Total Success

The transition of the Illinois shows is complete. A clamp down by the Illinois boxing commission to totally wipe out MMA in Illinois has more or less succeeded. Illinois' prejudicial rulings against MMA have succeeded in bringing the revenue of the shows to Indiana and other states. The last vestige, Ironheart Crown, made it's way to Hammond, IN on November 10th. Dr. Eric Moon combined his show with local promoter Braulio Corral to present the best Ironheart Crown to date. A crowd of over three thousand fans jammed the Hammond Civic Auditorium for a night of great fights.

The undercard for the night featured regional fighters in tournament competition. Lightweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight tournaments brought eleven fighters to the ring. A last minute drop, due to sickness, gave one heavyweight fighter a bye.

The lightweight tournament ended with Miguel Torres, East Chicago, IN, taking home the belt after the doctor called the fight due to Steve Reyna's broken nose.

Joe Paun submitted Herman Reyes with a rear choke to capture the middleweight belt.

It took Stephan Bonnar until the second round to submit Josh Krueger with an armbar for the heavyweight belt.

There was one exhibition match. Kyle Hensgen and Jeremy Morrison met in a rematch from the Chicago Challenge where they had fought for fourteen and a half minutes only to have the fight stopped by the doctor for a cut sustained by Morrison. Both fighters had not fought in a while due to injuries and it showed. Hensgen was able to lock in an armbar for the win at two minutes and eleven seconds into the first round.

The four main events featured three title defenses and one title match for the Ironheart Crown Championships.

Henry Matamoros showed that he could take some punishment and still go after the a submission. Shannon "The Cannon" Rich aggressive ground and pound attack came to a screeching halt when Matamoros locked in the armbar to everyone's surprise, including Rich's. It was obvious from outside of the ring that Matamoros was going for an armbar. An unsuccessful attempt was followed immediately another attempt on the same arm but this time Matamoros locked it in. With a scream of pain and frustration, Rich tapped to allow Matamoros to successfully defend his Ironheart Crown Lightweight Belt.

Ironheart's Middleweight Belt had been vacated by Adrian Serrano. To fill the vacancy, Jay Buck and Bret Al-Azzawi stepped into the ring to decide which one of them would go home with the belt. It was a match where one fighter dominated while the other showed his unwillingness to submit. Jay Buck virtually pounded Al-Azzawi into the mat but Bret just would not give up. He made numerous attempts at a submission that Buck just powered out of. After nine minutes of grueling punishment, Al-Azzawi was forced to submit by a guillotine choke.

Jim Theobald's defense of his heavyweight title was just what we expected to see. Pre-fight comments by Steve Lauretto had Theobald determined to teach him a lesson. Lauretto's strong suit was his boxing but he had been cross training in jui-jitsu. Lauretto's training was no match for Theobald's experience and agressiveness. On the attack from beginning to end, Theobald dominated with strikes and position. Lauretto giving up his back while trying to escape Theobald's attack, was an easy target for the rear choke that Jim locked in. Theobald's successful defense put another mark in the win column in this phenomenal fighter.

Vaughn Palelei showed much more skill and finesse in the defense of his openweight championship than we had expected. In the past, Palelei had used a power attack, driving his opponent to the mat with strikes. His change of tactics surprised his opponent who seemed to be expecting the former. The guillotine choke that submitted Milan Timkovic was well applied in short order.

The Ironheart Crown has grown in prestige in the last three years. It has become the premier mixed martial arts show of the great lakes. We sincerely hope that Dr. Eric Moon continues to bring us great and exciting shows. The show has moved but mixed martial arts has not lost out. It still continues to flourish but from across the border where people put stock in facts, not rumor.

It is now two months since the fall of the eYada empire. Many people have asked me where I will be going to spread that no-holds-barred news.

Well,I have only a partial answer for them, since my full-time return has not yet been accomplished. Many already know that I have been writing for a number of web sites as well as writing a monthly column for Grappling magazine. I do have some new developments to report, which are based on some old wisdom: sometimes your best friends are your old friends.

