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2005 ARCHIVED NEWS
A total of fourteen fights are scheduled. Current featured match-ups will include: Ben Rothwell (18-5) vs Allan Weickert (6-1)
In the night’s main event, Kenosha, Wisconsin native Ben "Berzerker" Rothwell will bring his 18-5 record in to the north coast as he looks to take one more step towards the UFC. A student of legendary champions Pat Miletich and Duke Roufus, Rothwell’s resume includes wins over UFC veteran Jonathan Weizorek and TUF 2 star Kerry Schall among others. An accomplished kickboxer (K-1, Heavyweight Gladiators), Rothwell is one of the most well rounded heavyweights in the sport today. On the other side of the cage will stand the 6’2”, 270 pound Allan Weickert of Tiffin, Ohio. A veteran of the WEC and King of the Cage, Weickert is considered to be a star on the rise and will no doubt face the toughest challenge of his young career on September 17th. Weickert is another UFC hopeful and feels that a win over Rothwell will bring him that much closer to his ultimate goal. Jeff Cox (10-1) vs Braden Workman (9-4)
A Cleveland police officer by day, Jeff Cox is looking to impress the hometown fans as he takes on Team Gurgel’s Braden Workman of Columbus, (OH). Cox, a training partner of former KOTC Champion and Pride FC veteran Dan “The Bull” Bobish, will try to rebound from his first career loss earlier this year and re-establish himself as a force in the Welterweight division. Workman has won three of his last four fights and is regarded by many as one of the most improved fighters in his weight class. Both fighters are well versed on their feet, as well as, the ground which should make for a very entertaining match-up.
Greg Franklin (8-3) vs Rob Wince (11-3)
Cincinnati’s Greg Franklin looks to take another step up in the Heavyweight division when he clashes with former professional bull rider now turned fighter, Rob Wince. With big brother and current UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin in his corner, the younger Franklin is out to make a name for himself on September 17th and prove that his 8-3 record is no fluke. His opponent “The Bull Ride," as he’s known to fans, will be a tough task for Franklin as Wince comes in with a mix of experience and power which is always a dangerous combination.
In a Super Heavyweight match-up, King of the Cage veteran Josh Hendricks will take on the hard hitting Joey Smith of Hilliard, (OH). Hendricks, a former All American wrestler in college, is coming off of an impressive TKO victory his last time in the ring and is ready for all comers. Smith
has come out of nowhere to build a 6-1 record which includes 3 first
round knockouts in his last three fights (all under one minute).
A classic match-up between wrestler and striker will no doubt makes
this a candidate for "fight of the night." A "do
not miss" fight!
In
a battle of top Lightweights,Cleveland’s own Jason “Dynamite”
Dent will collide with Team Gurgel’s Josh “The Pitbull”
Souder. The Dent vs Souder fight is a match-up Ohio fans will finally
get to see when these two finally square off in the Flats. A native
of West Virginia and training partner of Rich Franklin, Souder holds
wins over two of Dent's teammates, which Dent surely will be looking
to avenge. Dent, is no stranger to the cage and has mixed it up
with some of the top names in the sport including Jeff Curran and
Ryan Shultz among others. Miller’s
teammate and former Muaythai champion, Jason “Steeltown”
Taylor will look for his second consecutive win. In his debut as
a professional last March, Taylor defeated North Carolina’s
Robert Bradley by tapout (armbar) in the opening round, but will
have his hands full with Hammer House veteran Derek Collins (4-2)
who has been on a roll of his own lately, winning three of his last
four fights. Cleveland’s Mike Bogner will face off with Tommy
Ridenbaugh of Newark, Ohio to round out the main card.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - Fighters Flock to Milwaukee for Training: With important fights looming in the near future for each, three of the country's rising stars of Kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts have converged on Milwaukee to train with legendary fighter and trainer Duke Roufus at his renowned midwest facility. Stephan Bonnar, star of SpikeTV's "The Ultimate Fighter" reality television show who was inked to a six figure contract by the UFC at the conclusion of the show's first season, is training regularly alongside K-1 discovery Pat Barry and the multi-faceted MMA/Kickboxing talent Ben "Berserker" Rothwell as part of Roufus' fighter training camp.
Bonnar's next bout will be televised live on SpikeTV, Saturday evening, August 6th from the Cox Center in Las Vegas. It is a special show produced by SpikeTV and the UFC to kickoff "The Ultimate Fighter's" second season. Bonnar, who is jointly trained by the world renowned jiu-jitsu/grappling specialist Carlson Gracie in Chicago (IL) takes on Sam Hogar, who also was a star of "The Ultimate Fighter's" first season. Bonnar, as fans well remember, lost by a close decision in the reality show's season ending championship bout to Forrest Griffin in a battle for the ages, but Dana White, president of the UFC was so appreciative of Bonnar's efforts, he signed the Hammond, (IN) native to the same six figure contract that Griffin was offered.
