PAST IKF NEWS
This Page Includes Past IKF News for

SEPTEMBER 2004


©

HOME - NEWS - EVENTS - RANKINGS - SANCTIONING - JOINING IKF - RULES & REGULATIONS - MERCHANDISE - ISCF

TUESDAY, September 28th, 2004, AT 9:30 PM, PT

Harminson Is *100th Member !
But Who Will Be 101?

IKF HQ: As of today the the Kickboxing Message Board. has only been up 2 weeks (Since September 14th) and we have reached 100 registered members. Earlier today "c. harminson" (Brother of IKF Professional MuayThai Champion Jeremy Harminson) became that *100th member. So far the new board has been a great success and far better than the old board. Especially as far as headaches for us here at the IKF web department. Although the "drama" and "smack talkin" have been cut down tremendously, at least everyone is accountable for their posts and we have eliminated the cowardly message board hacker. The board now serves as a legit source of news and opinions of the fight fans and those associated directly with the sport.

Day one (September 14th) of the board saw Pro Kickboxing Champions such as Curtis Bush, Ronnie Copeland, Randy Pogue, Tommy Bottone, Anthony Bartinelli and Brian Schwartz all join. They were accompanied by several Amateur Champions such as Jenna Droluk, Robert Elledge, P.J. Reilly and Kim Morris. Trainers and officials also joined on day one such as the very first registered member, Craig Smith. Smith was joined by individuals such as Clement Vierra, David A Ross, Dean Lessei, Ray Thompson, Hess' Mikido Team, Ken Hudson and Tom Jensen, along with several other fight fans. There was a total of 21 members that first day.

The list of members today reads like a "Who's Who" of the sport of kickboxing. Along with those above, others known to the sport have joined in such as, Brooks Mason, Dan Stell, Terri Storm, Michael Dean, Jeff Mullen, Zack Day, Austin Baitman, Tommy Poey, Mark Selbee, Steve Mann, Raoul Doucet, Gene Fields, Johnny Davis, Johnny Mucciarone, Mike Morello, Tommy Alcozer Sr., Charles Pemble, Glenn Haley, Mike Lind, Elliot Cooper and the list goes on and on! The question now is, "Who will make up the next 100 members?"

Adding to the success of the "Kickboxing" Message Board is our new board for our sister organization, the ISCF. The MMA/NHB Message Board went up September 24th and had 6 members join on its first day. As of today it has 33 members in just 4 days.

Coming soon will be designated times for the Kickboxing chat room along with other great additions such as IKF's Internet Radio show and if all goes well in the coming months the IKF Internet TV Program. But for now, if your not a member yet of the Kickboxing Message Board, you should be. Be a part of the "Who's WHO" in the sport of KICKBOXING! Join now by clicking HERE!

(*) OK, some wanted us to put an * by the 100 above because "Technically" our web support administrator signed in as "admin" on day one and he is counted in those 100 members. So if this is the case, we are still awaiting for that 100th member... Which means, who will be number 101?

MONDAY, September 27th, 2004, AT 5:30 PM, PT

RESULTS FROM THE
BUDWEISER
KICKFEST 2004
September 10th, 2004

IKF Des Moines, Iowa, USA:
IKF Promoter Lance Farrell once again brought a great show to the Des Moines, Iowa, USA area. Many of the fighters on the card were stepping into the ring for the first time. Farrell added a little something to the start of the show by having the fighters introduce themselves on video. The crowd seemed to enjoy this added feature.
On to the fights.

1. Tim Gorham vs. Jason Hingenburg: Amateur International Rules
   • Round 1: Gorham showed his ring experience by dominating the round over Hingenburg who was stepping into the ring for the first time. Hingenburg never gave up and stood his ground.
   • Round 2: Gorham came out of the corner fighting, throwing leg kicks and punches non-stop. This proved to be more than Hingenburg could handle as the referee stopped the fight at 1:23 with Gorham winning by TKO.
     
     
2. Andy Priest vs. Abe Kuhl: Amateur International Rules
   • Round 1: Both fighters came out strong, exchanging punches and kicks. Priest caught Kuhl with a right hook and knocked him into the ropes and to the mat. After the eight count Kuhl came right back fighting.
   • Round 2: Kuhl came out with a vengeance. He went after Priest full out. After a barrage of punches and kicks the referee gave Priest a standing 8 count.
   • Round 3: This was the round to break the tie. Kuhl decided this was going to be his fight and dominated the entire round. A great fight. All 3 score cards were 27-28 with Abe Kuhl being the winner.
     
     
3. Sam Winerg vs. Damion Hackett: Amateur International Rules
   • Round 1: Winerg came out throwing powerful kicks. Then, with a right hook he knocked Hackett to the mat. Hackett came back fighting but to no avail. Winerg caught him with a right leg round house to the thigh that ended the fight with a minute left.
     