As of this week, I will be returning to WBAI radio's "Lightshow" in New York on 99.5 FM. I will be contributing interviews with top figures from boxing, the mixed martial arts, and real wrestling. Most of these interviews will be prerecorded because of the late hour of this weekly program, which airs late Friday night/early Saturday morning, 3-5 AM Eastern Time.

The first of these interviews broadcast will be with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts icon Renzo Gracie. It will air late Friday, September 7/early Saturday, September 8, between 4:30 AM and 5.

WBAI is a 50,000 watt, non-commercial station. "Lightshow" is an entertainment show whose main host and producer is Fred Geobold. I was a co-producer on this show from 1993 to 1998, and it was on "Lightshow" that I began coverage of mixed martial arts with interviews of Royce Gracie and Manny Yarbrough prior to UFC III in 1994.

WBAI can also be heard live on the Internet. There are two sites that stream the signal: http://www.wbai.org/ and http://www.2600.com/wbai. At this time broadcasts of "Lightshow" are not archived, but we are working on getting these audio interviews posted somewhere.

In addition, I will also be returning to do reporting and features for Wrestling International Newsmagazine (WIN). I wrote for WIN between 1996 and 1999, covering both mixed martial arts and wrestling, and reporting on events including the 1996 Olympics, the 1998 Goodwill Games, and countless mixed martial arts shows.

My return to WIN will commence with the World Championships of Wrestling, which will be held September 26-29 at Madison Square Garden. I will also be covering that event for Grappling magazine.

It is heartening to hook up again with old friends like these. But my return will likely not be complete until I make some more new ones, so stay tuned for more information.

Intense Combat has published Eddie's post to inform those who want to keep tabs of this pioneer of Mixed Martial Arts News. We wish Eddie all the luck and hope that he continues reporting to us about the combat arts. He is a refreshingly honest voice in this sport. Large or small, Eddie will stand toe to toe against those that would defile our sport.

Toledo, OH. Dave and Lori Gomez have consistently proved that their abilities to market mixed martial arts to the public are right on the money. Even with bad weather, they still finished up the year with a capacity crowd at the Toledo Sports Arena. The Fightzone presented thirteen bouts that included three title matches and a superfight. The fans were able to see veteran and newcomers alike vying for the chance to raise their arms in victory.
Match #1

The crowds have steadily gotten larger allowing more frequent competitions. The next show will be on February 28, 2003 at the Toledo Sports Arena. Hard hitting action is always on the Fightzone card. DON'T MISS IT!

The Danger Zone has found a consistent location for their amateur tournaments. Broadripple Place has hosted the event three times now. Each show growing in crowd size and enthusiasm.

The amateur fighters that have showed up are hungry for an win. They showed absolutely no lack of enthusiasm or willingness to go all out in pursuit of a victory. This edition of "Fight Night at Broadripple Place" presented the crowd with different abilities and characters of fighters.

The largest tournament for the night was the 135 LB - 150 LB class.

Truc Nguyen was not ready for John Fraser's attack. The ref stopped the fight for no defense 38 seconds into the first round. A stunned Nguyen was lead back to his corner.

Saving energy, John Fraser took out Dustin Blaskie in 39 seconds by locking in a triangle choke.

Mike Rooney had the shortest fight of the night. He locked in a triangle choke when Mike Miller shot in and didn't protect his head.

The final had Rooney jumping up to get Fraser's back to attempt a rear choke. Fraser worked out of it to attempt an armbar of his own. Rooney escaped the armbar. A reverse by Fraser ended in Rooney getting a triangle lock for the tap.
The 190 LB - 210 LB tournament had only three combatants.
Tyson Wells and Aaron Miller had a slugfest going. The ground work was slow and was stood up more that once. Wells got a guillotine choke on Miller while on the ground and held on for the tap.

Joel Blanton fought Layne McDaniels for the heavyweight final when Wells couldn't answer the bell. McDaniels took the fight at the last minute to give Blanton some competition for the trophy. It was McDaniels second fight of the night. Blanton was able to overpower McDaniels and lay in a choke from side control.

