NEWS

 

Page 5

 

 

 

RING OF FIRE 15 INFERNO  -  Tonight

2-12-2005

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

Everything is looking great for the RING OF FIRE #15: INFERNO!! show. The regions top event will take place on Saturday, February 12th at the DC Event Center in Castle Rock, CO. The format will include both matches. The main event will feature BJJ fighter Jay Jack (11 - 2) taking on "BAD" Brad Blackburn (12 - 3) of Dennis Hallman's Victory Athletics fight team. 

Jay Jack is taking this fight seriously and has incorporated a new conditioning program with a private strength coach. Lots and lots of cardio, running, sprints, etc. Jay said he is in the best shape of his life and is physically ready for this fight. Blackburn has also rededicated himself to training after a recent loss at Sportfight. He will be making the trip to Colorado accompanied by UFC veteran Benji Radach.

Women's MMA returns to Colorado for the first time since 2003 as Amanda Buckner will make her ROF debut against Alisa Cantwell of Wisconsin. Buckner is coming off a very strong submission victory at Smack Girl in Japan. Cantwell started her career fighting in local "tough man" type fights and quickly amassed a double digit winning record. She then made the switch to MMA and quickly went 5-2, beating Relson Gracie fighter Adrianne Jenkins along the way. 

The evening will also feature a 4 man tournament in the 154 lb division under K-1 MAX Rules. Keeping true to the K-1 idea of trying to find the best striker from different disciplines, Bean has matched fighters from Muay Thai, Mixed Martial Arts, and Professional Boxing. K-1 USA veteran James Martinez will face Marcus Davis who has 17-1 pro boxing record and has been fought on ESPN. MMA stand out Carlos Condit will take on Utah's David Foley. Condit is 12-2, and has fought in Japan under shoot boxing rules. Foley is one of the top strikers in the region, with a 10-3-1 kick boxing record and has 44 amateur boxing matches. 

The full fight card can be seen at www.rofmma.com, and will feature top talent including Eric Payne (KS), Ali Abdelaziz (EGY), and Alvin Robinson (CO). The under card will have the top up and coming talent from Colorado, Kansas, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, and Utah. 

"I am very excited about this card! It is a true MMA event, with fighters coming from all different styles from all over the country. Jay Jack always brings his A game, and I know the fans are ready to see a quality female MMA fight as well. I love the tournament format for K-1 Rules and the MAX division is the most exciting weight class out there," said Bean.

Tickets are on sale now at all King Soopers stores, online at www.ticketswest.com, and by phone at 1-866-464-2626. As always if you want to see the show in style, VIP tables are available by calling 303-246-5237.

ROF #15: INFERNO!!
Saturday, February 12th, 2005
Douglas County Event Center, Castle Rock, CO
Doors @ 6:30, first bout 7:30 pm
GA $25.00, Reserved $4000

 

 

 

SMASHING MACHINE - Debuts of SpikeTV

1-15-2005

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

GET READY FOR "THE SMASHING MACHINE" BEGINNING FRI., JAN. 14, ON SPIKE TV
by Eddie Goldman

If you have yet to see the documentary film "The Smashing Machine" about mixed martial arts fighter and wrestler Mark Kerr, you will soon have another chance beginning this Friday, Jan. 14, and for free.

As we have been reporting, this film, which originally appeared at the 2002 TriBeCa Film Festival and later on HBO's "America Undercover," will now be featured on the "Untold" series on Spike TV. The first showing will be in a two-hour slot on Friday, Jan. 14, beginning at 9 PM. As always, check your local listings.

The original film ran about 92 minutes. This version has had some minor editing to make it fit into the two-hour time slot which includes commercial breaks. But we have been told by a spokeswoman for Spike TV that the dialog from the original version has been left intact, and that only a few minutes of scenes were edited out for time purposes, such as some outdoor shots.

Here is the schedule for the showings of "The Smashing Machine" on Spike TV in the U.S. (all times Eastern):

Untold, "The Smashing Machine", Spike TV, Friday, January 14, 2005, 9 PM
Untold, "The Smashing Machine", Spike TV, Sunday, January 16, 2005, 9 AM 
Untold, "The Smashing Machine", Spike TV, Monday, January 17, 2005, 12 AM 
For more information, go to:
http://www.spiketv.com/
[Note: I had a part in this film as a narrator. -- Eddie Goldman]

 


 

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(Director John Hyams)

 

Editor's note:

 

In 1999, Stars fighter Larry Parker and manager Will Hendricks traveled to Tokyo, Japan, for the Pride 7 Fighting Championships. Also on the show was then top-ranked heavyweight fighter Mark Kerr. Accompanying Kerr was a Fuzzball Productions film crew who were making a documentary called “The Specimen”.

At the time, director John Hyams had focused on Kerr’s training, his fights and the then new sport of mixed martial arts fighting. Also to be in the film were Parker’s fight and portions of a 2-hour long interview with him and manager Will Hendricks. Following the show in Japan, arrangements were made for Kerr to be filmed training with Parker and Ron Waterman at the Stars Training Center in Colorado. Unfortunately that never happened. Upon his return to the states, Kerr’s addiction to painkillers came to light and his career as a fighter declined.

Several years passed and the film emerged at the 2002 TriBeCa Film Festival under the new title “Smashing Machine”. The overall theme had changed from mixed martial arts fighting to Kerr's battle with his drug problems.  

 

 

 

H20MAN in Japan

1-4-2005

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

Mance Thompson and Manager Phyllis Lee submitted these photos of Ron Waterman at the New Japan Wrestling event in Tokyo, Japan.

 

Pancrase Manager Oitate and Ron Waterman  

 

Pro-wrestling legend Antonio Inoki and the H20man. 

