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AUGUST 2001

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MONDAY, August 27th, 2001, AT 4:45 PM PT

USA National Fighters & Trainers!
AIRPORT SHUTTLE RIDE INFO!

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IKF/RINGSIDE Nationals News!

The IKF would like to welcome aboard Oxy-Water as one of our sponsors for this years USA National Championship Event. Oxy-Water has agreed to supply water to the fighters for the National Event. For those who haven't heard of Oxy-Water , it's clear, smooth, distilled water with a refreshing boost of extra Oxygen. It is the perfect way to replenish the body's supply of much-needed water and oxygen - perfect for the athlete looking for a competitive edge or anyone who wants to be truly refreshed! Oxygenized Water is the term for Oxygen Technologies International's proprietary method of infusing distilled water with additional oxygen which can:

• Help reduce fatigue and shortness of breath
• Improve mental clarity
• Bolster suppressed immune systems

Here's some Facts as well;

• The oxygen content of Oxy-Water is 5 to 7 times higher than that of regular bottled water, and up to 10 times higher than that of some tap water.
• Thousands of years ago, the oxygen content of the air was 38%. Today, the air we breathe averages between 15% and 20%, and as low as 9% in some major metropolitan areas.
• An inadequate supply of oxygen to the body is called "Hypoxia."
• The tiredness many people feel after eating is a result of oxygen being consumed during the digestive process, which diminishes the oxygen available to the rest of the body.
• Pure (distilled) water "wets" the hemoglobin molecules, allowing them to more effectively pick up and transport oxygen throughout the body.

Oxy-Water joins other sponsors of this years event;

• Wipss Jaw Joint Protectors: Jaw Protectors For All Fighters.
• Brooks Mason
• Foster Graphics: Event Program & Graphics
• Holiday Inn: Host Venue
• Southwest Airlines: Airline Discount
• And of course, RINGSIDE Inc.

Want to be a Sponsor for this years event? Give us a call at (916) 663-2467.

A week ago, we thought we were done with all the final registration for this years 2001 IKF/RINGSIDE USA National Amateur Championships. Everyone was excited about the 218 fighters that were registered at that time which was over 100 more than last years event. However, a lot of fighters called us to request a second registration deadline which we granted them and as a result, there will be 252 Amateur Kickboxers "Walking The Walk" on the weekend of September 7th, 8th and 9th in Kansas City, Kansas.

There will be a total of 68 IKF National Amateur Champion Title Belts Awarded for the 2001 event at a cost of $185.00 each. (The 2000 event belts shown at left) The title belts as always are purchased/sponsored by the IKF. This years medallion (Shown above) as in the previous year was designed by Toni Foster of Foster Graphics.

Of the participants there are 145 Adult Men fighters attending. 75 of them are Full Contact, 32 International rules and 38 MuayThai. There will be 37 Adult Women fighters attending of which there are 21 Full Contact, 10 International rules and 6 MuayThai. The big surprise this year was the dramatic increase in Junior fighters. This year there are 70 Junior fighters attending of which 48 are Junior Boys. Of them there are 30 Full Contact, 9 International rules and, 9 MuayThai. There are also 22 Junior Girls of which there are 14 Full Contact, 7 International rules and 1 registered MuayThai junior girl who will be switching to International Rules. Keep in mind that some of these fighters will be switching rule styles to be matched which some have already done after the numbers above were tallied. To check out the finalists for this years event, click HERE.

As we have always said, This event is not and has never been promoted by just 1 individual. It's a complete TEAM EFFORT. Without regional directors / promoters there would be no local links to many of you for this great event. Without their efforts, many of you might not have known about this tournament. These Regional Directors include Jeff Mullen, Duke Roufus, Scott Joffe, Rob Zbilski, Craig Monyelle, Lane Collyer, Clement & Rhonda Vierra, Gene Fields, Adam Rogers and Sven Bean. Without their great work, there wouldn't be a National Finals Tournament. However, lets not forget the great effort of all the trainers and fighters as well who attended the regional events and not to forget the participation of all the clubs who didn't have regionals in their area. Or what about all the officials who are volunteering to assist with the event this year... check out what Officials from around the United States are "Walking The Walk" as well by clicking HERE! Maybe you can add your name to the list too, let us know.

As you can see, there are "A LOT" of people who make this event happen every year which is why the IKF dedicates so much time and money into it.

To add to this, the IKF has also decided to offer all of the Friday night Seminars for free so don't miss them. The 2 dinner banquets were cancelled because too many asked us to so they could return early after the event on Sunday and because they wanted to be free for Saturday night with their fighters. Instead, a Promoters & Trainers meeting that was scheduled for Sunday evening was moved to Saturday night and a free after event party replaced the awards dinner on Sunday night. To check out the weekend schedule and other things such as airline discounts and more, go to the Finals Event Page.

Still there seems to be a strong race for the school/gym with the most contenders. The trainers bringing 3 or more fighters include;

• Duke Roufus, 17, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Mick Doyle, 15, Omaha, Nebraska
• Clement & Rhonda Vierra, 14, Phoenix, Arizona
• Rob & Jim Zbilski, 11, Chicago, Illinois
• Craig Monyelle - Team Thump, 10, Beloit Wisconsin
• Mark Maske, 9, Douglasville, Georgia
• Sven "Boogie" Bean, 9, Denver, Colorado
• Willie Johnson, 8, Cheyenne, Wyoming
• Jesse Finney, 8, St. Louis, Missouri
• Phil Nurse, 7, New York, New York
• Russ O'Connell, 6, Waterloo, Iowa
• Benny Voyles, 6, Pacific, Missouri
• Dean Lessei, 5, Dubuque, Iowa.
• Mike Hess, 5, Alexandria, Virginia
• Steve Fridh, 4, Loves Park, Illinois
• Brian Higgins, 4, Kimberly, Idaho
• Mike LaBree, 4, Stone Lake, Wisconsin.
• Ray Thompson, 4, Simpsonville, South Carolina
• Scott Mincey, 4, Norman, Oklahoma
• Steve Goin, 4, Dallas, Texas
• Khunpon, 3, Atlanta Georgia
• C.B. Bunkholt, 3, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Glenn Hudson, 3, Calmet City, Illinois

TRAINERS & FIGHTERS: Please let us know if we forgot any to add to this list of 3 or more.

