Favorite full-contact rules era fighter

[IcemanSK]

Yes, I know they still have Full-contact rules. But it's popularity has been diminished due to Muay Thai rules.

Having said that, who is your favorite fighter from the 80's & early 90's? And, what did you like about him/her?

I'll add mine after a while.

 

[Andrew Green]

umm... what do you mean?

Ali?

or do you mean full contact karate? Not sure I get the question here...

 

[brianlkennedy]

Benny the Jet. He was from L.A., he was tight with his family, had solid "street credentials", was funny without being obxonious, had respect for religion, and was a great dynamic fighter.

I used to have all his books. I wonder whatever happened to all those guys? Bill Wallace seems to be the only "high profile" one left.

take care,
Aging Brian
(I turn 49 next month....which is why I can remember all this!)

 

[IcemanSK]

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear, Andrew. Full-contact Rules Kickboxing (aka Full-Contact Karate) made popular on ESPN in the 80's as "PKA Full Contact Karate."

My favorites were Jean Yves Theriault & Rick Roufus. I have a lot of other favorites, but these were my main two.

 

[IcemanSK]

Benny the Jet. He was from L.A., he was tight with his family, had solid "street credentials", was funny without being obxonious, had respect for religion, and was a great dynamic fighter.

I used to have all his books. I wonder whatever happened to all those guys? Bill Wallace seems to be the only "high profile" one left.

take care,
Aging Brian
(I turn 49 next month....which is why I can remember all this!)

Benny still runs a gym here in LA. I saw him in January at his sister Lilly's funeral. She was a great fighter & a trailblazer for all female fighters. She will be missed.

 

[Hand Sword]

I liked and watched them all back in the day (as well as anything MA-lol) but I would say Marek Piotrowski. Simply due to the fact that he was this quiet, un-assuming looking dude that came onto the scene and knocked off all of the "names" at the time, one after another. I guess because I was like him and wanted to do the same thing to all of the "tough guys" around me back then

.

 

[IcemanSK]

I liked and watched them all back in the day (as well as anything MA-lol) but I would say Marek Piotrowski. Simply due to the fact that he was this quiet, un-assuming looking dude that came onto the scene and knocked off all of the "names" at the time, one after another. I guess because I was like him and wanted to do the same thing to all of the "tough guys" around me back then

.

I trained at the same gym with Marek. He was exactly as you described: A real gentleman who fought someone stole his lunch money. He is now back in Poland & running a gym of his own.

 

[Hand Sword]

Good for him. I just remember looking at him and saying look at this dude, he's going to get killed, especially fighting so and so etc.. Then...He won! Handily! I loved it! A hero for us quiet folks! I also remember the grudge that all of the "names" kept about their loss to him too, years after!

 

[RyuKyuBushi]

Kerry "Super Kicks" Roop from Rochester Hills, Michigan

 

[brianlkennedy]

I was sorry to hear about Lilly Urquidez's passing on. That is sad news.

On a kind of sidenote, it is interesting to me that a lot of "young folks" have no idea that there was full contact fighting in America before the UFC. I did a bit of western boxing/submission wrestling here in Taiwan several years ago and most of my classmates were 20-25 years old and they thought American martial arts had two phases:
The "Old Dark Ages" of No Contact point fighting Karate
and then
The "Light" of the UFC
with nothing in between. They know Bill Wallace only to the extent he was in a couple of Walker:Texas Ranger episodes, they know nothing about Joe Lewis, Benny the Jet, Monster Man Eddy or any of the mid 1970s full contact folks.

take care,
Brian

 

[oldnovice]

Thanks for this thread, IcemanSK, it definitely brings back some memories!

Karyn Turner used to promote a lot of PKA cards in Denver, and I saw Bill Wallace, Dennis Alexio, Troy Dorsey, and a whole lot more very talented fighters, in that era.

Theriault was also one of my favorites, because of his power, incredible timing, and killer instinct. Local hero, and PKA Bantamweight Champion, Felipe Garcia was also a favorite, and he fought in some great bouts here. "Bad" Brad Hefton was also one of my favorites.