     
4. Anthony Beyer vs. John Powton: Amateur International Rules
   • Round 1: Beyer's came out of his corner on a mission. He barely gave Powton a chance to fight back. Beyer stayed on him the entire round.
   • Round 2: Beyer decided to dish out more of the same. This time Powton was ready, landing some good combinations himself in defense.
   • Round 3: Although Powton tried to make a come back, he just couldn't quite take control of the round or the fight. Winner by unanimous decision Anthony Beyer.
     
     
5. Jeremy Evans vs. Jeff Cunningham: Amateur International Rules
   • Round 1: The amount of kicks thrown in this fight was unbelievable. During one combination Evans threw two round houses and a right hand and down went Cunningham. He came back fighting though.
   • Round 2: Both fighters came out ready to fight. Cunningham caught Evans off guard with a leg kick.
   • Round 3: Cunningham came out strong throwing many kicks, but just couldn't hold off Evans for the round. All three score card were 30-26, Evans victorious.
     
     
6. John Lame vs. Brian Robinson: NHB
   • This fight lasted a whole 27 seconds. Lame took Robinson down and got him in an arm hold, which caused Robinson to tap out.
     
     
7. Jason Smith vs. Travis Fulton: "PRO" International Rules
   • Round 1: This was a close round with both fighters showing their skills, exchanging punches and kicks.
   • Round 2: Fulton decided to turn up the heat and started throwing some powerful leg kicks and Smith was starting to feel them. Then with a right jab Fulton knocked Smith to the mat. Smith got up and came back fighting.
   • Round 3: Once again another close round. Both fighters came out knowing they had a job to do. Fulton was able to dominate the round and score another victory to add to his record.
     
     
8. Joey Beyer vs. Rod Even: Amateur Full Contact Rules
   • Round 1: Punches and kicks were flying the entire round as both fighters were out to prove their skills. Even's was able to take control of the round throwing many combinations.
   • Round 2: Beyer's came out of the corner looking to take over. He did just that with a 1-2-1-2 and Even's went down. It wasn't enough to keep him down though. Once again with the same combination Even's went down again. This still wasn't enough to keep him down. He came back fighting.
   • Round 3: Both fighters came out of the corner looking to finish the fight on top. However Beyer took over. With a right hook to the head he sent Even's back down to the mat. Even's didn't let that stop him, he got up and came back throwing several combinations. The referee took a point away from Beyer's after being warned for holding. In the end, all three score cards read 28-25 in favor of Beyer.
     
     

For more info please contact Mr. Lance Farrell at (515) 255-0095 or Mr. Russ O'Connell at (319) 234-1935 or by e-mail at Tkdoc07@aol.com
APOLOGY: We apologize for this report being posted a week late. However, we just received this report from the Event Writer.

IKF St Louis, Missouri, USA
Matchmaker Jesse Finney has put together another exciting night of action this Saturday Night. Shamrock Promotions along with The Rum Jungle is set to bring the St. Louis fight fans an action pack night of fights. There will be 1 IKF kickboxing bout, 1 boxing, and 7 ISCF MAA/NHB fights on the card.

The night will start off with an IKF kickboxing match between Nick Pulaski and Josh Fischer. Fischer is trained out of Finney's Championship Kickboxing and Martial Arts. He is another kickboxer to come out of a gym that is known for great champions. The second fight of the night will start a night of great NHB fights. Josh Hargass, fighting out of Kansas, will take on Matt Otzenberger, from Arnold, MO. Both of these fighters are newcomers to the sport, so anything is possible. The third fight will showcase "The Pride of the South Side" "Mean" Mike Green, out of St. Louis, Missouri taking on Tim Riddle out of Cincinnati, Ohio. These two fighters have plenty of ring experience between the two of them.

The fourth fight of the night will be between Sky Rigdon of St. Louis, Missouri and Rally MCCane from Tennessee. Rigdon is trained by Rodrigo Vaghi. After a short intermission the fights will start back up with Finney's Tim Conners and from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Craig Yates. Following that match will be Vaghi's Tyler Cregger and Arnold, Missouri's Davin Roberts. Cregger is coming off a big win back in July.

The three remaining fights are going to be worth the wait as former multi time IKF Amateur Kickboxing Champion Kevin Engel will face off against Detroit's Dwayne Stanley in a boxing match. John Manke of Team Vaghi will be facing Tim Lynch from Body Shots. The main event will be between two big men. Tracey Taylor out of team Vaghi and Dustin Roberts. Roberts is trained out of Arnold, Missouri and is no new comer to the Mixed Martial Arts ring. For additional information contact (314) 608-3104 or jesse@finneyskickboxing.com. Doors open at 6:30 fights start at 7:30. This is an all ages event.