Lets don't forget the guys at Ground Zero who helped form this event in the first place and who are also assisting with the actual promotion of this years event.

The dynamic staff from RINGSIDE, Doug, Mike, Albert and of course, RINGSIDE President and founder, John Brown.

Former IKF Super Heavyweight World Champion (1998) and winner of 3 other World Titles, K-1 veteran Duke Roufus (Right) will be coaching a one day Muay Thai Kickboxing camp on August 19th in Peoria Illinois, USA.

All experience levels are welcome to attend. The cost is $40. This is a great opportunity to train with one of America's best kickboxing coaches just weeks before the IKF/RINGSIDE National Tournament. To register or for more information call Ryan Blackorby at (309) 444-1512.

• Schedule
  • 9:AM Run.
    
    
  • 10:AM - 12:30 Morning Practice.
    
    
  • 12:30 - 2:PM Lunch.
    
    
  • 2:PM - 4:30 PM Afternoon Practice.

We don't need to say who said it, but the words couldn't have been more TRUE! The way the Malaysia Team of Wings Promotions, TNT Kickboxing of Malaysia, Winston - The Eagle Collection, Total Sports Asia and others handled this event was simply,

"The way a World Title should be."

These words alone summed up the IKF Malaysia Middleweight World Title event featuring IKF World Champion Tommy "The Terminator" Kimber against challenger Dave "The Madman" Marinoble. It was Kimber's first title defense since wining it against Curtis Bush back in May of 1999 by unanimous decision. The bout was truly a war but what surrounded the bout is what added the icing on the cake. Lets take you through the experience..... well... most of it anyway...

On Sunday evening, July 22nd, the entire IKF Team met up at Los Angeles Airport. Present were both Kimber and Marinoble and their trainers, Dick Kimber for Tom (His brother) and Greg Kirkpatrick for Dave. Also on the traveling team was a group of World Class IKF Officials. They included IKF Referee Dan Stell of Fairfield, California. IKF Judge and past trainer of Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Brooks Mason of Omaha, Nebraska. IKF Judge, Referee and past World Champion himself, Chuck Wolfe of Kansas City, Kansas and IKF President Steve Fossum of Newcastle, California. Together the group boarded the events official carrier, Malaysia Airlines at about 1:00 AM Monday morning for the long journey. We need to give a great plug here for Malaysia Airlines here because they were GREAT! A Great Choice for the events Official Carrier.

With the time change and all and a quick stop in Japan, the IKF Team landed in Malaysia on Tuesday morning. Right off the plane they were greeted by exclusive IKF Malaysia Representative and Event Promoter, Andre Thomas of TNT Kickboxing Malaysia and Wings Promotions. Malaysia has a new airport that is second to none and one look around you would think your in a tropical vacationland like Hawaii. After retrieving their bags the team made their way to the hotel limos and off to the Hotel. Upon arrival was yet another pleasant surprise. The Hyatt Regency Saujana (Right) was the host hotel for the event and what a host they were. We need to send our gratitude back to them a thousand times over and especially to the manager at the Senja Italian Restaurant in the Hotel. Great Steaks as well as Great Italian Food! Oh and not to forget the staff and food at the SURIA CAFÉ as well.

The Team settled in great with every person getting their own private room. A quick rest and it was back downstairs for a special lunch hosted by Mr. Andre Thomas. At the lunch The Team was briefed on their weeks schedule. A schedule that included several radio talk shows, press conferences and about a dozen interviews with the local press and large Asia Magazines. Through it all, Kimber and Marinoble were together a lot and one thing must be said here, "These two were VERY CLASSY GENTLEMEN!! We can ALL be proud how these guys represented the sport of Kickboxing to those of Malaysia and the media they met while there from around the World. What was even better about it all was the fact that these guys had a good time as well. There was no purse pressure of wondering if they would be paid like many fighters have. Each had received a deposit of 1/4th their purse a month before they left and the balance before the fight even happened. There was no "Evil Eyes" or "Loud Yelling" at each other. No instead, both were informed about the fact that Malaysia had seen very little full contact kickboxing, let alone a World Title bout. So instead, these two created their own show. Both took joking stabs at the other on talk radio shows and in interviews but never anything disrespectful... NEVER! In fact, when one joked with the other, they both laughed out loud. It was two confident professionals having fun out of the ring, knowing the fight face stays IN the ring. Their job outside was to promote themselves, their bout and the sport itself to the country of Malaysia. The Promoters had already did their job with TV Ads running on the hour, billboards, banners and tons of press coverage in all the papers and on all the TV stations every day. With all of Malaysia's eyes on them, Kimber and Marinoble took the spotlight and made all of us proud as they both represented the sport of kickboxing and themselves as Professionals and World Champions of our great sport.

Probably the most fun the two had was at the WOWfm Radio show. (A special Thank You to the WOWfm Crew of Manvir, Kevin Rao, Steven Sum and Yasmin Tan Sri M. Yusuff) When all was done, both Kimber and Marinoble were ready to host their own show. We billed it as the "Tom and Dave Show" with Tom being the straight guy and Dave being the guy we would all wonder, "who would show up today?"

Using different accents in almost every interview, Marinoble was clever, witty, crazy... well lets face it, ever wonder why they call him "The Madman...?" well, we all found out... On the other side of the spotlight was Kimber who still made everyone laugh, but in a more serious tone of humor. The two worked so well together many thought they had known each other for life. However the fact was, they had met for the first time in Los Angeles Airport on Sunday, only a few days before.

