May 5th, 2012 - Oakland, California, USA
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May 5th, 2012
Johnny Davis' AK Promotions Presents
Cinco De Mayo Fight Fiesta!
IKF MUAY THAI
KICKBOXING
Oakland Convention Center
At
The
Oakland Marriott
1001 Broadway
Oakland, California, USA
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IKF JUNIOR
GIRLS AMATEUR | ||
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IKF AMATEUR FULL MUAY THAI RULES | ||
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IKF AMATEUR MODIFIED MUAY THAI RULES | ||
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Doors and Bars Will Open At
4:PM....Fights Will Start At 6:PM
For More Info Contact Mr. Johnny Davis at (916)
205-4762 or 630-9254 or by e-mail at johnnyd@akpromotions.org
Oakland Marriott City Center
Special room rate is $99 Per night.
Special
Garage parking for those with event is only $5 for Saturday Night
HOTEL:
(510) 466 6419 - Fax: (510) 839-0677
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Event Confirmed
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TUESDAY,
January 24th, 2012, AT 11:10 AM/
PST
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IT'S ON!
Balentien VS Nahe!
Two World's Collide!
IKF Junior Girls Flyweight World Championship On The
Line!
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AK
Promotions President 
Johnny
Davis (Right) and his AKP Team is proud to announce they have
confirmed the long awaited World Title fight between Katrina "The
Storm" Nahe of Antioch, California, USA (*7-0 with 3 KO'TKO's)
and Tisha Balentien of Almere, The Netherlands (Holland) Many
here in the USA know about Nahe's accomplishments and many in Europe
most likely know about Balentien's However, for those around the world
reading this, it's probably best we get you all aquainted with both of these
outstanding fighters
Tisha Balentien has an obvious impressive record of 27 wins with 4 loses. 11 of those wins came by way of KO or TKO. (YouTube She comes from one of the most prominent areas in the world for Kickboxing...Holland!
Few reading this need us to name drop some of the greatest fighters in the world from Holland, but just to make a point, lets just point out one who just so happens to be a female too... Legendary and undefeated Lucia Rijker! When Rijker retired from fighting she had an impressive pro record of 37-0, with 25 of her wins coming by way of KO or TKO. Without a doubt she was one of the best known female fighters in the world in her day and perhaps ever. While living here in the United States she later turned to professional boxing and amased a perfect 17-0 record with 14 of her wins coming by way of KO or TKO! We just added Rijker to our "Where are they Now" page, so if you don't know much about her, make sure you read about her below after we bring you up to speed on Nahe and Balentien.
Balentien is an extraordinary talent in Holland and has
also dominated her divisions for years. Strong, aggressive with bad intentions
is one way to describe this confident fighter who is eager to test her
experience against the skills of Nahe! At 15 years old,
Balentien possesses
speed, power and tenacity that is sure to give Nahe her toughest battle
if not her first defeat.
Managed by Joroen Jaring of Euphron International Sports Business, and trained by Ropie Adriaan of ROPIEGYM they are confident in their young fighter and feel she has what it takes to become a world champion. Her very proud mother ( Deborah Landvreugd ) is at the top of the world now and thankful for this opportunity. Deborah had called the IKF to inquire about this years 2012 IKF World Classic Tournament in Orlando Florida. While her and Fossum spoke, Fossum thought if this girl is all her mom says she is, she may be the top contender we've been looking for to match up against Nahe in a legit World Title bout.
Fossum's first thought was to match the two up at the World Classic Tournament as a special presentation bout. However, the IKF has a policy for the World Classic to try and not make any one bout, more important than the Tournament Title bouts. So Fossum presented the idea to Davis. Davis was not only excited, but proud to be offered such an opportunity. "Steve (Fossum) and I had been searching for a legit and credible opponent to match-up against Nahe for a long time now." Said Davis. "Deborah's call to the IKF came at the perfect time and presented the perfect opportinity for both ladies."
In the phone conversation with Davis, Balentien's mom stated "My daughter has worked very hard and deserves this shot and I want to do everything I can to make it happen for her!" By the sound in her voice, one gets the impression that Balentien is not traveling across the North Atlantic Ocean to go back empty handed.
Across the ring from Balentien will be Katrina Nahe. Believe it or not Nahe Vs Balentien will be seen as one of the most anticipated fights in Muay Thai Kickboxing in the United States in years by some circles. Nahe who is 5'4" and 14 years old has built a huge following to the size of what you see with professional athletes with literally hundreds of fans attending her fights. She has been training and fighting since the tender age of 5 years old and has dominated her divisions in the sport from day one.
Katrina has won Three
IKF World Classic Tournament titles (2007,
2009, and
2011. As many here
know, the IKF World Classic Tournament.
To add, just this past fall she also won the title at the 2011 IKF International West Coast Classic in Sacramento, California, USA. Both tournaments are in there own way, similar to the Golden Gloves tournament for boxing. In 2010 she won the IKF Junior Amateur Girls Western United States title on the scales when her opponent Aneka Otto of Scottsdale, Arizona failed to make the 105 weight, weighing in at 107. However, to prove her worth, Nahe fought her in a non title bout anyway, and won by unanimous decision, 39-37, 39-37 & 40-36.