PHOTOS FROM THE
SELBEE Vs DOUCET IKF WORLD TITLE BOUT

Re-Posted From Below:
Round 1, Selbee and Doucet touch gloves, and after a few brief moments, Selbee charges straight towards Doucet, a simple combination and then it came... Selbee landed a straight right hand to the side of Doucet's head and down he went inside the first 20 seconds of the bout. No problem for Doucet right? Heck, ask Mike Sheppard of Virginia. He dropped Selbee, but it just woke the Canadian up as he came back and opened up an explosive and damaging win over him. Was this to be the same here? Did Selbee wake the "AXEMAN" up too early in the fight? Was Doucet so awake now that he was going to unload everything he had from anger? Selbee's reaction... "Bring It ON!"

A quick set of combinations, including a Doucet punch that really rocked Selbee, but here came Selbee again with ANOTHER straight right landing in the same exact spot! Again, down goes Doucet. Referee Dan Stell started the count as Doucet rose up. WHAT were we seeing? A revised Selbee? A demolition man in what... The FIRST Round? Why actually... "YES we were." Doucet appeared to shake it off, but was still dazed from the first right hand. The two came together again, keep in mind, we haven't even seen 5 kicks total yet. Then, it came... "The HAMMER!" At 1:09 of the first round, the end came.

With his last swing of the HAMMER, Selbee dropped Doucet for the third and final time. Doucet wasn't out, but it was his third knockdown and this bout was over!

"The galleries are full of critics. They play no ball. They fight no fights. They make no mistakes because they attempt nothing. Down in the arena are the doers. They make mistakes because they try many things. The man who makes no mistakes lacks boldness and the spirit of adventure. He is the one who never tries anything. He is the break on the wheel of progress. And yet it cannot be truly said he makes no mistakes, because his biggest mistake is the very fact that he tries nothing, does nothing, except criticize those who do things."
David M. Shoup General, United States Marine Corps

IKF Atlanta, Georgia, USA: Surly there could be other words to describe Joe Corley's Main Event at his famous "Battle of Atlanta" but these two were "EARNED" so we had to use them. These two words were the response to all the critics out there that questioned the past performance and the potential of a fighter we have been watching move up the ladder for years now. He has grown in the IKF as an amateur and matured tonight as a Pro. But not just any Pro... Tonight you can call him a IKF World Champion! And his new name to all you fight fans out there is now,

"MR." Mark
"THE HAMMER"
Selbee!

Tonight Selbee faced off against what what was suppose to be a much larger and stronger opponent in the number one Super Heavyweight contender, and current IKF North American FCR Champion Raoul Doucet of Ontario Canada. However, the first surprise came at weigh-ins where Selbee, who has been a Heavyweight (195-215) fighter most of his career, tipped the scales at 224 to Doucet's 222. As we said, that was the "FIRST" Surprise... Here comes the next.

Many thought this bout could go into the later rounds. If so, many knew that Doucet gets stronger as the rounds get higher, a deadly zone for any fighter who has ever taken him into the late rounds. However, Doucet is known as a slow starter and Selbee knew this. He and many were well aware if the bout went into deep waters past 6-7 rounds, this has been where Doucet has proved to get strong... Very Strong! Surly from seeing Doucet fight Copeland earlier this year, Selbee knew if he was going to score the points he needed, he needed to do it in the early rounds. The rounds it usually takes Doucet to get warmed up. Selbee knew this and did his trainer, the legendary Gary Brown. Oh and we may want to add in there the never ending words that were spoken to him over and over and kept him up at nights... "JAB, JAB" ... Something Amy gets credit for...

Still, with all this, there were still the doubters. Many spoke of their doubt on the kickboxing message board. Well, stick with the story boys and girls, because it happens in a flash and before you know it, it's over... So here it goes.

Round 1, Selbee and Doucet touch gloves, and after a few brief moments, Selbee charges straight towards Doucet, a simple combination and then it came... Selbee landed a straight right hand to the side of Doucet's head and down he went inside the first 20 seconds of the bout. No problem for Doucet right? Heck, ask Mike Sheppard of Virginia. He dropped Selbee, but it just woke the Canadian up as he came back and opened up an explosive and damaging win over him.

Was this to be the same here? Did Selbee wake the "AXEMAN" up too early in the fight? Was Doucet so awake now that he was going to unload everything he had from anger? Selbee's reaction... "Bring It ON!" A quick set of combinations, including a Doucet punch that really rocked Selbee, but here came Selbee again with ANOTHER straight right landing in the same exact spot! Again, down goes Doucet. Referee Dan Stell started the count as Doucet rose up. WHAT were we seeing? A revised Selbee? A demolition man in what... The FIRST Round? Why actually... "YES we were." Doucet appeared to shake it off, but was still dazed from the first right hand. The two came together again, keep in mind, we haven't even seen 5 kicks total yet. Then, it came... "The HAMMER!" At 1:09 of the first round, the end came. With his last swing of the HAMMER, Selbee dropped Doucet for the third and final time. Doucet wasn't out, but it was his third knockdown and this bout was over!