Barry, a native of New Orleans, (LA), was discovered at the 2004 K-1 USA talent search and lost a close, reserve bout split decision to Scott Lighty at the last K-1, April 30th in Las Vegas. Barry fights for K-1 again Saturday, August 13th at the Mirage Resort Casino in Las Vegas along with Rothwell, a well established MMA fighter from Kenosha, (WI), who got a good taste for K-1 rules fighting with his unanimous decision victory over Japan's Nobu Hayashi on a Shoot Boxing card in January of this year in Hayashi's home country. Barry has trained at various gyms in the past, including high end training with some of K-1's best in Amsterdam, Holland. Rothwell is a member of the Pat Miletich Fighting System's Team, specialists in mixed martial arts and ground fighting techniques. Opponents have yet to be named for Barry or Rothwell by K-1 matchmakers at this time. "King of the Gladiators II" Champion "Lightning" MIke Sheppard has been mentioned as a possibility who could match up well with Barry or Rothwell. While none of the fighters knew the other would be there, all are glad they made the effort to get to Roufus' Milwaukee based fighter's camp. Rare is the chance for a heavyweight to have so many other top heavys to train and spar with on a daily basis. Roufus loves the training atmosphere that's evolved and the respect that each fighter shows the other is obvious, and appreciated, as Duke's sessions can get very intense at times. Tenacity and toughness is a must, as is maturity and a keen sense of sportsmanship amongst the competitors. Roufus knows exactly what buttons to push to get the most out of a person who wants to take their game to the next level. And push them he does. For Stephan Bonnar, Pat Barry and Ben Rothwell, the summer of 2005 could be remembered as the one that galvanized winning careers and solidified lifetime friendships. For
Duke Roufus, who just got engaged to his longtime girlfriend and
supporter Tami Brown (after defeating Sinisa Andrijasevic in front
of a packed house on the Gladiators "Return to Colosseum"
show June 3rd in Milwaukee) and who's younger brother Kelly just
got married, the summer of 2005 already has gone down as one of
the best ever, with things getting better every day.
Interested parties should contact Keith Crawford at (403) 616-6770 or via Email. All serious competitors will be considered for this and future Gladiators shows. Please have all personal and fight stats along with a photo or 2 of yourself available and ready to be sent. More information on becoming a Gladiator is available HERE.
Here are the overall results of the event as compiled by MixedMartialArts.ca: BOUT 1 - SUPERFIGHT - Wes NEIL - (Pride Gym - Trail, BC) defeated Eugene SIMCHENKO (National KB - Edmonton, Alberta) by Decision. BOUT 2 - SUPERFIGHT - Jeff THORNHILL (World Gym - Surrey, BC) - defeated Jon KASZUBA (Mady's Karate - Windsor, Ontario) by Decision. BOUT 3 (Round 1 TOURNAMENT) Joe SAMPIERI (New York) defeated Agostino DENATALE (Winnipeg, MB) by TKO. BOUT 4 (Round 1 TOURNAMENT) Adam HIGSON (Hamilton, ON) defeated Shane WIGGAND (Belleville, IL) by TKO. BOUT 5 (Round 1 TOURMANENT) Terris JAMES (Albuquerque, NM)) defeated Melvin MURRAY (Vancouver, BC) by TKO. BOUT 6 (Round 1 TOURMANENT) James MARTINEZ (Albuquerque, NM)) defeated Rino BELCASTRO (Windsor, Ontario) by TKO. BOUT 7 - SUPERFIGHT - Raul ROMERO (Mexico City, Mexico) defeated Lee MEIN (CMC - Lethbridge, Alberta) by TKO. BOUT 8 - (Round 2 TOURNAMENT) Adam HIGSON (Hamilton, ON) defeated Joe SAMPIERI (New York) by TKO. BOUT 9 - (Round 2 TOURNAMENT) Terris JAMES (Albuquerque, NM) defeated James MARTINEZ (Albuquerque, NM) by TKO. BOUT 10 - SUPERFIGHT - Julia BUDD (Gibson Pankration - Port Moody, BC) defeated Keri (CROTHERS) SCARR (Peteric's Gym- Victoria, BC) by Decision. BOUT
11 (TOURNAMENT FINAL) Adam HIGSON (Hamilton, ON) defeated Terris
JAMES (Albuquerque, NM) by Unanimous Decision.
With Papa Roach's "Last Resort" blasting at full tilt, bone rattling volume, the crowd went absolutely berserk when Duke entered the Colosseum. As the bearer of the American flag leading the procession proudly waved it back and forth the standing room only crowd erupted in chants of "Duke!, Duke!, Duke!, Duke!" and "U.S.A.!, U.S.A.!, U.S.A.!, U.S.A.!" Once the battle began, it was easy to see that Duke had indeed been paired with a worthy opponent. For 5 full rounds they would go toe-to-toe, slamming each other with vicious low kicks that would cripple most people and punches that would toast the rest. The crowd was on their feet the entire bout, watching in awe as these two sportsmen literally smashed the living daylights out of each other repeatedly and quite often. Roufus mentioned that when he "heard the crowd chanting (his name)" he got especially pumped up. He would not disappoint tonight he thought, no way, no how. If this was to be the final and last time Duke Roufus would fight competitively as a professional Kickboxer, he wanted to make sure he left every ounce of his legendary career in the ring, and not a drop less. In the end, Roufus had in the true sense of the word, "earned" his vendetta victory by Unanimous Decision. The hometown crowd had witnessed a war and both fighters bore the injuries that come with such combat. While one judge had it all Roufus, most in attendance would agree with the other two who gave a round or two to the tough, valiant Andrijasevic. After the bout, Roufus proposed to his longtime girlfriend and ardent supporter, Tami Brown, who accepted his invitation to begin the next chapter of their life as one. Roufus also thanked the legion of his longtime Milwaukee fans and sponsors who came out to see the man they call "Duke."
