SELECTED PREVIOUS EVENTS 2002

Results - Updated June 12th, 2002

2002 WKA CANADIAN MUAY THAI/KICKBOXING/FULL CONTACT RULES GOLDEN GLOVES - (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada) June 1st & 2nd, 2002
June 1st and 2nd, 2002 was that time of year again for the WKA Canadian Muay Thai/Kickboxing/Full Contact Rules Golden Gloves. Saskatchewan promoter Wolfgang Manicke and his wife Connie, decided they would be the one’s to organize and arrange this years event. Kudo’s to the promoters as it was a prestigious, well run, and exciting event.

Originally over 150 athletes were scheduled to compete in the event. Unfortunately, as the date grew closer and closer for the event to take place, more and more athletes were withdrawing from the event. The week before the event saw over 45 athletes withdraw. Reasons included injuries, graduations, could not get the time off of work, commitments to other fight events, etc. The loss of athletes was unfortunate, but for those who attended, the desire, gamesmanship, and competition was everything anyone could ask for. With all the last minute headaches and changes, Mr. Manicke ran a smooth ship.

Most teams were represented by their top athletes competing in the event. Very strong and highly experienced teams from B.C. (Pemberton) and Saskatchewan (Scheer’s) attended the event. One of the stronger teams from Alberta was quizzed on their performance. “I was caught with my pants down”, laughed Mike Miles. “Seven of my thirteen athletes only had one bout or less. Unfortunately in terms of wins at this years Golden Gloves, it showed. But regardless I was still very happy with the performances I received from my athletes.”

Everyone of the athletes who competed came and gave it their best. “Everyone who enters the ring deserves credit. But I really have to take a second and give credit to several athletes who looked genuinely awesome in their bouts. In the women’s divisions, two women really showed exceptional technique backed by great fighting heart. B.C.’s Jade Irwin shone with great clean and crisp combinations. Saskatchewan’s Vivian Leung looked fantastic using good kickboxing movement and technique. These two athletes really stood out in the ring. In the men, Gord Anderson looked incredible in his Muay Thai bout. Considering he is considered an older athlete in the fight game, he really shone in this event. He demonstrated excellent offense and defense and I sincerely think I can count on one hand how many times he might have been hit”, said Mike Miles.

FULL CONTACT BOUTS (kicking above the waist)

WOMEN’S WELTERWEIGHT FULL CONTACT TITLE
Kerry Taylor (Saskatchewan - Aurora) vs. Bernadette Flaman (Saskatchewan - Spirit of the Dragon)
Taylor was to take the beginning and the middle of the bout in the judges eyes, but the final round went to Flaman. Taylor took the bout and the title by unanimous decision.

SUPERMIDDLEWEIGHT FULL CONTACT TITLE
Dave Bennett (Saskatchewan - Aurora) vs. Scott Yung (Saskatchewan - Spirit of the Dragon)
Bennett proved too strong in the first round and easily took control winning the fight in the second round with a KO.

KICKBOXING BOUTS (allowing low kicks)

WOMEN’S ATOMWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
Amanda Faulks (B.C. - Pemberton) vs. Carla Hopkins (Alberta - Karate-Do)
In a good fight featuring a lot of turn arounds, Faulks was to win the nod of the judges and win the title by a split decision. Great effort by the less experienced Hopkins.

WOMEN’S SUPERBANTAMWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
Kelly Pogson (B.C. - Pemberton) vs. Jessica Reid (Saskatchewan - Aurora)
Pogson used movement and good skills to press Reid backwards and win her second Golden Gloves title in a her second year of entering.

WOMEN’S SUPERFEATHERWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
Vivian Leung (Saskatchewan - Scheer’s) vs. Jessica Gladstone (Alberta - Karate-Do)
Leung was too experienced and too slick for Gladstone who wanted to punch in this bout. Leung easily made the transition from punch to kick and then from standing close to providing angles. Leung won the title by unanimous decision. Leung should put in a challenge for the Canadian Title held by Victoria’s Keri Crouthers.