 

 

 

PANCRASE USA COMMISSIONER 

Ricardo Murgel 

12-14-2004 

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

(7th Dan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Master Ricardo Murgel (right) 

 

Pancrase USA is honored to announce the appointment of a new Deputy Commissioner.  By unanimous vote, Master Ricardo Murgel was decreed a member of the Pancrase Commissioners Committee.  The Committee additionally awards Master Murgel an 8th Dan ranking in the Pancrase style of Mixed Martial Arts and Jiu-Jitsu.

 

Master Murgel has impeccable credentials gained from nearly 5 decades of "hands-on" experience.  A lifetime disciple of the martial arts, he has earned worldwide recognition as the premier instructor of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission wrestling and mixed martial arts. 

 

Master Murgel lives in Porto Alegre, Brazil, where he owns and operates the renowned Union World Fighting Team Academy.  Much of his time is spent traveling around the world conducting seminars and training current and upcoming world champions.  Master Murgel is also an acclaimed police defensive tactics and firearms instructor with links to numerous governmental agencies. 

 

Commissioner Murgel's duties will include oversight of Pancrase sanctioned events within the Americas, rank promotions, rules and regulations, and most importantly, to disseminate the Pancrase spirit of sportsmanship.

 

 

 

RING OF FIRE 14 - Results

12-12-2004

Castle Rock, Colorado


Lorenzo Coca def. Travis Sherman by Rear Naked Choke at 2:14 of Round 2 
Joe Dougherty def. Nobu Yugai by TKO at 2:14 of Round 2 
Rocky Johnson def. Ben Phillips by Rear Naked Choke at 0:37 of Round 2 
Tom Sarah def. Noah Thomas by Unanimous Decision after 3 Rounds 
Mike Baldwin def. Evan Esguerra by Unanimous Decision after 3 Rounds 
Aaron Romero def. Chad Lemoine by Unanimous Decision after 3 Rounds 
Mike Nickels def. James Meyers by TKO at 2:33 of Round 1 
Jacob Conliffe def. Terry Pettek by TKO at 1:43 of Round 2 
Christian Allen def. Jeff Barney by TKO at 2:24 of Round 2 
Pete Spratt def. John Cronk by Split Decision after 5 Rounds 
Duane Ludwig def. Lee King by KO at 2:57 of Round 2 

 

 

 

PANCRASE PROMOTIONS

12-02-2004

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

(Billy Hendricks and Ken Romero)

 

The Stars Training Center congratulates Kenneth Romero on his promotion to the rank of Purple Belt in Pancrase Mixed Martial Arts/Jiu-Jitsu. His dedication to training has been a motivating force at Stars for almost 4 years. Ken also works as an instructor and has refereed numerous Pancrase national events.  He is accomplished in other martial arts holding several high belt ranks and is an accomplished wrestler.

 

 

 

RING OF FIRE TV

12-01-2004

Denver, Colorado

 

The Road To the Title will make it's debut this Thursday evening at 10:00 pm on Comcast Entertainment Television (CET). The one hour long mini documentary begins with a brief history of the popular combat sports event. It also explains the concept of Mixed Martial Arts and Muay Thai competition. The program then focuses on local fighter Duane BANG! Ludwig. On January 10th of this year, Ludwig accomplished a life long dream by winning the Muay Thai Light Middle Weight World Title. Using past fight footage, and in depth interviews the show follows the young star throughout his career. It gives the public a glimpse inside the life of a true champion. The program concludes with Ludwig himself doing color commentary and insight as to how he felt during the classic battle. 

"I am very excited about this next step for RING OF FIRE. The new show will help bring exposure to the event series, it's athletes, and the sport as a whole. These guys work so hard for so little in return. I am hoping that the TV exposure will open new doors and opportunities for the athletes. I am very grateful to CET for working with us on this goal" said ROF promoter Sven Bean.

The show can be seen on Comcast Channel 5 on the following dates:
• Thursday 12-02-04 @ 10:00 PM 
• Saturday 12-03-04 @ 4:00 PM 
• Sunday 12-04-04 @ 4:00 PM 
• Tuesday 12-07-04 @ 11:00 PM 
• Friday 12-10-04 @ 10:00 PM

The show will be shown a few more times in December and then go directly into VOD (video on demand) available to all Comcast digital cable subscribers

Comcast Entertainment Television launched on September 1, 2004. It provides exclusive content and entertainment that relates to Colorado communities, and that is exclusive to Colorado and the Front Range. Programming includes documentaries, movies, Colorado Crush Arena football, high school sports, music, and lifestyle shows.

RING OF FIRE is the flagship promotion of FY Fight Productions, INC. The Denver, Colorado based promotion is a leader in the industry. The promotion is the first event to gain approval for sanctioning by the Colorado State Boxing Commission. It is a nationally recognized event, and it's athletes have gone on to fight around the world for events such as K-1 Japan, UFC, and Pancrase.

 

 

 

BANG! Feeling good!!
11-24-2004

Denver, CO 

 

Denver's most popular fighter, Duane BANG! Ludwig is feeling real good with his life, weight, and training going in to next months appearance on the RING OF FIRE 14: NO MERCY! event When the 26 year old fights in Japan his weight category is 70 kg or 154 lbs. This is always a stretch for him as his walk around weight is in the high 170's. In fact he is over the 180 mark right now but is moving in to the cutting phase for his next fight. He will weigh in at 165 lbs for the bout in front of his home town crowd. This should not be too bad since he normally cuts almost 20 lbs per bout. He has also settled back in to a nice groove with trainer Trevor Wittman of T's KO Boxing. Ludwig's body is kept at it's peak performance with weekly MAT muscle massage treatments. BANG! also gets the VIP treatment a few days a week from Todd Cadwell at Health Within Chiropractic. 