Here is a complete accounting of the event as written by the President
of the International Kickboxing Federation, Mr. Steve Fossum: However,
EVERY week we seem to attend yet another great show which forces
us to say once again, something like, "WOW, did you ever miss
a great event if you were not here tonight!" or, "We just
witnessed a packed house, standing room only!" From where we sit, it's clear that we're making our way back to the "Glory Days" of the sports past through the hard work of many. We thought people were saying this sport was dead... WOW, what a night those folks missed in Milwaukee last night! Last night, IKF Promoters Scott Joffe and Duke Roufus hosted yet another one of their Heavyweight Gladiators events and simply put, these guys need a bigger venue. This one was entitled Return to Colosseum and was held at the Ramada Inn Grand Ballroom, in Milwaukee Wisconsin, USA. The event started off with what Roufus and Joffe call the "Awesome Amateurs" and that they were. There were 8 "Exhibition" - Awesome Amateur bouts that was served as an appetizer to the main card. The
main card featured 4 Amateur modified Muay Thai bouts, 3 Professional
modified Muay Thai bouts and one Professional Woman's ISCF Mixed
Martial Art bout. Without wasting any more of your valuable time,
lets jump right in and go to the results. Kovar took a hard body kick from Weickhardt and the force of the blow took him down forcing referee Al Wichgers to give him a standing 8 count. All 3 judges gave round 1 to Weickhardt. Kovar fought back and won round 2 on all 3 judges cards. Round 3 had one judge for Kovar while the other two scored it for Weickhardt. Simply put, this bout was so close it could have easily went Kovar's way who kept aggressive in all 3 rounds. BOUT
4 In
addition, when Beck took to a punching game Hafez was unable to
block Beck's punches as Hafez cringed with every punch he took.
By the end of round 2 Hafez looked gassed. As round 3 started he
was unable to put up much of an attack and finally, at 1:19 of round
3, a tired and ineffective Hafez was done. Gibson had to gain 10 lbs. to take this fight (He wants to stay and fight at 190 lbs.) against Craft, and although it showed as extra weight, Gibson moved like an 'In his prime' Manson "The MasterBlaster" Gibson that kept us excited and amazed during his career. From
the opening bell Gibson proceeded to take apart Craft with his exciting
fighting style. First Gibson dropped Craft to the canvas with a
wicked and explosively powerful left hook. However as quickly as
referee Al Wichgers took 2 steps back after administering a standing
8 count to Craft, Gibson closed the gap between him and Craft and
let go a perfect spinning hook kick that landed square on Craft's
jaw dropping him again to the canvas again. By this time the crowd
was in AHHH!!! However,
Gibson was not done yet. When the bout was called, he did a standing
back flip! Remember, Gibson is 44! However, referee Al Wichgers
didn't see him do it. So after Wichgers raised Gibson's hand in
victory, he asked him, "Aren't you going to do your back flip?"
Gibson was all for an encore where he gladly performed another one!
WOW! Did we already say that? Hey, did we also already mention this
"EXPLOSIVE" fighter is 44? The confused WKA referee was giving Roufus time to recover when, after some commotion at ringside, he suddenly started a 10-count. Roufus staggered to his feet at the count of nine, but Andrijasevic pounced on him and quickly ended the contest. "It was pretty controversial," Roufus said. "I've lost to some good fighters, but the way this fight went down, it was a cheap shot." Simply put, this was about sweet REVENGE! After seeing the explosive performance of Manson "The MasterBlaster" Gibson many of us wondered if this bout would have as much to talk about. Well, Roufus and Andrijasevic made sure to win the award of the "Best Bout of the Night" as these two Gladiators banged each other for 5 solid rounds. One thing is for sure, Andrijasevic is TOUGH AS Granite! Roufus blasted him with some solid shots and Andrijasevic took them all. However, Andrijasevic was no light attack either. He worked on Roufus' ribs and snapped shots to his head with explosive quickness throughout the bout. Roufus mixed up his attack with high kicks and even a spinning backfist during the fight. It was toe to toe action that had each of us saying after each round, "I'm glad I'm not a judge to determine who to give that round to. When
the final bell rang and the dust cleared, no one could disagree
that Andrijasevic had "Earned" the respect of everyone
in attendance. Attendance? Oh ya, did we already mention that the
house was packed with standing room only! For
more event information contact Scott Joffe of Ad Cetera Sports,
Inc. at (414) 967-7767 or E-mail.
History is in the making as 4-Time World Champion Duke Roufus comes out of retirement to take on Croatian Kickboxing superstar Sinisa "Thunderman" Andrijasevic in a bout that's been dubbed "The Vendetta Rematch." Their last bout 5 years ago in Italy ended in controversy. Vowing "this time it's personal," fans can rest assured Duke doesn't plan on leaving any doubt as to the outcome this time. Good seats can still be reserved by calling Ad Cetera Sports at (414) 967-7767. (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) DON'T MISS: Middleweight "King of the Gladiators" 8-Man Tournament and Women's Gladiatrix Championship, 7:00 p.m., Saturday, June 4th at Calgary's Max Bell Centre. Featuring North America's most exciting Middleweight talent, plus the must see Gladiatrix Championship between Keri "Crusher" Crothers and Julia Budd. Call (403) 777-0000 to reserve tickets or visit Ticketmaster Canada.