Those who have witnessed Nahe in action know that she is like a demolition crew with non stop kicks, punches, knees and some attitude to boot. Laying it all on her opponents until they often give-in to the pressure! In an article on the internet somewhere, someone claimed the IKF stated that Nahe was the "IKF's Most Feared Teenage Female Fighter in the World". However, the IKF never made such a claim, and as a sanctioning body, would never make such a claim of any fighter. A claim that could be made though would be that Katrina is "ONE OF the Most Feared Teenage Female Fighter in the World" and the reason for such a claim would be that it's been hard for promoters to find a match for her. This is why this is such an important opportunity for BOTH Ladies, because THE SAME can be said for Balentien. She too has also had a tough time finding opponents.
Despite what Nahe has faced up to now, she has never faced anyone like the 5'2" wrecking machine that's displayed all over You Tube clips in Tisha Balentien! Her YouTube commericials laced with raw lyrics tell an inside story to the mental toughness that she brings to the ring.
ADDING TO IT ALL...
This
is more than just a match-up. It's one thing to bring two PRO Fighters together
from different countries, but to bring in someone from "HOLLAND"
to match-up against top ranked Katrina Nahe of Antioch, California, USA
is simply unheard of in todays economy. "Back in the 90's we saw lots
of fighters traveling back and forth between here and Europe or Australia or
Asia. However, most likely due to the economy, it's just not happening much
anymore." Says IKF Kickboxing
President Steve Fossum. "AK
Promotions has stepped up to the plate and committed to do 'Whatever
it takes' to advance the sport of kickboxing and Muay Thai, and because of their
commitment, we too feel an obligation to stand side by side to help them and all
of us, bring the sport to a different level."
Two very confident, courageous young champions will clash on this Cinco De Mayo Fight Fiesta weekend and it will be a momentous occasion for all in attendance! This fight will prove not only the great future of these young fighters but also show the greatness of the sport of IKF Muay Thai & Kickboxing!
WHO
Katrina
Nahe, Antioch, California, USA, 7-0/3, 5'4", VS
Tisha Balentien, Holland, 27-4-1/11, 5'2".
WHAT
International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) Junior Girls Flyweight Muay Thai World Title
WHEN
Saturday,
May **5th, 2012
(**)
Date may change to May 4th, if the rumored Super Boxing match between Floyd
Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquio takes place. At press time, the
bout only looks like a rumor and one can only believe this bout is still many
more months away. However, it they do choose May 5th in the next few weeks, the
Nahe vs Balentien bout will move to May 4th or the following
weekend. More info coming soon.
WHERE
Oakland Convention Center in
Oakland, California, USA. The two thousand seat venue is expected to be packed
with cheering fans.
AK Promotions
For
those who may not be familier with AK
Promotions, they are one of the busiest and most prestigious
Amateur Kickboxing / Muay Thai Promotions in the nation right now.
AKP
specializing in the growth of the ever popular Muay Thai Kickboxing events and
is based out of Rocklin, California, USA.AKP's President is no stranger to the sport.
Johnny Davis
is from Dillon, South Carolina, USA and currently resides in Rocklin,
California. Nicknamed "Superfoot", from 1980 to 1984 Davis
won numerous regional kickboxing titles before beating Alvin Prouder for
the PKA World Welterweight
Title in 1985. In 1987 he won the FFKA Title and also won the
ISKA U.S. Middleweight Title that year in a bout featured on ESPN.
During his career he won a total of 6 Kickboxing titles and retired in 1988 with a final
record was 25 wins and 6 losses, with 13 wins by KO. He continued to stay
involved in martial arts. In 1996 he promoted several kickboxing matches in
California and became involved with the International Kickboxing Federation,
IKF. In 2002 he released an
autobiographical training manual entitled The Art of Kickboxing. That same year he
started his own promotional company AK Promotions.
Johnny is also the World President of IKF
Point Kickboxing (IKF/PKB - www.IKFPKB.com
In
2009 he opened up his Rocklin Kickboxing & Boxing Club in Rocklin,
California, USA.
For a history of Davis' events click
HERE.
Fight fans get ready for a great night of action and one of
the most exciting bouts ever in the sport!
Tickets are on sale now at
www.AKPromotions.org
or for more information contact AK Promotions President Johnny Davis
at (916) 205-4762 or by email at johnnyd@akpromotions.org
TUESDAY,
April 17th, 2012, AT 3:30 PM/ PST
IKF Muay
Thai Kickboxing Show for
Cinco De
Mayo
A Fight Fiesta
for the World!
4 title fights
and a super undercard makes for a great fight party for all to see!
May 5th, 2012, Oakland Convention Center, Oakland, California,
USA!
Arcangle VS
Chasteen....... Nahe VS Balentien....... Hurny
VS Grant....... Gonzales VS
Clay
On Saturday May 5th, 2012, there will be fighting events held around the world from Las Vegas to New York City. However, for the Muay Thai Kickboxing community in California, all eyes will be on the action at the Oakland Convention Center where California based Johnny Davis' AK Promotions will be putting on its largest show to date packed with world class action! It will be a fight party for sure - decorated with lots of lights, cameras, jamming music combined with tons of great food and beverages that will make Las Vegas take a double take!
Fight fans will have a place to be on Cinco De Mayo in Oakland, California! Some will choose to stay at home and enjoy other fights on the tube but for sure, thousands more will make their way out to witness some of the best standup fighting action in the world! Tickets are already starting to move for this event and many more are expected to sell as this show, loaded with some of the best fighters in the world, may SELL OUT the 2000+ seat venue! Those remotely on the fence about attending this world class Kickboxing Fight Fiesta should not wait long to get their tickets as this show will be a keeper for the world of Muay Thai Kickboxing!
