for Baker to make a comeback for his team. Raymond Daniels had a different plan in mind and emphasized more hand combos, trying hard for the knockout. Light on his feet, Daniels punished Baker with punch after punch. Much to everyone's surprise, Baker held on tight with a jaw of steel and stubbornly refused to go down. With the same score as their previous match (15 Daniels, 8 Baker), the Los Angeles Stars continue to widen the gap over the Houston Enforcers.

Team score: Los Angeles 99, Texas 77

Alicia Ashley (LA) v. Marily Martin (Texas)

With a few rounds left in the second half, the Houston Enforcers still had a chance to make a comeback and be crowned victorious. When Ashley and Martin met again, both opponents attacked with fast and furious high kicks and quick jabs, but they maintained too much distance from one another to land any devastating blows. As the match progressed, each closed in trading blow for blow and resulting in a very close score of 14-13 in favor of Martin.

Team score: Los Angeles 112, Texas 91

John Vakidas (LA) v. Freddie Poole (Texas)

Since the last match involved a knock out, Freddie Poole now had to face a fresh alternate, John Vakidas. A knockout here by Poole would put Texas back into the game. Despite Poole's relentless combos, Vakidas shocked the crowd when he knocked Poole down and got a mandatory eight count. Despite his galiant attempt to recoup his lost points with a spinning backfist and reverse hook kick, the point gap widened for Poole's Houston Enforcers with an ending fight score of 15-6 putting Los Angeles ahead by a whopping thirty points.

Team score: Los Angeles 127, Texas 97

Angel Valerio (LA) v. Fabrizio Bergamini (Texas)

Given the large point lead, Valerio and Bergamini both knew that their final round would not change a thing for the Los Angeles Stars. Thus, Bergamini was fighting to avenge his earlier loss against Valerio. Bergamini did not let his fans down as his incessant pressing and aggressiveness caused two knockdowns of Valerio and one mandatory eight count. Even though Bergamini triumphed over Valerio 17-6, the fate of the teams was sealed in previous matches.

Team score (final): Los Angeles 133, Texas 114

When the Los Angeles Stars were announced as the winners of the match-up, it was like a fireworks display with confetti being shot into the sky and the crowd and players cheering. The Stars and Dragons put on a great show and, despite a number of bumps and bruises, the players were nothing but excited and proud of the show they had put on for the audience and the WCL founder, Chuck Norris.
With the end of the Stars versus Dragons event, the western conference season ended for 2006 with the Houston Enforcers on top with the best record and the Los Angeles Stars hot on their heels. The WCL is preparing for the eastern conference championships in Miami, Florida on November 10, 2006. This will be followed by the WCL finals back in Austin, Texas on January 19, 2007.

More information on these upcoming events can be found at the World Combat League website and right here on SportMartialArts.com, click here to go to the WCL website now. Check out the SportMartialArts.com photo gallery for an array of photos from the September 2006 event.