"Today, I am weighing 180 lbs and I love it. I have that natural raw energy back where I can just go and go when I train. I still get tired cardio wise but my energy level is non stop. I am loving training again.." said Ludwig. When asked about thoughts on his opponent he followed with "I don't care who I fight!" This is a mind set that we haven't seen from Ludwig since the Bas Rutten Invitational days. Ludwig seems to always step it up a notch when he fights in Denver. He has had some classic battle's here with likes of Denmark's Ole Laursen and Thailand's Maliapaiet Sitprapom. "No matter where I fight all over the world, I love to fight in Colorado best. Traveling is cool and all, but there is nothing like fighting in your own back yard." 

Things look real good for the young fighter right now. There is also a documentary on Ring Of Fire, Ludwig, and the quest for the ISKA title that is in the final edit stage. It will air the last week of November and then be shown repeatedly through the month of December. The film produced by FY Fight Productions and Slice of Life video, covers the start of the popular promotion, it's growth, star athletes, and features the history behind Ludwig eventually winning the ISKA World Title last January. The hour long film will culminate with Ludwig doing color commentary and insight as to how he felt during the classic battle. RING OF FIRE: The Road to the Title will then go in VOD (video on demand) for the following 6 months and will be available to Comcast subscribers. 

 

 

 

KICK DOWN 14 - Results

11-14-2004

Denver, Colorado

 

Donnie Liles defeated Ira Boyd at 1:06 of R1 by strikes
Josh Barlow defeated Luke Holdorf at 1:44 of R1 by strikes
Don Lee defeated Christopher Thompson by TKO at :34 of R3
Jack Johnson defeated Billy Dixson by TKO at 1:59 of R2
Judy Hazel defeated Carla Lopez by unan. dec.
Vellore Cabellaro defeated Paul Santana (Santana could not answer bell to start round 3)
Mark Korzeniowski defeated Jim Allphin at 2:38 of R1 (Allphin unable to continue)
Jason Burton defeated Joel Lopez (Lopez could not answer the bell to start round 3)
Joey Welch defeated Sam Ortiz by unan. dec.
Tony Kelley defeated Gary Borum by unan. dec
John Stover and Ted Cano fought to a Draw.
Mike Jacobs defeated Brison Pursley by tap out at 1:01 of R2
Will Robinson defeated Rob Graff by majority dec.

 

 

 

RING OF FIRE 14 - Tickets on sale

11-12-2004

Denver, Colorado

 

ROF 14: NO MERCY! tickets are on sale now for the December 11th show at the DC Event Center in Castle Rock. The area's premiere event will surely blow the roof off with this year end extravaganza! Colorado's favorite fighter, Duane BANG! Ludwig will get to fight for his hometown fans for the first time in almost a year. Ludwig, the current ISKA World Muay Thai champion, will take on European Kick Boxing and World Karate Champion, Grisha Todorov of Bulgaria. It will be Muay Thai vs. Kyokshinkai for top dog bragging rights! In the super fight of the night, UFC veteran Pete SECRET WEAPON Spratt returns to compete in Colorado for the first time since ROF 3. He's coming to settle some bad blood with Denver's John The ANNIHILATOR Cronk. There is no love lost between these two, and both fighters have guaranteed a victory on the 11th. This card has something for every type of fight fan, and the amount of high level athletes is amazing. Two UFC veterans, 4 World Champions, K-1 veterans, pay per view fighters, Abu-Dhabi veterans, and even a 2004 US Olympian!! The full fight card will be released in the coming week as some contracts are still being signed. 

Tickets are on sale now at all King Soopers stores, online at www.ticketswest.com, and by phone at 1-866-464-2626. As always if you want to see the show in style, VIP tables are available by calling 303-246-5237.

ROF #14: NO MERCY!
Saturday, December 11th, 2004
Douglas County Event Center, Castle Rock, CO
Doors @ 6:30, first bout 7:30 pm
GA $25.00, Reserved $40.00 

Ring of Fire: For the FANS.. For the FIGHTERS.. For the SPORT!!

 

 

 

PANCRASE 2004 BRAVE TOUR - Results

Marquardt CrownedKOP for 6th Time!

Sunday, November 7, 2004
Doors Open; 3:00PM 
Bouts Start; 4:00PM
Tokyo Bay N.K. Hall

Chiba, Japan
Live gate: 5,880


Bout#1 Middleweight 2x5 min rounds
HIROMITSU MIURA (middleweight 8th ranked/Pancrase MEGATON-TOKIN) defeated KWAK YUN  SOEB (Korea/NeoFight) by referee stoppage, TKO (mount punch) at 1R 0:54

Bout#2 Welterweight 3x5 min rounds
KATSUYA INOUE (welterweight 8th ranked/Wajutsu Keishukai RJW) defeated SATORU KITAOKA (welterweight 6th ranked/PANCRASEism) by 3-0-0 unanimous judges decision at full time limit. 

Bout#3 Light heavyweight 3x5 min rounds
AKIHIRO GONO (light heavyweight 2nd ranked/Pancrase GRABAKA) vs defeated Tim McKenzie (U.S.A./Cesar Gracie Academy) by referee stoppage, TKO (standing punch) at 2R, 2:58.

Bout#4 Heavyweight 3x5 min rounds
RYUTA NOJI (Pancrase MEGATON) defeated RYUSHI YANAGISAWA (freelance) by 3-0-0 unanimous judges decision at full time limit.

Bout#5 Light heavyweight 3x5 min rounds
SANAE KIKUTA (light heavyweight 1st ranked/Pancrase GRABAKA) defeated ICEMAN (U.S.A./Inokidojo U.S.A.) by achilles hook at 1R, 2:14.
 