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In the Main Event, current IKF Super Welterweight World Champion T.J. Arcangle of San Francisco, California will be embroiled in the fight of his life. His challenger, Nick Chasteen of Phoenix, Arizona is a fighter with numerous championship belts to his credit and is coming to take Arcangle's title. No one should doubt his ability to defeat Arcangle for this championship. Although, highly talented, T.J. Arcangle who stands at 5'9" tall, is one the most skilled Muay Thai technicians in the amateur ranks and will have to be sharper than ever. Word has it that the 6'0" Chasteen knows how to use his height and reach "if he gets you hurt, he comes in to finish you" says one who is very familiar with Chasteen's fighting ability. | ||
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This anonymous person also said that he (Chasteen) was slightly more complicated than many others in the Arizona area and although he admits he does not know much about Arcangle, he knows that Chasteen is focused and is coming for the championship..."no one should take this kid lightly, he is very, very good!" he said adamantly! For sure, Chasteen DOES carry himself like a true professional! In observing him at a recent event working a fellow fighter's corner, the hotel's gym was his favorite hangout. It was all about business for him even if he was not fighting. Its clear that Chasteen will come in great shape and very prepared to do all he can to leave a world champion! Arcangle won his IKF World title back in October 2011 in Oakland at the Convention Center when he soundly defeated veteran Muay Thai and multiple champion Johan Hamm of Canada. It's clear that Arcangle is gaining confidence as a world champion. Since winning his world title, Arcangle stopped a fighter in Redwood City, California only a few weeks ago in three rounds as a warm-up for Chasteen. He wanted to make sure that the message was loud and apparent that he too is in it to win it and you have to bring some... to get some! These two senior-veteran amateur fighters at the cusp of their professional careers want to own one of the most covenant amateur world championships in the game right now...The IKF World title! Both men have no plans to leave it to the judges, as they know their legacy is on the line. Arcangle's trainer, Kru Sam Phimsoutham of San Francisco, California is soft spoken in his approach to every fight. However, one can tell that this particular fight means a lot to him as he knows one of his most talented fighters will have to give his best that night to walk out of the ring still a champion. Chasteen's trainer and promoter, Bob Karmel of Arizona, has been in this fight business for as long as anyone and knows the art like the back of his hand. One could watch the featured video on the IKF events page that gives every indication that he is a traditional artist and sincere about the sport of Muay Thai Kickboxing. He also understands the importance of this bout to the point that he cancelled one of ongoing Muay Thai Shows in Arizona to ensure that he is with his fighter and giving the fight the attention it deserves. |
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Arcangle vs Chasteen, should make the fight-world stand up and take notice to the great sport of Muay Thai Kickboxing! If anyone ever wanted to see how Muay Thai Kickboxing has evolved, you must be at the Oakland Convention Center to see this and all the fights and festivities LIVE on May 5th! Arcangle vs Chasteen will be a war fitting for a Cinco De May Fight Fiesta!
Moreover, this Cinco De Mayo event will host one of the most anticipated female Junior bouts on the planet! For sure there will be a huge difference in the lives of two young ladies who at press time are training like Rocky Balboa in a Rocky Movie to be ready for the biggest test of their young Kickboxing careers. We're talking about the talented Tisha Balentien of the Netherlands who will be taking on Katrina "The Storm" Nahe of Antioch, California, USA for the IKF Junior Bantamweight World Championship.
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To put it simply, the Balentien vs Nahe battle is expected to show two non-stop Gladiators involved in a spicy but brutal battle with each fighter garnering raw and honest intentions to overcome the other! There is no doubt tensions will be high and it will be a nerve racking experience for all involved. From the promoter's preparations for this event which have been intense in making sure the show is produced to what is deserving for this type of event; The trainers will be tired and irritable for the extra labor they've put into their fighter to make sure they are at their best! Parents of course will be on edge due to just the simple fact
that its All of these emotions will not matter as much as one thing...and that is how the young ladies respond to the pressures that surely comes with an event like this. What matters is when they step into the ring and 'eye down' their opponent and whether they are prepared to demonstrate the brilliance they developed since their early childhood. |
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In the end, their performance in the ring that night is all
that really matters. Every heartbeat and every ounce of their being will be
called upon to overcome their adversary. Imagine being a teen waking up every
morning with just one thing on your mind...winning
your world championship! Trust this, these two teen prodigies,
both with great accomplishments already, will kick, punch and knee... giving
their all for the opportunity to walk out a world champion on May 5th and that
alone will make for one of the most exciting fights the sport has ever seen! No
one knows the outcome today but somewhere in the late night hour on May 5th,
there will be a new IKF Junior World
Champion gleaming to the world, yes,
I took
the test and yes, I'm the best"!
Check Out These Clips Of The These
Junior Ladies!
Click The YouTube Links To See Them...