Reserve your tickets in advance by calling Ad Cetera Sports at (414) 967-7767.
Couples were dressed in their glitziest outfits, taking full advantage of the four corner bars and serious sandwich spread. Some of the biggest names in the sport were on hand to watch, sitting on the edge of their seats in anticipation of the big fight. Big-screen TVs were blaring in the far corners of the ring room, which was connected to the main restaurant and bar with tunnel-like hallways. And best of all, there were plenty of quality fighters showing style and sportsmanship. This was the setting at Giovanni's as members of Nikko-Ki Training Club put on the fight night of the year, "Heavyweight Gladiators Kickboxing - Young Guns." It was one of those events enjoyed by classic fight nuts, and by those just looking for an exciting night out. Even those stuck in between found themselves leaping to their feet with every crushing blow. "Wow, the crowd was great. They were really into every kick and punch," said local kickboxer Toon Singmouangthong, who lost a tough welterweight decision early in the evening. Even before the juices really got flowing at fight time, the feel was there. From the moment I walked into the complex, I was forced into an attitude I rarely feel when I'm not directly taking part in the event of the night. The excitement was in the air, and it was purposely put there by those in charge. Bryce Franck -- who sent his challenger straight to the canvas with a devastating knock-out kick in the evening's finale -- was the main draw. Colin Kvool and the rest of the Nikko-Ki brass (many of whom are Rockford or Winnebago County police) joined forces with Scott Joffe of Milwaukee's Ad Cetera Sports to promote the night right, and they pulled it off. And it's difficult to talk about kickboxing in the Rockford area without talking about Brad Hefton. Bad Brad, long since retired from the ring, was on hand Friday to watch the action, and to accept a lifetime achievement award from the International Kickboxing Federation. Standing in the ring along with Bad Brad was Duke Roufus, Franck's current trainer and former four-time world champ. Hefton and Roufus, both kickboxing legends, were clearly impressed with Franck's effort, and with the overall feel of the night. And Roufus, retired for almost three years, misses the fight-night nerves so much he's returning to the ring. He'll be training with none other than Franck himself, and could someday face his prodigy in the ring. There would be no better place for it than right back at Giovanni's. And if it happens, I'll be right back there in that ringside seat, ready for anything this time around.
Franck's roundhouse kick that landed square on Dan Lucas's neck was the final blow of the night as the "Heavyweight Gladiators Kickboxing - Young Guns" Fight Night at Giovanni's restaurant came to a close. But it did not end until the jam-packed crowd of almost 900 was treated to some crisp, clean Muay Thai kickboxing entertainment, Rockford-style. "Boy I tell you, this is kickboxing at its best. Anyone who says Rockford doesn't back their athletes didn't come to this tonight," said Franck, ranked 12th in the world by the International Kickboxing Federation. "And to end it this way, it couldn't have been better. That's like the hat trick for kickboxing -- the walk-off homer. To get that knockout kick to the head is just the way you want to end it." Bryce "Bam Bam" Franck knew his opponent, Dan "The Lizard" Lucas from Rochester, N.Y., had the edge in experience, coming in with a 23-6 pro record compared to Franck's 3-1. Lucas, as the current champion in the United States Kickboxing Association, had a belt to stand behind as well, and Franck was still making the climb while training out of Nikko-Ki Training Club. But it was Franck who had the crowd behind him, and the soldout venue got behind the fan-favorite from the get-go, giving the 29-year-old Franck the boost he needed from the opening bell. "Wow, they were great," Franck said of the hometown fans. "It was just a great feeling, even before the knockout." The two heavyweights came out testing each other early in the IKF-sanctioned bout, but things got heated in a hurry. Lucas landed a right hook about a minute into the first round, waking up Franck and sending a gasp through the crowd. But that was all the motivation the Rockford fighter needed, and it was mere seconds later when the "slap" heard 'round Giovanni's sent Lucas sprawling to the canvas. The roundhouse foot to the neck put Lucas down for the count 1:47 into the first round, and it sent Franck soaring to the top of the ropes, where he thanked the crowd with two fists pumping toward the sky. "He dropped his right hand and I heard my trainer yell 'Left high kick, left high kick.' I just threw it out there, and it landed," Franck, who is targeting next year for a world-title opportunity, said. "He was trying to pull back and get set for that big right hand. I saw an opening, and I took it. I hit him square in the neck, right where I was aiming, and I knew he wasn't getting up." Locals
Have Mixed Results "This just feels great. I really feel like I went out there and fought my fight. That's all I really wanted to do," said Nikko-Ki's Norris, who won a unanimous decision in the junior division to kick-start the night. "They said I was too pretty, and that I needed to get out there and get mean. I think I did that tonight." Rockford kickboxer Toon Singmouangthong lost a tough welterweight split decision in the second sanctioned bout of the night despite back-to-back knockdowns in the third round. Local light heavyweight Gabe Wassner suffered a similar defeat, going down to a TKO in the second round after a disabling shot to the gut. "He
caught me with a quick kick and I saw twinklies there for a second.