The hometown Selbee couldn't hear anything as the Atlanta crowd went crazy! How many were there? Who knows, but the Hyatt Ballroom was packed and all got to witness first hand yet another IKF Pro World Champion from Atlanta Georgia to take honors with the last IKF World Champion from Atlanta, Rick "THE JET" Roufus after he put a beating on Stan Longinidis in 1999 in Massachusetts.

Selbee answered all his critics on this night, and he not only did it in the ring, but he left no doubt in anyone's mind, who won the bout. Oh and for all you critics out there that had doubts about the new IKF Super Heavyweight World Champion, we offer this little reminder reading for you...

"The credit belongs to those people who are actually in the arena...who know the great enthusiasms, the great devotions to a worthy cause; who at best, know the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, fail while daring greatly... so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." Theodore Roosevelt

The night time event featured all the martial arts Championship competition from "The Battle of Atlanta's" day tournament. Mixed in with these other featured championship events was one IKF Amateur FCR Kickboxing match. In it, Mike Littrel of Atlanta Georgia moved his undefeated record to 8-0 when he stopped first time fighter Anthony Naples of Rosewell Georgia by TKO at 46 seconds of round 2. In round 1, Littrel threw 17 kicks to Naples 7. Naples also took a standing 8 count in round one and one prior to the stop of the bout in round two.

We here at the IKF would like to congratulate veteran promoter Joe Corley for yet "ANOTHER" dynamic Battle of Atlanta event and we and many others want to Thank him greatly for bringing Kickboxing back to The Battle again. We hope to be a part of this great event for years to come. For more information, contact Joe Corley at (404) 502-3777 or by e-mail at pkajoecor@aol.com or go to the website, www.battleofatlanta.com

IKF Atlanta, Georgia, USA: We here at the IKF are proud to announce our re-affiliation with one of the greatest promoters in the World, Joe Corley (Left) of Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

It was back in 1994 when the IKF worked with Corley on one of his last Kickboxing shows that was held at Caesars Tahoe in Nevada. On that night, Rick Roufus won his first IKF World Title when he defeated Michael McDonald of Vancouver, BC, Canada, by "KO" at :43 seconds of round 1 on January 22nd, 1994. However, just before Roufus' bout, Juan Torres of South Lake Tahoe, California, USA, (38-3/26) became the very first IKF Mens Pro Champion and the very first IKF Mens World Champion when he defeated Jorge Angat of Angoura Hills, California, USA by TKO at :45 seconds of round 2. Now, one week from today, Corley will bring back his PKA Kickboxing promotional company and where else to feature it but on his World Famous...

The Main Event?
How about two fighters that will bring somewhere in the neighborhood of 445 Pounds and 25 Knockouts to the ring! Both currently hold IKF Pro North American Titles but on Saturday night, September 11th the two will be going for the vacant IKF Pro Super Heavyweight World Title! The "War of Words" is already underway as Atlanta's Mark Selbee says "I see Victory." while Montreal, Canada's Raoul Doucet answers back, "Goodnight Dreamer!"

The North American civil war is brewing and September 11 marks the clash of the continent's two most powerful countries and the collision course of two #1 IKF Rated World Kickboxing contenders. It all happens in a Las Vegas style event in the plush Hyatt Regency Atlanta. "This will be a *PKA KICKBOXING WAR, 12 rounds of grueling action to fill the IKF's vacant World Super Heavyweight title," promises Canada's Raoul Doucet.
(*) PKA is a Promotional Company, not a sanctioning body

Doucet is the #1 IKF Rated Super Heavyweight in the world, a 6'3" rock-solid, Canadian policeman weighing 225 lbs. His manager, Vic Theriault, brother of former World Champion Canadian Jean Yves Theriault, the Iceman says, "Here are my thoughts about anybody who thinks Canadians are wimps: remember when Sherman ignited the original Battle of Atlanta? I would advise the Atlanta fans not to leave their seats when this fight starts. Raoul will take Selbee into deep waters, early, and drown him. He will not play any fancy tae kwon do or be polite in that ring; we are going to do everything to knock Selbee out cold. Come Saturday on 9/11 in Atlanta, there will be a new Canadian Sheriff in town; we have put a bounty on Selbee's head!"

Atlanta's Mark Selbee is the #1 IKF Rated World Heavyweight contender. He has agreed to fight Doucet, the #1 IKF Rated Super Heavyweight contender, a heavier, and many say, stronger opponent. "I've been a warrior all my life", Selbee said. "Sure, words can fire me up and hurt my feelings, but this is not a war of feelings we're undertaking. This is business--the business of punching, kicking, blocking, footwork, strategy and tactics. I won't be knocked down or out by a Canadian cliché. It's those round kicks and right crosses of Doucet's I'm training for! And, like I said before, I see victory!"