Bout#6 Middleweight K.O.P. title match 3x5 min rounds
NATHAN MARQUARDT (middleweight 1st ranked/Pancrase U.S.A./High Altitude) defeated KAZUO MISAKI (middleweight 3rd ranked/Pancrase GRABAKA) by 3-0-0 unanimous judges decision at full time limit.

Semifinal Super heavyweight K.O.P. title match 3x5 min rounds
TSUYOSHI KOSAKA (super heavyweight 10th ranked/Team Alliance) defeated RON WATERMAN (super heavyweight 2nd ranked/U.S.A./Team Impact) by 3-0-0 unanimous judges decision at full time limit.

Main Event Light heavyweight 3x5 min rounds
YUKI KONDO (3rd light heavyweight K.O.P./PANCRASEism) defeated EVANGELISTA CYBORG (Brazil/Chute Boxe Academy) by 3-0-0 unanimous judges decision at full time limit.

 

 

 

TITANS - Results 
K-1/New Japan Kickboxing

11-06 2004
Fukuoka, Japan 

Mike Bernado draws with Kaoklai Kaennorsing.
Alexey Ignashov defeated Paul Slowinski by unanimous decision. 
John Wayne Parr wins over Oomsin Sitkuanam by unanimous decision. 
Noboru Uchida defeated Michael McDonald by unanimous decision. 
Buakaw Por Puramuk defeats Katsunori Yoneda by TKO in round 2.
Shin Nopadetsorn defeats Serkan Yilmaz by unanimous decision. 
Fuji Chalmsak defeated
Duane Ludwig by KO in round 1.
Nathan Corbett wins over
I Myeong-Ju by TKO in round 3. 
Gary Goodridge defeats Sammy Atia by KO in round 1. 
Semmy Schilt defeats Jan Norje by KO in round 2.
Jomtong Pomkwannarong defeats Gohsuke Kikuchi by unanimous decision.
Hiroki Ishii draws with Somrak Komsing.
TOMO defeated Toshio Matsumoto by unanimous decision. 
Chris White wins against Kenichi Kimura by unanimous decision. 

 

 

 

PANCRASE 2004 BRAVE TOUR
King of Pancrase Title Match
Sunday, November 7, 2004
Doors Open; 3:00PM Bouts Start; 4:00PM
Tokyo Bay N.K. Hall (Chiba, Japan)

Pro-Bout#1 middleweight 2x5 min rounds
HIROMITSU MIURA (middleweight 8th ranked/Pancrase MEGATON-TOKIN) vs KWAK YUN SOEB (Korea/NeoFight)

Pro-Bout#2 welterweight 3x5 min rounds
SATORU KITAOKA (welterweight 6th ranked/PANCRASEism) vs KATSUYA INOUE (welterweight 8th ranked/Wajutsu Keishukai RJW)

Pro-Bout#3 light heavyweight 3x5 min rounds
AKIHIRO GONO (light heavyweight 2nd ranked/Pancrase GRABAKA) vs TBD
*Gono's opponent David Terrell pulled out due to his left hand injury.

Pro-Bout#4 heavyweight 3x5 min rounds
RYUTA NOJI (Pancrase MEGATON) vs RYUSHI YANAGISAWA (freelance)

Pro-Bout#5 light heavyweight 3x5 min rounds
SANAE KIKUTA (light heavyweight 1st ranked/Pancrase GRABAKA) vs ICEMAN (U.S.A./Inokidojo U.S.A.)

Pro-Bout#6 middleweight K.O.P. title match 3x5 min rounds
NATHAN MARQUARDT (middleweight 1st ranked/Pancrase U.S.A./High Altitude) vs KAZUO MISAKI (middleweight 3rd ranked/Pancrase GRABAKA)

Semifinal super heavyweight K.O.P. title match 3x5 min rounds
RON WATERMAN (super heavyweight 2nd ranked/U.S.A./Team Impact) vs TSUYOSHI KOSAKA (super heavyweight 10th ranked/Team Alliance)

MAIN EVENT light heavyweight 3x5 min rounds
YUKI KONDO (3rd light heavyweight K.O.P./PANCRASEism) vs EVANGELISTA CYBORG (Brazil/Chute Boxe Academy)

 

 

 

PANCRASE - Super Hvywt. King of Pancrase Match

10-5-2004

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

Pancrase just announced a super heavyweight title match between Ron "H20man" Waterman and  Tsuyoshi "TK" Kohsaka.  The fight is scheduled for the November 7th show in Japan.

 

 

 

PANCRASE 2004 BRAVE TOUR 
Friday, November 7th, 2004 
TOKYO BAY NK HALL, CHIBA, Japan

PANCRASE announced two matches for the November 7th event:

5th King of Pancrase middle weight title match 
Nathan Marquardt (High Altitude/Pancrase USA) vs Kazuo Misaki (PANCRASE GRABAKA) 

Akihiro Gono (PANCRASE GRABAKA) vs David Terell (Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy) 


 

 

RING OF FIRE 13 - Results

9-25-2005

Castle Rock, Colorado

Promoter: Sven Bean

 

K-1 Rules 170 lbs ( 3 x 2 mins)
Jin Kim (GA) vs. Rob Graff (CO) 

winner: Jin Kim by decision

MMA 140 lbs ( 3 x 3 mins) 
Lorenzo Coca (NM) vs. Jonathon Fowler (CO) 

Fowler was a no show.

