West Palm Beach Auditorium, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA, November 6th, 1982
10 Round War with PKA Heavyweight Champion "Oaktree" Edwards.
5,200 Spectators watched this classic kicker versus slugger non-title match-up.
Wilson dominated Edwards, artistically outpointing his heavier opponent in every round.

Brassy's Nightclub Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA, June 22nd, 1987
Don and best Friend Chris Penn after his Mixed Fight (WKA Experimental) vs Boxer Art Jimmerson.
Referee was World Champion Kickboxer and Boxer James Warring.


Don: "After the fights, I usually became friends with my opponents. That did eliminate many potential rematches but we weren't "all about the money" back then.
The original Champions came from Tradtional martial arts, and began our careers as "point fighters". In that sport, it was all about speed, technique, and control.
We added power, combinations, and conditioning and became competitors in the sport of "Kickboxing". But, we were always martial artists who valued self defense, tradition, and mutual respect.
I was a collegiate wrestler and would have enjoyed the addition of the grappling arts, however, that did not exist in my day.
I negotiated with the original UFC owners, King of the Cage, and even Dana White but, no MMA fight has materialized...so far!"

Brassy's Nightclub Cocoa Beach, FL, USA, June 21st, 1980
Don VS Rodney Batiste on ESPN TV.
Wilson wins this 10 round by decision in a PKA Middleweight World Title Elimination bout.

Montreal, Canada December, 1984
Don: "Jean Yves Theriault had the class to visit my locker room after our fight. We earned each other's respect in the ring just a few moments before and could now relax together and begin recuperating.
Brooks Mason my Kickboxing Trainer, my girlfriend at the time Lori Howard and Charles Dobson my Cardio, Diet, and Strength Coach.
Seems like yesterday and a thousand years ago."

ABOVE AND BELOW
April 8th, 1982, Hong Kong, China
Don The Dragon Wilson VS Panya Sornnoi in Hong Kong, 1982.
Don had already defeated Sornnoi back on September 8th, 1982 in a 7 round split decision.
In this rematch, Don won the 9 Round decision... Mainly with his Sidekicks.

Don Wilson and Jim Mullen do an "EXHIBITION DRAKA" bout in Los Angeles in 1998.
DRAKA is a a Russian based mix-fight organization and a lot like San Shou style fighting - Stand-up with throws.
Wilson't bout was cancelled so he and Jim did an Exhibition just to get some ring time.
Photo Credit to www.KICK24.info - Michael Deubner

December 18th, 1984, Montreal, Canada, on ESPN TV
It was Billed as
"The Fight of the Century!"
PKA World Champion Jean-Yves "The Iceman" Theriault VS WKA World Champion Don "The Dragon" Wilson

Don Wilson vs Jean Yves Theriault as Referee JT Will looks on.

Waiting for a decision in their fight in Montreal must have felt like an eternity.
Don Wilson and Jean-Yves Theriault fought it to a majority draw.
They were the two best Light Heavyweights for a long time.
MANY thought Wilson won the bout... Even the Canadian Fans.
Photo Credit to www.KICK24.info - Michael Deubner

A capacity crowd of around 8,000 spectators watched Wilson Vs Theriault on this night.
The bout wasf ought without formal sanction, each fighter agreed to select two judges.
The two journalists selected by the Wilson camp brought in scores of 117-115 and 118-113 for Wilson.
The two judges selected byThériault'scamp brought in scores of 116-119 and 116-118 for Thériault.
At ringside PKA Vice-President Joe Corley and former PKA number-one contender Rodney Batiste unofficially scored the fight in Wilson's favor.
So did the sports reporters from the Journal de Montréal and La PresseMontréal.
This fight reportedly drew the biggest live gate net profit for any kickboxing event in North America to that time, about $100,000 in Canadian dollars.
Wilson received a purse of $20,000 CAD ($15,180 USD).

ABOVE & BELOW
October 13th, 1980, Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA KO-2
Here the Dragon is on his way to win his First World Championships Title.
Don defeated Andy White by KO in Round 2.

Sepember 22nd, 1986, Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA
Don VS Rich Lopez.
Don won the bout by Kick KO in round 5.

May 15, 1981, Ft. Pierce, Florida, USA
Don VS Larry Nichols, Don won the bout by Kick KO in round 5.

