USS CUNNINGHAM TOUR CONTINUES
Posted on | January 10, 2008 | No Comments
IBF CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMP TO APPEAR ON TELEVISION & RADIO
Philadelphia (January 9, 2008)?Fresh off his scintillating twelfth round knockout over number-one ranked Marco Huck, IBF Cruiserweight champion, Steve “USS” Cunningham is making the rounds throughout the Philadelphia media circuit.
On Wednesday, NBC-10 sports anchor met Cunningham at Shuler’s gym to tape a segment that will appear on the local news.
Thursday, January 10, the champ will be a guest on the Sports Talk 950 am Morning Show will Michael Bradley and former NFL Quarterback Glenn Foley. Cunningham will appear at 7 a.m.
The live-stream of the show can be accessed by going to www.sr950.com
Later on Thursday, Steve will be a guest of Marc Lichtenfeld on Through The Ropes. Cunningham will also appear on www.theknockoutnetwork.com
Cunningham 21-1, with eleven knockouts will be a guest of Scott Wagner & Scott Crouse on ESPN radio Ballroom Boxing radio show on Saturday morning beginning at 9 a.m.
KLARCYK VS. VELASCO: HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Posted on | January 10, 2008 | No Comments
Shawn Klarcyk in action
LEMOORE, Ca. — There’s been no fight in the Palace Fighting Championship that has lived up to Shawn Klarcyk vs. David Espinosa bout.
The five-round war fought at PFC 3’s “Step Up” in June was for the World Bantamweight Title and Porterville’s Klarcyk (6-1) won a tight split decision.
The battle saw it all from an Espinosa brutal slam to several slick submission attempts by Klarcyk. The standup was just as exciting, with both fighters trading leather and blood.
“There?s been some great fights at the Palace,” Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino Entertainment Director Christian Printup said. “Obviously, Olaf Alfonso against John Polakowski No. 1 and Chris Leben against Mike Swick was very exciting, but that fight between Klarcyk and Espinosa has to rank there with all those fights.”
But Klarcyk certainly isn’t satisfied.
“I think that this fight with Rolando Velasco could be just as good if not better,” Klarcyk said of his first title defense at PFC 6?s “No Retreat, No Surrender” on Thursday, Jan. 17 at the Palace.
“This is a big fight for the both of us and we will both be looking for the win,” Klarcyk said. “Like all my other fights, this one will be very fast pace and exciting. I always look for the finish.”
Klarcyk has only been to decision once in his career ? four of his six wins have been by technical knockout.
“I know that he’s 6-1 and a pretty good wrestler. I also know that he is very aggressive and seems to have a good ground-and-pound,” said Oakdale’s Velasco, who carries a perfect 4-0 record into the bout.
“I’m also a strong wrestler and I’ve been training my kickboxing, Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu for three years,” Velasco added. “I’m a pretty well-rounded fighter.”
The bout has all the makings of a classic for the bantamweight division. The PFC, led by Printup, is focused on highlighting the quicker and more explosive lighter weight divisions, such as featherweight (145 pounds), bantamweight (135) and flyweight (125).
“I think Shawn Klarcyk and Rolando Velasco are the two most untalked about and underestimated bantamweights in the continental United States,” Printup said. “I would put the winner of this fight in against World Extreme Cagefighting Bantamweight champ Chase Beebe, or whoever at 135 in the U.S. no questions asked.”
Also featured on the 17-bout card is a PFC World Lightweight title fight between Poppies Martinez (14-3) vs. Atlanta’s Diego Saraiva (9-6-1) and Oroville PFC featherweight titleholder Shawn Bias (12-5) takes on Velasco’s teammate Art Arciniega (3-1) of Oakdale.
Klarcyk and Velasco was one of the first fights announced by Printup for PFC 6 and the build up and hype for the bout has brewed for months.
“I think this is going to be a very fast paced fight. I’m sure Klarcyk will be looking for the takedowns and we will scramble a lot on the ground,” Velasco said. “But, I know that we will also trade and this is going to be a bloody war. I won’t be looking for any takedowns. I’m looking for the knockout and that’s how I want the fight to end. If not by knockout, I’m sure it will go to decision.”
Klarcyk is eager to defend his belt.