MMA 170 lbs ( 3 x 3 mins)
Adam Oakey (NM) vs. Justin Martin (CO) 

winner: Justin Martin via choke Rd. 2

K-1 Rules 170 lbs ( 3 x 2 mins) 
Dan Boxley (CO) vs. Denis Acuna (CO) 

winner: Dan Boxley via decision

MMA Heavyweight ( 3 x 3 mins) 
Chris Valle (CO) vs. Mike Nichols (CO) 

winner: Mike Nichols via choke Rd. 2

MMA 155 lbs ( 3 x 3 mins)
William Calhoun (UT) vs. Rocky Johnson (CO)

winner: Rocky Johnson 

K-1 Rules 145 lbs ( 3 x 2 mins) 
Bosco Bosco "The Burmese Boxer" (TX) vs. Mike "No Excuses" Baldwin (CO) 

winner: Mike Baldwin via decision

MMA 155 lbs ( 3 x 5 mins) YOUNG GUN SHOOTOUT
Tim Means (NM) vs. Luke "lil' Hulk" Caudillo (NE) 

winner: Luke Caudillo via referee stoppage, Caudillo is ROF LW YOUNG GUN CHAMPION 

MMA 190 lbs ( 2 x 5 mins, 3 min OT if needed) 
David Davis (TX) vs. Mike "Chilo" Gonzales (CO) 

David Davis pulled out 1 hour before show time

K-1 Rules MAX division ( 5 x 3 mins)
Karl James Noons (TX) vs. Cruz "The Saint" Chacon (CO) 

 

Winner: Karl James Noons via decision

 

 

 

RING OF FIRE 13: Bring the Heat!

Friday, September 24th
Douglas County Event Center, Castle Rock, Colorado

Featuring:
Cruz THE SAINT Chacon, CO (K-1 MAX rules debut) 
K.J. Noons, TX (ISKA Champion) 
Chilo Gonzales, CO 
Eric Payne, KS 
Luke Lil' HULK Caudillo, NE 
Carlos Condit, NM (UNDEFEATED! 12-0) 
Mike NO EXCUSES Baldwin, CO (ISKA, IKF Champion) 
Rob Graff, CO 
Jin Kim, GA (ISKA Champion) 
And many more...13 scheduled bouts!!! 4 man 155 MMA Tournament!! FULL FIGHT CARD THIS WEEKEND!!!


Promoter: Sven Bean (K-1 USA Director of Fighter Development)
FY Fight Productions, INC. 
303-246-5237, 303-400-1756 fax, email: beanz4@msn.com  

Ring of Fire: For the FANS.. For the FIGHTERS.. For the SPORT!!

 

 

 

MURGEL SEMINARS - A huge success!

9-12-2004

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

 

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Professor Stewart Lauper (PMA) & Master Ricardo Murgel

 

The highest ranking Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt to ever visit Colorado, 7th degree Master Ricardo Murgel, just concluded his annual series of  Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, mixed-martial arts and submission grappling seminars. Clinics where hosted by Denver's top three martial arts academies, the Grapplers Edge, High Altitude M.A. and Progressive Martial Martial Arts.  As always, Murgel demonstrated a huge variety of the very latest grappling and fighting of techniques.  Everyone came away wanting more but unfortunately the Master's time was limited.  

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The highlight of Master Murgel's trip to Colorado was the promotion of Pancrase champ Nathan Marquardt,

Pancrase USA's newest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. Marquardt was awarded his belt following an intensive 3 hour test conducted personally by Master Murgel.  Master Murgel stated that he was extremely impressed with Marquardt's skill level and feels he has world-class abilities.

 

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PANCRASE - News

8-30-2004

Tokyo, Japan

 

Pancrase president Ozaki announced the departure of long-time Pancrase veteran Kunioku Kiuma.  Kunioku hopes to pursue a career with Pride and the UFC.  Ozaki indicated the November 7th, Pancrase show could feature six title fights including a middleweight King of Pancrase bout featuring first ranked Nathan Marquardt (Pancrase USA) taking on third ranked Kazuo Misaki (Pancrase GRABAKA).   

 

 

 

NATE MARQUARDT - WEDDING

8-29-2004

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

wedding001.JPG (89547 bytes)

Photos by Peter The Great" Lockley

 

Pancrase champ Nathan Marquardt and Tessa Horta became man and wife yesterday at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Arvada, Colorado.  Following the wedding, a reception party was held at the world famous Tivoli Brewery in Denver.  Several MMA luminaries were in attendance including Pancrase chairman Mochida, his wife, and Pancrase world operations manager Takeya Oitate. Also on hand were fighting greats Duane "Bang" Ludwig, Pride veteran Larry Parker and many, many more.

 

Next week, the newly weds travel to Mexico for their honeymoon, then it's back to training for an upcoming King of Pancrase title fight in November.

  

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(left to right: Mr. Oitate, Billy Hendricks, Mr. & Mrs. Mochida, Mr. & Mrs. Marquardt, Mgr. Will Hendricks)

 

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Chairman Mochida presents Marquardt a special King of Pancrase award.

 

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Mr. Oitate, Marquardt & Will Hendricks at High Altitude MA

 

 

 

H20MAN - Ranked #1

8-28-2004

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

 

Ron "H20man" Waterman is ranked # 1 super heavyweight in the world at MMARanks.com

 

 

 

PANCRASE VIPS - Visit U.S.A.