Atlanta's Mark Selbee
Will He Be Atlanta's
Biggest Kickboxing Star Ever?

IKF Atlanta, Georgia, USA: At 6'4" and 215 pounds, he is the current IKF Pro North American Heavyweight Champion. He is, Mark Selbee! Selbee's first IKF title was the IKF Amateur East Coast U.S. Heavyweight Title he won on April 12th, 2002 when he defeated Adrian Turpin of Anderson, Georgia, USA by unanimous decision 40-36, 40-36 and 40-37. Selbee's first Pro IKF title was the IKF Pro FCR USA Heavyweight Title which he won on February 1, 2003 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA when he defeated previous Champion Kevin Hudson of Greer, South Carolina, USA by Split decision, 97-89, 96-91 and 94-95.

Selbee went on to win his IKF North American Heavyweight title by forfeit on October 25th, 2003 in Dalton, Georgia, USA when his scheduled opponent Dan Lucas of Rochester, New York, USA (22-5-1) split open his forehead in a freak accident at his home the day before their scheduled bout. However Selbee went on to confirm his title in the ring on April 23rd, 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA when he defeated John James of Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA (35-6/25) by TKO when James did not answer the bell after the 5th round due to a pain/injury in his neck suffered in round 4.

Selbee (20-0 with 18 KO's) will be the biggest Atlantan Corley has presented in his 37 years of the Battle of Atlanta. From US Super Lightweight Champ Richard Jackson to World Welterweight Champ Jeff Gripper to Light Heavyweight Champ Rick Roufus and Heavyweight Champ Jerry Rhome, Corley has presented Atlanta fans and the worldwide television audience a host of great kickboxers and great fights. Next Saturday the tradition of these great bouts returns to the squared circle as part of Joe Corley's 37th Battle of Atlanta in 35 years.

Selbee will meet Montreal's Raoul Doucet for a scheduled 12 rounds of PKA KICKBOXING to fill the vacant IKF World Super Heavyweight title. "In terms of tradition, I have some big shoes to fill", says the quiet spoken Selbee, as humble as he is tall, as dry as he is powerful. "Marital arts has been my passion for all my adult life, and to get a shot at the World Title, to do it in my adopted home town and at an event with the history and tradition of the Battle of Atlanta, it's a martial arts dream come true. The only thing standing in my way is a 225 pound, hard hitting, fire breathing Canadian policeman who wants to kick my head off. Other than that, it'll be another day at the office!"

The normal office day for Selbee begins around 7:30 AM, as he prepares for his day's presentations with Clear Channel Outdoor, where he has won the President's Club and Pinnacle Awards for outstanding performance. By then, he's already been at the Velocity Kickboxing Gym (Formerly LA Boxing of Atlanta) for 90 minutes, building power, stamina and mental toughness to face the onslaught from the North. "I am great at compartmentalizing my day", Selbee said, "and it's a long one. From the time I get started in the morning, my focus is on Doucet, as I lift, hit the bag and do my light sparring for the day. Then I put him out of my head from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and do what I have been trained to do in the professional world. Then I re-focus on Doucet. It's two more hours of grueling training, including the heavier sparring. It's here where I see his power, I prepare for his pressure, and I plan the war…at the end, I see victory. That's what warriors do. Just a normal day!"

Selbee's head hits the pillow at 11:30 PM, just 18 hours later. "Not your everyday fighter or everyday advertising exec", Corley says. "That's what makes him so interesting, so different and doubly deadly". Corley says Selbee brings back a favorite dimension to his (Corley's) work as a martial arts promoter. "Mark is quick witted and quick footed", Corley said, "and he has that natural charm that wins hearts and minds in the ring. I have had the pleasure of working with a lot of great fighters these past 36 Battles and through PKA on television, but for the past 10 years have focused just on the point fighting…..but this fight has my enthusiasm flowing the same way as the days of weekly ESPN, SHOWTIME and pay per view. This will be a great event for fight fans, and one I am having a lot of fun with."

For Selbee, this is a bold move going up to Super Heavyweight in pursuit of his first world title. He could have waited for the right opponent as a heavyweight (215 pounds tops). But the #1 Super Heavyweight, Doucet, presented himself, as did the opportunity, and Selbee jumped at it.

He has never been shy about going for the gold. He has won medals in tae kwon do at events as great as the US Open, has competed since he was 14 in his home town of Topeka, Kansas and racked up a string of victories across the Midwest. These were normal days. Corley summarized the new, normal goal. "Now, as a result of his hard work and the support of his growing base of Atlanta fans, normal might just include the new title: Super Heavyweight Champion Of The World!" The biggest Atlanta kickboxing champion in history.