“I am excited about fighting again, being the champion means you?re the best and I will only have to fight the best to keep my title as the PFC 135 Bantamweight Champion,” Klarcyk said. “I consider training the hardest part of the fight. My training has been going really well, I’m in really good shape, and no injuries at this point. I try to work on all areas because in a fight it can go anywhere. All I can say is I will be prepared for where ever the fight ends up.”
It?s possible that the fight could end up in the history books.
“This is probably one of the best bantamweight fights in the U.S. bar none,” Printup said.
Tickets are going fast and are priced at $40, $50 and $60 for public sale and can be purchased at tickets.com or charge by phone 1-800-225-2277. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with fights starting at 6:30.
Weighins will be on Wednesday, Jan 16 at 5 p.m. at The Den sports bar located on the third floor of the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino.
For more breaking PFC news log on to www.palacefightingchampionship.com
STAGE SET FOR KIMBO VS. TANK EVENT
Posted on | January 10, 2008 | No Comments
TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY FOR ELITEXC FIGHT CARD
FEATURING LEGENDARY KIMBO SLICE VS. TANK ABBOTT
Spectacular MMA Event Saturday, Feb. 16, At BankUnited Center at the University of Miami
Also Will Include Local Favorites “Krazy Horse”? Bennett, “Big Foot” Silva & Edson Berto
LOS ANGELES (Jan. 9, 2008) — Fans seeking to participate in perhaps the biggest, most significant fight card in the history of mixed martial arts in Florida will have the opportunity to reserve their spots beginning this Friday, Jan. 11, when tickets to EliteXC’s tremendous mega-event on Saturday, Feb. 16, will go on sale.
Tickets for a spectacular 10-bout event start at $35 and will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the BankUnited Box Office at the University of Miami.
In a long-awaited, much-anticipated grudge match that figures to be an absolute slugfest, the incredibly popular pride of Perrine, Fla., and hometown hero, Kimbo Slice, will face David “Tank” Abbott, of Huntington Beach, Calif., in the main event on SHOWTIME.
It will be the second professional MMA fight for Kimbo, the legendary Internet street fighter and YouTube sensation who scored a smashing 19-second, first-round knockout in his Street-to-Elite debut.
“With these hands I can part the sea. With these hands I feed the family,” Kimbo said.
Tank, of Huntington Beach, Calif., is a feared knockout artist and notorious bad boy and trash-talker. A veteran who has never turned down a fight, Tank has called out Kimbo on numerous occasions, including after Kimbo’s EliteXC and MMA debut in November. Tank is supremely confident he will send home Kimbo and his fans unhappy.
Besides Kimbo, The Sunshine State will be represented with other local favorites and MMA standouts — Antonio “Big Foot” Silva, Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett and Edson Berto.
The promising Silva, a Brazilian who lives in Coconut Creek, Fla., is considered by many to be one of the world’s top heavyweights. Berto, of Tampa, the brother of top boxing contender, Andre Berto, will meet Yves Edwards of Conroe, Tex., in a fight at 160 pounds and “Krazy Horse,” of Ocala, who owns a knockout victory over current EliteXC 160-pound world champion KJ Noons, will be opposed by an opponent to be determined.
In other fights: England’s James “The Colossus” Thompson will face unbeaten Brett Rogers of Minneapolis in a heavyweight match and Australian Kyle “KO” Noke, the bodyguard of the late Steve “Crocodile Hunter” Irwin, will take on Scott Smith of Sacramento, Calif., in a solid matchup at 185 pounds.
The SHOWTIME portion of the card will begin at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
For more information on EliteXC and other MMA-related stories, including bios, video-on-demand, photos, stats, Fantasy Fight Game TM and more, please visit ProElite.com and EliteXC.com.
Fighter pages: Kimbo (kimboslice.proelite.com), Abbott (tankabbott.proelite.com), Silva (antoniosilva.proelite.com), Berto (edsonberto.proelite.com), Edwards (yvesedwards.proelite.com), Thompson (jamesthompson.proelite.com), Rogers (brettrogers.proelite.com), Noke (kylenoke.proelite.com), Smith (scottsmith.proelite.com), Bennett (charlesbennett.proelite.com).
About Pro Elite, Inc.