8-24-2004 

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

Pancrase chairman Mochida and operations manager Oitate arrive in Denver, Colorado this weekend.  They are making the long trip from Japan to attend the wedding ceremony of 5-times King of Pancrase Nate Marquardt

 

 

 

IFC - More bad news

8-24-2004

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

"Grandpa" calls it quits

 

About eight years ago, I starting my involvement with an MMA organization called The Warrior’s Lodge. It started out as a training center. Paul and I trained some fighters. Being a little older than the fighters, one of my main jobs was conditioning them. I am more of a man of action than talking. So I would do everything with them, except when it was time for the special conditioning. It was a lot of fun and kept me exercising. To make a longer story short, I acquired a nickname, “Grandpa”. This name has followed me all the years with my involvement with the IFC. Even though I do not have any grandchildren that I know of at this time. It is a name I am very proud of. For those of you who do not know my real name it is Doug Gunselman. At times I think the name “Grandpa” brings fear into the fighters at a MMA show. I know it really doesn’t. The one thing I do know is the name “Grandpa” is respected in the MMA world. It is a name I know I earned, by blood, sweat, tears, and too many other words to mention. My time with the IFC has been filled with experiences not many people get to see, do or be part of. I’ve seen mixed martial arts go from a sold out smoke shop and backyard matches, to sold out arenas. This sport is growing fast. Just look at the number of DVDs and PPV shows available. Wouldn’t it be great to see mixed martial arts in the Olympics? With the number of promoters and shows out there fighters are getting a chance to fight at least once a month. My main concern with the IFC shows was to help the fighters get ready and look good entering the ring. I know what a fighter does to prepare for their fight and I tried to ease their entering the cage. You get to meet all those involved in MMA. I am not writing to bad mouth and belittle anyone involved with the IFC. But the time has come to end my association with the IFC. My reason(s) for ending my time with the IFC are just that, mine. To all of you keyboard warriors who like to start rumors go ahead; I like to read the different forums out there. You never know I might answer one. I am not ending my involved with MMA. I plan to help Scott and Reed’s WEC for as long as they will have me. Any other promoters out there needing help, every now and then, call or e-mail me. I am going to be unavailable for a few weeks. If you need to get in touch with me it will have to be through my e-mail. The IFC was once a fine MMA organization. I should know I helped make it one. They have some problems to work out. 

This sport is growing fast and we need to keep it an honorable one. Let’s keep the,” he said, she said” bullshit out of the MMA. The more we work as a whole, everybody wins. Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,
Doug Gunselman (Grandpa) 

 

 

 

BATTLEQUEST: PHASE FOUR
Saturday, August 28th, 2004
Red & Jerry's Event Center
Sheridan, Colorado
Doors @ 6:00 pm, first bout @ 7:00 PM 


The fourth edition of RING OF FIRE'S official feeder show is just about 1 week away. The first three events have been huge successes, with great fights and a sold out rooms. Top athletes from the Rocky Mountain region have been selected for the soon to be released card. Athletes from surrounding the states of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Nebraska will make the trip to compete. The show will follow the same format as it's parent event, ROF, in that it will feature both K-1 and MMA rules bouts. All bouts are amateur and 3 rounds in duration with shorter time limits. Most of the card has been signed but due to last minute drops, there are a couple of spots open for fighters that are looking to gain some ring experience, exposure, and possibly a spot on a future RING OF FIRE. Promoter Sven Bean is excited about the event and had this to say: " I am really looking forward to this one, these shows are always fun for everyone. The fighters seem to let it all out on Battle Quest and the crowd really gets in to it. This time I am going to project the fights on the big screen above the stage and on all the TV's in the room so no one will miss any of the action."

All seats are only $20.00. Advance Tickets are available by calling 303-246-5237 or may be purchased at the door.

This event is brought to you by: www.glcdirect.com, www.centuryma.com, www.brothers-bbq.com, www.sprawl.tv, www.proexotics.com, www.breakyou.com, www.tigronltd.com and Profile Auto Body (303-922-4234)

Any interested fighters may contact the promoter at 303-246-5237 or via e-mail: beanz4@msn.com

 

 

 

STURGIS MUSIC FESTIVAL FOLDS FORCING CANCELLATION OF IFC EVENT

8-18-2004

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

IFC Press Release


Sturgis, SD – Sturgis Music Festival 2004 promoter, Ron Rose, pulled out of the Sturgis Music Festival on late Tuesday afternoon taking the box office with him. The unannounced move left Grand Funk Railroad, .38 Special and Rare Earth ready to play on Tuesday night but unpaid. Also canceled were the upcoming nights events which included, BB King, J. Geils, Dr. John, the Bacon Brothers, Paul Rodriquez and the IFC’ Sturgis Rumble Rally. Exactly what made Rose a World Poker Champion fold is unclear. What is clear is that he left a lot of entertainers and fans very irate. No refunds for ticket holders were available as of the time of this release.

The IFC fought to keep their Saturday show alive. “We spent all Wednesday working with the property owners and the Sturgis Chamber of Commerce to try to make this thing happen,” stated IFC Caged Combat President Paul Smith.” They were very supportive, but logistically it just proved impossible for us to pull it off. We cannot begin to express our regret to the fighters and fans.” The event had been scheduled for a September 2 pay per view release via TVN.

 

The IFC will be joining with several of the events vendors in legal action against Mr. Rose. Smith encourages all of the fans who purchased tickets to any of the canceled events to vigorously pursue refunds.

 

 

 

STURGIS MUSIC FESTIVAL PROMOTER THREATENS TO SUE IFC

8-18-2004  

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

IFC press release

 

After suddenly pulling out of the Sturgis Music Festival 2004 in mid festival and forcing the cancellation of such acts as Grand Funk Railroad, .38 Special, Rare Earth, BB King, J.Geils, Dr. John, the Bacon Brothers, Paul Rodriquez and the IFC’ Sturgis Rumble Rally, the event’s promoter –Poker Champion Ron Rose – is threatening libel action against the IFC and others.

 

“It’s a novel concept worthy of a world poker champion”, says IFC Caged Combat CEO Howard Petschler. “You fail in a business venture, lose money and then threaten to sue the people you just screwed over for saying that you screwed them over. It’s one way to consider getting your money back. Unfortunately for Mr. Rose when it comes to libel, the truth is an absolute defense.”