He just got me in the right spot at the right time," Wassner
said. Czaplicki weathered the early blizzard of punches and kicks from Chicago-independent Terry Brown -- who entered the ring with a front-flip and stuck a standing backflip during introductions -- and then proceeded to pummel him. He bloodied the big-city bruiser for the last two rounds before settling for a major decision. The crowd clearly agreed with the judges' cards. Jay
Taft covers extreme sports for the Rockford Register Star.
FRANCK'S LIGHTNING FAST KO DOES ROCKFORD PROUD Saturday, May 7, 2005 (Rockford, IL USA) Frank's KO Lasso's The Lizard: Rockford's hometown favorite Bryce "Bam Bam" Franck lived up to the hype surrounding his much anticipated bout with Rochester, NY tough guy and current USKBA Champion Dan "The Lizard" Lucas by knocking him out in grand fashion to close out last evening's sold-out Heavyweight Gladiators "Young Guns" show in the Grand Ballroom of Rockford's Giovanni's Convention Center. Franck turned the Lizard's light out at 1:47 of Round 1 with a blazing, left leg head kick that sent the packed house into a crazed state of delirium and Franck's Gladiator's record to 4-1. "Bam Bam" had been banging Lucas repeatedly with right kicks when he switched up and tossed the left one high. The call for the change-up came from Franck's corner, as coach and trainer Duke Roufus (sensing a consistency in Lucas' tough defense of the right kicks) shouted the play in and Franck responded instantly with the left leg bomb. The strike was so fast that many in the crowd, including Rockford Kickboxing legends "Bad" Brad Hefton, Troy "Hollywood" Hughes and Rickey "The Wolf" Haynes, were not quite sure what they had just seen. Lucas went down and stayed there long after Referee Al Wichger's completed count ended the bout. Lucas commented to Franck later in the evening that, he too, had not seen the kick coming that ended his night. Looking fit and sharper than in the past (Frank thought a solid right from Lucas may have broken his nose), Lucas saw his record fall to 0-3 in Gladiators league play. Keep in mind though that Lucas' prior two Gladiators loses were at the hands of some pretty solid competition: 2002 "King of the Gladiators" Tournament Champion Giuseppe "The Godfather" DeNatale in August 2003 and in February 2002's KOTG tourney to Carter "The Beast" Williams, who went on to win the 2003 K-1 USA Tournament in Las Vegas. The lavish event, produced locally by Nikko-Ki Training Club's Colin Kvool and Frank Ingardona in association with Milwaukee's (WI) Ad Cetera Sports, was held in Rockford's beautiful Giovanni's Grand Ballroom. It was a classy affair from top to bottom, even featuring a beautiful, hand carved ice sculpture of a western boot in keeping with the evening's "Young Guns" theme. Two large video screens showing the evening's live action flanked one end of the ballroom. Franck entered the ring as a well produced "Good, Bad and Ugly" themed video/audio montage got the partisan crowd good an' riled up. But the beautiful trappings were merely delicious dessert on top of on an already wonderful meal that featured 5 explosive KO's throughout the evening's 8 bout show. The results of the Awesome Amateur's undercard bouts are as follows: Junior Light Middleweight - Damian Norris, Excel Academy, Rockford, defeated Ian Cobb, Functional Martial Arts Academy, Madison, WI by majority decision, 29-29, 30-27 and 30-27;
Super Heavyweight - Rafal Czaplicki, Nikko-Ki Training Club defeated Terry Brown, Chicago, IL unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28. This bout saw Brown entertaining the crowd by flipping over the top rope on his entrance, then back flipping his 6' 3", 258 lb. frame once again for good measure seconds later. However, Brown's experience as a former USA Gymnastics Olympic hopeful would not come in handy tonight. In the end, all of Brown's flipping led to one big flop. Although Czaplicki gave up 36 lbs., he was able to withstand Brown's initial barrage of punches delivered in rapid, windmill style fashion to take the later rounds. Using distance and moving much better than he did in round 1, Czaplicki created the space he needed to land scoring jabs and crosses at will on a fast fading Brown, who at this point wasn't flipping much of anything Czaplicki's way. Heavyweight
Gladiators "Young Guns" is sponsored by Big Al's Bar,
Budweiser, Alpine View Restaurant, Custom Copy, Kaeding Custom Builders,
Orthopedic Rehab Specialists, Riverside Dental and Taylor &
Byrd, Attorneys at Law.
An
experienced fighter who is not afraid to brawl, Lucas has been in
the ring with some of Heavyweight Gladiators best, including 2002
K-1 Milwaukee and “King of the Gladiators I” Champion
Giuseppe
"The Godfather" DeNatale and 2003 K-1 USA Champion,
Carter
"The Beast" Williams. Franck
continued, "It's always an honor to fight in front of the Rockford
faithful. A few local stars are expected to be in attendance,
like "Bad" Brad Hefton, Troy "Hollywood" Hughes
and Rickey "The Wolf" Haynes, so I'm especially pumped
up about this fight. I look forward to continuing the long
running tradition of great Kickboxers from Illinois."