ProElite Inc. [PELE.PK] delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, cable television programming on Showtime Networks and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with the highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase the world’s top fighters [elitexc.com]. ProElite’s interactive business, ProElite.com, capitalizes on the growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial arts by building a community of MMA enthusiasts. In addition to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite expands the fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and organizations. ProElite.com ? Empowering the Fight Community
PALACE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT
Posted on | January 10, 2008 | 3 Comments
Bias underdog in title showdown
with Oakdale brawler
Shawn Bias, the current PFC Featherweight champ
LEMOORE, Ca. — If you read what is being written on internet forums, Shawn Bias doesn’t have a chance against Art Arciniega in their Palace Fighting Championship Featherweight World Title bout on Thursday, Jan 17 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino.
There ‘s just one problem, some one forgot to include the opinions of the current champion.
“Sure it motivates me,” Oroville’s Bias said. “I will tell them all to blow my tits after I win this fight. I’ve been training pretty hard for this fight.”
Bias (12-5) captured the 145-pound title in June by defeating Minnesota’s Aarron Maldonado (3-2) by submission at PFC 3.
Oakdale’s Arciniega (5-1) will be Bias’ first title defense.
“Shawn Bias is, well if you know him, he’s Shawn Bias. He trains, he acts nuts, he’s legitimately kind of off, but in a good way. He has a great chin. He’s a very resilient guy, great subs, strong wrestler, loves to throw and exchange standing. He’s a tough fight. The fights where he hasn’t looked great he’s had reasons. I think now he knows what’s at stake and has never taken a fight more seriously,” Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino Entertainment Director Christian Printup said.
“Art Arciniega is as tough as they come. He has fast hands, great cardio, a huge heart and he really wants to beat Bias’ ass, because you know what? If Art wins this fight it changes his life. He’ll be a champion of a promotion with a TV deal, his money will come up and his sponsorships will go up. This is a great fight and I’m proud of both guys.”
PFC 6’s “No Retreat, No Surrender” features three title fights — Bias vs. Arciniega, Lemoore lightweight champ Poppies Martinez (14-3) vs. Atlanta’s Diego Saraiva (9-6-1) and Porterville bantamweight champ Shawn Klarcyk (6-1) vs. Oakdale’s Rolando Velasco (4-0).
“I think I match well with Bias, we have a contrast of styles so it is going come down to who can execute their game plan better,” Arciniega said. “I don?t see the fight going the distance, I have respect for Bias’ skills, but I am prepared for a war and see no other outcome than me being victorious.”
And Arciniega has the tools. He is a heavy-handed striker with solid ground skills, as four of his five victories have come by submission.
Arciniega has won three straight fights after a technical knockout loss to Tulare’s Dino Aguilar (2-0). Arciniega most recently defeated Noah Shinable (3-8-1) at Cage Combat Fighting Championship’s “Meltdown” in August.
“He seems to be a go-getter. I think he brings a lot and it’s going to be a tough test for me,” Bias said of Arciniega. “I also think it’s going to be a tough test for him. He hasn’t really been talking any stuff, but I’m still ready, training hard and motivated for this fight.”
Both fighters see the fight possibly playing out in similar fashions, but with different results.
“It will either go two ways. He will come in throwing those giant bombs and I will catch him coming straight in, because that’s what he does, or I will take him down and finish the fight on the ground,” Bias said.
“I know that he is an explosive fighter who is always looking for a takedown. It’s going be fun and I can’t wait,” Arciniega said. “I like to stand, but I’ve won most of my fights by submission. I punch hard, so all of my opponents look to take me down. The only one that decided to stand with me lasted 48 seconds before he (Carlos Lopez) dropped.”
The tickets are priced at $40, $50 and $60 for public sale and can be purchased at tickets.com or charge by phone 1-800-225-2277. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with fights starting at 6:30.
Weigh-ins will be on Wednesday, Jan 16 at 5 p.m. at The Den sports bar located on the third floor of the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino.
For more breaking PFC news log on to www.palacefightingchampionship.com
Palace Fighting Championship
PFC 6 “No Retreat, No Surrender”
January 17th, 2008
Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino
Lemoore, Ca
Tickets can be purchased at tickets.com or charge by phone 1-800-225-2277.
