SELECTED PREVIOUS EVENTS 2002


Results - Updated April 29th, 2002


CLASH OF THE TITANS - (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) April 27th, 2002

“T.N.T. Packs a Punch!”



Mike Miles and Mike Miles Promotions put together the first big card of the year on April 27th. The event was billed as the ‘Clash of the Titans’. A screaming crowd of over 4000+ people came to witness Calgary’s biggest fight event in recent memory. The event took place at the prestigious Calgary Stampede Corral on the world famous Stampede Grounds. The show was being recorded for both Canada’s national sports network - TSN as well as for Bell ExpressVu on pay- per-view. Media support, sponsor support and spectator support were at their peak to see Canada’s best take on athletes from around the world under full Muay Thai rules, modified Muay Thai rules and Kickboxing (low kick) rules bouts..

The main event featured Canada’s Trevor ‘T.N.T.’ Smandych (Mike Miles Muay Thai) stepping into the ring against Japan’s Atsushi ‘Magician’ Otsuki. The Japanese athlete made his entrance calmly and cooly wearing shades looking like he was right out of a gangster movie. The Calgary audience greeted the athlete very warmly. Smandych made his way to the ring on the back of a Harley Davidson to a deafening roar of approval from the audience. Enough with the Hollywood...

The bout was an international prestige bout using full Muay Thai rules. As the Wai Kru/Ram Muay music played, Smandych started his ceremonial dance. The Japanese fighter stood in his corner and calmly shadow boxed. When Smandych went to his knees and continued with his prefight opening, the Japanese fighter stood in front of Smandych and started lifting his leg and pounding the canvas like a sumo wrestler. The audience started jeering the Japanese fighter who started playing it for all it was worth. Smandych continued with his warm up while the Japanese athlete further encouraged more jeers and participation from the audience. Smandych looked a little perturbed at first but once his pre fight ritual was complete, it was obvious that the wick was lit, and ‘T.N.T.’ was set to explode.

The opening of the first round had the Japanese athlete forego a feeling out round and jump in and attack the Canadian with some heavy punches and heavy kicks. Otsuki used a bouncing rhythm while Smandych calmly took his time to test the waters and see what the Japanese athlete had and how he was going to move. Otsuki, trained by the legendary Japanese Muay Thai Champion Fujiwara, seemed to be getting his way, attacking when he wanted with little opposition, though not landing any blow cleanly. Smandych then started countering with some very heavy and fast roundhouse kicks to the body and the leg. This seemed to take away a little of the bounce in Otsuki’s legs. In the middle of the bout, Smandych delivered a roundhouse at the head of the Japanese athlete who moved out of the way of the kick and rushed in to counter. While charging in, Smandych changed the roundhouse to a side teep (without letting it touch the ground) and it landed squarely on the stomach of Otsuki. The Japanese was hurt. Smandych capitalized and immediately rushed in at his hurt opponent and delivered a high roundhouse kick dropping the Japanese to the canvas. The count started and Otsuki was back up quickly, though on wobbly legs when the bell went finishing the first round.

In the second round, both athletes exchanged but the Canadian was more successful. Otsuki tried to land some elbows and knees but Smandych calmly avoided the blows. Pressuring Otsuki backwards, Smandych delivered another high roundhouse kick to the neck of his foe. It landed cleanly and the Japanese went down and was out. The referee stopped the fight as the doctor ran to the downed Japanese athlete. The crowd went crazy and Smandych won the bout by second round kick knock out. “I know my coach wanted me to use more elbows and knees but things did not work out that way for this fight”, said Smandych. The Canadian now sets his sights on a fight in September and another in November.

The undercard featured a co-semi main event. Canada’s Erin ‘Nitro’ Linley and Jason ‘Raptor’ Jillain stepped into the ring against 2 Japanese athletes, Shiho ‘Gorgeous’ Yakoto and Tomohiro ‘Fire’ Chiba respectively.