There were five single amateur matches.

Kurt Illeman won his fight against Kory Kildurn when he landed a kick to the head that stunned and dropped Kildurn. He followed up the kick with punches until the ref stopped the fight declaring a TKO.

Layne McDaniels had a hard time escaping the guillotine choke that Steve McCabe seem to have locked in tight but, escape he did. Taking the fight to the ground McDaniels worked from McCabe's guard to side mount then turning McCabe and getting his back. Clamping in the Rear Choke was just a routine matter.

Dan Lamping immediately took his fight with Chris Herring to the ground putting Herring in his guard. After being stood up, Lamping got in two good strikes that had Herring stunned enough for the ref to stop the fight.

A strong punch by Robert Bridges totally stunned Dave Morris but he was able to recover before Bridges could close. Bridges continued his striking offense but it looked better than it actually was. At the end, Bridges went wide with a punch that left his arm exposed and that was all Morris needed. The armbar was locked in immediately for the tap.

A prediction by Nathan McCabe of a quick knockout was soon forgotten when he met up with Dave Dillon. McCabe had quick hands that did land some good strikes but Dillon was able to continue to close with McCabe. On the ground, McCabe continued his striking but not landing very many of his blows. Dillon showed patience trying different submission attempts that McCabe powered out of easily at the beginning. As time went by, it took longer and more effort for McCabe to get out of the submission attempts. McCabe's constant barrage of strikes eventually took their toll on Dillon when finally in the second round a bleeding broken nose forced the ref to stop the fight and the doctor confirmed that the fight was over. This was, in our opinion, the best fight of the night.

The main event was a pro matchup pitting Dan Swift, Erie, PA, against Josh Mason, Peru, IN. Swift was the aggressor in this fight. Mason came out flat and stayed that way. The energetic aggression that we have come to expect out of Mason was not there at all. Mason, trying to get away from Swift's strikes, gave Swift the opportunity for an armbar and he locked it in for the win.

Although the show in Fort Wayne is a relatively small one, the Danger Zone staff still works it like a large venue show. Planning for almost all contingencies, DZ puts on a great show that the crowds enjoy and return to. The next show is planned for June 2, 2002. If you are in the area, stop by and watch some great amateur fighters.

HIGHLAND, IN--For a small local show, FinkE's Full Contact Challenge is fast becoming a proving ground for up and coming fighters. Promoter, Braulio Corral, has been able to book some talent from outside of the area. They seem to want to test newly learned skills or just stay in fighting shape between major events.

Keith Hackney, Hackney's Reality Combat, has been on hand to test new fighters from his school. Shonie Carter has taken time out of his busy schedule to bring in a new fighter to test his skills.

This month was no different. Fighters from as far away as Pittsburgh, PA were on hand to try their skills. Lansing, MI was also well represented this night.

Local favorites like Miguel Torres, East Chicago, IN, and Dan Sullivan, Valparaiso, IN, made their presence known with decisive wins. In the advanced rules fights, Sam Wells, Lansing, MI, and Cris Custer, Pittsburgh, PA, showed strong striking skills in their wins.

This monthly event has turned into a guaranteed night of MMA action. The crowd has become knowledgeable and appreciates the fighters efforts. We recommend a visit to FinkE's on the last Monday of every month to either try your skill or to encourage others in their efforts.

RACINE, WI--Less than twenty four hours after his battle with Chris Lytle, just outside of St. Louis, Dave Strasser played host to the Freestyle Combat Challenge held at Memorial Hall. Fighting the torrential rains, fighters and fans alike migrated toward the hall securely anchored on the Lake Michigan coast.

The intensity of the fighters was contagious. Screaming and cheering, the crowd seemed to become part of the matches held within the squared circle. Like an extra corner man, the audience shouted encouragement and suggestions throughout the entire event.