PFC Lightweight Title Fight
Lemoore’s Poppies Martinez (14-3) vs. Atlanta’s Diego Saraiva (9-6-1)
*Martinez is interim champion, San Bernardino’s Shad Smith (9-8-2) was stripped of title
PFC Featherweigh Title Fight
Oroville’s Shawn Bias (12-5) vs. Oakdale’s Art Arciniega (5-1)
*Bias is champion, first defense
PFC Bantamweight Title Fight
Porterville’s Shawn Klarcyk (6-1) vs. Oakdale’s Rolando Velasco (4-0)
*Klarcyk is champion, first defense
Lightweights
Fresno’s Casey Olson (5-1) vs. Anaheim’s Scott Brommage (1-2)
Heavyweights
Sacramento’s Brad Imes (10-3) vs. Coarsegold’s Anthony Ruiz (19-10)
Welterweights
Lemoore’s Andrew Martinez (4-0-1) vs. Taft’s Doug Hunt (3-2)
Middleweights
Santa Rosa’s Nate Loughran (6-0) vs. Fresno’s Richard Montoya (6-3)
Welterweights
Orange County’s Craig Wilkerson (2-0) vs. Fargo, ND’s Christopher Hugh (3-1)
Welterweights
Moscow, Russia’s Alex Serdyukov (5-4) vs. Hamilton, MT’s Mike Gates (4-1-1)
Bantamweights
Sacramento’s Joseph Benevides (1-0) vs. Bend OR’s Jason Georgianna (5-1)
Light Heavyweight
Ricardo Barros (1-1) vs. Grand Forks, ND’s Eric Pribble (4-1)
Featherweights
Atlanta’s Rafael Assuncao (11-1) vs. Sacramento’s Chris David (8-7-2)
Welterweights
Lemoore’s Tony Alanis (4-3) vs. Visalia’s Tom Owens (2-1)
Heavyweights
Madera’s Joaquin Sanchez (1-1) vs. Los Angeles’ Salvador Farnetti (0-0)
Bantamweights
Visalia’s Brandon Miller (2-1) vs. Albuquerque NM’s Ed Tomaselli (3-4)
Light Heavyweights
San Luis Obispo’s Scott Lighty (0-0) vs. Humboldt’s Derek Thornton (3-9)
Light Heavyweights
Arroyo Grande’s Glover Teixeira (4-2) vs. Brazil’s Jorge Oliveira (2-1-1)
Featherweights
Lemoore’s Sergio Quinones (1-1) vs. Bakersfield’s Fernando Arreola (2-3-1)
Tags: California > Mixed Martial Arts > PALACE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Oliveira to be honored by CES
Posted on | January 10, 2008 | No Comments
Ring of Honor Induction Ceremony Jan. 25 at Foxwoods Resort Casino
PROVIDENCE (January 9, 2008) ? Former world title contender “Sucra” Ray Oliveira will be inducted into the CES Ring of Honor in a special ceremony during the “Champions of Tomorrow” pro boxing show, January 25 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
2004 U.S. Olympian Jason “Big Six” Estrada fights former world heavyweight title challenger Charles Shufford and WBC Youth featherweight champion Manuel Perez defends his title against Matt “Sharp Shooter” Remillard in 10-round, co-main events headlining the “Champions of Tomorrow” card.
Promoter Jimmy Burchfield, president of Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc. (CES), established the CES Ring of Honor in 2005 in order to pay respect to inductees for their special accomplishments and contributions to New England boxing. Charter members include 5-time world champion Vinny “The Pazmanian Devil” Pazienza, former WBA and WBC welterweight title-holder Marlon “Magic Man” Starling, and 3-time The Ring Fighter of the Year (2001-2003) participant “Irish” Micky Ward. Other CES Ring of Honor members include former 3-time world champion “El Gallo” Jose Antonio Rivera, world light heavyweight contender “Iceman” John Scully, famed Connecticut trainer Johnny Dukes, and 2008 U.S. Olympian Demetrious “Boo Boo” Andrade.
“We very happy to honor Ray Oliveira, one of the greatest New England fighters of all-time,” Burchfield said. “Ray was never in a boring fight. He was a tremendous defensive fighter and non-stop boxer who broke all records for most punches thrown in a fight. ‘Sucra’ Ray certainly deserves to be in the CES Ring of Honor for what he’s meant to New England boxing.”
