SELECTED EVENTS 2008






FISTS OF FURY # 4 (Medicine Hat, Canada) - March 29th, 2008

Shayne Morgan and Kim Morris produced another top notch amateur Muay Thai and Kickboxing event in Medicine Hat on March 29th, 2008. Their biggest crowd yet turned out to support the event and witness the return to the ring of longtime hometown favorite Jessica Gladstone. Also of interest was promoter Shayne Morgan stepping back into the ring to compete.

MAIN EVENT
Quiet, humble, polite, yet confident in her abilities, Jessica Gladstone has not been in the ring for years. Having left Medicine Hat years ago, she moved to Calgary and abandoned her training. In the last few months, she met with and now trains with equally quiet and humble, Kru Trevor Smandych. Originally just wanting to stay in shape, Jessica had the fight bug bite her again. At the behest of her former coach and promoter of this event Shayne Morgan, Jessica was invited to step into the ring as the main event on this fight card. Tickets were sold at a frenzied pace for Jessica's return to the Medicine Hat event.

Standing across the ring from Gladstone was Airdrie's Lesley Tozer. Employed as a fitness instructor, and a few months shy of her fortieth birthday, she (and her trainers) have promoted and projected Lesley as a 'world class (and/or world ranked) female Muay Thai athlete'. The problem with this claim is that it lacks substance and is insulting to those female athletes who have spent years training, learning the ropes and fighting on the international stage. Canada is home to many world class female athletes in Muay Thai. Athletes who HAVE paid their dues through years of hard work and competition. Athletes like Toronto's Melissa Misiuda, Vancouver's Julia Budd, Calgary's Erin Linley, Sandra Bastian, Misty Sutherland, Shelley Evans and Victoria's Keri Crothers (to name a few). All of the aforementioned have fought internationally with some of the best female athletes in the world. Tozer on the other hand has only fought once in the ring prior to the meeting with Gladstone and it was only against a Canadian girl. So many have wondered how an athlete who is basically a rank beginner in the fight game, is suddenly a 'world class Muay Thai athlete'? One would think that as a rank beginner, one would build on it to become a better athlete.

Gladstone, who has never fought any international athletes, stood across the ring (from Tozer) prepared for the match all had come to see. Tozer's camp had boasted claims (to the Smandych Camp) that Gladstone would not complete the first round and that she would be totally outclassed. Once the bell rung, it was a completely one sided bout alright, but with Gladstone in command. Gladstone pounced and using crisp punches connected at will on Tozer's face. An even bigger surprise was that Tozer had little clinch skills (surprising as her coach claims to favor the clinch). Even more surprising was that Gladstone (known previously for her hand skills) used the clinch and her kicking skills to further dominate the fight. Approximately, one minute and fifty seconds into the first round, with Tozer laying hunched over on the ropes in her corner, the referee stopped the one sided affair. Tozer was to end up with a broken nose and two cracked ribs. Proving beyond a doubt that if any athlete in the ring at that moment deserving to break into the world circuit, it was Gladstone with an impressive TKO. Even as such, Gladstone still understands there is a long road ahead in refining her skills to become a world class athlete. "Watching Jessica fight reminded me of Erin Linley", beamed Trevor Smandych. A huge compliment for sure.

Above Photo: Jessica Gladstone (right) in full swing during the bout. Dominating the clinch and handily overwhelming a stunned Lesley Tozer. (Photo courtesy Michelle Easton)

Above Photo: Full of fire and pride, Jessica Gladstone demonstrates why she has always been a hometown favorite in Medicine Hat. The hard punching Bantamweight lets fly with a huge left hook. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Easton)

Above Photo: A picture perfect left roundhouse kick from Jessica Gladstone (left) catches Lesley Tozer on the nose. An interesting bock attempt by Tozer. (Photo courtesy of Jerry Zazula)

Above Photo: Jessica Gladstone (left) just a moment after intercepting Lesley Tozer's attack with a punch. The whole fight was Gladstone fast and furious while Tozer stalled on the blocks. (Photo courtesy of Jerry Zazula)

Left Photo: Jessica Gladstone (left) revels in the moment of victory. Lesley Tozer looks on with a broken nose and bloodied face. (Photo courtesy of Jerry Zazula)

Under card Results
Kickboxing
Iain Darley vs. Shayne Morgan
SHAYNE MORGAN wins the decision.

Modified Muay Thai
Troy Kulasakere vs. Vincent Hamm
TROY KULASAKERE wins the decision over VINCENT HAMM.

Modified Muay Thai
Kelly Lalonde vs. Ian Hildebrand
KELLY LALONDE defeats IAN HILDEBRANDT by decision.

Kickboxing
Jason Ungar vs. Brian Adolf
JASON UNGER defeats BRIAN ADOLF by TKO.

Kickboxing
Roger Redoble Jr vs. T. J. Dubas
ROGER REDOBLE JR. wins a close decision over T.J. DUBAS.

Modified Muay Thai
Christine Blanchette vs. Melissa Reaume
MELISSA REAUME wins a close decision over CHRISTINE BLANCHETTE.

Kickboxing
Chris Brown vs. Stuart Bonneville
CHRIS BROWN defeats STUART BONNEVILLE.

Modified Muay Thai
Chris McMillan vs. Chris Moir
CHRIS MCMILLAN defeats CHRIS MOIR by decision.

Modified Muay Thai
Dan DeBrocke vs. Richard Roloson
DAN DEBROCKE defeated RICHARD ROLOSEN by TKO.

Modified Muay Thai
Ian Stewart vs. Danny Rodriquez
DANNY RODRIGUEZ wins by unanimous decision over IAN STEWART.

Kickboxing
Anson Pops vs. Dwain Soon
ANSON POPS defeats DWAIN SOON by decision.