When asked things like "So, do you think he (Opponent) will be tough competition?" They would respond with lines like, "Well, I hear he dances well..." Or when asked, "Do you think the fight will end early?" One would reply, "Well I don't know about him but I'm packing a lunch because I heard he's pretty tough and I plan on a long nights work." It was lines like these that brought smiles and laughs to those in attendance. Neither cut the other down once. NOT ONCE! In fact, they both had tremendous respect for each other which made them seem like larger than life heroes to not just those in Malaysia, but to the entire IKF Team as well. It was their actions out of the ring that made the stage for one of the Greatest World Title Bouts to come.

The day before the weigh-ins, IKF Officials Brooks Mason and Chuck Wolfe went with Andre Thomas to Shah Alam Stadium to help set up the ring and did a great job as well. It was a bran new TWINS Products Ring. Without a doubt, it was the nicest ring we've ever seen around the world. On Friday morning, they went back to finish it up.

Later in the day, both fighters were asked if they wanted to go to the arena and get a feel of the ring. While Kimber opted not to, Marinoble took advantage of it. In a stadium that can hold over 10,000, Marinoble checked the ring alone and was dwarfed by the size of the arena. (Right)

The event weigh-ins were on Friday night before the scheduled Saturday night bout. Marinoble made sure to grab the spotlight at the weigh-ins when he had trainer Greg Kirkpatrick place a radio inside the conference room where the weigh-ins were to take place. When he was announced to the crowd for his entree, someone pushed the "PLAY" button and Marinoble entered to the tune of "Cowboy" by Kid Rock, struttin in like "The Prince" himself with open shirt and sun glasses. A roar and cheer from the crowd relaxed the press and all who wondered if they should make any noise at all. What else would we expect though from someone known as "The Madman..." Marinoble set the tone as relaxed and what could have been expected to be a tense weigh-in, just turned into another good time for everyone. On the other side of the room, upon being introduced, current Champion Kimber made his entree rather quiet, but professional. With his shirt off showing the Malaysia media what a lot of hard work and 2% body fat looks like. With dozens of cameras flashing and clicking at both fighters, each took their turn at different poses for the media and even shared a few laughs

However Kimber and Marinoble were not the only ones to take the stage on this day. Their bout would be supported by 4 GREAT Amateur fighters that would eventually open the nights show with a BANG! It was an Amateur undercard of Malaysia Vs Australia. Representing Malaysia were Bernard Radin (Far right - 5'6", 29, 27-2/4) and Lew Chee Wai (Second from right - 5'9", 26, 16-2/4) Both were trained by Bathi Allimuthu and the staff of TNT Kickboxing of Malaysia. On the other side of the ring was the Australian Team lead by well know promoter and trainer of Australia Paul "Pitbull" Grima. His fighters were Mark Vella (Far Left - 172cm, 18, 3-0/1) and Stanley Hanku (Second from right - 5'7", 27, 5-3/2).

The weigh-ins went as smooth as could be with Champion Kimber hitting the scales at 163 and Marinoble at 164. As the Amateur fighters took the scale, Bernard Radin weighed in at 131 lbs while his opponent, Mark Vella weighed in at 130 lbs. Lew Chee Wai weighed in at 168 lbs while his opponent, Stanley Hanku made 170 lbs. After the weigh-ins, all the fighters were once again representatives of the sport as they posed for pictures and answered more questions for the press. As the weigh-ins ended, the fighters all made their way to their rooms for some rest before the big show the next night

As the sun rose up on Saturday morning it was a warm and slightly humid day but by now, all the incoming fighters had acclimated to the climate very well and were ready to go. There was still a lot of work to do for everyone but as far as the fighters go, it was a time of rest still because they were all the Main Event for the night.

In the late afternoon, the IKF Officials Team made their way to the Stadium. Along the route there were 6' tall banners on nearly every light post advertising the event with pictures of Kimber and Marinoble. Around the city were about 5 large billboards with their pictures on them as well. One thing this event did get was plenty of exposure as already mentioned, both in the TV and Print media as well as on the streets. As we came closer to our destination, it was truly a sight to see...

When one casts their eyes on Shah Alam Stadium for the first time, a sense of awe comes across them. If that wasn't enough, the Shah Alam Outdoor Stadium next door dwarfs most American NFL Football Stadiums. As The IKF Officials Team entered the Stadium, it was nothing less than Impressive. Strung around the entire perimeter of the arena, around the ring and around the Jumbo Tron TV above the ring were large banners that read, "Winston Kickboxer, International Kickboxing Federation Middleweight World Title." All the banners had the full IKF Logo on them and it was quite a site to see. Once again, "This was how a World Title Should Be..."

With traffic causing a few delays for other event staff, the event, as many do, had a slight delay in starting. However once the ball started rolling, all eyes were on center stage and the show was now in the ring...

Bout 1 was between Malaysia's Lew Chee Wai and Australia's Stanley Hanku. It was a 3 round Full Contact Rules bout. From the opening round, the Malaysia audience realized that Kickboxing was not big time wrestling, It's the REAL DEAL! This was made obvious as Wai took a Head Kick from Hanku late in the round that separated the two from what appeared to be a close round 1. The kick sent Wai to the canvas. He beat the count of referee Chuck Wolfe and continued on to finish the round. In support of Wai's efforts in round 1, he won the kick battle, out kicking Hanku 8-6 but Hanku's great head kick knockdown made the difference on the judges cards as all 3 judges cards scored round 1, 10-8 for Hanku. Hanku continued to edge Wai despite being out kicked in round 2, 11-7. All 3 judges gave the round to Hanku 10-9. In round 3, Wai started to get his head back and came on strong with his hands, but so did Hanku. Both recorded 8 kicks and Wai was able to win the eye of one of the 3 judges 10-9 while Hanku kept the other two in his favor. It was too little too late for Wai who lost the unanimous decision 30-26, 29-27 and 30-26 in a great bout by both fighters.