In the fourth fight of the evening, fighters, Adam Palmer and Dan Hart, had a war reminiscent of the old bare-knuckle fights. Neither fighter giving any quarter nor expecting any. With only minor cuts and abrasions that spread a small amount of blood a long way, the intensity was maintained from start to finish. The fight ended with a split decision giving Dan Hart the win.

Veterans, Matt Hughes and Adrian Serrano showed why they are considered champions by dominating their matches. Matt Hughes dominated in his fight against Bruce Nelson and brought the fight to an end with strikes for the tap. Adrian, confronted with a much stronger opponent in Jason Allar, was forced to rely on his grappling expertise to get Jason's back and dominate from there with strikes.

Though lacking polish, Freestyle Combat Championships showed all the ear marks of a well run show. The polish, in this instant, was not necessary. It would have only gotten in the way of this very intense competition.

Mixed martial arts competitions continue to increase in quality in the midwest. FreeStyle Combat Championships is one of the premier events in Southern Wisconsin. It should be on everyone's list of must see events.

KOKOMO, IN--Last year, Donnie Michaels brought us the first Cage Rage in Kokomo and surprised everyone with a well organized and exciting show. A crowd of over 1600 watched Kokomo's first mixed martial arts show.

Hammond, IN Ultimate Athlete, the newest addition to the mixed martial arts news, made it's maiden voyage into fight promotion with "The Genesis" at the Hammond Civic Center in Hammond, IN. UA went all out to bring the public an audio and visual extravaganza that they would not soon forget. A combined card of local and national fighters brought interest from all over the country.

Ultimate Athlete gave this area the most extravagant production we have ever seen at a mixed martial competition. The quality of bouts along with the presentation raised the bar of expectation for future events in the area. It will be hard for local promoters to better or even match UA's "The Genesis" event.

With the help of Paul Erickson from Texas Mixed Martial Arts the following are descriptions of the fights that night. All bouts had a format of 3 rounds of minutes each.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Stephan Bonnar Vs. Jay Massey: Bonnar by Guillotine, 1:09 Round 1. Bonnar didn't have it at first, but adjusted and used his legs to push away properly and it was all over for Massey.

Lightweight Bout: Cedric Stewart Vs. Virgil Strzelecki: Strzelecki by decision. Stewart looked like he was about to have a shoulder separation several times from a deep chicken wing by Strzelecki. Stewart was either extremely flexible or in possession of an inhuman pain tolerance.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Josh Krueger Vs. Roberto Ramirez: KO, :35 Round 1. Ramirez was a last minute replacement. Krueger fired a right low kick and Ramirez fired an overhand right counter right up the pipe and Krueger fell flat on his behind against the ropes. Krueger argued he was not KO'ed, but most at ringside agreed with the referee's judgment.

Lightweight Bout: Cole Escovedo Vs. Bart Palaszewski: Escovedo by tapout, 2:10 Round 1. Escovedo had Palaszewski in a triangle/armbar combo from guard that Palaszewski was defending somewhat, but Escovedo began nailing him in the head with hammerfists from his free hand. The combo of the triangle, armbar, and getting hit in the head all at the same time overwhelmed Palaszewski's ability to defend and he tapped.

Heavyweight Bout: Aaron Brink Vs. Vaughan Palelei: Brink by KO, 1:33 Round 1. Brink nailed Palelei with one right hand that dropped him to the ground in buttscoot position, and immediately dove down from standing and nailed him with a clean follow-up shot to the head that put Palelei out. Brink had a lot more experience and it showed.

Middleweight Bout: Jay Buck Vs. Eddy Rolon: Buck by unanimous decision. Buck's ground and pound was overpowering, Rolon took a beating but fought hard all the way. Rolon could not contain Buck whenever Buck would rear up into base from Eddy's guard to create space and throw bombs... Buck connected with a lot of good shots, tattooing Rolon's head and face.

Lightweight Bout: Jeff Curran Vs. Max Marin: Curran by Triangle, 3:46 Round 2. Marin was super aggressive, but in the end Curran's BJJ skills put Marin into one triangle after another. After several gutsy escapes from the triangle, Marin finally tapped to one last triangle from a persistent Curran.