Roufus
Ready For Andrijasevic Rematch
From a country long known as a superpower in Kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts, Andrijasevic embodies the same Croatian fighting spirit that is recognized worldwide and exemplified by Pride superstar Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic, the inaugural K-1 World Grand Prix Champion Branko Cikatic and K-1 star Stephan Leko. As well as, Andrijasevic comes from a strong athletic family, his brother Stipe is a well known professional soccer player in Croatia. They
would battle for Andrijasevic’s WKA World Heavyweight Title
in a bout that had a well prepared Roufus controlling the fight from
the onset, but ultimately losing in the end. In the 2nd round, a frustrated Andrijasevic employed an illegal judo style, hip throw and flung Roufus to the canvas where he landed with a solid thud on his back and injuring him. A confused referee was starting to give Roufus time to regain his senses and recover - and take away a point from Andrijasevic for the illegal move - when, after some commotion at ringside, the referee suddenly changed his call and started a 10 count on the fallen Roufus. Roufus gathered himself as much as possible and staggered to his feet by the count of "9," attempting to soldier on. Seeing that his stunned opponent was unable to get off any shots of his own, Andrijasevic pounced on Roufus like the wounded prey he was, forcing the referee to call a halt to what had been a promising outing for the American Kickboxing star.
To
make things even better, Roufus, 35, gets a chance to do it in his
own hometown of Milwaukee, WI, when the premier match-up headlines
the Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" Pro Kickboxing
and Mixed Martial Arts card on Friday, June 3, 2005 in Milwaukee's
Ramada Airport Convention Center Grand Ballroom. "In my mind, this is a vendetta I've wanted to settle ever since that fight. I don't mind losing. I've lost to some great fighters in my career, but I don't like losing that way," Roufus said. He continues, "I'm not going to let the referee or judges have any part of this one. I expect the same roughhouse tactics from Andrijasevic again. If he wants a street fight, he's got a street fight, Milwaukee style. The fans are going to see a Duke they've never seen before. He may have laughed first, I'm going to laugh last. We're going to war!” Roufus has fought eight times in Milwaukee as a professional - the first appearance in his hometown was on July 20, 1989 which marked his second pro fight of his career. On December 4, 1998 Roufus won the IKF Heavyweight World Title with his Unanimous Decision victory over New Zealand champion Hiriwa Te Rangi.
Roufus lamented, "It's been a great run of fights for me in my hometown of Milwaukee. All the fights I've had here are each special in their own way, especially winning the IKF World Championship and defending it successfully in my own town. But this fight is much more intense than any other fight I've had here. All the others were for sport and business like, but this one is personal." Roufus’ record in Milwaukee is 8-0, with 4 knockouts. "Return
To Colosseum" will feature a total of seven pro Kickboxing and
MMA bouts, including appearances by women's pro MMA star Greta
"Mo' Betta" Hicks of Milwaukee, Heavyweight Gladiators
Horace
"The Real Deal" Craft, Cudahy, WI, "Bam
Bam" Bryce Franck, Rockford, IL, and "Big"
Ben Rothwell, Kenosha, WI, plus MMA Gladiators Jeb
"The Butcher" Bloomquist, "B.O.B."
Bobby Garrits and Rob
Smith. Fighting for her first time in front of the Gladiators Kickboxing faithful, the attractive and well conditioned Hicks (right) could well be the bridge that connects MMA fans with Kickboxing fans. Hicks kept her comments short about her bout in her hometown, offering, "I can't wait. I have seen the shows live and am glad to be a part of them finally. I'm very excited!" General Admission tickets for Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" are $25.00 in advance, $30.00 at the door. Ringside Reserved are $50.00 and VIP Table Seats are $80.00. Tickets may be reserved in advance by calling (414) 967-7767 or purchased at the Duke Roufus Kickboxing & Boxing Academy, 111 W. Virginia St., Milwaukee, (414) 319-1151. General Admission tickets may also be purchased in advance at the corporate offices of 102.1 FM, 2979 North Mayfair Road in Milwaukee, (414) 771-1021 beginning Monday, May 2nd. Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" is presented by Kyle Monreal Painting and 102.1 FM Milwaukee's Alternative Station. Additional sponsors include Combat Sports International, Connections Ticket Service, Cush, CutThroat FightGear, Euro Cafe' Bar, InPro Corp, Joey Buona's Pizzaria & Grill, Kickboxing.TV, La Perla, Lowest Rate Mortgage, MilwaukeeNights.com, On The Border, ProKarateWeekly.com, Dr. Phil Repetti/Jordan Chiropractic, Attorney Martin Stein, Sunbusters, Rick Winter DDS/Hampton Dental and Windy Muaythai Equipment. Roundcard Girls courtesy of On The Border. The event is sanctioned by The I.K.F., New Castle (CA), Steve Fossum, President. For more information, please contact Scott Joffe at Ad Cetera Sports, (414) 967-7767.