Oliveira (47-11-2, 22 KOs), a product of New Bedford (MA), captured numerous title belts during his 15-year pro career that started in 1990: IBU welterweight, 2-time NABF super lightweight, IBF Intercontinental and New England light weight. Ray defeated world champions such as Charles Murray (twice), Vince Phillips and Vivian Harris. Most of his losses were to world champions, including Ricky Hatton, Vernon Forrest, Reggie Green, Ben Tackie, Zack Padilla and Jake Rodriguez. Oliveira had good “whiskers,” too. He had never been stopped and only floored twice until his last two fights.
“Champions of Tomorrow,” promoted by Jimmy Burchfield?s Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc., will be taped live and air on Saturday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m. on CN8 and will also stream online at www.CN8.tv. Following the broadcast, the show will be available ON DEMAND to Comcast Digital Cable customers for at least one week. “Champions of Tomorrow” will also air on Cox Sports Television on February 1 at 8:30 p.m.
Estrada (10-1, 2 KOs), the Providence native now rated No. 10 in the NABO, is coming off of his most impressive victory as a professional, when he put former NABC and NABC Americas heavyweight title-holder James Northey (11-2, 8 KOs) to sleep in the fourth round of their October 12 fight. Las Vegas-based Shufford (20-7-1, 9 KOs), who fought Wladimir Klitschko for the WBO in 2001, holds victories against former world champion Lamon Brewster, Elieser Castillo and Jimmy Thunder.
Perez (11-3, 2 KOs) fighting out of Denver by way of Honolulu, captured the WBC Youth title in his last fight on November 10 via a unanimous 10-round decision against Victor Barela. Manchester (CT) favorite Remillard (11-0, 7 KOs) has been inactive since suffering a hand injury that required surgery after he won the WBC Youth super featherweight on September 23, 2006.
Unbeaten 9-time U.S. amateur champion Aaron Williams (15-0-1, 11 KOs) tangles with upset-minded Sameh Elashry (6-4, 2 KOs) in an eight-round battle of cruiserweights.
The much-anticipated New England light heavyweight showdown between Iraqi War-veteran Chris Traietti (7-0, 4 KOs) and “Irish” Joey McCreedy (5-1, 4 KOs) will finally take place in a scheduled 6-round bout. Middleweights Richard “Bobo” Starnino (8-2-1, 1 KO), of Providence, and New Bedford’s Eric Pinarreta (1-1, 1 KO) will meet in an old fashioned border war.
Also on the undercard in four-round bouts are popular Hartford light welterweight Addy Irizarry (3-1, 2 KOs) against Tonya Gallegos (4-6, 2 KOs), unbeaten Brockton light heavyweight Manuel Antonio Lopes (4-0, 1 KO) meets veteran Anthony Cannon (4-8, 1 KO), recent University of Connecticut graduate Brian Macy, a card dealer at Foxwoods who lives in Ledyard, makes his pro debut against Donyell Dukes (0-4).
Tickets for “Champions of Tomorrow” are priced at $40.00, $65.00 (Silver), $100.00 (Gold) and $150.00 (Jimmy?s Platinum Club). Two VIP Presidential Suites are also available (call CES for details as well as sponsorship opportunities). To purchase tickets or for additional information contact CES (1.401.724.2253/2254 – www.cesboxing.com) or Foxwoods (1.800.200.2882/www.foxwoods.com). Doors open at 6 PM/ET, first bout at 7 PM/ET.
TITLE FIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
Posted on | January 9, 2008 | No Comments
Tags: Iowa > Mixed Martial Arts > MMA > Title Fight Championship
Mass Destruction 23 Lives Up To The Name
Posted on | January 9, 2008 | 1 Comment
*Editor’s Note: For some reason this piece was lost in the shuffle somewhere. It is from an event that took place in August, 2007. The promoters of this event (NAGA’s Reality Fighting) will be holding another event January 19th at Plymouth Memorial Hall in southern Massachusetts.
MASS DESTRUCTION 23 LIVES UP TO THE NAME
By: Rich Bergeron
[mpinpage]
MASSACHUSETTS– Mass Destruction 23 at Plymouth Memorial Hall proved to be one of the best local shows ever. The full house of fans who showed up were treated to an amazing array of exciting well-matched fighters slugging it out in a small octagon-sized ring that left them no room to run.
