Dragon Promotions in association with Chu Zhen Dao Freestyle Martial Arts
hosted again, with out a doubt one of the best Muay Thai kickboxing tournaments
held in NZ.
The event on Saturday May 21st was run at Tauranga's QE II (the only
stadium in Tauranga big enough to house this event), and in spite of the "State
of Civil Emergency" being declared in Tauranga, horrendous weather and
broadcasts on the local radio stations (With all the parents and sports
players listening to hear for cancellations of sporting events) THAT ALL
COUNCIL HALLS AND FIELDS ARE CLOSED TODAY, we still managed to attract over 700
people. Trophies at Bash at the Beach are legionary and this year they impressed even more than pervious show's.
The crowd this time was in high spirits (which was fantastic since half the
town was floating away) and all enjoyed a great nights entertainment. One thing
Brian and co-promoter Sue were thrilled to see was the Family turn out this
time. In the past Kickboxing (not just in Tauranga) was run catering to more of
a boys night out typed event. We have worked hard to change the local attitude
to the sport and changing the way the show itself is run. We have always strived
towards running a show that the entire family can attend and enjoy, and they
did! Mum, Dad and even a few grandparents turned out and again we have had NO
negative feedback during or after the event.
The novice bouts started with local boy Jared Marshall 72kg, 0 fights from
Dark Angels, Trained by Brian Twomey Vs Ian Menzies 0 fights, Zero Tolerance,
Napier Trained by Dion/Miriam Crouch. The bout started with Jared the taller boy controlling the distance well and Ian shorter but notably stockier having
trouble finding his range. Both boys hit the canvas at least once and Ian came
back strongly in the third but Jared was up to the task and kept firing. Both
boys took this bout seriously and gave it 100% right down to the bell. Both
showed great skills for beginners and have something to contribute to Muay Thai
in NZ. In the future this could well be an interesting re-match worth seeing.
Chrissy Jamieson 56kg, 1 Nov from Dark Angels Gym, Tauranga, Trained by Brian
Twomey Vs Morgan King 59kg, 0 Fights, Jackals Gym Napier, Trained by
Andrew/Leighann Banham. (Chrissy was matched with Erica Mark from Jackals
initially, but Erica sprained her ankle at work the day before. Along with
Morgan's opponent from Whakatane pulling out 4 hours before the opening bout,
this left the opening for these girls basically round the same weight to square
off). Back to the Bout at hand. Morgan started strong with some beautiful
straight punches and added the kicks nicely to her combinations keeping Chrissy
on the back foot for most of the bout. Morgan found her range fast and kept
coming forward and Chrissy kept throwing hands right back but could not break
Morgan's rhythm of attack. By the end of round two Chrissy's shortness of
breath was seriously taking its toll and I personally wanted to stop the fight
BUT Chrissy would not have a bar of it and wanted to finish. Morgan and Jackals
slowed the pace down in the third and Chrissy started to relax and put together
some good combinations but Morgan showed great sportsman ship and kept it
together showing a less scrappy but classier end to this match. Morgan stayed
strong to the end and could have opened up at any time. I hope both girls
feel they gained some good skills and ring experience from this meeting.
Full credit to both girls, and again many thanks to all from Jackals from the
Tauranga team. Thanks to Erica and Jackals for coming maybe we could
make the original match at next years Bash at the Beach!
Third saw Reinus Cameron 72.5kg 1Nov from Dark Angels Gym Tauranga, Trained
by Brian Twomey Vs Scott Beal 74kg 1Nov, and Ellis Thai Boxing Tokoroa Trained
by George Ellis. We are still not to sure how these boys got into the ring as
Novice fighters without shin guards but that's another story. Round one
started with Scott coming forward and Reinus not giving an inch answering
everything with some good straight punches most of which landed, sorry to
Scott as a kick or two landed south of the border slowing the fight down
somewhat. Both these boys looked like they had too much coffee today with
both being quite jittery, however they both threw some big hits and both showed
potential as being two to watch in the future when they settle into fighting as
a sport. This match was again so even with both boys firing up at 100 miles an
hour and tiring at about the same time, so it led to an equal end.
Next, Glen MacLachlan 86kg 0 fights Dark Angels Gym Tauranga Trained by Brian Twomey Vs Ra Jonathan 82kg 1Nov From Ngakanui Thai Boxing Rotorua Trained by Wayne Wairoa. Ra was the shorter boy and visibly more cut with 1 Novice fight under his belt, Glen the taller boy in for his first match. Both fighters gained each others respect early in round one with both boys throwing and taking some strong punches. Ra however showed superior kicking ability combined with strong knee attacks. Glen showed signs of tiring in the third round but still didn't stop digging in and giving it everything he had. Ra showed great skills BUT both boys showed the true fighting spirit (at least in my option) they mixed it up and it was all business but never a sign of a bad attitude. They competed with honour and showed style and heart.