Also on PKW, another edition of the K-1 Ring Report with world champion Duke Roufus for a look at the upcoming "K-1 Battle at the Bellagio 4" and all of the latest K-1 news. Plus kickboxing's female sensation Nicole Hess makes her PKW debut along with this week's MMA News. "PKW's Question of the Week:" Which two current or former UFC fighters would you want to see coach "The Ultimate Fighter, Season 2?" Send your replies prior to this week's broadcast to: info@prokarateweekly.com or during this week's LIVE PKW broadcast to the email address given on the air. Selected emails will be read on air and one winner will receive this weeks PKW Prize Pack. Pro Karate Weekly can be heard live exclusively on SportsTalkCleveland.com and/or Prokarateweekly.com Wednesday nights from 7pm to 9pm EST. All shows are archived so fans can listen to the show if they have missed a live broadcast. Archives, sound bytes, interviews, rumors and all of the latest martial arts news are available daily by logging onto www.ProKarateWeekly.com. Fans are encouraged to contribute to the show by calling during live broadcasts on our national toll free hotline (866-371-4782) or email PKW live at the email address provided during the live broadcast. For all other Pro Karate Weekly questions please email info@prokarateweekly.com.
Roufus headlines the just announced Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" show that begins at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, June 3, 2005 in Milwaukee's Ramada Inn Grand Ballroom, 6401 S. 13th St., Milwaukee, WI USA. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with an Awesome Amateurs undercard starting at 6:00 p.m.. "Return To Colosseum" will feature professional Kickboxing, plus as an added attraction, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) bouts will also be included on the evening's card. MMA has become popular among ringsports fans in recent years , attracting huge live and pay-per-view audiences along with a well received "reality TV" MMA show that Spike is currently airing. Promoter Scott Joffe of Ad Cetera Sports is in negotiations with potential opponents for Roufus and one should be named soon. Other Heavyweight Gladiators Kickboxers appearing include Horace "The Real Deal" Craft, Cudahy (WI), "Bam Bam" Bryce Franck, Rockford (IL) and "Big" Ben Rothwell, Kenosha (WI). Pro MMA fighters include Henry "The Monkey" Matamoros, John Friedland and Bobby Garrits, all of Milwaukee. Over 12 bouts are planned for the card. Roufus, 35, looks forward to putting on a great show for the Milwaukee faithful who have always backed the lifelong resident since he started competing as a teenager. "I've had a craving burning inside for a while. I finally had enough time for everything to heal and I think I've got some fight left in me, and, what I really miss, is fighting in Milwaukee. When I fight in Milwaukee, the fans are always loud and proud, and that motivates me beyond words," Duke exclaimed. General Admission tickets for Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" are $25.00 in advance, $30.00 at the door. Ringside Reserved are $50.00 and VIP Table Seats are $80.00. Tickets may be reserved in advance by calling (414) 967-7767 or purchased at the Duke Roufus Kickboxing & Boxing Academy, 111 W. Virginia St., Milwaukee, (414) 319-1151. General Admission tickets may also be purchased in advance at the corporate offices of 102.1 FM, 2979 North Mayfair Road in Milwaukee, (414) 771-1021 beginning Monday, May 2nd. Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" is presented by Kyle Monreal Painting and 102.1 FM. Additional sponsors include Combat Sports International, Cush, Cut Throat FightGear, InPro Corp, Joey Buona's Pizzaria & Grill, Kickboxing.TV, MilwaukeeNights.com, On The Border, ProKarateWeekly.com, Dr. Phil Repetti/Jordan Chiropractic, Attorney Martin Stein, Sunbusters, Rick Winter DDS/Hampton Dental and Windy Muaythai Equipment. Roundcard Girls courtesy of On The Border. The event is sanctioned by the I.K.F., New Castle (CA), Steve Fossum, President. For more information, please contact Ad Cetera Sports, (414) 967-7767 or visit www.HeavyweightGladiators.com.
Jason Brown, a solid fighter out of a solid camp, walked calmly out of his dressing room that Saturday night. He approached the ring with confidence in his eyes and the focus of a true warrior. His trainers accompanied the Muay Thai practitioner as he entered the ring. I recall looking across the ring and seeing this solid kid ready to do battle with no emotion on his face. He was ready. Next out would be Agostino "The Bull" DeNatale, but for now his trainer Dave Horvath was on the edge of the ring side with Jason Brown as he completed his ceremonial Muay Thai ritual. All the while Horvath waited for The Bull to arrive. Leading the way for Agostino was none other than Giuseppe "The Godfather" DeNatale and Duke Roufus. Agostino DeNatale is the younger brother of "The Godfather" and if there were any doubt if skill ran in the family, the question was answered that night.
The two fighters were centered in the ring. They received final instructions from the ref and gave each other an honorable touch of gloves. Each fighter turned, and headed back to their respective corners. It was time. This article will most likely take you more time to read, than it took for “The Bull” to run through the China Shop that was Jason Brown. Literally. Agostino "The Bull" DeNatale advanced on his opponent and 21 seconds into the 1st round, it was all over. A solid, perfectly timed, jackhammer of a left hook landed on Jason ending the bout.
Jason was unable to make it past an 8 count. He tried to get up, and fell back down. It was clear that Jason was totally rocked by the power and perfect timing of DeNatale. It was clear that Agostino "The Bull" DeNatale had begun his own legacy. It was clear, that this was the best KO of the night. And the fans had gone ballistic. Jason was in no shape to get up. It looked like Jason might actually be hurt from the raw power display from the young DeNatale. What happened next is why I love this sport. As soon as the fight was over, Dave Horvath ran over to Brown's corner to check on him. Everyone was concerned with Brown's safety and well being. Paramedic Rich Dilay was in the ring immediately checking on the young fighter and ensuring proper care. Moments later, Brown was up and once again, there was a great cheer from the fans.