Bout 2 matched up Malaysia's Bernard Radin against Australia's Mark Vella. This bout was to be 3 rounds in the International (Leg Kick) Rules style. Radin had a great round 1 seeming to throw every move in the kickboxing book. It was enough to win all 3 judges cards 10-9. In round 2, Vella came back with his own book of skill as he managed to take 2 of the judges nods, 10-9 while Radin kept one judge in his favor the other way 10-9. In round 3, it appeared both realized it was still anyone's fight and they didn't let anyone down. When the dust cleared, Radin took the favor of 2 of the judges 10-9 while Vella took the other 10-9. The result was a Split decision victory for Radin with judge 1 giving it to him 29-28 and judge 2 giving it to him 30-27 while judge 3 gave it to Vella 29-28.

Although there were only 2 undercard bouts, our hats go off to the great excitement they provided for everyone! With great corner work by Bathi Allimuthu for the Malaysia fighters and by Paul Grima for the Australians, they offered Malaysia some great amateur undercard action that could have been main events on many other shows.

And now for the MAIN EVENT...
IKF Pro Middleweight World Title
Tommy " The Terminator" Kimber Vs Dave "The Madman" Marinoble.

Keeping with the tone of the entire week, Marinoble was still having a good time and continued it as he came to the ring to the music of "Celebrate"... Dancing all the way to the ring. Kimber kept his tone as well as the Champion came out to a more subdued tune of 2001 Space Odyssey. Into the ring went both fighters and away went all the smiles they showed to the eyes of Malaysia. All of a sudden, Malaysia saw that one can have a good time in life, smile and joke around, and still be a great fighter in the ring... Or at least they were about to see this... It would be a mental game as well as a physical one as any fighting bout is. Who prepared more? Who did their roadwork, their sparring... Who would win the mental game so they could control their physical game... We were about to see. With their fight faces on, both went to center ring for final instructions from IKF World Title Referee Dan Stell. Even their trainers, Dick Kimber and Greg Kirkpatrick were in a focused zone. This was the real deal baby! The BIG SHOW they had both been training for.. The time had come... "Bring It ON!"

The bell sounds to Start ROUND 1. Both start off cautious with respect for each others ability, but this only lasted a few seconds. Kimber brought on the early heat with his hands more than his feet while Marinoble stuck with his kick attack. As round 1 ended, judges Chuck Wolfe and Paul Grima sided with Marinoble 10-9 who was more active with his kicks winning the kick count 12-9 while judge Brooks Mason gave the round to the Champ Kimber 10-9.

ROUND 2: Both fighters came out on the aggressive side with their kicking game which showed in the end kick count as well. Kimber moved in on Marinoble and pressed his game landing several strong shots to his head and ribs. As Marinoble tried to press his attack with his kicking game, Kimber seemed to have Marinoble's number as he countered perfectly off of nearly every rear kick Marinoble threw landing strong right hands on Marinoble. It could be easy to think Kimber might win this by a knockout if he's able to continue his pressure and doesn't get caught himself. Kimber ended the round with a strong flurry and also took the kick side 13-12. However what counted was the judges scores, not the kick scores and all 3 judges gave the Champ Kimber the round, 10-9.

ROUND 3: While the Champ seemed to be in control of the power of the match, Marinoble's trainer Greg Kirkpatrick kept him relaxed and forced him to stick to his game plan. Stick and move and don't stay in his reach too long. However Kimber came out in round 3 throwing some heavy hands and spinning backhands and again took all 3 judges cards 10-9 but fell short of winning the kick total at 10-8, yet still enough for the minimum requirement. At the end of 3, Kimber lead on all 3 judges cards, 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.

ROUND 4: Round 4 was an all out war! It was clear Kimber was the one throwing the heat but now he was having trouble landing anything as Marinoble seemed to slip and slide a lot of what the Champ threw. Both kicked well with both getting in 10 kicks each, but Marinoble's elusive style gave him the favor of 2 of the 3 judges 10-9 while judge Paul Grima made the round even at 10-10.

ROUND 5: Kimber was looking for the KO in this round, throwing long range bombs at Marinoble but his punches were getting a bit wild, which made it rather easy for Marinoble to slip. Kirkpatrick had kept Marinoble calm in the heat of Kimber's opening round storms but the test now would be about conditioning. As round 5 came to the 10 second mark, Marinoble landed a strong punch that rocked Kimber but the Champ stayed up strong as the bell rang. All 3 judges now moved over to Marinoble who seemed like a fresh fighter, giving him the round 10-9 while he also won the kick game 9-8. At the end of 5, neither had the edge as Mason had the score 48-47 for the Champ Kimber, Wolfe had it 48-47 for Marinoble while Grima had it all even at 48. It was clearly anyone's fight, but what would prove to be the winning combination...?

ROUND 6: As if a wall had hit him, round 6 showed a different Kimber. The Champ's punches were long and wild and Marinoble simply side stepped them and countered with strong body shots that seemed to take their tole on Kimber. The counters that worked for Kimber in round 2 were now ones that Marinoble turned against him. As Kimber kicked, Marinoble countered with more strong body shots, each pounding at Kimbers ribs and stomach. At the end of round 6, Marinoble had won over all 3 judges 10-9 and the feeling of the fight started to sway to Marinobles side of the ring. Could the Champ Kimber be wore down with the explosion of body shots Marinoble had been giving him? Was Kimber just saving himself for the later rounds? Whatever was happening, the crowd of over 5,000 was getting into the groove of this World Title fight as you heard fans yelling for both the Terminator and the Madman as if they were Malaysia's fighters, and in a sense, they were...