 

Continues Mr. Petschler, “Mr. Rose declines to mention certain facts. He was solely responsible for the marketing and promotion of the festival and had assumed absolute control of the Festival. I don’t question for a minute that he failed to sell sufficient tickets to keep from losing money. What I find deplorable is his failure to accept responsibility. He stranded his own crew. Most had worked for a week, hadn’t been paid and didn’t have the resources to even get home. Once the events caterers packed up, a local supermarket donated food to help feed them and other former partners of Mr. Rose helped them get home. IFC crew members even donated money to help feed one the crew members’ dogs when the crew member was unable to provide for it. We had assumed that it would take quite a while for us to get Mr. Rose into court. Perhaps he can speed up the process for us. ”

Sturgis Mayor Mark Zeigler said that Rose's allegations about the city are false. Zeigler said the city supported the event as much as possible, promoting it on the town's Web site and at other venues. "He (Rose) is going to try and find a scapegoat," Zeigler said. "The city of Sturgis is not the scapegoat for the failure of the Sturgis Music Festival. He is looking for a scapegoat and in the same breath he skips town and leaves people unpaid and ticket holders unreimbursed. We all live in this community and this area with the understanding that we pay our bills and we live up to what we say we do. He (Rose) didn't live up to his promises."

The South Dakota Department of Revenue is investigating Mr. Rose for his failure collect and pay sales tax. In fact, he hadn’t even applied for a sales tax license for the event, despite having been advised to do so by the Department. The Department is just one of the agencies now exploring the actions of Mr. Rose.  

 

 

IFC STURGIS - UPDATE

8-16-2004

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

Promoter issues statement

 

Sturgis Music Festival promoter Ron Rose contacted us by phone today and issued the following statement regarding the cancellation if the August 14th, IFC event.

My name is Ron Rose. I am the managing member of Sturgis 2004, LLC and one of the major investors in this enterprise. Many of the fight websites have printed libelous remarks about me and my involvement in the Sturgis Music Festival. I can no longer remain silent and swallow this abuse without replying with the facts. The following article making the rounds is typical enough of what is being said that I will respond to it point by point with facts, not innuendo!

This is what is being printed about me:

Some friends of mine are involved in a fight promotion in Sturgis this weekend. Seems Mr. Rose skipped town to the tune of $600k. This from www.graciefighter.com :

"An absolute fiasco has engulfed the IFC show in Sturgis, South Dakota. The IFC was one of several shows to be prominently featured at the famous Sturgis motorcycle rally. Musicians B.B. King and the group 38 Special along with comedians Dana Carvey and Paul Rodriguez were all contracted to perform this weekend. Unfortunately it seems as if a crooked investor has forced the cancellation of all performances. Ron Rose is a 7x World Poker Champion and one of the co-investor/promoters. Mr. Rose apparently stole an estimated 400 to 600 thousand dollars of the ticket sales and then promptly skipped town. He also took with him all of the E ticket terminals. The terminals were the only record keeping machines for the revenues being generated and it is assumed that he took them so he could wipe out the hard drives, making an exact accounting of how much he took impossible. Several hundred bikers had purchased tickets to the various shows and are now left with the fact that they were duped out of their money. Millions will be lost on the show due to the fact that there were several television shows filming the
performances along with an HBO special. The IFC show was set to be a pay per view event and will very likely be cancelled if other investors don't ante up for the stolen revenue. Paul Smith and Monte Cox are scrambling to make the Horn vs. Marquardt fight happen, however Pe De Pano vs. Severn and all of the Brazilian fighters' fights have been officially cancelled. We will not find out until tomorrow morning whether or not the whole show will be cancelled. " performances along with an HBO special. The IFC show was set to be a pay per view event and will very likely be cancelled if other investors don't ante up for the stolen revenue. Paul Smith and Monte Cox are scrambling to make the Horn vs. Marquardt fight happen, however Pe De Pano vs. Severn and all of the Brazilian fighters' fights have been officially cancelled. We will not find out until tomorrow morning whether or not the whole show will be cancelled. "

First and most libelous is the fact the I have been wrongly accused of taking off with $600,000 of ticket receipts. If that were not so absurd, ridiculous and downright malicious, it would be laughable. The sales for the first three concerts, all of which were first class, were dismal. Total sales for the first concert in an arena that would hold 15,000 spectators was 548 paid attendance. Second Concert, 562 paid attendance. Third concert, Hank Williams, Jr., one of our top draws was 1501 paid attendance. The receipts for these figures did not even begin to cover what we paid in entertainment fees to the artists. All cash sales were deposited the next day in the bank. All credit card sales were recorded at Etix online ticket sales. All figures can be accounted for by the bank, Etix and by the CPA who acted as the controller to be sure that sales were conducted properly. How I could walk off with $600,000 is a mystery to me and to any reasonable person. Accusations to this effect are not only libelous they are incredibly hurtful to myself and my family.

 As to advance sales, Classic Rock Night had 252 tickets sold; B.B. King had 605 ; Las Vegas Night, a mere 20, Comic Relief, 35 and the great IFC rumble had a grand total of 36 seats sold. Again, no $600,000 figures here! And all sales were accounted for in the same way as for the concerts which took place. I ask you. Does this merit putting on five more shows? Only a moron would continue.

 Next point, Comic Relief Night. We had no contract at all with Comic Relief. Despite repeated attempts to nail down a contract and have them provide us with a lineup so that we could advertise and make advance sales, it was not until August 6, one week before the performance that we were told that we had Paul Rodriguez and 6 no name comics lined up to perform. Dana Carvey was not scheduled or expected to be scheduled. More lies! How can a promoter sell tickets for a show with no lineup? And, oh, we were also promised one of the three big Comic Relief Stars which we of course did not get – Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams or Billy Crystal! Coincidentally we could never even get a contract with Comic Relief even though they were paid $25,000 earlier in the process.