I toyed around with the name of this article. I had thought of calling it" The Godfather, Part Two" or a host of other cheesy names. Many of them would have fit, but I think that the fighter whom this article is about, deserves his own legacy. Saturday night, Agostino "The Bull" DeNatale paved a few more miles in the road to creating his own legacy. I can't wait to see this fighter on the big stage of K-1 Max.
Check
out the SubFighter.ca
Gallery for nearly 300 pictures of the Saturday, February 19,
2005 "Last Gladiator Standing" event.
ZYCHOWKA'S LOW KICKS LEAVE HIM STANDING LAST
It was anything but easy as Zychowka had to battle back from near defeat himself. After getting dropped from a solid right in the first round of the finals, Zychowka delivered a vicious, shin splitting low kick that stopped the fight dead in it's tracks toward the end of the third and final championship round, earning the TKO victory over the always tough Marc Borgeois. As Zychowka accepted the "Last Gladiator Standing" Champion's Cup, the standing room only crowd roared their approval for both fighter's blood and guts performance. Zychowka also earned a trip to Marseille, France to fight May 20th as part of "Team Gladiators." The classy, well-run event was produced by the Canadian Kickboxing & Muay Thai Centre (CKMTC), which is owned and operated by K-1 and Heavyweight Gladiators star Giuseppe "The Godfather" DeNatale and Middleweight Gladiator, Dave "Lites Out" Horvath, both of Winnipeg. DeNatale's younger brother Agostino "The Bull" DeNatale brought his own jumbo size bag of fireworks to the show, knocking out Siam #1's Jason Brown, Toronto, Ontario, :21 seconds into the first round of their Super Fight. The Bull employed a powerful overhand right that collided head-on with Brown's face, ending the fight in abrupt fashion as the fans went wild in anticipation of things to come. Congratulations to all of the fighters, CKMTC staff, volunteers and everyone else involved in what will no doubt go down as one of the most exciting and action packed Gladiators Kickboxing events of all time. Once again, congratulations to "Smokin'" Joe Zychowka, who proved there is no quit in the heart of a champion, no questioning the goal of a winner, no doubting those who never doubt themselves. Your performance sets a new standard for what it takes to earn the prestige that comes with being the "Last Gladiator Standing."
The following Gladiators Kickboxing "Last Gladiator Standing" coverage is provided by SubFighter.ca: Saturday, February 19, 2005 was the date. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada was the City. The Transcona Country Club the location. For what you ask??? The Gladiators Pro Kickboxing Series "Last Gladiator Standing" Middleweight Tournament. An event modeled and run just like K-1, the premier combat sport of the future originated out of Japan some years ago. For the first time, in Canada, an event of this type was held. This tournament was operated under K-1 rules, presided over by K-1 refs sanctioned by Nevada, and was created and promoted by K-1 superstars. The
game was simple. Survival. The tournament saw 8 fighters competing
for victory. Competing to be the "Last Gladiator Standing."
The winner would receive cash, a trophy, and a chance. A chance to
accompany Duke Roufus, Giuseppe DeNatale and Dave Horvath to France.
In France, Zychowka will train and compete, and have a chance to be
seen by K-1 talent and scouts. Ultimately, the prize for these young
fighters is a chance of a lifetime. Up first was Joe Zychowka from CKMTC against Rick Sanita hailing from Siam #1. After three rounds Joe Zychowka achieved the win and was able to advance onto the next round. This was kind of a one sided fight and Joe Zychowka never really looked in too much trouble. The next quarter final match saw Dave Zuniga of the Gojo Gym squaring off against Adam Higson. This match was just awesome. Zuniga got the decision win but it was a war. Adam Higson lost this match, but showed the capacity crowd what kind of chin he has. He stood and traded with Zuniga and weathered a storm of hand combinations to the face. Higson showed that he could take all Zuniga could offer, but that did not sit well in the judge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monday,
August 15, 2005 (Cleveland, OH USA) - The Flats Ready For Fight
Nite: The Gladiators Fighting Series makes it's debut in
Cleveland, (OH) when Betcris.com, BetOnFighting.com and McCarthy's
Ale House present “Fight Nite in the Flats." Slated for
September 17th, the Scene Pavilion in Cleveland's historic Flats
district will play host to a night of hard hitting, non-stop action
as MMA returns to the North Coast.
Tuesday,
June 21, 2005 (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) - Calgary Calls for Fighters:
Gladiators Kickboxing & MMA promoter Keith Crawford is seeking
Mixed Martial Arts fighters who are interested in competing on his
Saturday, September 24th Gladiators MMA show in Calgary, Alberta,
Canada.
Tuesday,
February 22, 2005 (Winnipeg, Manitoba,Canada) The Legend Continues:
Agostino DeNatale: The battleground was the squared circle Saturday,
February 19, 2005 at the Transcona Country Club in Winnipeg, Manitoba,
Canada. That night would see a Super Fight between Agostino
DeNatale (left) of CKMTC and Jason Brown
of Toronto's Siam #1. This would be the most definitive fight of the
night, and it would also be the shortest.