Tisha Balentien
Katrina Nahe
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Another great match up for the evening will be a toe to toe battle for heavyweight authority! Gary Grant who lives in Antioch, California but will be fighting out of Oakland, California and will be chinning it up with former IKF United States Super Heavyweight Champion John "Big Sexy" Hurny of San Jose, California who is trained by well known coach Kirian Fitzgibbons of Dublin, California. Hurny, who is now stepping down to the Heavyweights
after losing his title to current IKF
Super Heavyweight World Champion Xavier Vigney of Concord, California,
will fight Grant for the Hurny and is a brawler with big punches and hard head
kicks! Both men have a lot to prove and both really want this title shot. Grant
has been churning for a title opportunity for the past few years and has finally
earned his chance and you better know that he will be banking on his charisma
and techniques to pull him through what may very well be an awesome battle of
big men to the delight of everyone in the |
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In another main event Muay Thai Kickboxing bout that evening will be lightweights in action in what looks to be an excellent match up for the IKF Western United States Lightweight Muay Thai Championship in full rules, which includes the use of elbows. This match will be one that should kick off the main events with a bang! Alec Gonzales who is an excellent Muay Thai technician and who is trained by Kru Trey Howard of Vallejo, California will be attempting to upgrade his status as he hopes for a world title shot down the road. Howard and his camp of fighting machines have been mopping up titles and are seen as a major threat where ever they show up.
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Gonzales' opponent will be Arizona State United States Muay Thai Association (USMTA) Champion Travis Clay of Arizona. Clay is trained by Professional Muay Thai fighter Thiago Azerado who has a lot of confidence in his fighter's ability. Clay and Gonzales, two 132 pound fighters that will demonstrate speed, power, technique and explosiveness and should be a great clinical fight showing authentic Full Rule Muay Thai action! Along with all of the aforementioned great fights, there will be approximately 12 more bouts on the under card that will be an awesome display for May Thai Kickboxing. Fighters coming from across the state will be eager to prove they are the best at their weight class. Friends, family and fight fans will travel afar to witness to awesome display of courage, talent and unbelievable athleticism! IKF Muay Thai Kickboxing events promoted by Johnny Davis' AK Promotions have grown tremendously in popularity and this will be one of their largest and most exciting cards in he Bay Area! Fight fans may have to make a choice this evening between some world boxing and mma events around the world and on TV on May 5th but one believes that the true Muay Thai Kickboxing fight fans will be out in great numbers at the Oakland Convention Center to witness for themselves this LIVE, World Class, Las Vegas style Fight Fiesta! Get the tamales ready baby and come party with us... Tickets are on sale now at |
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Ring Announcer: Wayne Wilson of Sacramento, California, DJ: Marlo Bucajit of Fairfield, California, Videos by Cliff Ingham of Newark, California, Photography by Chris Kisela of Sacramento, California. Executive Coordinator: Rebecca Alvarez of Elk Grove, California.
Event is sanctioned by the
International Kickboxing Federation (
IKF)
and under the Authority of the
California Athletic Commission, Director Mr.
George Dodd.
CALIFORNIA STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION
Get Your Tickets
Now!....Click on Ticket Below
Use Your Credit Card to Reserve Your Seat!
FRIDAY,
March 2nd, 2012, AT 5:10 PM/
PST
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Holland's Balentien
Sends
Video Message For Nahe
On Their Upcoming
World Title Fight In The USA!
Today, 15 year old Junior Flyweight World Contender Tisha Balentien of Holland and her camp released a video message for her upcoming fight against undefeated and multiple IKF World Classic Champion...14 year old Katrina "The Storm" Nahe of Antioch, California, USA.
The IKF Muay Thai World Title match is scheduled for Saturday, May 5th, 2012 in Oakland, California, USA. The fight will be held at the Oakland Convention Center. Balentien's message is clear,
"I'm going to win the world title."
The video
message includes Balentien training for her bout and showing explosive
kicks and boxing techniques. Balentien's trainer, does not mix his words
and simply says "The Dutch fighters have the best Muay Thai in the
world and I'm not impressed with American style Muay Thai fighters...Tisha is
going to kick Katrina's ---!"...he ends with a big smile :)
Although Juniors, this will be one of the most anticipated Muay Thai fights in a long time. With the aggressive fighting style of both young ladies, it's hard to imagine that either will take a step back! It will be an exciting and memorable evening in a Las Vegas fashion for two of the best junior female fighters in the World to showcase their skills!
Johnny Davis' AK Promotions is proud to bring this fight together. As with his many promotions before, this will be a first rate show. The Junior title will be overseen by world recognized IKF Officials, specially trained as officials for Muay Thai.
"Unlike some promoters who promote their own fighters for titles, I don't have any ties with either fighter." said Davis. "I'm just excited I was given the opportunity to bring these two fighters together. As an event Promoter, I just want the best fighter to win! Period! That's what its all about."
Davis and everyone involved in this bout are just wanting both fighters to do as asked of any and every fighter... To end their bout knowing they gave their all! As the saying goes, if the bout is close, we would hate to be one of the judges. For big fights like this, trainers always tell their fighters, "Don't leave it to the judges!" That's not an insult to ANY judge, just a reality of every trainer and fighter. No one wants to question a decision, and chances are, with the way these two ladies ROCK, it may not go to a decision!
If you are a fight fan, this is surly one of those "MUST
SEE" match-ups!
Without a doubt, It's going to be awesome!
With numerous inquiries already for tickets, they are on sale
now and more information to come at
www.AKPromotions.org.
For more info, call
(916) 205-4762.
TUESDAY,
May 1st, 2012, AT 5:40 PM/ PST
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Bay Area's Kickboxing
Fight Fiesta Nears For
Cinco de Mayo!