 I don’t need to comment again about the slurs to my reputation which are asserted next in the post. They are of course libelous and actionable by law. The writer does not even have my poker wins correct. I would love to admit to being a 7-time World Champion, but it just ain’t so! More inaccuracies.

 As to the computer terminals, they were returned to the computer store which rented them to Sturgis 2004 for ticket sales the morning after the concerts were cancelled. They were laptops with a swipe for credit cards. I could not wipe out the hard drives, since all information is on the system at Etix, not on the computers we used to process the credit cards. Again, Etix has a full accounting of tickets sold and are giving refunds from funds collected from Visa/MC ticket sales. Despite repeated attempts over the last month to get a complete accounting from Etix we have never seen one.

 Several hundred bikers have not been “duped” out of their money. Credit card sales are being refunded and we have taken names of those who called in for cash refunds. However, at this time those who have paid cash for tickets may not get a refund because of lack of funds.

 Now, for one of the biggest bits of misinformation put out by my detractors – Television contracts. There was never at any time the possibility of a contract with HBO for Comic Relief. And we did not have a signed contract with the IFC pay per view event. They presented us with a contract a few days before the show, expecting, I guess that we would sign anything at that point. We did not.

For anyone interested in the facts, there are three major reasons why this cancellation happened.

First, lack of attendance. We had an A+ facility – stage, bleachers, LED screens, plenty of room to stand – a capacity of 15,000. The attendance cited above should speak for itself.

Second, when our investment group was presented with this concert idea we were promised one to one and a half million dollars in sponsorship. We were told of a list of sponsors that were supposedly already signed or ready to sign like Ford, Gillette, etc. In actuality, we received $7,000 to rent a tent which may or may not be called sponsorship. That leaves a deficit in sponsorship monies of, let’s see, “only” $993,000 to $1,493,000. The people that promised this as a way to lure investors, are the real culprits. I tried my level best to keep this thing going, working night and day since the day I was made a managing member. Surprise after surprise from the other members who obligated the corporation to pay monies without the authority to do so made it virtually impossible. But for all my work and for all the money I put in (they put in nothing as investors – nothing!) I could not make it go. As a last resort, I turned to the group who owned the venue area in Sturgis if they would like to take over the Sturgis Music Festival so that the shows would not have to be cancelled. After I told them what the ticket sales had been;  they politely declined.

Third, the city of Sturgis gave us zero in the way of support to bring bikers into the city for entertainment. They “allowed” us to put a banner on the armory which they required us to have made by their printer at a cost of about $5,000 and the mayor wanted 20 all events passes worth $4,500 in return. They promised parking for the event. They charged $5 per head for parking (they got that money) and provided another free lot a half of a  mile away from the venue. That is it. That is what the city did for us. Once the event was cancelled, the Mayor wanted to distance the city from us so stated to all who would listen that the city had nothing to do with the Sturgis Music Festival.

Why did I leave without defending myself? I was advised by the police who were there when we cancelled the show and by the security guards not to stay. My life was threatened, both in person and by telephone. My family was with me (who by the way worked 14-16 hour days the whole time solely out of the goodness of their hearts) and I would not risk their safety for anything! I talked by telephone continuously to those involved, Etix, bank, investors, ticket holders, Sturgis officials, etc. what I got in return were more threats and malicious lies spread about me.

This brings me to my last point. I have a list of all who have posted libelous comments on the net. If they are not taken off immediately they will be included in my libel and slander suit against all who are spreading rumors which people are only too anxious to pick up and spread.

I did not have to write this rebuttal to all the garbage that has appeared, but enough is enough! It’s time for action.

Sturgis 2004, LLC will not have enough funds to pay all its debts and will likely have to go into bankruptcy. It is not what we had planned. We envisioned something that would be good for Sturgis, for the bikers and visitors and for the investors. It did not happen for the reasons stated above. My detractors should also keep in mind that Sturgis 2004, LLC is not comprised solely of Ron Rose. There are other members of the corporation, some of whom have started these malicious lies about me. They must bear their share of the blame for what has happened. I regret the outcome. I regret that there are others who are profoundly affected by this development. But I can only speak for myself. You will not likely hear from the others!

Ron Rose

 

 

 

IFC - Show canceled, promoter disappears

8-13-2004

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

 

Pancrase USA fighter Nathan Marquardt's highly anticipated IFC championship bout against Jeremy Horn seems to have vanished along with the Sturgis Rally promoters.  Marquardt's management had this to say.  "We came to the conclusion that the show would be cancelled yesterday.  Unfortunately, we are still awaiting a courtesy call from the IFC officials. Nate has been training for this fight for well over two months, it's a huge disappointment. If the promoter has any credibility left, he will at least pay Nathan his appearance fee."

 

Read today's headline story in the Rapid City Journal.  

 

Etix to give refunds

Customers who used a credit card to buy tickets for canceled Sturgis Music Festival events should eventually get a credit for the purchase on their statements, according to an official with Etix.com

 

 

 

IFC STURGIS - Breaking News

8-11-2004

Denver/Broomfield/Boulder, CO

 

The August 14th, International Fighting Championship - Sturgis Rally Rumble is on the verge of canceling unless IFC commissioner Paul Smith finds a last minute financial backer.  Several MMA websites are reporting that overall Sturgis Rally promoter Ron Rose has disappeared with the E-computers used to purchase IFC and Sturgis Music Festival tickets. Even worse, they claim the former world poker champ apparently made off with an estimated $400,000 - $600,000 of ticket sales revenue.

 

Promoter Smith has been frantically searching for a new investor, as of now, the show appears doomed.  A final determination will be made Thursday morning.