Billed as global warming’s big show it really lived up to this title.
1987 the Todd Group conducted boxing competitions at Sammy’s Entertainment Venue followed by a prize fighting series in 1992 and again in 1994 and then kickboxing which were all great successes and they have returned there for this their final Promotion.
It was very important that this was our biggest and best show setting new standards and going out on a high. The show was a joint promotion along with my event promotion partners the Olympic Gym.
The show sold out before the event and there were no door sales with several hundred requests for tickets leading up to the event from unlucky fight fans that left ticket purchasing too late and unfortunately missed out.
The card included 25 bouts of freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling submission grappling mixed martial arts and kickboxing. The multi-code bouts were contested on a mat in a cage and in a ring. The transitions from mat to cage to ring needed to be short in duration and smooth in execution and they were thanks to the efforts of Todd Group personnel.
In centre ring we had in control of a majority of the kick boxing and MMA bouts Mr martial arts Terry Hill assisted along with Mat Te Pa and for the wrestling and submission grappling Rodney Jarman and Dean Smith.
Wayne and Bronwyn Smith along with Melissa Marsh took care of the wrestling and submission draw and matches and this ensured they ran very smoothly. Scot Benson, Kaota Puna, Benji Kney, Yoshi, and Kerry Saggers also brought their valuable experience as official judges to the event and it was great to see so many of NZ’s committed combat sports people working together and making the show such a great success.
Karl Webber was my constant source of assistance with the prior planning and match-making and the great matches can be largely attributed to his enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge and willing contacts. Karl has really made a big difference since moving to the South Island in the combat sports field.
The show began with a tribute and a minutes silence to the recent passing of a senior Todd Group member in combative specialist Johnny Burt.
Sammy's Entertainment Venue, formerly His Majesty's Theatre, is a great arena for conducting combat sports. The capacity is well suited to medium attendance events and having both upstairs and downstairs audience areas with good vision of the stage makes it a great place to conduct such shows.
The Todd Group considers timing’s to be essential and starting on time and having few and only short breaks from the action is very important and this show met all the previous criteria.
The show was designed to begin with the oldest of combat sports in Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling and move on to the newest of the FILA codes in submission grappling and then into MMA the true test of all-round combat sports elements followed by the exciting stand up combat sport of kick boxing. The octagon shaped wrestling and grappling mat was transformed after the wrestling and grappling competition by being encased in the MMA cage in minutes.
From the outset of the wrestling and grappling when a spectacular takedown or manoeuvre was witnessed the crowd's reaction was one of applause. The erection of the cage received an increased level of excitement and the crowd become even more vocal.
This was a fight crowd and as expected they let loose with their support applause and as expected some colourful and interesting comments at times.
Immediately at the conclusion of the MMA contests the cage was dismantled and the ring assembled quickly and smoothly adding to the excitement of the next code to be contested. This new ring proved very popular with competitors and spectators alike with fighters claiming it was the best they competed in.
The wrestlers performed well and were all New Zealand champions or leading national wrestlers. Standout performances included Ricky Welsford, Sam Belkin, and Tayla Ford.
The submission grappling got off to a flying start with a fast and furious submission to Logan Smith followed by a sound win to Adam Johnson a good performer in multiple codes of combat sports.
The main submission grappling contest was between Peter Clinch and Jason Kosta and both competitors showed patience and an ability to endure the realities of submission locks and the pain and strain that goes with the territory. This was a technical bout with both competitors doing their utmost to submit each other while resisting one another's submission attempts. The result was a points decision to Jason Kosta.
The first fight in the cage was a real local crowd pleaser between the experienced Matt ‘No Tap’ Toa and Daniel Wadsworth a first-time fighter some 20 kg lighter. This was a great fight that had fight fans in full voice. Daniel was not fazed by his bigger and more experienced opponent and unleashed punches throughout the entire three five minute rounds. Mat showed his experience in the takedowns and dominating on the ground where his weight advantage proved a real plus. The result a majority decision to Matt over a determined opponent in Daniel and someone to look out for in the future.
Another very exciting MMA bout was contested between Jason Smith and Rafael de Oliveira where Jason demonstrated his striking ability winning by stoppage in the second round.
The main MMA bout ended in the first round with a knockout to Sam Striker Brown over Jayson ‘The Assassin’ Awa. The fast end is simply testament to what can happen when one gets caught with a good strike in the grapple.
The kickboxing provided some great entertainment and consisted of eight exciting bouts.
South Island champion Nick Taylor fought a bout where styles truly made the fight against an exciting Luke Hill. Luke dominated round one and two and in round three received an eight count but come back strong to finish with the result being a draw on the judge's cards.
The Dan Worthington and Lucan Whiting fight was an excellent bout with two fine athletes that proved to be a real people’s choice with Lucan showing some excellent clinching and grappling backed up with some heavy knees and Dan showing his fortitude and grit. The result was unanimous decision to Lucan Whiting.
The main event consisting of 5 x 3 minute rounds between Paula ‘The Tongan Tornado’ Matatale and Hiriwa ‘Tee Man’ Te Rangi lived up to everyone's expectations going the distance. The T-Man once again proved he is the most willing and resilient of New Zealand fighters taking everything that Paula threw at him. These were two big men throwing power shots and absorbing considerable punishment. The T-man being a seasoned veteran of every card of combat sports imaginable as always showed courage and a rock-solid jaw. Paula accumulated points with some solid shots landed and this was a great match-up. The end result was a unanimous points decision to Paula over local favourite T-Man.
2 DVD Set of the Fight Night available from Fight Times Shop, 49 Stuart Street, Dunedin. $20 or by mail order, $25. Phone/Fax 03-477 8902. Email: [email protected]
Photos from the fights