The first match of the night set the high-charged tone of the event with NAGA’s own Oz Pariser overcoming a bad start to win in dramatic fashion over Andrew Amaral of Cape Cod Fighting Alliance. Pariser’s effort fell flat in the first round as he only managed to land a 1-2 combo, an uppercut, a short barrage of punches and a leg kick. Other than an unsuccessful attempt to work a triangle choke, Pariser was absolutely overwhelmed by Amaral early on. Still, Pariser did manage to cut open Amaral’s eye, which might have made all the difference in the later rounds.
Amaral showed a dominant right hook in the first, catching Pariser with it a couple times before taking him down. He shook off Pariser’s quick attempt at the triangle and landed a glancing right over the top on his downed opponent. He spent the next few moments punishing Pariser’s ribs with more hooks. He maintained top position throughout the round and landed another nice overhand right, a few well placed left hands, some hammer fists, and a few more rib shots for good measure before the bell.
Pariser saw an amazing reversal of fortune in the second, taking the early advantage with a takedown. Amaral managed to get a few rights off and then rolled through to reverse Pariser, but it didn’t last. Pariser went for an arm bar and ended up with his own reversal. He kept at it and sunk the arm bar deep a bit later, but Amaral was just too strong to let it stop him. He finally worked out and the fight was back on the feet with both trading wild hooks and Pariser maintaining the more aggressive pace to the end.
With his face battered, bruised, and bleeding, Amaral came out for the third and final round in a fit of rage. Working feverishly to get a takedown he left himself open for a big kick to the face before he finally grabbed hold of Pariser’s shorts and slammed him to the canvas hard. Pariser maintained his composure and went back to the triangle, locking it up loosely at first. Amaral struggled to squeeze out, but by then it was too late. Already red with blood, his face went a deeper shade of red before he finally tapped out.
A paramedic later reported Amaral was seeing double out of one eye after the fight and had to be taken to the hospital.
“I just came on to say thanks to Amaral for that battle that we had. I had everyone telling me we were the fight of the night! The dude is strong as an ox and I’m honored to have fought him. Also, thanks to everyone that came out to support me,” wrote Pariser on MASSMMA.NET after the show.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH PARISER VS. AMARAL
Rob McNeil of South Shore Sport Fighting put on an incredible impersonation of Chuck Liddell in the early going of his fight. He slugged it out with Rigo Dominicci throughout the first round, snapping off leg kicks while he was at it. McNeil pursued his opponents with solid outside hooks and finally scored a takedown and pounded on Dominicci some more until they wound up back on their feet. Dominicci only managed to land a handful of shots in the round.
McNeil looked a bit gassed coming into the second round, giving up the advantage to Dominicci, who whipped out the spinning backfist and almost got himself in trouble. He landed a few slapping hooks later while McNeil could only manage to land a few shots before he connected with a couple knees and a left hook when Dominicci charged in. Dominicci picked up the pace later in the round, scoring with a left and right hook, a leg kick, and a jab. McNeil blocked a kick to the face and scored with some wild and wide left hooks before both fighters engaged in some heavy slugging to end the round.
The third round was going to decide it, but the way both fighters came out for it left the crowd a bit restless. Neither seemed to want to engage much and spent much of the round tiptoeing around each other. McNeil was content with keeping his distance and firing off an occasional leg kick during the early going. Dominicci responded by landing a spinning backfist again. Finally wise to that tactic, McNeil managed to duck under the next one and hit his opponent with a wonderful right hook. Finally, in the best action of the round, McNeil went for the takedown and threw Dominicci over his shoulder. The resulting slam shook the ring and riled the crowd, who cheered in excitement. McNeil landed two punches for every one of Dominicci’s from that point on and pulled out the easy decision.
“He knew the left was coming, so I had to do something completely different,” said McNeil about the slam that swayed the judges. He was all smiles after taking his championship belt back to the locker room to a chorus of boos since he’d beaten the crowd favorite. He credited his South Shore Sport Fighting Cornermen Bill, Scott, and Bobby with helping give him the right directions and also for pushing him in the gym. “They told him to work my ground game,” he said. “I had to go for what he didn’t think of.”
He also credited his fight team and his father with helping him get away from fighting in bars and ending up in jail for taking his aggression on the streets.