First Amateur Fight saw Tommy Wright 60 kg 1 Nov from the Dark Angels Gym Tga Vs Anthony Lowe 54 kg 2 Nov Ngakanui Gym Rotorua Trained by Wayne Wairoa.
Anthony challenged Tommy for this match and it was a close point's decision,
Tommy showing flexibility and guts in attempting a couple of flying knees,
unusual for first time fighters and Anthony showed no signs of giving Tommy any
leeway. The fight ended in a split decision to Tommy, but in all honestly it
could have been called either way on points. Tommy did more work but Anthony
kept true to training and showed style in his defence and attack's. Both boys
maybe spent too long in the feeling out stage of this match and could have been
busier earlier, but none the less a good hard fought bout from both camps. I
understand Anthony and Wayne want a re-match and in the future and we will both
be happy to see these boys meet again as this match remains a little un-settled.
Abby Merrick 55 kg 3 Nov from Harley Thai Boxing Masterton Trainer Mel Harley Vs Natasha Bevan 53 kg 1 fight, Zero Tolerance Napier Trained by Dion/Miriam Crouch. Round one, Abby played a safe feeling out round and keeping a good high guard, while dynamite really does come in small packages. Natasha wound up right from the bell and just kept coming forward at full speed. Round Two, Abby showed she had had enough and gave as good as she got with a strong comeback and Tash still unrelenting kept up the original pace almost to the end of this round. Round three was definitely the decider and ended a little scrappy with Natasha throwing a couple of punches after the break was called, but Abby, in spite of getting angry, kept her head and finished strongly even though Tash didn't slow down much from the first bell to the last bell. Decision to Natasha, but again in the future I suspect these girls will meet and settle their differences. Keep training and enjoy the opportunities you both have in this sport.
Carl Smith 61 kg, 2 fights From Te Rau Lee Gar Trained by Tojo Dickson Vs
Joel Naden 61 kg, 3 fights from Ultimate Thai Boxing Hamilton Trained by Aaron
Dixon. Joel Naden was listed with the Promoter as having 3 previous fights
(although we were disappointed to hear after the bout that he had had at least
6), so on paper this should have been an even match. Both boys were here to
fight and showed good skills at both long range fighting and in the clinch, they also showed a good jaw and the ability to take a big hit and come straight back equally hard. Carl showed no signs of ring rust in spite of not having been active for some time. Another good hard fought clean fight and great effort by both fighters.
Bronwyn Wylie 60 kg, 2 fights from Phantom Kickboxing Auckland Trained by
Mark Stewart Vs Anna Sisson 57 kg, 2 fights from San Bu Kai Hamilton Trained by
Shawn Salisbury. These two girls, both with good skills and two fights for two
wins behind them had the makings of a great show. Bronwyn was on the attack from the first bell and although not as fast from the onslaught as Natasha in fight 4, Bronwyn stacked up a clear points win over Anna. Anna however never to be counted out took a fair few good hits and stayed strong until the final bell. Both girls showed courage and strength and both have good futures ahead of them in this sport. A few people asked about Phantom Kickboxing, not to be confused with the Tauranga club using the same name, Mark Stewart has run Phantom Kickboxing for many years and fights in different codes including true full contact Kickboxing!
Shannon Spurr 72 kg, 2 Nov from Dark Angels Gym Tauranga Trained by Brian
Twomey Vs Trevor Kapoor 71 kg 0 fights from Jackals Gym Napier trained by Andrew and Leighann Banham. It has been hard to find anyone the right weight with a matching age to Shannon. Trevor was up to the task with great heart and kept his head in spite of relentless powerful attacks from Shannon. Shannon showed skills at long and close range fighting although Trevor was obviously disadvantaged in the clinch. Shannon the slightly taller fighter is a force to be reckoned with and stay tuned, you're going to see great things from this young man in the future. Both boys needed to throw less looping wild punches and straighten up their hands. Trevor kept trying to mount a comeback until the end of this bout but Shannon was not going to give an inch in front of a home town audience. Shannon won by unanimous points and also received the Best Fighter of the night award, as judged by the team from Combat Video.
Jason McDonald 75 kg, 2 fights from Ellis Thai Boxing Tokoroa Trained by
George Ellis Vs Barry Bradcock 75 kg, 3 fights From Highlanders Gym Taupo
Trained by Scotty Thompson. Jason came to fight and fight he did, Barry just
didn't get any rhythm going although he tried but Jason smelled blood after
putting a standing eight count on Barry and moved in for the kill to end this
match with a round one Knock out in favour of Jason McDonald.
Jason Marino 76 kg, 3 fights From Te Rau Lee Gar, Trained by Tojo Dickson Vs
Neil Howell 78 kg, 1 fight from San Bu Kai Hamilton Trained by Terry Hill. These guys again had way too much coffee before the match although both moving at high speed and very jittery they certainly mixed it up from the get go. Neil suffered a couple of good knocks and took a standing 8 count from Norm Graeme only to recover and return a standing 8 count 5 seconds later on Jason, and all in the first round. Second round was more settled but not much slower with both boys showing signs of fatigue by the end of the round. Jason was finally finished off with two high round kicks to the head from Neil but this entire match was one of the ones you just couldn't look away for a second in case you missed it. Jason also took out Best Sportsman of the night, which from my point of view is worth everything.