ROUND 7: It was Madman's time in Malaysia and he could feel it. Marinoble came out like a wild animal sensing a weakened prey. He stuck inside Kimber jamming his kicks and driving to the body. It was obvious in Kimber's face that some of the shots were landing with power. With under 30 seconds to go in the round Kimber only had 6 kicks, but Marinoble was short too. Soddenly Marinoble landed a body head body combination that dropped the Champ to his knees. Referee Dan Stell moved in to give the 8 count to Kimber who stayed on one knee. In his intense excitement of wanting to finish it now, Marinoble didn't stay in the neutral corner forcing referee Stell to control him which worked in Kimber's favor, giving him an extra 5 seconds on what could have been the end here. As the count ended, Marinoble forgot about his kicks and went for the KO. Under a barrage of body and head blows, Kimber lasted Marinoble's storm to the bell to fight another round. However, both fighters failed to get their kicks in as each lost a point. Marinoble clearly won the round but along with Kimber lost 1 point, yet he now lead on all 3 judges cards, 66-64, 68-63 and 67-64. What would the Champ have left to keep his title? How will Marinoble and Kirkpatrick plan to take it?

ROUND 8: Marinoble came out on the attack again, but Kimber was able to fire back with a few of his own in the opening seconds. However, Marinoble shook off Kimber's attempts and pressed the Champ to his own corner and in front of his cornerman and brother Dick, Marinoble opened the flood gates. Head, body, head, body, head and finally Kimber dropped to his knees. Referee Dan Stell started a count that Kimber would never answer as he counted the Champ out on his knees in his own corner at 1:08 of the 8th round.

A new World Champion was crowned and it marked the first time any IKF Pro Champion had lost their title. Marinoble praised the heavens where his father was sure to be watching from. Dave "The Madman" Marinoble was now the New IKF Pro Full Contact Rules Middleweight World Champion and as the DJ played "Celebrate" one more time for Malaysia and for the Madman, he danced in the ring, continuing his own week long celebration that was far from over.

IKF Malaysia Representative
Andre Thomas asks if the
IKF World Title Belt
looks better on him....
It just might...
you may have to go another
round to get it back Dave...

As the crowd of people left the stadium, they all waived to a new hero of theirs in Malaysia. The Madman had made a new home with the people there. They loved him and he returned his appreciation back to them. Marinoble's high continued as he was driven back to the hotel waiving at the crowds as he drove past with many trying to shake his hand as they drove down the road. However, the best was yet to come for both.

Back at the Hotel was former World Champion Tommy Kimber. Now one would think he would be down on everything after such a loss and don't get us wrong, anyone would have a right to be. However Kimber continued to be a Champion with Marinoble the days following the fight. It was this effort by both that would prove to be their greatest moments in Malaysia yet. They knew they were ambassadors of the sport and they didn't let anyone down in their work. The two spent time together and talked of their futures in the sport as well as their families.

They took more and more pictures with the people of Malaysia, shook hands, signed autographs and shared some more laughs. This wasn't a losing effort by Tommy Kimber. It was a warriors battle and on this day, he faced a stronger opponent. On this day... It didn't make him anything less to any of us and it shouldn't to any of you either. Kimber will get another chance, another time, but his goal is at a higher weight and maybe even a brothers revenge bout against Don The Dragon Wilson, who knocked his brother out to win an IKF World Title 2 years ago on the same night Tommy won his IKF World Title.

No, their days in the ring are far from done, and their days out of the ring? They will ALWAYS be IKF World Champions wherever their life's path takes them now. And Marinoble? Well, for now, he has a date with his American JuJitsu Team and another title in his sites. But after September, he's willing to take on anyone who offers up a challenge. Whether it be unification with other organizations or a defense of his IKF World Title only, Marinoble is ready for his next challenge. So wake up all you Middleweights around the World. There's a Madman at the top now so...Bring It ON!

We here at the IKF and on behalf of the IKF Officials Team that worked this event would like to say Thank You to all involved and Thank You to the country of Malaysia. Special thanks needs to go out to the main players, Andre Thomas and his lovely wife, Wings Promotions, TnT Kickboxing, WINSTON - The Eagle Collection, Malaysia Airlines, Hyatt Regency Saujana, Total Sports Asia, TWINS Products, Vincent, Teoh Kim Ean of Key Associates and surly many more.You all produced a World Class Event that has made you a true contender in the World of Pro Kickboxing. We hope the IKF and Wing's Promotions can be a part of many more Malaysia World Title Events to come. There are not enough words to express the hospitality and extra effort taken by all involved. Once again, this was simply,

"How a World Title Should Be!"

Once again, Thank You Dave and Tommy, your efforts and professionalism in representing our sport like true Champions did not go unnoticed.

A special Thank You to the 200 plus fans who grerated Marinoble at the Sacramento Airport. It's fan support such as this that make Champions feel like Champions. Your efforts, your smiles and your praise are Greatly Appreciated!

Marinoble & Greg Kirkpatrick





Marinoble upon his arrival home
coming off the plane in
Sacramento, CA with
IKF Director of Marketing
Johnny Davis

The deadline has come and it's now official everyone. A total of *218 USA Amateur Kickboxers will "Walk The Walk" on September 7th, 8th and 9th at the 2001 IKF/RINGSIDE USA National Amateur Championships. To see who they are, click HERE.

(*) The number of registered fighters may increase a bit since we had previously approved some North East region teams to register by Friday, August 10th. However, for the most part, this years event will have over 100 more participants than last year and is sure to be the greatest ever.

Shown above is this years 2001 National Championship Belt medallion designed by Toni Foster of Foster Graphics, the official graphics company of the IKF. However, there may be another name added to it from what we're being told... That is, if all goes well next week... We'll see... If you notice, there are 12 Stars on the medallion which brings us to our first National Amateur Tournament Trivia question......

"What do the 12 Stars Represent?"
The first person with a correct answer will get a free IKF Shirt at the Nationals... Send us an e-mail answer to NATTrivia@IKFKickboxing.com ... More trivia in the weeks to come...