May 5th, 2012- Oakland Convention
Center- Doors 4:PM- Fights 6:PM
This Saturday Oakland Convention Center, Cinco De
Mayo.
One of the leading promoters in California, Johnny Davis'
A.K. Promotions is all set to host another
IKF "Mega' fight Night this
Saturday at the Oakland Convention Center (1001 Broadway) in , Oakland,
California for Cinco de
Mayo 2012! The event will feature a night of live IKF Muay Thai Kickboxing "Fight Fiesta"
to kickoff celebrations for Cinco de Mayo!
Delicious adult drinks and food, blasting music and great fights... all in a Las Vegas environment! The event will host some of the best fighters in Muay Thai! There will be approximately 15 fights, four exciting IKF Title fights, including two IKF World Title bouts! This will be one of the largest Kickboxing events in the Bay Area in years with some fighters coming as far as the Netherlands. The undercard will feature some of the best up and coming fighters comprised of men and women from across the State of California! For more information go to www.AKPromotions.org or call (916) 205-4762.
Tickets are on sale now at
www.AKPromotions.org
$40, $50, $80...add $10 at
the door.
Get them early and save by using your credit card on line.
Doors and Convention Center Bars open at 4:PM.
Come early for Happy
Hour Music and Fun! Fights Start at 6:PM!
CINCO de MAYO Commercial - CLICK HERE!
Check Out These Clips Of The Two Junior
Ladies
Fighting For The IKF World Title!
Click
The YouTube Links To See Them...
Tisha Balentien
Katrina Nahe
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MONDAY,
MAY 7th, 2012, AT 11:00 PM/
PST
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Results From Johnny Davis' AK Promotions'
"Cinco De Mayo Fight Fiesta!"
Oakland, California, USA
WHEN: Saturday, May
5th, 2012Photos By Chris Kisela
chriskisela@gmail.com
www.chriskisela.smugmug.com
(408)
688-6469.
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Everyone who has ever promoted any kind of an event before or been associated with promoting events would agree that getting fans or spectators to a venue is the key to an events success. Every weekend around the world, people are presented with options as to how to spend their time, whether it be a weeknight or weekend, 10 minutes or days at a time, these individuals will end up making their decisions based up on their excitement or admiration of these events whether they be sporting events or anything else that sells an admission ticket. The point we are trying to make here is that for an event or a sport to be successful, there needs to be a loyal following of those who admire what the event(s) present to them.
As if selling tickets to a fight sport event isn't tough enough, this past Saturday night, it seems that every fight sport around the USA ended up suffering a little because of one simple issue... "Too much to choose from..."
With the well known "Party" holiday of Cinco De Mayo already pulling fight fans away from live events, add to it that last Saturday night also featured a top headlining Pro Boxing event (Mayweather vs. Cotto), a Free Fox Sports UFC MMA event ("UFC on Fox 3" - Nate Diaz vs Jim Miller) and already, the options for any loyal fight fan starts to become stressful.
This past Saturday night, AK Promotions went "Head to Head" with all three of these things. Adding to this, another fight event (Amateur MMA) was also taking place in the bay area. If you had to guess as to what the crowd would be at AK Promotions Amateur Muay Thai event as it went up against all these things, some would have felt safe in saying a few hundred at best. Well, the good news for AK Promotions was that the rival MMA event was the overall loser on the night as it drew maybe 150 to 200 spectators while the good news for AK was that it's crowd was closer to 1,000. The bad news was that AK was hoping for a crowd twice that size. However, don't let the empty seats fool you. As compared to previous AK Promotions events, this one ranked up there with one of their best.
Yes, there were some empty seats, which a lot were most likely empty due to
the fact that local superstar John "BEG SEXY" Hurney's
(L) title bout was over at the weigh-ins when his scheduled opponent
Gary Grant "NO SHOWED!" A
NO SHOW is without a doubt the most insulting, degrading and destructive
thing a fighter can do to his or her opponent, the promoter as well as the many
fight fans who wanted to see the fight. This event had other local Superstars on
it, but AK Promotions had put a
lot into the match-up of Hurney and Grant. Sadly now for Grant,
he has been suspended Indefinitely and also now faces a Promoters Expense
Reimbursement fine which could very possibly end his fighting career.
So now we have talked about the competition and some negative things that may have kept a potential larger crowd away... Enough of that, lets let everyone know what they missed now. If you were one of those fight fans that choose to not use your DVR and simply record the TV Events, you missed a Great Night of Muay Thai at the Oakland Convention Center in Oakland, California! AK Promotions had one of the most impressive venue set-ups it has ever had. In our opinion, if EVERY Amateur or Pro Kickboxing / Muay Thai promotion looked like the AK Promotions event did this past Saturday night, Kickboxing and Muay Thai WOULD BE ON TV! However, sadly, too many promoters are satisfied with a large room with all the lights on and the words Kickboxing and or Muay Thai on their poster in hopes of a sellout crowd. For years, Kickboxing and Muay Thai Promoters just don't get it. Success in the stand up sports of Kickboxing and Muay Thai is NOT just in Great Fights! If this were true, Kickboxing and Muay Thai would have EASILY been one of those televised events shown this past Saturday night and EVERY weekend right along with Pro boxing and the UFC!