Tony Mazur 78 kg, 4 fights from Kapiti Thai Boxing Wellington Trained by
Barry Page Vs Eddy Smith 78 kg, 6 fights Ellis Thai Boxing Tokoroa Trained by
George Ellis. Tony the younger combatant showed great heart and courage standing toe to toe with Eddy Smith. Eddy has become quite a talented fighter and although dominated the first two rounds Tony dug deep and gave it all he had being pushed back, but still not giving an inch. Tony and Barry decided to pull the plug before the third round got under way after Tony took a knee injury, likely from one of Eddy's catching the leg and sweeping the other leg out. A good call from Kapiti as Tony's a good strong young man with a long career in this game, and pushing a fight after an injury is the fastest way to guarantee future life long problems. A good strong win for Eddy though and we are looking forward to having both these boys back at Bach at the Beach 8.
N.Z Light Welter Weight Title Fight
Oliver Mackie 60 kg, 4 fights Kapiti Thai Boxing Wellington Trained by Barry
Page Vs Keho Whanga 61 kg, 3 fights Ngakanui Thai Boxing Rotorua Trained by
Wayne Wairoa. This bout started action packed with both boys firing on all
cylinders. Round 1 ended with no clear lead being shown by either side, however
on the final bell of round 2 Oliver had found Keho didn't handle throws from
the clinch, and for round 3 he kept throwing Keho to the canvas but this showed
no signs of weakening Keho, just slowing down the pace. Round 4 Oliver showed
signs of tiring but his strategy of leaning on Keho and throwing him to the
canvas was showing obvious signs of wearing Keho down. Round 4 ended with Oliver
taking the lead on the score cards. Round 5 ended with both boys digging deep
and Keho tried some desperation spinning hook kicks while Oliver kept to the
basics of the plan and landed a flying knee on Keho which cost him a standing 8
count but he still kept coming. The fight ended with a hard fought but clearly
dominant Oliver Mackie winning the N.Z Light Welter Weight Title and Keho will
be looking for another shot at this belt soon!!!!
North Island Cruiserweight Title Fight
Bryce Baron 85 kg, 8 fights Harley Thai Boxing Masterton Trained by Mel
Harley Vs Girish Rae 82 kg, 4 fights from the Todd Group Dunedin Trained by
Geoff (Tank) Todd. Bryce has fought many times at Bash at the Beach promotions
while Girish was more an un-known commodity to us but coming from Dunedin and
trained by Tank Todd, we all knew he would be a force to reckon with. (Girish
had his family fly out from Fiji to watch his fight. I am sorry I didn't get
to welcome them to NZ personally on the night, but please take this as a welcome
and big thanks for supporting Bash at the Beach).
Round 1 started with a cautious feeling out round, then out of nowhere Bryce
landed a straight right to the forehead of Girish wobbling his knees, which was
then quickly followed up by a flying knee and a solid left right combination, by
the end of the 8 count Girish had recovered and was ready to play again. Round 2
started with Bryce still smelling blood and going after Girish. Girish used good
footwork and covered up well and showed his true toughness as Bryce landed a few
head shots that would have put a lesser athlete to sleep. Round 3 Girish started
to throw some good punches right back at Bryce who tends to be a more toe to toe
fighter, where as Girish was more elusive but by this stage of the fight Bryce
was well ahead on points and Girish pretty much needed a knock out to win the
Title. Round 4 showed Girish trying to mount an intelligent comeback and fired
some good shots but Bryce was here to get his Title belt, which he has chased
for a while now and nothing short of a sledgehammer was going to keep that belt
from around his waist. Girish threw the last punch of the fight which was a good
solid straight right, both boys didn't give an inch or ask for one either, but
Bryce had clearly blitzed the score cards and Bash at the Beach was pleased to
award him his North Island Cruiserweight Title. Girish, who had not been in the
ring for over 3 years, showed slight signs of ring rust but has already
expressed interest in coming back to fight at future Bash at the Beach
promotions.
To Bryce, a well-earned victory and Mel, a great job training and looking
after this man.
The Night ended just after 11 pm, with Shannon Spurr receiving the Best
Fighter of the Night Award and Jason Marino awarded Best Sportsman of the Night.
After the event fighters, trainers and true fans converged on Worlds End
Sports Cafe, where with compliments of Combat Video, the videotape of the event
was already playing on the big screen.
The evening was a huge success and with everything you could possibly imagine working against us, let me say I am proud of the Tauranga team for pulling off the best fight night anyone has seen for a while. Trainers and fighters alike all put in a fantastic effort and the public certainly got their money's worth out of what has become Tauranga's Bash at the Beach.