Shiho Yakoto, also trained by the legendary Japanese Muay Thai athlete Fujiwara, was the first athlete to enter the ring. Erin Linley (Mike Miles Muay Thai) then stepped into the ring to the deafening support of the Canadian fans. Linley had wanted to pass on this bout due to an injury she received five weeks leading into the match. Unfortunately, no replacement for Linley could be found and she was taking this bout with a broken toe. Topping this off was the fact that this was the first time in Canadian history (North American history?) that two females were going to compete in a full Muay Thai rules bout allowing knees to the head and elbow attacks. Linley was not going to disappoint, injured or not. The adrenalin was pumping as Linley went to work, punching, kneeing, elbowing and kicking her foe from every possible angle and to every available target. The taller Japanese girl gave it her best shot but could not keep up with the ever pressing and defensively sound Linley. The bout was stopped in the third round with Linley winning by TKO. In celebration, Linley did an aerial jump... on a broken toe. After the show (and after the adrenalin stopped pumping), Linley was seen limping around on her foot, though wearing a big smile. Linley now sets her sights on Bangkok and the ‘King’s Cup’.

In the second co-semi main event, Jason Jillain (Mike Miles Muay Thai) squared off against Japan’s Tomohiro Chiba. Jillain was just getting over a disappointing performance at the K-1 Middleweight Tournament in Denver Colorado. Jillain was stopped by American Ole Laursen before getting a chance to get going in that encounter. Many wondered as perhaps did Jillain about how the demon (Laursen’s punch) might have been playing in the back of his mind. Once the bout started, it was obvious Jillain was not worried about the outcome of his last bout. Jillain pressed the bout from the opening bell with a steady but demanding work rate. The first three rounds had Jillain controlling the bout with tremendous teep kicks. At the fourth round, the Japanese athlete seemed to be making somewhat of a comeback though Jillain fought back effectively. In the fifth round, Chiba came alive and pressed Jillain hard. “Going into the fourth round, I thought it was the fifth so I gave it everything I had. I was surprised and very tired finding out I still had a round to go”, said the Canadian athlete. Jillain was to take the bout by unanimous decision. “He kept up a tremendous work rate and he re-established his confidence tonight”, said coach Mike Miles. “Jillain looked very good!”

The under card featured the following results:

Many felt that the fight of the night in terms of excitement and audience participation was for the vacant WKA Women’s Canadian Middleweight Kickboxing Title. Calgary’s Rayelene Kellock (Mike Miles Muay Thai) took on Pemberton, B.C.’s Robin Miller. What a war this turned out to be. Miller used her hands to deliver some excellent boxing combinations while Kellock used a combination of kicks and counter punches. From the first round to the fifth, Miller was covered in her own blood due to Kellock’s heavy and accurate counter punching ability. Low kicks were crippling up Miller’s ability to move and to use leverage in her own boxing blows. To Miller’s credit, she took the heavy low kicks and stayed very competitive and fought valiantly in the fight catching Kellock with some text book counter uppercuts and crosses. However due to her heavy and successful work rate, Kellock emerged victorious with an unanimous decision and the title.

Pine Fall’s Canadian athlete Larry Sharpe stepped into the ring against Mexican athlete Adolfo Lozano. The bout was for the WKA North American Supermiddleweight full Muay Thai rules Title. In the first round, Lozano used his broken rhythm to throw the Canadian off of his game plan. Lozano was attacking with different weapons from every angle and this seemed to confuse Sharpe. Falling into a clinch, Lozano delivered a jump knee to the face of Sharpe who went down hard. Sharpe got up and beat the count but was definitely still on queer street. To his credit, he managed to survive to the end of the round. In the second round, Sharpe had regained his senses and he started answering the Mexican’s attacks with strong counters. Forcing Lozano into the corner, the Mexican went to the clinch. Sharpe pressed forward and landed four heavy successive left body hooks to the belly of the Mexican. Lozano went down and did not beat the count. Sharpe had proverbially “pulled it out of the hat” and won the bout and the vacant title by second round TKO. “I felt the bout should have been stoppped after Larry’s first knockdown for his own safety. He was defintely hurt and was fighting on instinct. However, he proved me wrong and won the bout. What a warrior! Congratulations Larry and I am glad they did not stop the bout”, said Mike Miles.