However, what so many promoters forget to pay attention to is the "PRESENTATION" of their product. Presentation is more often than not, far more memorable than the production of the product. Don't get us wrong... We're not saying a beautiful venue with bad fights are more "Memorable" than a bad venue and Great Fights. The truth here is, NEITHER is a solution to success in our mighty Stand-up Sports of Kickboxing and Muay Thai! We as the kings of Stand-up fighting (Kickboxing and Muay Thai) have already been embraced by the public. Years ago, when Maurice Smith scored a Head Kick KO in an MMA event, MMA fight fans realized how much more exciting the Stand up fight game was as compared to a grappling or even a ground and pound fight on the floor of a cage is. Those of us in the Stand-up game have already been presented with opportunity... We just need to embrace it more seriously! As fight promoters, more need to take a vacation to California and watch what AK Promotions is doing. AK Promotions "AMATEUR" event are FAR MORE Prestigious than ANY of the Pro events we have seen in the last 5 years. We know this sounds insulting, but take it for what it REALLY is... It's SAD...
Fight Fans love Great Fights. We all know this. However, Fight Fans love a great presentation too! Short of the Great Fighters now with UFC, when they first started, UFC would be just another Cage Fight production without all their Production Quality. Look at UFC Today! It's an OUTSTANDING Presentation from the fights to the venue! It's a Prestigious SHOW! K-1 would have been just another kickboxing event, until they added in fire, lights and explosions. As promoters of the "Stand-up" fight sports, you can't succeed on just a great fight. You have to have a great presentation along with the Great Fight so EVERYONE remembers it! The Super Bowl is just another football game without the presentation. This is where AK Promotions has shined over the last couple years. Where some promoters just keep repeating their same ol presentation (And NEVER really Growing) AK Promotions has been getting better and better with not just their matchmaking, but their event presentation as well.
Here is a point to make to prove our point here...
If you, as a fight
fan, truly think other Kickboxing and or Muay Thai Promotions are doing great
events, WHY isn't our sport on TV? Here is the honest answer for all of you...
The sports "PRESENTATION" is terribly inconsistent. We have
spoken to "A LOT" of broadcast companies from Internet
production to Free TV to Pay Preview and ALL of them tell us the same thing... "We
can't trust the events we go to, to be Production Quality!" Some have
great fights, but terrible venue, bad lighting, bad sound, inexperienced MC,
sloppy DJ's, unsanctioned bouts attached with inexperienced officials and the
list goes on and on. To sum it all up, the Stand-up Sports has failed itself.
Here is another issue we have heard from those in the TV World... "Too many promoters have decided to start their own 'Sanctioning Body' to avoid paying a sanctioning fee or paying quality officials, but that's not the real issue with these promoters... 'Most of their title fights are CRAP!" Yes, someone from a TOP TV Production company actually used that very phrase to us... They went on to explain how unlike in Pro boxing, fighters don't even have to be qualified to fight for a title. It's even worse in MMA where a "Sanctioned" Title is even seen less. "Promotional" titles are slowly killing every promotion under the UFC in MMA. In Kickboxing and or Muay Thai, it's getting to be the same way... Promoters are either creating their own sanctioning bodies so their fighter Bob can fight for a World title against Stan across the street. This concept is duplicated every weekend, state to state, country to country, so often, that even true fight fans don't even know what is a legit Title fight any more. As what happened with Traditional Martial Arts and the prestige of Black Belt, McDojos are popping up around the globe... "Give them a belt every 2 months and they will keep paying their monthly dues and you will be a rich karate school!" The same is happening with fight sports. Promoters creating their own McChampions, or money hungry sanctioning bodies selling Title Sanctioning for two fighters no one knows... And no one knows about them for one very important reason.... NO ONE out there has RANKINGS!
Without Rankings, HOW do these promoters and or sanctioning bodies determine which fighters are "Title Contenders?" Because of all these McChampions, our sports are being laughed at by the general public and admired less and less by the true Fight Fans! However, we have only ourselves to blame for the lack of our success. We have allowed promoters to create their own sanctioning bodies, or create their own champions... Just like in the Martial Arts, but instead of the top prize being a Black Belt, now it's a Title Belt! The true question is... "What is the value of the title?"
How long with the Stand-up sports of Kickboxing and Muay Thai continue to short change our fight fans? Putting fighters in a ring is only part of the work to make Kickboxing and Muay Thai a top Fight Sport. We all sat on our duffs and watched MMA not just pass us up, but SPRINT past us at the speed of light! MMA was new, and exciting to the fight fans, and the promoters followed in this excitement. PRESENTATION was Key for those who remained successful. We all watched it happen, right in front of our eyes. Our ISCF MMA Sanctioning body has been a major part in the success of MMA, so we were right there in the front seat. All of us saw what was making MMA a top sport, but no one cared to LEARN from the MMA excitement.
Our "Quote of the Day" was left up over the weekend for a very important reason. WE ALL needed to keep reading it. Even us here at the IKF! What was it?
"Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish"
A quote by Apple Computer founder Steve Jobs. Too many of us, even some of the top Pro Kickboxing and or Muay Thai promoters in the sport have become settled, content in their promotional efforts. None of us are truly trying and succeeding to be BETTER! To Stay HUNGRY and keep hunting for that better event, better production, better opportunity of the sport. As an exciting sport, we have become complacent... The WORSE thing ANY of us could be. We have stopped Hunting for that BETTER production, for that Better event, more legit title fights... Why?
Back to the beginning of our article here...