McNeil’s been in the fight game for five years now and stressed he’s not out for money hardware, or publicity but simply for the pride of it all and the ability to “get paid to punch people in the face.”
His team members stressed nobody from their gym fought any “chumps” that night, and all of his supporters celebrating with him made sure to mention McNeil did it all on his own in the ring.
Troy “The Tornado” Tondalo of Team Savage took on Eric Foley of South Shore Sport Fighting in a heavyweight bout that proved to be a gruesome slugfest. There was plenty of grappling going on right off the bell as Foley did his best to stay behind Tondalo and nail him with a few shots from time to time. Tondalo was all hooks in the early action, missing his first attempt for a takedown only to get thrown to the canvas himself a bit later. Tondalo did manage to wriggle free and turn to face Foley, but Foley responded with some hooks of his own. Finally Foley looked to be close to getting the Guillotine choke locked, but he couldn’t sink it. At round’s end Tondalo’s face was already severely swollen.
Tondalo was simply spent in the second, gasping for air as he leaned on the ropes and took punishing shots from Foley. He landed a right hook and a couple of other counter punches, but it didn’t take long for Foley to overwhelm him. A 1-2 combo and a follow up right led to Tondalo hitting the ground where Foley closed the show slugging relentlessly from the top position until the ref stepped in.
If there were penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct in MMA, Tim Pinney (Freestyle) would have cost his team 15 yards for the way he opened his quick contest against Lucas Kotzias. Instead of touching gloves, Pinney faked the shake and tried to hammer Kotzias right off the bell with a huge, winging hook. Nerves and bad timing made him lose his balance and end up on his ass instead. Kotzias was all kicks to start and then unloaded an unsuccessful Superman punch. Pinney missed a kick of his own and fell to the floor. While rolling around on the floor, both fighters had shots at triangle chokes, but it was Pinney who ended up securing the hold to tap out Kotzias, much to the dismay of the crowd, who rained boos down on Pinney to let him know the opening act didn’t go unnoticed.
Fernando Perez (Dungeon) squared off with Nick Tzimas (NMATC) in a match that saw plenty of reversals, but Tzimas edged it out with better ground skills. Tzimas came out slugging on his feet. Perez tried to respond only to get taken down on a trip as he went for a knee. He was able to roll out for a few seconds only to get caught up in an arm bar attempt. Tzimas secured top position once again, and Perez bucked him off once more. Tzimas ended the round on top once again, pounding away at Perez’s ribs with huge hooks.
Perez could only manage a few glancing shots and a split second reversal in the second frame. Tzimas started with more slugging, landing a nice 1-2 combo before getting another early takedown. He went back to work on the ribs, made sure to get good distance, and started slugging away until Perez tried to work his way out only to get trapped in a deep arm bar. He had no choice but to tap out.
Greg Rebello (Cape Cod FA) and Todd Chattelle (Elite MA) had a back and forth battle in the first round of their fight, which involved more leg work than fisticuffs. Both did lots of grappling early with knees flying and leg kicks slapping home. Chattelle landed a straight right later in the round, sending Rebello down for a moment, and when he got back to his feet he wound up in a Guillotine choke attempt.
Rebello exacted his revenge in the next round, starting with much more aggression and keeping Chatelle’s back on the ropes as he hauled off knees. Going from huge left hands to leg kicks, Rebello took a decent kick himself and responded with one of the hardest leg kicks of the night. He finished the fight with an amazing hooking right uppercut that led to a takedown, and once the fight hit the ground he never let up until the ref stepped in due to the constant abuse he laid on Chatelle with primarily left hooks to the head.
Anthony Williams (Dungeon) and Albert Marrero (Mendes) Fought through three rounds of brutal back and forth action. Willaims got the first takedown, Marrero reversed it, and then both traded some shots in a pretty uneventful first.
Marrero won the advantage in the second, going for a Guillotine that didn’t quite work at first. Then he wound up on top anyway after rolling out. He landed a knee and scored with some huge hooks to the head. All Williams could manage were a few weak hammer fists.
Williams coming out for the third in full attack mode may have won the fight for him. He earned an easy takedown and kept right on slugging away until he wound up in an arm bar he barely made it out of. Marrero managed to get back to his feet only to go down again. Williams relentlessly hammered him with rib and head shots. Marrero managed a brief reversal only to end up on his back again at the bell. Williams took home one of the only decisions of the night.
