2007 World Shidokan Open Results
Some how, some way, the U.S. SHIDOKAN Association managed to put on a first class show even with a full blown Chicago winter ice storm going on outside. Incoming / outgoing flights were cancelled. Certain sections of highway on Chicago’s multiple expressways were shut down throughout the evening. Traffic accidents were everywhere. No on wanted to go outside except the Sold Out Crazy Shido- crowd who went to the Park West Theatre where the original Chi-town Mixed Martial Arts event was going on and was it ever going on.
18 Extremely tough fighters, representing 6 countries competing in 9 great fights.
Here’s how the night unfolded…..
4 MAN LIGHT-WT. THAI BOXING TOURNAMENT
FIGHT #1 Philip BOTHA (South Africa) v Jeff WALSH (Canada)
Rnd 1 Classic feeling out round with Botha emerging as the aggressor.
Rnd 2 Both fighters scored. Welsh landed a few left hooks and Botha would answer with left round kicks to the body. Very close fight. Very close round.
Rnd 3 Another very close round with both fighters landing. Botha seemed to land his low and middle round kicks to the legs and midsection of Walsh at will. Walsh was able to counter with a couple of left hooks uppercut combination.
Winner: South Africa’s Philip BOTHA by Unanimous Decision
FIGHT #2 Shingo YOKOYAMA (JAPAN) vs. Jaral BOWMAN (USA)
Rnd 1 Bowman came out on fire and proceeded to light up Yokoyama with multiple punch combinations. Shingo answered with a barrage of great high round kicks and knee to the body. Bowman dropped Shingo with a straight right resulting in a standing eight count.
Rnd 2 A great Thai-boxing round with both fighters throwing multiple combinations and landing so much this writer could not keep up with the action. Shingo appeared to get stronger towards the end of the amazing round.
Rnd 3 Again a great round with both fighters standing toe to toe. Shingo dropped Bowman with a front kick to the body for a standing eight and finished Bowman off with a knee combination to the head then to the body to put an end to this action packed fight by scoring a knock out over Bowman.
Winner: Japan’s Shingo YOKOYAMA by KO
FIGHT #3 TRIATHLON SUPERFIGHT Feather weight Division
Chuck MADY (Canada) vs. Philip SEHENUK (USA)
Rnd. 1 Mady came out fast and furious and was all over Sheneuk. But true to form, Sheneuk composed himself and absorbed Madys fury and countered with a powerful knee combination dropping Mady with a knee to the head for a standing eight. Philip pressed on and dropped Mady again this time with a perfect knee to the body. Mady wouldn’t quit and kept attacking but Philip waited and launched a vicious knee attack to drop Mady for the third and final time winning the fight by TKO.
Winner: USA Phiip SEHENUK by TKO
FIGHT #4 4 MAN MIDDLEWEIGHT TRIATHLON TOURNAMENT
Ali MOKDAD (Canada) vs. Mariusz LIGIZYNSKI (Poland)
Rnd 1. Both fighters exchanged strong full contact karate techniques with neither fighter giving no quarter and both fighters demonstrating very strong full contact bare knuckle karate techniques.
Rnd 2 The Polish fighter seemed to gain a definite advantage landing some powerful punch combinations basically closing the right eye of Mokdad.
Rnd 3. MMA round and boy was it a zinger. Mokdad whose right eye was basically closed, came in , took down Mariusz and proceeded to gain a full mount and executed a classic Chicago ground and pound on the tough Polish fighter who after sustaining numerous punches to the face eventually could not take any more and tapped out.
Winner: Poland’s Mariusz LIGIZYNSKI by TAP OUT
FIGHT #5 Brent WEEDMAN (USA) vs. Philipp SCHADE (Germany)
Rnd 1 Full contact karate at it’s finest with Weedman proceeding to drop Schade with a knee to the body for a standing eight and finishing the German fighter with a barrage of knees earning a quick victory by way of another Shidokan Knockout.
Winner: USA Brent WEEDMAN by KO
FIGHT #6 MMA MIDDLE WEIGHT SUPERFIGHT
Eriko VAZQUEZ-MATUS (Costa Rica) vs. Tomasz JERUSZKA (Poland)
Rnd. 1 Shido MMA rocks! MATUS opened with a huge take down and seemed to have an definite advantage but Jeruszka countered with a beautiful guillitone choke and sunk it tight, would not let it go, until Costa Rican fighter was forced to tap out.
Winner: Poland’s Tomasz JERUSZKA by Tap Out
FIGHT #7 LIGHT WEIGHT THAI BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP
Philip BOTHA (South Africa) vs. Jaral BOWMAN (USA)
Shidokan Survival rule: The exciting Japanese fighter unfortunately broke his arm while earning his hard fought victory over Jaral Bowman. Therefore Bowman was given the opportunity to “Do it one more time”. And the game U.S. fighter demonstrated his fighting spirit by climbing back into the square jungle to give it one more try.
Rnd 1. Bowman was the busier fighter of the two but Botha seemed to land the stronger of the two resulting with Botha stunning Bowman with a standing eight straight right.
Rnd 2. Bowman seemed to become re-energized and came out swinging. The USA fighter landed some great punch combinations only to receive a barrage of low kicks. The round was too close to call.
Rnd 3. Both fighters came out sharper than ever which is amazing considering he two wars both fighters were in seemingly minutes ago. Botha targeted Bowmans legs with inside and outside low kicks. This strategy opened up Bowman who was dropped again with a short right hand for the second standing eight.
Winner : South Africa’s Philip BOTHA by Unanimous Decision
FIGHT #8 HEAVY WEIGHT TRIATHALON SUPERFIGHT
Thorstan KRONZ (Germany) vs. Dan LUCAS (USA)
Rnd. 1 Kronz came out blasting from the opening bell. The German champ unleashed an impressive array of full contact karate low / high kick combinations to the leg and head of the New York fighter. Unfortunately this opened Lucas for a beautiful knee to the head which resulted in the classical Shidokan Knock Out.
Winner: Germany’s Thorstan KRONZ by KO
FIGHT #9 MIDDLE WEIGHT TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Brent WEEDMAN (USA) vs. Ali MOKDAD (Canada)
Rnd 1. The Full Contact Karate round saw both middleweights throw such powerful techniques that you would think they were heavy weights. Neither fighter seemed bothered by the powerful blows with the round ending with Weedman executing a perfect suplex on the Canadian fighter.
Rnd . 2. Mokdad stood toe to toe with Weedman even with his right eye nearly shut from his previous fight. The crowd seemed to be anxiously awaiting the MMA round due to the reputations of both fighters on the ground. They however picture perfect left hook to the jaw of the extremely tough Canadian fighter who dropped to the canvas immediately never to rise referee ten count.
Winner: USA Brent WEEDMAN by KO
9 GREAT FIGHTS: 4 KO’S / 1 TKO / 2 TAP OUTS / 2 UNANIMOUS DECISIONS
SHIDOKAN…..DON’T EVEN BLINK!