Fighting Canadian Policeman
To Compete for
IKF World Kickboxing Title

IKF Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: If you happen to get caught speeding on the 417 highway going towards Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and a tall, rugged, handsome, Ottawa Ontario Police officer is handing you a ticket, think twice about arguing. The officer may very well be Raoul Doucet, the #1 World Rated and current IKF Pro Super Heavyweight North American Kickboxing Champion. And as for your reasons to be polite to this rather large man, they exceed his mere size. Raoul (better "Officer" Doucet) is fighting for the Vacant IKF Pro Super Heavyweight World Title on September 11th in Atlanta Georgia. At 6'2" and 225+ lbs. Officer Doucet is a big force to be reckoned with. The event, Joe Corley's 37th Battle of Atlanta is sub-titled A FORCE OF ONE.

Doucet's will face undefeated heavyweight Mark Selbee in the 12 round title bout which will headline this 2004 Battle of Atlanta, the world's premiere Karate tournament.

As one would imagine, the rigors of training for a 12 round world kickboxing title bout are many, combined with a full time profession, a wife and two daughters. Nevertheless, the desire to compete and excel in the ring dates back to 1990 when Officer Doucet entered a Michigan "Tough Man" contest where he won all the way to the final match, only to get "robbed" in a "hometown decision". Driven, he entered the same Toughman Contest the next year, won all 3 bouts, captured the prize money and the title. All this time, he was perfecting his kicking skills with his tae kwon do coach and dreaming of one day following in the steps of the illustrious "Iceman"-- Jean -Yves Theriault. (Left)

Theriault, a soft spoken, gentle Maritimer like Officer Doucet, is one of the undisputed legends of the sport of kickboxing, having defended his title 23 times. The Iceman recommended that Raoul join forces with his brother Victor Theriault, a world class promoter and co-corner man of the Iceman for many of his previous bouts.

After Vic saw Raoul's kicking ability, he immediately started finding Kickboxing bouts in the states, and Doucet has amassed a record of 14 wins against two narrow losses and 1 draw. Seven of his opponents were stopped by KO or TKO.

Theriault has insured that the Fighting officer of the Law added serious boxing skills to his long, powerful kicks. Theriault paired Doucet with boxing coach Johnny Muccionne. Subsequently, Doucet went on to win the IKF North American Title on April 26th, 2003 in Glenville, West Virginia, USA where he defeated Mike Sheppard of Glenville, West Virginia, USA (11-3-1/9) by unanimous decision. The fight ended with a standing ovation from the sell out crowd and Raoul's name accelerated through the American karate network. That victory was followed by an appearance on a Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing show as part of a special Kickboxing bout at a charity event in Tustin, California (Los Angeles area) where Star Trek / Priceline Captain William Shatner and many sport celebs applauded his success via a round 3 KO win over Darren Walters of Lubbock, Texas, USA, (Pro: 2-3/0, AKB: 25-9/11)

Doucet's last bout was in South Carolina against the #1 contender for his IKF North American title, Ronnie Copeland of High Point, North Carolina, USA (Pro KB: 22-5-1/17, Amateur KB: 10-3-1/2, Pro Boxing: 8-3/7). This took place on May 15th, 2004 in Simpsonville, South Carolina and actually ended due to a nonintentional foul in round 9 of the scheduled 10. In round 9, Doucet's knee was coming up on his kick and Copeland ducked into it and Doucet's knee hit Copeland in the temple knocking him out. The bout decision went to the score cards where Doucet defeated Copeland by unanimous decision, 87-84, 88-84 & 86-85.

The fighting Cop, now complete with devastating power kicks and a new arsenal of boxing skills, makes for a formidable opponent for anyone. Raoul's "bite at the apple" is around the corner. Eerily, the date is September 11, or 911. "For sure I will be thinking about all the police and fireman that lost their lives on that date. I am inspired to bring the title belt back to Canada. Selbee better be ready for an onslaught from the North."

Battle of Atlanta producer Corley said, "Mark Selbee has expressed serious respect for the power of Officer Doucet, and says he will have to train for the toughest fight of his life. Selbee fully expects, however, to be Super Heavyweight Champion before the bell tolls 12 on September 11."

Conversely, Victor Theriault hopes to have the Fighting Cop defend the title he believes will be Doucet's on July 3rd next year at the World Police and Fireman Games, where 25,000 of his brothers and sisters converge on Quebec City. Remember, next time you get pulled over by an OPP Patrol Car on the way to Ottawa or Montreal, be polite!