3:13 PM, 8/9/01:
We have a WINNER!!! Click HERE!

The Calm Before The
Storm...

Dave Marinoble (Left) and Tommy Kimber (Right) Pose at the press conference before their IKF Middleweight World Title bout in Malaysia 2 weeks ago.

The bout was Kimber's first defense of his title he won in May of 1999 by unanimous decision over Curtis Bush.

Marinoble stopped Kimber in the 8th round to become the New IKF Pro Middleweight World Champion.

A full story is ready to go on this event but we've been waiting for the fight puictures from Malaysia. Sorry for the delay...

Watch for all the details very soon.

Attention USA Amateurs, you have "1 Day Left" to get your National Finals Registration paperwork in AND your National Finals Registration Fees (Plus late fee). After 5 PM Tomorrow, Thursday, July 9th, we will not accept ANY additional registration other than the few exceptions we spoke with personally this week who have been given until noon Friday, July 10th. Please look on the National Finals page located HERE. If your name is not on this page and marked "Will Be Attending Nationals - Fees Paid" you need to contact FedEx and get your fees and registration forms in.

The IKF will not be responsible for forms and fees received after this deadline. Regardless if they were "MAILED" or "POSTMARKED" before the deadline, as noted in all our registration messages, they need to be "In the office HERE by the deadlines noted." Registration received after this date will NOT be accepted, NO EXCEPTIONS. In addition, some registration forms came in AFTER the main deadline of July 30th. These individuals still owe a late fee of $25 as noted on the finals page as well.

In addition, if you see you do not have anyone in your weightclass or rule style to fight, please start thinking about where you want to move to. Up or down in weight or simply another rule style. Next week, we will list suggested choices for you under your names on the finals page if you do not have a match. Keep in mind, there are NO WALKOVER CHAMPIONS at the Nationals. If we see you do not have a fight the week of the event, we will simply refund your registration fees and pull your name from the list, so for this reason, you can see why we ask you to assist with other alternative divisions to fight in if you do not have contenders in yours. As of today we have 206 registered fighters. As we all can see, this years event is going to be a major one. We look forward to seeing all of you there. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the IKF at (916) 663-2467.

OFFICIALS & TRAINERS: Those of you who are either local to the event or already going, please let us know by phone or e-mail (info@IKFKickboxing.com) if you can volunteer to be an official at the event. We have received a lot of request for officials however most of them are asking for us to pay their travel fees and we simply cannot afford this. The National Finals Championship Title belts (Last years shown at right) cost $185.00 each. Once one does the math for a minimum of 60 belts for this year, you can see there is not any profit for us in this event. In fact, as always, it will cost us a lot of extra money. However, as in previous years, we at the IKF feel such an expense is necessary to create "Legit National Champions". We hope you agree. For this reason, officials (or trainers who can assist as officials) who can pay their own travel fees will be selected first as the event officials as we have done every year for this event. To see our current list of Officials, please click HERE.

If you have any questions, please contact the IKF by e-mail at info@IKFKickboxing.com (With "USA National Officials" in the subject line) or by phone at (916) 663-2467.

Thank you all.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Sunday Night 2001 AWARDS DINNER:
Due to requests by many who plan to travel home on Sunday evening, this dinner has been cancelled. Instead, for those who wish to stay, we will have a casual after event party with beverages and snacks. This will be FREE to those who want to come. The time of this party will be announced after the last bout on Sunday. You may order additional meals/food at your own expense if desired. The Presentation of The Best OF The 2001 National Amateur Kickboxing Tournament awards will be announced through the weekend as well as some announcements made after the event. Anyone not in attendance to receive their award, their award will be mailed to them. If you have already paid for tickets for this dinner, please see the IKF Staff at the Nationals for a refund. Thank You.

USA AMATEURS! Are You Ready To
"WALK THE WALK!"
Well BRING IT ON!

BRING IT ON! That's the cry from North to South and East to West as Amateur kickboxers from across the USA gear up to determine who are THE BEST Amateur kickboxers in the USA! As of today, there are over 168 Confirmed Registered Amateur Fighters for this years IKF/RINGSIDE USA National Amateur Championships. However, the IKF has confirmation of incoming registration of over 50 more, yes "50"! Which means we will see over 200 competitors at this years event making it the best year ever in the 3 year history of the event.

Last year, there was only a 20% increase from the previous year, however this year, the IKF took over full promotional responsibilities for the National Finals event with Ringside directly which was a big reason for the increased growth. However a bigger reason for the growth this year was the DYNAMIC work of all the Regional Promoter/Directors. In 4 of the regionals there were over 40 registered fighters and continued strong showings in the other regionals.

However, for the third year in a row, there were no regionals at all in the entire West region or, North Mountain as well as the North and Central East, and still the number of participants continue to grow each year from the other regions. In fact, in all of these regions combined that didn't have a regional, only 23 fighters are coming to the National Championships despite the fact that ANYONE from any of these 6 regions could have shown up via a direct walkover at the National Championships.

Despite an attempt at a Central West Regional in California this year, once again, the numbers representing the West will be small. Although the Central West regional had over 30 fighters registered for the central region event, only 11 fighters took the extra step towards fulfilling the true goal of winning a "TRUE" National Title. Only 11 registered and will attend the 2001 USA National Amateur Championships in Kansas City this year. Although 11 is a lot from one state, it's far from what many would expect from the West Coast. Why enter a regional if you don't have true hopes of fulfilling your "GOAL" of becoming a National Champion? All this of course raises the same question once again as in the previous 2 years, "Where are all those West Fighters who claim to be The Best?"

However, the numbers are even more shocking when you look to the North East. We hear of all those North East National Amateur Champions but where are they when they get the chance to prove they are TRULY the Best in the entire USA? If you think the West numbers are small, look at the numbers from the heavily populated North East region which includes cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Buffalo just to name a few. Only "2" Fighters registered from this region. Yes, "TWO". Only 2 were willing to "Walk The Walk" for real. Now we're not one to call anyone on their so called National Title Status, but hey...