WOMEN’S LIGHTWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
Meghan Aebig (Alberta - Smandych) vs. Michelle Vacova (B.C. - Pemberton)
Aebig moved forward and took the first four of the five scheduled bouts. In the fifth round, Vacova turned things around and proved she had the heart of a champion. However, it was too late and Aebig won the bout and the title by unanimous decision.

WOMEN’S SUPERLIGHTWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE Jade Irwin (B.C. - White Tiger) vs. Kathey Howey (Alberta - Seven Stars)
Irwin was in control of this bout at the opening bell. Howey had great heart but could not deal with the strong and clean technique of Irwin. At 1:35 of the 3rd round, Irwin landed a punch and won the title by KO.

WOMEN’S WELTERWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
Cindy Wickstrom (Alberta - Mike Miles Muay Thai) vs. Suzanne Huber (Saskatchewan - Iron Fist)
First time fighter Wickstrom pulled the unimaginable by defeating the far more experienced Huber. Wickstrom would look tired and then suddenly explode forward with counter attacks to outscore and win the nod of the judges.

WOMEN’S MIDDLEWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
Jonelle Tetlock (Saskatchewan - Scheer’s) vs. Melissa Katona (Saskatchewan - Aurora)
Tetlock took the bout and the title by unanimous decision.

WOMEN’S SUPERCRUISERWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
Shannon Sanderson (Saskatchewan - Aurora) vs. Kim McFarlane (Alberta - Bergeron)
Both athletes put in a great effort in this bout. McFarlane took her time and shelled and countered everything Sanderson threw. However, McFarlane should have been a little busier as the as the decision went unanimously to Sanderson.

MEN’S SUPERFEATHERWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
Darren Robson (Alberta - Mike Miles Muay Thai) vs. Allan Delay (Manitoba - Double Dragon)
Robson took control of the bout fairly early on. Delay provided very stiff competition and at the beginning of the fourth seemed to be on his way back. Unfortunately Robson opened up with some strong punches to the head and the body finally stopping Delay at 1:30 seconds of the fourth round. A good fight.

MEN’S SUPERLIGHTWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
George Derak (Saskatchewan - Scheer’s) vs. Sushil Nand (Alberta - Mike Miles Muay Thai)
Nand looked like a midget compared to the taller and more heavily muscled Derak. Originally in the lightweight division, Nand moved up to Superlightweight to get a fight. Derak pressed throughout the whole fight to win the bout by unanimous decision.

MEN’S WELTERWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
Dave Kormish (Saskatchewan - Scheer’s) vs. Chris Eccles (Alberta - Karate-Do)
Going into the fifth and final round, Eccles was the crowd favorite in this fight and he was on the verge of victory. A solid attack had Eccles TKO’d at 1:59 of the final round. Kormish won the title.

MEN’S SUPERWELTERWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
Richard Pogson (B.C. - Pemberton) vs. Fabian Cortez (Alberta - Mike Miles Muay Thai)
Cortez could not seem to get started and the ever pressing Pogson took advantage by landing short right hands which dropped Cortez to the canvas for 3 eight counts in one round. After the final knockdown, the three knockdown rule in one round came into effect and Pogson won the title by TKO at 1:57 of the first round.

MEN’S MIDDLEWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
Brad Whiteside (B.C. - Pemberton) vs. Barry Knudsen (Manitoba - Chin-na)
Knudsen took the first two rounds on all judges cards. By the fourth round, the momentum had turned heavily in favor of Whiteside who took the fourth by a two point advantage. By the end of the fight Whiteside had taken the bout by majority decision with one of the judges scoring a draw). A great fight and good effort by both athletes.

MEN’S SUPERMIDDLEWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
Chris Carson (B.C. - Pemberton) vs. Persami Gounder (Alberta - Mike Miles Muay Thai)
After an even first round, Carson picked up his power attack walking through anything Gounder threw and answering with the heaviest punches he could muster. A straight right left Gounder on unstable feet and the bout was stopped with Carson winning by TKO at 45 seconds of the second round. “This was Sami’s second fight after having won his first fight easily. Sasha’s guys hit hard and I think this was an eye-opener for Sami. Hopefully these guys can meet again soon in the future. Congratulations to Chris!,” said Mike Miles.