Lethbridge, Canada’s Brad Wall (PFA) squared off against American Jeff Hougland in a full Muay Thai rules bout. Wall pressed the fight throughout it’s duration landing some excellent kicks and knees during the clinch. Wall won the bout by unanimous decision and looked very strong and capable during the process.

Calgary’s Sokhim ‘The Machine’ Or (Mike Miles Muay Thai) stepped into the ring against last minute replacement Derrick Chu from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Or was originally slated to fight California’s Ira Myrick who had to withdraw at the last minute due to a work related injury. Chu was in shape as he had just won a bout by KO a few weeks earlier and he was preparing for another upcoming bout when he took the bout with Or. Chu had a definite height and weight advantage. Or had to move in and bridge the gap and while doing so in the first round he was sat down by a long but quick right hand. Beating the count, Or made it to the end of the round. In the second round, Or fought carefully and slowly, measuring his opponent and making sure he did not get caught by anymore strong punches. In the third round, Or was to turn things around and he dropped Chu to win the bout by punch knock out.

Calgary’s Jesse Miles (son of coach and promoter Mike Miles / Mike Miles Muay Thai), made his first appearance into the ring after a four year absence. His opponent was Winnipeg’s Derrick Harris. The taller Harris tried to use his range while pressing and forcing his shorter foe Miles backwards. As soon as Miles was backed onto the ropes, he immediately let fly with a short right hand which dropped Harris to the canvas. Harris beat the count but Miles smelled blood. As soon as the bout continued, Miles faked a body shot and came over with a right hand followed by a flurry which put Harris down and out for the count. Miles won the bout by first round KO.

Canada’s Darrin Cave seemed somewhat intimidated against American foe Maurice Hooks in this international prestige superlightheavyweight Kickboxing rules bout. Unfortunately, the chants of “Canada, Canada” were not enough for Cave to get by the cagey Californian who won by unanimous decision.

The first title fight of the event was for the vacant CMTC Canadian Superlightheavyweight Muay Thai Title. The bout was fought under modified Muay Thai rules. Edmonton’s Steve Bergeron stepped into the ring against journeyman athlete Dave Robson. In this bout, it was Robson all the way, outworking Bergeron to the fifth and final bell, winning the title.

Calgary’s Phil Leier (Mike Miles Muay Thai) made his first foray into Kickboxing’s big time. Unfortunately it was a very short bout with Leier being dropped three times in the first round to an older and heavier athlete from Winnipeg, Leo Lofti. “Phil was too busy listening to the crowd. He should have took his time and listened to what I was telling him. Oh well, this comes with maturity as a fighter gets more experience”, said coach Mike Miles.

Winnipeg’s Joey Strongquill had his hands full stepping into the ring with the far taller William Etzler. Strongquill demonstrated exceptional heart pressing his American foe backwards and outworking him in the clinch. Many felt the Canadian athlete won, but the judges saw it differently giving the nod to the American Etzler.

Toronto’s Derek LaDouceur stepped into the ring with American Chris Gomes from Bob Karmel’s Back Alley Gym in Arizona. Gomes came out and threw everything he had with his hands and though LaDouceur tried to fight back from being knocked down several times, Gomes kept landing big bombs which eventually saw the bout stopped by first round TKO (due to the three knockdown rule). Gomes said, “I knew it was difficult to breathe here, so I made the decision to give it everything I had as I knew I would probably not be able to make the distance. It worked!”

Mike Miles now steps back to set up two more major fight events for 2002. “I am busy match-making international fighters with athletes from across Canada for these next two big events. The shows keep getting bigger and better. It is great to see so much great Canadian talent out there”, said Mike Miles.