Simply ask yourself this...

"Here's the greatest venue ever for USA Amateur Kickboxers and WHY are you missing it...?

Well, there will be over 200 USA Amateur Kickboxers who won't have to ask themselves that question, hopefully your one of them...and if not....well, you get the picture...

This is not about the IKF! This is about the growth of not only amateur kickboxing but the growth of our sport as a whole. Those in attendance are the future of our sport and those who miss it are missing their future. The best promoters in North America will be there to look for fighters for their events. TV News, Magazines, Internet sites etc. will be in attendance to report on this event, these fighters. While over 200 amateur kickboxers from across the USA will be "Walking The Walk" to prove their the BEST in the USA, where will you be? If the Best are all going to be in Kansas City come September 7th, 8th and 9th, where does that leave those who missed out? Who are you?

Enough said...

From what our records indicate, we may have a few more from the North East making late entrees, but after this week, there will be no more entrees accepted. So ask yourself,

"Do you think your the BEST in the USA?"

If so, we know where you need to be September 7th, 8th and 9th and so do you. We welcome you there along with everyone else at the greatest event for amateur kickboxing in North America, the

IKF/RINGSIDE USA National Amateur Championships.

So far there seems to be a strong race for the school/gym with the most contenders. With still over 50 entries remaining the trainers bringing 3 or more fighters include;

• Duke Roufus, 16, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Clement & Rhonda Vierra, 14, Phoenix, Arizona
• Rob & Jim Zbilski, 11, Chicago, Illinois
• Mark Maske, 9, Douglasville, Georgia
• *Sven "Boogie" Bean, 8, Denver, Colorado
• Jesse Finney, 8, St. Louis, Missouri
• Russ O'Connell, 6, Waterloo, Iowa
• Benny Voyles, 6, Pacific, Missouri
• Dean Lessei, 5, Dubuque, Iowa.
• Mike Hess, 5, Alexandria, Virginia
• Steve Fridh, 4, Loves Park, Illinois
• Brian Higgins, 4, Kimberly, Idaho
• Mike LaBree, 4, Stone Lake, Wisconsin.
• Ray Thompson, 4, Simpsonville, South Carolina
• Scott Mincey, 4, Norman, Oklahoma
• Steve Goin, 4, Dallas, Texas
• Khunpon, 3, Atlanta Georgia
• C.B. Bunkholt, 3, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Glenn Hudson, 3, Calmet City, Illinois
• (*) Added on 8-8 so this did not reflect in the 168 total previously mentioned.

The best regional participation so far looks this way;

• 0 from the PACIFIC WEST NORTH TEAM (Washington, Oregon, Northern California (North Chico UP), Northern Nevada, Western Idaho)
• 1 from the PACIFIC WEST SOUTH TEAM (California (South Bakersfield to Mexico Border, San Luis Obispo To Mexico Border) Southern Nevada (Las Vegas Area) )
• 2 from the NORTH EAST TEAM (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Rhode Island.)
• 2 now (Plus about 40 to come by Friday) from the CENTRAL MOUNTAIN TEAM (New Mexico (Fighters from New Mexico may choose this regional if desired over the Arizona regional.) Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Western Kansas, Western Nebraska, North AND West Texas, Western Oklahoma.)
• 3 from the NORTH MOUNTAIN TEAM (Montana, Idaho, Northern Wyoming, Western North Dakota, Western South Dakota )
• 7 from the CENTRAL EAST TEAM (Virginia, West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware, Washington DC)
• 10 from the PACIFIC WEST CENTRAL TEAM (Central California, (Inc.: From Bakersfield North to Chico, San Luis Obispo North to Ukiah) Western Nevada (Reno Area) )
• 11 from the CENTRAL TEAM - CENTRAL (Illinois (Peoria North) , Iowa (Waterloo South), Missouri, Kansas, Eastern Nebraska.)
• 18 from the SOUTH MOUNTAIN TEAM (Arizona, New Mexico )
• 28 from the SOUTH CENTRAL TEAM (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Southern Oklahoma, Missouri (St Louis South) )
• 30 from the SOUTH EAST TEAM (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Eastern Kentucky (Shared with South Central))
• 56 (Combined 2 regionals) from the NORTH CENTRAL TEAM MTR/IR & FCR (North Dakota, Souh Dakota, Indiana, Illinois (Peoria North), Minnesota, Ohio, Iowa (Waterloo North), Wisconsin, Michigan, - Illinois (Peoria North), Iowa (Waterloo South), Missouri, Kansas, Eastern Nebraska.)

Proud Sponsor of IKF Kickboxing Worldwide!

IKF Promoter Jesse Finney (Left) is all set to host another exciting night of Kickboxing in Sauget, IL, USA. The Main event will feature Light Heavyweights Marc Winfield Vs Tom Ira.

The event will be at the Pops Night Club. Event doors open at 6:00 PM and the fights are scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM. For more info, contact Finney's Kickboxing at (314) 351-5226 or by e-mail by clicking: HERE.

Also you can visit the Finney's Kickboxing website by clicking www.finneyskickboxing.com.

Alby Bimpson

Late Report: IKF England: A capacity crowd at the Kirkby Suite, Liverpool England, sat in anticipation of what turned out to be an enthralling display of Amateur Kickboxing. The Organiser and IKF European Director Alby Bimpson, (Left) had chosen an ideal venue. Also in attendance where Nuno Ferreira IKF Portugal Representative and Michael Kossivakis IKF Greece Representative.

The show started with the IKF Girls Junior Bantamweight title betweenJESSICA ISSAC'S - Kirkby Thai boxing & GEMMA DEAN - Wolf Thai boxing. As referee CLIVE TENNANT got the show on the road, with an all action battle, with neither of the dynamo's giving ground. The Girl's threw everything at each other, bar their cornermen. At the bell a very close decision went to JESSICA ISSAC recieving title belt from Mr. Alby Bimpson at right.

