Schlagwort: Brussel

Aerts received a fitting standing ovation for his ring walk as the main atttraction on IT’S SHOWTIME editions 57 and 58 – sponsored by Music Hall and BFN Group – at Forest National.

But victory escaped him on a night when IT’S SHOWTIME announced the groundbreaking news they have sold their company to Glory as Spong recovered from a slow start to drop him with a right hook which landed high to the side of the head.

Aerts rose at the count of six but referee Joop Ubeda waved the contest off after deciding the Dutch Lumberjack was not in a fit state to fight on.

“I had the feeling I could continue,” said Aerts after the fight. “It was the last round and there was maybe one minute left.

“I think I was ahead on points at the time, and in the second round I caught him and he was dizzy.

“Of course it’s not the result I wanted, but I asked straight after for a rematch and hopefully it can be arranged.”

Aerts outworked a sluggish Spong in the first round despite being on the back foot for most of it, although the second session was a lot more competitive.

Spong stepped on the gas in the third and landed a right to the chin which froze Aerts on the spot, then delivered the decisive blow after backing him to the ropes near a neutral corner.

Andy Souwer won widely on points to end Chris Ngimbi’s reign as the IT’S SHOWTIME 70kg MAX champion, although one judge bizarrely scored the five-round fight a draw.

Ngimbi held his own in the first round but Souwer held all of the aces after that, proving the more active and diverse of the two with boxing combinations, knees and low and high kicks.

“I think maybe one round was even and I took every other round, even though one judge didn’t agree,” Souwer said.

“But I don’t care about that , I won and never got into problems. It’s another title for my two sons.”

In the night’s other title fight, Danyo Ilunga retained the IT’S SHOWTIME 95kg MAX belt on points after an entertaining battle with Belgian Filip Verlinden.

Verlinden staggered the defending champion with a first round knee but Ilunga recovered quickly, setting a high tempo with his hands.

Tall and rangy, Verlinden kept pitching in and the crowd got right into the action as he clipped Ilunga with a high kick and the pair went toe to toe in a rousing finale.

Heavyweights banged it out in three of the most enthralling fights, with Daniel Ghita thrilling the Belgian audience with a two-round annihilation of Bosnia’s brave Dzevad Poturak.

Poturak came to fight but Ghita showed exactly why many kicboxing fans think he is the best big man in the world right now with a ruthless display of body kicking.

The Romanian dropped Poturak twice in the opening round with sickening rib kicks and put him down for the count with another booming shin to the midsection.

Ghita’s former teammate Mourad Bouzidi scored the most dramatic single-shot finish of the night – a gruesome second round broken nose stoppage of Rustemi Kreshnik.

New father Bouzidi had lost to Kreshnik previously but made amends big time as the Albanian switch hitter ducked into a right knee which not only flattened his nose, but spread it in about five different directions as well.

Much-improved Rico Verhoeven showed his narrow points win in Romania over Hesdy Gerges was no fluke as he floored the former IT’S SHOWTIME super heavyweight champion with a first round right hand on the way to a unanimous points victory.

Gerges suffered a suspected broken right hand at the end of the second round and had to use his left exclusively in the third.

The last time Robin van Roosmalen fought at Forest National he left the arena as the Fast and Furious tournament champion after three dynamic performances.

But he was on on the wrong end of an upset on this occasion as late replacement Hafid El Boustati ripped open his left eye with a second round knee, forcing a stoppage on the ringside doctor’s advice.

Armenia’s Marat Grigorian produced one of the evening’s most dynamic performances as he outscored Moroccan prospect Aziz Kallah.

Kallah had to be respected in the first round as he let fly with jumping knees, but Grigorian kept the pace and pressure high as he raced away after that, leaving Kallah marked up under his left eye.

Surinam’s Andy Ristie is one of the best up and coming fighters in the 70kg division and supplied further evidence of his potential with a first round mugging of Samir Djabba.

Ristie wasted no time in dropping bombs from all angles on the Frenchman and the fight was all over in about a minute.

Other main card results: Sonny Dagraed beat Fatih Ozkan, points; Duoli Chen beat Vahap Ozdemir points; Robbie Hageman beat Mandela Antone, points.
Pre-programme results – Cankurtaranoglu Cenk beat Vincent Gloris, points; Kirk Krouba beat Bertran Bertoni, third round retirement; Thomas Vanneste beat Yassine Bouanan, tko 2; Cedric de Keirsmaecker beat Perego Leftero, tko 2; Jahfarr Wilnis beat Sam Tevette, ko 3.
 
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ON the Glory deal, IT’S SHOWTIME CEO Simon Rutz said: “For many years our companies have been fighting each other, having a war of words.

“War, most of the time, is never good. The war stops now. We have sold our company to Glory.

“The reson why is that I strongly believe that Glory is the future. Glory has all of the elements to be number one in the world fighting business.

“Everybody wants to see the best fighters in the world in one team, and now we have it.

“It wasn’t good that we had two competing organisations – 50% of the fighters fighting here, 50% there.

“Now we have the best fighters and the best promoters in the world, and the best audience.

“What was also important was that we found good investors, and now we have that.

“I understand that some people will be wondering what is going on with all of this news.

“But believe me, this is the biggest step in kickboxing history.

“From this moment on, we will see the best fighters fighting each other and not in competition.

“I’m really proud that we can form what I believe will be the best company in world kickboxing history.”

Bas Boon, president of Glory Sports and Golden Glory, added: “We have the best fighters, period. Glory will set a new standard in the kickboxing world.

“I have to especially thank Pierre Andrade, the chairman of investors for making all of this possible.

“Watch out for some spectacular fights in future.”
 
(SOURCE ADAM STEEL VIA BEN PONTIER)