ALL of us have stopped
being Hungry and become complacent... except for AK
Promotions! As AK Promotions
Sanctioning partner, we have created more LEGIT and Ranked Champions
than any other promotion! A FACT that we are proud of. However, it's not
enough. While AK Promotions has
been working hard at getting better and better FOR YOU and For The SPORT, others
have been keeping those who are holding our sport back, in business... We are
not saying "Only support an AK Promotions
event." However, we are about ready to say just that if other
promotions don't start stepping up and try and improve the value of their PRODUCTION!
AK Promotions has created an
outstanding stage for the Amateur Kickboxers and Muay Thai fighters. They have a
goal to start promoting PRO Kickboxing and Muay Thai as well... However, if they
are not supported, they too, like others, may stop being hungry and become
complacent... Or worse yet, we may lose one of the Great Promoters of our sport,
simply because people don't see the need to help support them... Is this what
you Fight Fans really want? To allow one of the few Promoters who is giving his
all to give you a DYNAMIC - Pro Style Venue Arena to fight in, to get
discouraged, complacent and come to the conclusion, "Is this all
there is?"
AK Promotions' Johnny Davis and us here at the IKF have been trying our best to not face such words as the reality of Kickboxing and Muay Thai... "Is this all there is?" However, without the support of true Fight Fans, Trainers, Fighters and more so, TRUE Promoters, this may very well be what we all will soon face... "Is this all there is..." AK Promotions can't do it alone around the world. For this very reason, the IKF needs more promoters like Johnny Davis and his AK Promotions crew that are Hungry and want to be more than just a building with a ring and some chairs and a few fights. WE ALL NEED MORE to propel our sport to another level.
The IKF is the ONLY sanctioning body in the world today that keeps both Pro and Amateur Rankings in all the fighting rule styles. Yes, THE ONLY ONE! That's not being arrogant, or just us bragging, it's a fact. Now before you blow this off, ask yourself, as a fight fan, promoter, trainer, FIGHTER... How Serious are YOU in this? If you're not serious, and all you care about is a belt, we can tell you where to just buy one and save fighting some unranked opponent to be able to wear one. Heck, this is what happened to traditional Martial Arts! Earning a Black Belt was too hard for too many, so some business exec. from a company called EFC stepped in and "Changed Martial Arts Forever!" In most schools, Black Belts are now as easy as heck to get, and sadly, the general public believes these Black Belts are as good as those earned 30 years ago... Well, we all know they most are far from it! Are the fight sports now the next McFranchise? Are "CHAMPIONS" becoming a dime a dozen? Do you really need us to answer that for you?
If your a Champion, ask yourself, "How prestigious is the title you
hold, or your team-mate"
Where can we all read about your title? When
you retire, where can you still prove you held a title? The only Champions you
can find this kind of information on are IKF
Champions. Most other sanctioning bodies have outright told us, "It's
too much work keeping track of all the different Champions." Gee, it
wasn't too much work to go to the bank and cash your sanctioning check though...
was it...
AK Promotions could save a bundle on every event by either going with another sanctioning body or by just creating their own Champions... So why don't they? AK Promotions believes, as the IKF does, that Quality does not come easy. Just writing a check to a sanctioning body or to a belt company for a belt is not the road to Quality. It's not the road to making our sport Legit either. EVERY contender on every AK Promotions event, as well as other IKF Sanctioned events, must Qualify for their title shot. It could be much easier, and less expensive for Johnny Davis, but he doesn't just do it for AK Promotions... He does it for the fighters fighting on his events! He only wants a CREDIBLE and or LEGIT Champion associated with his events. Not just a convenient or local fighter who is inexpensive to bring in. But ultimately, AK Promotions does all this FOR THE SPORT!
Ok, by now, most of you are probably thinking... "Why so angry? Is
the IKF upset?"
Well, to answer honestly, YES WE ARE!
We are upset and afraid for what could happen to our Great Sport if no one
stands up NOW to say something!
We are upset because no one has been the "SENSEI"
per say, in our sport and kept us all in line! There is no discipline in our
sport anymore.
We as Martial Artist have become less disciplined and many in
our sport have lost integrity and exchanged it for the mighty Dollar!
Kickboxing and Muay Thai was moving forward STRONG in 2004 and 2005, and we were all just steps from the most successful time of the sport. Then, a few let their egos get in the way, their pocketbooks and we all broke apart. Everyone wanted their own Sanctioning bodies, their own tournaments, their own Champions... We all lost sight of the big picture and we all paid the price...
Within a year, MMA EXPLODED onto the scene as no other fight sport had. During this time, our ISCF MMA division Exploded as well. The IKF was still busy, but promoters we had built into icons of the sport decided they were so big, they didn't need IKF, as they believed they were bigger than everyone. There was no more TEAM in our sport. Kickboxing and Muay Thai was breaking apart and as the Stand-up Sports were fighting for position, MMA surpassed us without even a challenge... ALL of us allowed this to happen.... However, the question now is, how many of us can come back together and work to build this sport again?
AK Promotions has been committed, as have some other promotions. However, we all need to work hard like AK Promotions has. We ALL as a whole need to bring our sport to a different level. We ALL need true, legit competition to make us better... WE ALL NEED DISCIPLINE!
Those of you who are weak in your efforts, you will be offended by this article... However, those of you who are True Champions inside, TRUE Promoters inside, YOU will all realize that we all need to "Step UP!" If we stay where we are today, we will never get where we all want to be... The only question now is, WHO will really Step up?!
