For later
1 Like
I would say some of the Karatemaniaās of the late 80ās early 90ās were better cards, especially 1, 2 & 8. many top American Kickboxers fought on them like Jean Yves Theriault, Brad Hefton, Dennis Alexio and Rick Rufous.
3 Likes
Tell me what you thought, this guy does great work.
Please watch his retrospective on Karatemania and enjoy.
Also broā¦my boy Jean Yves is a fellow Canuck do not get it twisted homie.
1 Like
The Twin Dragons - Mick and Martin McNamara. They were old school kung fu guys that actually produced some pretty good kickboxers out of their gym. Probably the best of the bunch was Paul Biafore, who fought on the Mass Destruction card, but his fight wasnāt shown on the original PPV IIRC. I think some highlights were put on the DVD. Years ago, Iām talking more than 40 years ago, these two came out in a magazine article with a no holds barred fight to the death challenge to anyone man enough to accept a fight against either one of them. Never did hear if anyone took them up on it, I doubt it. Just kind of shows how cocky these guys were. To their credit, I think one or maybe both did actually step into the ring, but were never much as far as kickboxing goes.
2 Likes
Agreed that the Karatemanias were much better events. Better talent and better promoted and organized.
KM3 with Alexio vs Rhome, Hefton vs Battarelli, Roufus vs Knorr and Kathy Long also fighting, along with KM7 with Alexio, Roufus, and Vizzio were both pretty good events. I saw both live.
IIRC, Wilson was the only fighter on the Mass Destruction card that actually got paid. Everyone else got screwed out of their purse by the promoters Scott Haddad & Phil Malonson.
2 Likes
Excellent contribution to this thread very glad I started this one from the stories garnered here.
But you are positing retrospective shit bro! Did you watch that and give it a thumbs up? His channel rules.
Very cool that you attended those fights and thanks for the bit about the Mcnamara bros.
Crafty Don Wilson reportedly knew from being around that he best get his purse up front because something was rotten here and sure enough.
How long did Vizzio go for? What a machine he was early forties in the PKA, fought for them for 17 years or so.
1 Like
I didnāt watch the fights on the YT channel posted above. I bought the original PPV and taped it when it happened and I also purchased the DVD when it became available later on.
Iām wrong about Vizzio being on KM7. Iām confusing it with KM8 where he fought Juan Torres. It was actually Torres vs Jorge Angat on the KM7 card at Lake Tahoe. Theriault was supposed to be on the KM7 card as well, but he broke his hand before the fight and was there as an announcer. Remember Roufus going after him at the announcerās table ?
1 Like
Certainly then they fought in Montreal afterwards correct?
They did. What was incredible was the fact that Roufus, in about a 2 month time span, KOād Mike McDonald at KM7. Then 2 weeks later he went to France and KOād Rob Kaman and then fought Theriault about 6 weeks or so after Kaman.
4 Likes
Yea both men leading up to this in that above the waist era had a great run.
Lets also include the two wins over Manson Gibson and a win over Ernesto Hoost leading up to the Jean Yves Theriault showdown in Montreal.
Meanwhile Theriault has two wins over Ernesto Hoost, two stoppage victories over Bob Thurman aswell as wins over Mark Longo and Rodney Batiste.