Next up MATTY SMITH from Chris Wright Thai boxing against NEAL THOMAS, Liverpool Academy. In the first round THOMAS stamped his authority, keeping SMITH at at bay with straight punches and front kick's. In the second, SMITH started to find his range with strong low kick's. THOMAS kept working, but the low kick's where starting to take their toll. The third round started with both fighter's looking for victory. A clumsy foot sweep, which turned into a throw, with both fighters on the floor, ended the fight as THOMAS sustained a head injury. The judges added up the scores of the first two rounds - winner NEAL THOMAS.

IKF GIRLS AMATEUR JUNIOR BANTAMWEIGHT ENGLAN TITLE
TONI WALSH, Merseyside Kickboxing VS AMY TOMKINSON, Wolf Thai boxing.

Due to accidental nose bleed in round one (light contact to head only) the fight was stopped to be rearranged for a future date.

Chris Wright Thai boxing in the ring again, this time with PAUL STOUT versus PAUL NAYLOR - Kirkby Thai boxing. STOUT used his height advantage well, keeping NAYLOR at bay with punches and low kick's. in the second NAYLOR tried to close STOUT down with strong hooks, but STOUT caught him flush with a piledriver of a right hand, NAYLOR failed to beat the count.

JOHN GILBERT - Merseyside kickboxing Vs CHRIS MOONEY Wolf Thai boxing, Junior bout. A close fought fight with GILBERT doing enough to get the judges vote.

No love lost between the next two opponents, MARK O'ROURKE, Merseyside Kickboxing and ANDY WEBB, Chris Wright Thai boxing. An adrenalin fuelled bout with both athletes coming out all guns blazing. The second saw O'ROURKE starting to command, working the crowd into a frenzy. The third followed the same pattern, a clear win for O'ROURKE.

IKF AMATUER LADIES FEATHERWEIGHT ENGLAND INTERNATIONAL RULES. LOUISE BURNETT- Hope Kicboxing V LISA HOBON- Kirkby Thai boxing. This bout was won by BURNETT BY DEFAULT as her opponent, LISA HOBON FAILED TO SHOW. Louise was very disappointed obtain the title in this way as she had trained very hard and was up for the bout.

First on after the interval, JAMES QUIRK, Merseyside Kickboxing Vs ROBERT HORTON, St Helens Martial arts. QUIRK took the first round, looking confident. In second HORTON started to find his range. The third saw QUIRK clowning, but HORTON stuck to his task, and took the decision.

The penultimate bout was the IKF Junior Amateur European Middleweight Title, between BRUNO SUSANO, of Portugal and ALEXANDROUS DIMITROU, of Greece. The bout was refereed by Mike Fowles European Co-Coordinator And International Referee.

The fight was a non stop seven round war, with neither fighter willing to take a backward step. SUSANO'S strong body kicks and sharper hands swayed the judges. The New Champion - Bruno Susano of Portugal.

Top of the bill, the IKF World Junior Amateur Lightweight Full Contact Title. Paul Middlehurst, of Merseyside kickboxing v Tiago Mendes of Portugal.

The atmosphere was electric as both fighters entered the ring. The crowd stood in respectful silence as the national anthems were played. At the bell, Middlehurst took the fight to Mendes, giving him nowhere to hide. A strong body kick sent Mendes into the corner, Middlehurst took fulladvantage of his opportunity following up with solid body punches. Mendes dropped to the canvas, unable to beat the count.

The NEW WORLD CHAMPION - PAUL MIDDLEHURST, of ENGLAND.

All in all an excellent night of kickboxing entertainment. The next event to be held at this venue organised by Mr Bimpson will be on Saturday, September 29th, 2001. (Date To be confirmed.) Fight Report And Photo's - Jimmy Crowe, IKF Europe Press Office. For more event info, contact Mr. Alby Bimpson at 079 60 870 967 or by e-mail by clicking HERE!

Commerce City, CO. July 21st, 2001: With over 200 spectators to watch it all, IKF Colorado Representative Sven Bean (Left) hosted a very successful

Central Mountain Division of the
IKF/RINGSIDE
National Amateur Qualifier Tournament
In Denver Colorado
on July 21st.

Assisting Bean was event Cooridiantor Keith Smelzer, Judge & Referees Mark Baier, Ali Rezghui, Jordan Guiterrez, Harold Rivera and Ben. The states represented by participating fighters included Colorado, New Mexico, Utah,Wyoming and Texas. Here's the days results.

Special Recognition Awards: Best Fight Women, Holly Holm vs. Chrisanne Roseleip. Best Fight Men, Joe Cruz vs. Scott Grimm. For more info, please contact Mr. Sven Bean at (303) 667-8612 or by e-mail at beanz4@email.msn.com

More News Of 8-3-01

Posted AT 3:00 PM PT

Hoffman & Engling
To Challenge For IKF Title In Illinois!

IKF Promoter Ryan Blackorby is ready to go with this weekends Championship Kickboxing event at the Peoria Athletic Club (1221 SW Adams) in Peoria Illinois, USA Saturday night, August 4th. The nights Main Event will feature the battle for the vacant IKF Amateur MTR North Central Cruiserweight Regional Title when Andy Hoffman of Peoria, Illinois faces off against Jeremy Engling of Dubuque, Iowa that will follow an exciting undercard.

For more event information please contact the Peoria Athletic Club at (309) 672-3090 or contact Mr. Blackorby by e-mail by Clicking HERE! Tickets are available at Peoria Athletic Club and Lowry's Bar & Grill. All tickets are at the General price of $20 however, there are only 200 available in all. Doors open at 5:30 and the fights begin at 6:30 PM. Hope to see you there...

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