I used to work out with, and spar with Chris Gallegos and his fighters. Chris was ranked 4th by the PKA in the Light Welterweight division, in 1980. One of his fighters, Ron Cisneros, fought as a PKA amateur, and then turned pro in both the PKA, and boxing. He went 14-0 as a pro boxer, before getting a title shot against then-WBA Bantamweight Champion, Richie Sandoval.

Ron wasn't ready for someone like Sandoval, and was stopped via 4th round TKO. He continued to fight for several more years, and unfortunately passed away a few years ago. His son, Mike Alvarado, is currently a pro boxer, a welterweight, who is 16-0.

 

[IcemanSK]

One of my favorite fights was Jerry Trimble vs BJ Lavota on ESPN. Trimble was a really flashy kicker (with the attitude to match). Lavota was a straight-forward blue-collar type fighter. Trimble hit Lavota with everything but the kitchen sink. Lavota kept coming forward. A spining hook kick open a huge cut on Lavota's nose. The follow-up straight right hand broke his nose wide open. Lavota kept coming! The only reason the ref waed it off was the blood. Lavota would have fought like that all day. He didn't seem the least bit hurt!

Years later, I ran into Lavota at a fight & asked him about it. He said that Trimble was sticking his tongue out at Lavota the whole fight. " I wanted to rip his tongue out & hang it on my wall," Lavota told me. He said his adrenialine was pumping so much that he didn't feel the pain until the next day.

 

[LegLockGuy]

I cna't believe no one (except for oldnovice) mentioned Dennis Alexio. He is very underrated. I belive he is not recognized much because of the leg break he recieved from Stan Longinidis. The guy had a great record, and mixed punching and kicking techniques very nicely. He had a cool attitudem and a cool mullet to boot.

Rick Roufus is definatly awesome. Even at the old age he is, he stills fights in Shin Do Kumate and K-1 occasionally.

Also mentioned Don Wilson, Benny Urquidez, Bill Wallace, and Chuck Norris.

 

[Andrew Green]

On a kind of sidenote, it is interesting to me that a lot of "young folks" have no idea that there was full contact fighting in America before the UFC.

I wouldn't use that name... Maybe thats just me. Full contact covers a wide spectrum. Boxing, Muay Thai, Knockdown, American Kickboxing, TKD, etc.

Don't know why, but I could never get into American Kickboxing as a sport.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Jean Yves Theriault because of his pressure no nonsence in your face style.

 

[oldnovice]

Searching through Youtube, I found this clip of the Blinky Rodriguez-Jean Yves Theriault fight. This was early in Theriault's career, and Blinky really clocked him. www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=+site:www.youtube.com+jean+yves+theriault+youtube

Blinky (husband of the late Lilly Rodriguez) was one tough cookie. He nearly knocked out Bill Wallace with that killer left hook, in a bout that Wallace won by decision.

 

[frank raud]

Definitely Jean-Yves, hometown hero and kickboxing instructor at my dojo.

 

[IcemanSK]

Searching through Youtube, I found this clip of the Blinky Rodriguez-Jean Yves Theriault fight. This was early in Theriault's career, and Blinky really clocked him. www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=+site:www.youtube.com+jean+yves+theriault+youtube

Blinky (husband of the late Lilly Rodriguez) was one tough cookie. He nearly knocked out Bill Wallace with that killer left hook, in a bout that Wallace won by decision.

As nice a guy as Blinky is outside the ring, I wouldn't want to meet him in the ring to this day. He's older & slower: but he can still bang!

 

[oldnovice]

As nice a guy as Blinky is outside the ring, I wouldn't want to meet him in the ring to this day. He's older & slower: but he can still bang!

I am in complete agreement, Iceman!

 

[Tong Po]

Benny still runs a gym here in LA. I saw him in January at his sister Lilly's funeral. She was a great fighter & a trailblazer for all female fighters. She will be missed.

Benny "The Jet" Urquidez was awesome but my all time favorite will always be Dennis Alexio.

Is the Jet Center still open??? I checked the website recently then made drive out to North Hollywood and it was closed/gutted. The phone number goes to a voice mail for the Jet Center. Do you know if the gym is closed for good or did he move to a new location???