September 5th, 1984, Hong Kong, China
Champion vs Champion it was a Kickboxing Classics in Hong Kong, China.
Don vs Fanta Attapong with Don winning the 7 round decision.

ABOVE & BELOW
September 12 1987, Orlando, Florida, USA
Don Wilson entering the ring to fight for the highest purse in kickboxing at that time.
The Battle of Champions....What a great Fight !!!
Undefeated Muay Thai World Champion Branko Cikatic vs World Kickboxing Champion Don "The Dragon" Wilson.
Don won this great Battle by Knock Out in Round 7.
Photo Credit to www.KICK24.info - Michael Deubner








Don after defeating Branko Cikatic by KO for the KICK World Light Heavyweight Title

November 6th, 1982, West Palm Beach Florida USA.
The Dragon vs Demetrius "Oaktree"Edwards....
Light Heavyweight Champion vs Heavyweight Champion....
Wilson won the fight by Decision over 9 Rounds.

Light Heavyweight World Title Belt.

The Dragon in the 80's

ABOVE & BELOW
March 29th, 1984, Hollywood, Florida, USA
Don (R - Above) vs undefeated Challenger Dennis Alexio (L - Above) for the WKA World Title.
-Behind Wilson is Trainer Brooks Mason-
Wilson won the bout in a 12 round decision.

ABOVE & BELOW
May 21st, 1983, Tokyo, Japan
ABOVE: Don Vs Maurice Smith with James Wilson and Brooks Mason.

July 21st, 1980, Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA
Don VS Rodney Batiste. Don won the 10 Round decision.

Cocoa Beach Florida, 1985 - Don Wilson training for his upcoming fight against Attapong.
The great trainer Brooks Mason was getting Don ready for the Muay Thai fight to be held in Hong Kong.

ABOVE & BELOW
July 27th, 1990, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA.
Don Vs Yuleeb Kazakov of Russia. Don won by TKO in Round 5.

Don and brother James in Asia.

February 8th, 1982, Hong Kong, China
Don VS James Sicso in Asia and another win by KO for the Dragon in round 4.
Don fought Sisco a total of 4 Times. The bout above and these three:
September 10th, 1997, Miami, Florida, USA Don won by Kick KO in Round 3
January 13th, 1979, Bradenton, Florida, USA Don won by TKO in Round 4
March 19th 1983, Nassau, Bahamas Don won by KO in Round 2

ABOVE & BELOW
September 4th, 1982, Tokyo, Japan
Don Vs James Warring - Don won by 11 Round Decision.
Warring later became a World Boxing Champion and World Kickboxing Champion.

The Dragon in a Japanese Magazin in the 80s.

ABOVE & BELOW
Don and Bill Wallace doing an Exhibition bout - Not a real fight.

June 24th, 1981, Muhammed Ashraf Tai Tokyo, Japan
Don Vs Muhammed Ashraf Tai in Don's first fight in Japan.
Don won by KO in the second round for the WKA World Title.

"To the Victor go the spoils"....or something like that.
Actually, Penny and Don were just good friends and since she was "Miss Florida" and owned a Modeling Agency,
she provided all the Round Card Girls for Don's fights in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

Kickboxing Classic!
The Dragon vs James Warring in Japan.
Thanks to Nakasan in Japan for keeping the Memories still with us.

BELOW
On May 15th, 1999 in Lowell, Massachusetts, USA at 45 years of age, 11 Time Kickboxing WORLD Champion Don "The Dragon" Wilson stepped back into the ring to fight for the vacant IKF Pro FCR Cruiserweight World Title against Dick Kimber for what is still this day, the highest kickboxing purse ever paid, $150,000.00 and some additional training expenses. Kimber swore to everyone that he'd have the fight over before the fifth round. However when the Dragon unloaded on Kimber in round three, Kimber dropped to the mat and referee Dan Stell counted him out on the floor. Kimber never stood during the count and to this date, Kimber never fought again. Having never been challenged for his title, Wilson voluntarily retired it several years later.

May 14th, 1999, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
Don after his "Return to the Ring" win over Dick Kimber by KO in Round 3 to win the vacant IKF World Title.
Don had not fought in 8 years.

Don in the ring after Knocking Out Dick Kimber with friend Chris Penn.