MEN’S LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
Len Henderson (B.C. - Pemberton) vs. Kevin Brakefield (Alberta - Mike Miles Muay Thai)
Henderson came out full guns blazing in this bout. He hit Brakefield with everything but the kitchen sink. Brakefield proved he had a chin of steel and withstood the onslaught and fought back on. By round three, Henderson had slowed considerably and Brakefield was fighting back using his kicks against his foe. At the end of the fight, the bout was awarded unanimously to Henderson. “My assistant Saneh thought Kevin should have won. Under Muay Thai rules, it could have been this way, but this bout was under Kickboxing rules and as such, the correct decision was unquestionably made”, said Brakefield’s coach Mike Miles.

MEN’S SUPERLIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
Darrin Cave (B.C. - Pemberton) vs. Brett Graham (Saskatchewan - Aurora)
Both athletes had byes in their respective weight divisions. Both won their belts by walk-over but in the interest of getting some ring time both athletes decided to get into the ring and mix it up. Cave looked very strong in this bout. In the first round, the wind off of his missing punches would have knocked most people over but Graham stood in and fought to the best he could. In the second round a heavy body attack of punches put Graham down for the count and Cave won the bout.

MEN’S CRUISERWEIGHT KICKBOXING TITLE
Shane Doerksen (Saskatchewan - Aurora) vs. Kurt Krueger (Saskatchewan - Iron Fist)
In a very close fight, Doerksen conserved his energy ands took his time to score points whereas Krueger pressed forward and tried to stop his foe. Doerksen took the bout and the title by split decision.

MUAY THAI BOUTS (modified Muay Thai rulesNo elbow attacks and no knee attacks to the head)

MEN’S WELTERWEIGHT MUAY THAI CHAMPION
Phil Leier (Alberta - Mike Miles Muay Thai) vs. Nolan Herbert (Alberta - Frank Lee)
In his first Muay Thai bout, Leier looked like he was on unstable ground at the beginning of this bout. However after the first round, Leier became more confident especially in the clinch and in counter kicking. By the third round, Leier was in control of the bout until the bouts’ finish. Leier took the title by unanimous decision.

MEN’S SUPERWELTERWEIGHT MUAY THAI TITLE
Levi Kump (Alberta - Frank Lee) vs. Steve Murdoch (Alberta - Smandych)
The heavy hitting Kump could not seem to find his mark for the beginning of this round while the first timer Murdoch, answered with some good counter kicks. “Steve had a bad habit of shelling and bending forward at the same time. I spotted this and knew this was going to be trouble. I had planned to mention this to Steve in between rounds but we never got the chance. Murdoch shelled forward and brought his face right into Kumps’ heavy kick and it was all over” said Mike Miles. Kump won the title by KO at 1:34 of the first round.

MEN’S MIDDLEWEIGHT MUAY THAI TITLE
Bryan Campbell (Alberta - Mike Miles Muay Thai) vs. Leo Lofti (Manitoba - Double Dragon)
Campbell looked strong in this fight landing solid kicks and knees. Lofti had the heart of a champion, and even after being dropped hard, got up to continue. At 1:59 of the first round Campbell swarmed over the freshly fallen Lofti and dropped him hard with a solid knee attack.

MEN’S SUPERMIDDLEWIGHT MUAY THAI TITLE
Gord Anderson (Alberta - Mike Miles Muay Thai) vs. Mike Bell (Alberta - Bergeron)
A great fight to watch. Most felt Bell would easily go through his older foe. Anderson had other things in mind and shone in this bout. A solid defense combined with a good offense gave Anderson the win he needed to clinch the title and grab the 2002 Golden Gloves Title belt.

All in all a great performance and event by all the athletes who attended and entered this year’s event. Keep tuned to this page to find out when and where the 2003 WKA Canadian Golden Gloves will be taking pleace.