For more information, contact Joe Corley at (404) 502-3777 or by e-mail at pkajoecor@aol.com or go to the website, www.battleofatlanta.com In Montreal contact Victor Theriault at (450) 632-7812 or e-mail at pvtinc@videotron.ca
All seats reserved. Tickets on sale at Joe Corley Karate Studios (770) 998-4610 and Velocity Kickboxing Gym (404) 943-0609 and on line at www.battleofatlanta.com
(*) PKA is a Promotional Company, not a sanctioning body

Kickboxers Help
Florida Hurricane Disaster Fund

As mentioned in the article below, the IKF and the Joe Lewis Fighting Systems started a fund raising drive at this years IKF/TKO North American Tournament to aid the Florida Hurricane Disaster Fund. After IKF President Steve Fossum along with IKF Promoter Ray Thompson of South Carolina and Joe Lewis all dropped $100 each into the donation bucket, the donations ended up being over $500.00.

Before leaving Orlando after the event, Fossum handed to Jason Horowitz and Jon Adams (Right) of the Wyndham Palace Resort and Spa the cash that totalled $570.00 for the Hurricane relief fund.

2004 IKF/TKO North American Classic
It's taken me a while to get to this "First" article, but needless to say, I have just been Overwhelmed over the past 3 weeks! That word... Overwhelmed... It pretty much explains my personal feelings I believe. It was one thing after another that just out-did whatever it was that looked to be the biggest thing at the moment. It started long before we left here for Orlando for the Classic, but in terms of Overwhelming things, it really started with the 3,000 mile drive there... To the 2004 IKF/TKO North American Classic. Ya, I'll say this was the beginning. Over 3,000 miles, 13 states in less than 48 hours... when we arrived in Orlando, we thought we had the best story to tell. But this experience was just beginning...

We got settled into our IKF Orlando office and prepared for the rest of the party to arrive. You see, to me, we all brought a party to Orlando because as some of you know, several of those in Florida were unable to attend this party, by no fault of theirs. It wasn't long until the nerves of anticipation set in and all I kept thinking was "Let's Bring It ON!"

It was Friday the 13th and for most of us it was simply known as Registration day. However, some outside elements caused some restructuring in our registration ideas which left us with long lines for everyone, but no excuses. To us, we weren't thinking about what was coming, or for the most part, what was already here... a very Black, Friday the 13th for those outside our building.

I take the blame for the long lines and Promise to make things better for the 2005 Classic. More stations, more scales, staggered times for various genders, rule styles, the answers to this problem are there, it just may take a bit of time choosing the correct ones.

In all, *216 fighters (*This was the final number by fight time, counting those who arrived during the night and the next morning) somehow made their way from all around North America, despite Orlando Airport getting shut down due to, of all things, a Hurricane warning. Over the next few hours of registrations and the welcome meeting, there were more stories to tell, but more on these later in the week. For now, I'm just hitting the highlights...

The new record of 216 registered fighters was Overwhelming! We were extremely pleased that the incoming storm didn't keep many away. This at the moment was the new high for us all, but it seemed short lived... Word had it that a more massive surprise was coming our way... A fighter named Charley who wore no pads and stopped at no round bell and most of all, he was coming with a Knockout punch few fighters will ever feel!

Hurricane Charley was planning on putting a stop on more than us though, he was making a visit to every corner of the ring, I mean the state... of Florida. When Charley hit land at 3:48 PM of Friday in Punta Gorda Florida it had sustained winds of 140 MPH and gusts of up to 165 MPH, and headed straight for us. At 9:17 PM it blew into Orlando and surrounded our Hotel at sustained winds of 90 MPH and gusts of 105 MPH. Were there stories to tell here? Just ask Gene Fields... Of course there were. Still, this will be yet another story to come.

By 1 little after 10:PM we had all survived the storm and as Pam Peterson put it on the message board at 10:19, "hurricane charley came and went. he didnt win any title belts. ;-0." So our work continued on into the weeeeee hours of the morning. Finally at about 4:30 AM we got all the fight brackets posted. In all, it was going to be a record weekend of 216 bouts, surpassing the old record of 207. There was time for about 2 hours sleep, wait, who am I kidding, don't be a slacker Steve...1 would be plenty.

When morning struck we were all Overwhelmed at what took place during the night. The damage outside didn't seem to effect us inside, or at least not yet... Since our equipment & product sponsors couldn't make it in due to Charley, we were forced to improvise, overcome and adapt. Thanks to people like David Flurry Sr. from Iowa and and Terrie Storm from Nebraska, they teamed together and went shopping out in the devastated city looking for stop watches, buckets and other needs. Needless to say, they saw "A LOT" of Orlando before they found all we needed.

Just when we thought things were a go, I looked up to see the tired and determined faces of the fight team from Indiana. No way we could turn them away... We had to re-do the fight brackets. They came through the night, through the Hurricane after their flight was cancelled into Orlando to "Walk The Walk" and we sure as heck were not going to send them walking away! sure it caused delays, but looking back, I would not have did anything different! They EARNED the right to be a part of this event, just like the others did that arrived from Arizona after midnight. In fact, SEVERAL Teams had to make other arrangements to get to the Classic. They didn't give up, they found a way and Made it Happen! Some of their stories are simply Overwhelming!