This past weekends AK Promotions event STEPPED UP! AK Promotions wanted to give multi time junior Champion Katrina Nahe a TRUE Challenge for a TRUE World title. So, AK brought in a fighter that the IKF determined was the BEST Challenge for Nahe... Tisha Balentien who came in all the way from Almere, Holland. Balentien was no beginner. With a fight record of 34-5-1/11, she was ready to challenge Nahe for the vacant IKF Junior Girls Amateur Modified Muay Thai Bantamweight World Title... note... This was a "JUNIOR" Title!
There was loads of hype prior to this bout and by the time these two took center stage, all that hype and smack talkin proved legit as both brought their A GAME to those Fight Fans in attendance. Although Nahe had far less experience record wise, her background in IKF Point Kickboxing proved helpful in her timing as well as targeting. While Nahe was scoring in the outside game, Balentien was racking up points while in the clinch with her knees. The two came out explosive in every round and each focused on their strong points. Balentien continued to win the inside knee battle, but it was Nahe who was winning the outside fight. By the time the fight ended, many thought it could go either way. Us at Ringside thought there would only be a point difference between the two. However, when the judges cards were tallied, only one judge saw it close like us. Judge Marshall Walker had it 48-47 while judges Ray Belowitz and Susan Thomas-Gitlin both had it 49-46. The winner, by unanimous decision was Katrina Nahe.
Prior to the Tisha Balentien - Katrina Nahe Title bout, Alec Gonzales of California (7-1) and Travis Clay of Arizona (5-2) met up for the vacant IKF Amateur "Full" Muay Thai Rules Western United States Lightweight Title. This was by far one of the most exciting bouts of the night. Gonzales and Clay went hard and fast for all 5 rounds and the scores alone do not express how close these two were. in the end, Judge Martin Sammon and Susan Thomas-Gitlin had it 49-46 while Judge Marshall Walker had it 48-47, all 3 for the new Champion Alec Gonzales by unanimous decision.
The nights main event was a Title Defense. T.J. Arcangle of San Francisco, California (12-1) has won several IKF titles. He had won the IKF Amateur Modified Muay Thai Light Welterweight World Title on October 8th, 2011 on another AK Promotions event in this very same venue in Oakland, California, USA. In the bout, he faced top contender John Hamm of Calgary, Alberta, Canada (22-12/9). After 5 rounds of some of the best fighting techniques we had ever seen Arcangle produce he defeated Hamm by unanimous decision, 50-44, 49-45 and 49-45.
For his defense, he would need to take on another top contender, Nicholas Chasteen of Tempe Arizona (16-3/6) Well before the bell rang, Arcangle knew he had his work cut out for him as his 141 pound contender also had a good 3 inches of height to his advantage. Chasteen stepped up to the scales at 6'1" to Arcangle's 5'8". Seeing this we wondered how Arcangle's game plan would battle the taller Chasteen.
From the opening bell, we must say that it often appeared as though Chasteen was the aggressor. Although lean and tall, it was clear that his slender physic was packed with plenty of explosive muscle. However, it also seemed that although Chasteen was agressive, Arcangle was blocking most of his shots and getting off some effective counters. Throughout all 5 rounds, Arcangle never appeared to be the aggressor. He simply remained patient and waited for Chasteen to attack. Chasteen seemed to always be the one to engage, but once he did, Arcangle would slip, move and counter. It was a well planned strategy against the taller Chasteen that seemed to be working. In the end, two of the three judges agrees as Judge Susan Thomas-Gitlin and Marshall Walker scored it 49-46 Arcangle and Judge Ray Belowitz scored it 48-47 Chasteen. Arcangle keeps his title on this night, but like the Balentien - Nahe title bout, we wouldn't mind seeing these two go toe to toe again.
Here is the nights full round-up and bout stats.
|
IKF
JUNIOR GIRLS AMATEUR MODIFIED MUAY THAI | |||||||||
|
JUDGES |
JUDGE |
___ |
JUDGE |
___ |
JUDGE | ||||
|
ROUND |
___ |
NAHE |
BALENTIEN |
NAHE |
BALENTIEN |
NAHE |
BALENTIEN | ||
|
-1- |
9 |
10 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
9 | |||
|
-2- |
10 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
9 | |||
|
-3- |
10 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
9 | |||
|
-4- |
10 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
9 | |||
|
-5- |
9 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
10 | |||
|
BOUT |
-48- |
-47- |
-49- |
-46- |
-49- |
-46- | |||
|
WINNER: Katrina Nahe by Unanimous
Decision | |||||||||
|
IKF
AMATEUR MODIFIED MUAY THAI | |||||||||
|
JUDGES |
JUDGE |
___ |
JUDGE |
___ |
JUDGE | ||||
|
ROUND |
___ |
ARCANGEL |
CHASTEEN |
ARCANGEL |
CHASTEEN |
ARCANGEL |
CHASTEEN | ||
|
-1- |
10 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
9 | |||
|
-2- |
10 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
9 | |||
|
-3- |
9 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
9 | |||
|
-4- |
10 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
9 | |||
|
-5- |
10 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
10 | |||
|
BOUT |
-49- |
-46- |
-47- |
-48- |
-49- |
-46- | |||
|
WINNER: T.J. Arcangle by Split
Decision | |||||||||