Light Heavyweight Main Event: Jim Theobald Vs. Homer Moore: Draw. Theobald scored some standing up but could never really get anything going from the bottom, and Moore did little more than take Theobald down and do some token ground and pound. Theobald negated Moore's offense but could not get past his balance and strength.

Welterweight Main Event: Pete Spratt Vs. Steve Berger: Berger by cut stoppage, 2:14 Round 1. Fairly even and had the makings of a classic war up until Berger connected with a knee from the clinch that stunned Spratt and opened a serious cut on the bridge of his nose. Of note also was that Spratt connected with by far the loudest and most painful sounding leg kicks of the night.

We thank Ultimate Athlete for selecting the Midwest to act as host to their first promotion. We wish them well on their next endeavor in California. Hopefully, they will visit us again in the future.

LaSalle, IL. Just when you think that a show can't get much bigger something happens that it does. This is what has happened at the Silverback's Classic in LaSalle, IL. Each time it is held, the Illinois Valley Banquet Center is forced to open up another section of the building to accommodate the crowd. A standing room only crowd was on hand to witness another of Phil John's successful shows.

The combination of Ironman Boxing, a variation on Tough Man, and good mixed martial arts matches has been great for spectators. It has given people the opportunity to witness mixed martial arts first hand and make their own judgment as to the validity of the sport. By the size of the crowds, mixed martial arts has been whole heartily accepted.

The first fight of the night pitted Jimmy "The Wild Cat" Bruketta, Canton, IL, against, Wisconsin fighter, Ryan Ackerman. From start to finish both fighters were constantly moving with submission attempts and strikes. The fighters were closely matched with the edge going to Ackerman. Ackerman controlled most of the action and was more on the offense throughout the fight. That didn't detract from Bruketta's attempts at submission.

In the second round, Ackerman had to escape from three good submission attempts by Bruketta. Ackerman's striking kept him in the dominate position for most of the round.

The third round was more of the same. Ackerman took the fight to the ground. Bruketta missed an armbar attempt. Ackerman gained side control and then half mount, striking the whole time. Never giving up, Bruketta forced the fight to go to decision. Ryan Ackerman was declared the winner by unanimous decision.

Robert Wynne and Eric Gwaltney clashed in a fast paced fight. After feeling each other out, Gwaltney went in for the take down and got side control. Wynne tapped when Gwaltney started landing knees to the body.

The fight between Pat Ballard and Jason Stransky was a slug fest from start to finish. It only took 1:29 for Stransky to score a TKO from strikes.

The final fight of the evening put Joe Pearson and Rick Olson together for a war of championship determination. Both fighters were quite capable on their feet as well as on the ground. Olson's submission attempts were thwarted by Pearson's superior strength. It was only Olson's technical ability that kept Pearson from submitting him.

In the end, even the judges could not decide which fighter was better. After three grueling rounds, the fight was declared a draw.

The results for all the fights are listed on our results page.

The production was what we have come to expect out of Phil Johns. Well organized with all personnel knowing what their jobs entailed. Phil tries to get his shows started as close to on time as possible and he has succeeded. The show ran smoothly with planned breaks for the crowd. The audience was enthusiastic and knowledgeable, They appreciated the performance by all the fighters and let them know it.

If you have the chance to witness one of Phil's shows, spend the money, you won't be disappointed.

Intensity! That one word comes to mind when talking about the Dave Strasser's "Freestyle Combat Challenge." He has been able to consistantly put together matches between fighters that are agressive and hungry for a win.

Dave's next show will be September 28, 2002. You won't want to miss it. We won't!

Through all changes that have happened over the last few months, it is good to see that at least one thing remains the same. The consistency of Cage Rage in Kokomo to give us good and exciting shows has remained. Terry Gruel and Donnie Michaels have once again presented a well organized show with good match ups.

The date for next Cage Rage has not been set but we are looking forward to being there when it arrives. Watch for it in our calendar of events.