By the time we were ready, we had been delayed almost 3 hours. No need to hide it, we were LATE! I would like to use the Hurricane as an excuse, but in the promotional business, there is no room for excuses, so simply put that blame on me. I'm sorry we started late, but I'm glad we started period!

When things got going, they CLICKED! Each of us had our jobs to do and all performed with perfection. From the fighters, the trainers, work staff, officials to the TKO Gear, this was a day of pure PERFECTION! At days end we had heard more and more about the devastation of Florida. Lives lost, property damaged. It all made our work and efforts seem a bit meaningless in the grand scoop of things. Still, we all had come to Orlando with a goal in mind. To be a Champion at everything we did this weekend and through it all, we found more Champions than expected.

Even those who didn't make it to the Sunday Finals round found themselves as a Champion... Simply because they were HERE, with their PEERS to

"Walk The Walk!"

Saturday night didn't last long, especially when I only missed about 2 hours of it for some little thing called sleep... A few meeting with those I had time to meet with and before I knew it, the time of Saturday night had past and it was time to start again. But today would be different, for today was Championship Sunday!

In the morning of Championship Sunday, we had a few more delays but nothing like Saturday. After we delt with the issues at hand we were all ready to "Walk the Walk" for the Titles! We were already Overwhelmed enough as it was but there was still more to come.

Sixty Two IKF/TKO North American Classic Championship Belts lay spread out on the awards table looking for a home. My opening words for Championship Sunday focused on the headline in the Orlando Sentinel newspaper which read "POWERLESS". Of course this was due to all the power outages across Florida, but the lights were on here, and there had already been plenty of Power, with much more to come!

I opened my morning welcome speech with, "Powerless? I don't think these newspaper guys walked in this room yesterday because everyone here saw plenty of POWER!"

During the opening we announced we would be putting a fund raising basket for the relief fund for those who could to help out some who were less fortunate than us over the weekend during the storm. We raised a little over $500.00 and we donated 100% of it to the local relief fund. More on this, with a photo in yet another article later. A few words more and on came the song. The theme song started last year that would set the tone for Championship Sunday... "We Will Rock You!" And like last year and every year before, THEY ALL DID!

Bout after bout there was a new IKF/TKO North American Champion was crowned. (More on these bouts in my next article) As if Saturday was not enough and all before it, I was once again OVERWHELMED by what I was seeing. If you wanted to see THE BEST in Amateur kickboxing, just look up to either of the rings because it was happening right in front of us all. Often too fast because the fights were just one after the other. Oh how great it would have been if only we had the time to have ONE Championship bout going at a time so we could watch every second of it. As I get older, I tend to realize more and more that TIME is more important than material things. We can have all the money in the world, but we can't buy time with it. Some fighters needed just a little more time on Championship Sunday. Maybe one more round would have made a difference, but who knows. Time was moving right before our eyes and we couldn't slow it down to enjoy it all. It was all taking place so fast, once again, yes, it was Overwhelming!

By days end on Championship Sunday, I must say, I was exhausted. However, the high from the day kept me and many others wide awake. There wasn't enough time to talk with everyone. There's the fault of that TIME thing again... Some of those I missed at the end, because there wasn't enough TIME. If only we had more Time to shake more hands, give another hug, if not just to say good-bye for now and Thank You for such a great job done on an incredible weekend.

This weekend belonged to ALL OF US who were in that room. The fans, fighters, trainers, staff and officials. "WE" as a TEAM, a TEAM of those who love our sport, that "Walked the Walk" before, during and after it was over. "WE" made this event a success, far past any politics of letters, people or other silly beliefs we read about on the message board weekly. Letters didn't matter on this weekend because for one weekend, we all gathered during a moment of TIME and space to give our all, and in the end, "WALK" away OVERWHELMED at what all we had accomplished. Proud of our efforts, but more importantly, PROUD to be a part of this great sport of KICKBOXING!

From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely say, "Thank you ALL for allowing me to share your valuable TIME with you on such an Overwhelming weekend. I cannot be prouder of our sport than I am today, or prouder of the individuals who make up our sport. From the smallest of fighter to the largest, the youngest to the oldest in all the rule styles, YOU IMPRESSED EVERYONE! Win or lose, you Walked the Walk and NO ONE can EVER take that away from you. EVER! You fighters, trainers, officials and of course you fans... Thank You all for being such a valuable part of my life... I think I'll rest now..."

Goodnight...

Sincerely,
Steve Fossum, IKF Kickboxing

PAST IKF NEWS - CLICK HERE!

HOME - NEWS - EVENTS - RANKINGS - SANCTIONING - JOINING - RULES & REGULATIONS - MERCHANDISE - ISCF MMA