In one of the rarest situations that can happen in an MMA fight, Tom Giove (SSSF) and Ethan Kean (Royce Gracie) somehow got locked up in a sort of an awkward 69 position in the second round of the fight. Kean secured a reverse triangle while Giove worked his own triangle at the same time. Kean’s only hope was to end it with that triangle after getting slammed like a ragdoll in the first and going through almost the entire round in the guard position. Giove threw wild shots once he was able to get the proper distance, and the best punches he managed in the first frame connected with Kean’s ribs.
Giove managed to get out of the tight predicament in the second and secure a reversal. From there he went for a reverse Guillotine angle called a “North-South Choke.” Kean tapped out as soon as Giove locked it tight.
Mike Gresh (CCFA) and Denny Siggins (Kaze) had the crowd wondering if NAGA was starting a senior circuit. 47-year-old Siggins and the probably not much older or younger Gresh were certainly more game than anyone might have given them credit for upon their first appearance in the ring. Siggins, who looks like a cross between Paul Newman and Richard Dreyfuss, was willing to trade kicks and engage in some early slugging, but Gresh was too fast. After a nice thigh kick of his own, he waded into the fray and let fly a couple shots that landed solidly. Siggins sagged to the canvas face first, trying to get up on wobbly legs as the ref waved the fight to a stop.
Glenn Medeiros (Gillet) took on the most decorated high school wrestler in New Hampshire, Matt Smith (Renzo-NH). The yet to win a professional MMA fight Medieros was clearly outclassed. Smith dominated him as expected, and he gave up his back quickly. Smith secured a quick takedown and punished his opponent with incredible ground and pound skills. After a warning for hitting the back of the head, Smith wasted no time ending the fight. He caught Medeiros in a huge slam and pounded his way to victory from there.
Finally, Pat Schultz (CCFA) appeared and thrilled the crowd with a huge win after ending up in early trouble. Les Richardson of L.A. Boxing gave Schultz a run for his money before Schultz recovered and knocked him out as the crowd exploded.
The small, confined space of the ring left few fights to decisions and the crowd fully entertained through the whole card. The sellout atmosphere was intense, and nobody went home unhappy save for the fighters who lost. Congratulations to Kipp Kollar for a well-stacked card and a wholly professional promotion that is gaining steam and respect all over the region. Saturday was one of the best cards Fight News Unlimited has covered this year.
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Tags: action > Aggression > Arm > arm bar > barrage > Bergeron > cape cod > championship > couple times > dramatic fashion > early advantage > few moments > fight > fighting > fists > full house > Going > good measure > GYM > hook > jab > january 19th > kick > Kipp Kollar > left hands > locker > Mass Destruction > Mass Destruction 23 > McNeil > Mixed Martial Arts > MMA > NAGA > overhand right > pace > Plymouth Memorial Hall > Reality Fighting > reversal of fortune > RIGHT > right hook > ring > round > something > southern massachusetts > tactic > takedown > time > unsuccessful attempt > uppercut
TAKEDOWN RADIO REPORT
Posted on | January 9, 2008 | No Comments
Takedown Wrestling Radio and Live Sports Video to Broadcast NWCA National Duals
Special Release
Takedown Wrestling Radio’s will again be broadcasting the NWCA National Duals starting at 9:06 AM CST Saturday morning. Join Steve Foster, J. Carl Guymon, Scott Casber, Grant Turner, Chole Casber and Adam Haselhuhn for the color, interviews and play by play of this historic event.
This year, we will partner with Live Sports Video and marry our audio with LSV’s state of the art video on demand. Checkout LSV for semi finals and championship rounds. This is proving to be an exciting year in College Wrestling.
TDR’s Scott Casber will also broadcast the Navy Vs. Maryland match Live from the Naval Academy in Annapolis Maryland Thursday starting at 6:30 PM EST. We’ll start with interviews with both Coaches Burnett and Santoro and then get down to the business at hand, This one will prove to be an important meet for both programs. Join Casber for his final broadcast of TDR’s 3rd East Coast Tour of the year.
Scott Casber
Takedown Wrestling Radio
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