Hello KickBoxing Fans - April 13th 2003

Got any news kickboxing? If so, please email it to - prokick@group.tm

Mania TV Update Billy Murray received confirmation from Eurosport this week of the schedule for his kickboxing Mania programmes. This comes after the top promoter sealed a deal at the end of last month with the sporting TV giant. He has now confirmed that footage from Kickboxing Mania 1, 2, & 3 will be broadcast in a two-hour programme on Friday 2nd May between 9.15pm – 11.15pm. Kickboxing Mania 4 & 5 will go out at 9.15pm on Friday 23rd May also over two hours and on Saturday 7th June their will be a two hour live special from Kickboxing Mania 6 at the Ulster Hall, Belfast. Mania 6 is due to boast six World title fights covering all three disciplines, Full-Contact, Muay Thai & Freestyle kickboxing plus a full support card. All three programmes will be broadcast to a staggering, fifty-three countries throughout Europe on Eurosport in thirteen different languages. Murray is delighted with the news last week and said he is not going to stop at Eurosport. “Eurosport pretty much covers all of Europe, but I am now concentrating on moving the programmes onto other networks in the other five continents” said the jubilant Murray. The retired four times World Champion has already been in negotiations with Fox TV after meeting with them in New York last month and has started all but sealed TSN Sports Network in Canada. Keep tuned for further details including ticket information and the full fight card.

Post Tenebras Cup Switzerland Irish Light Middleweight champion Nick Baird has been offered a fight on the closing show of Europe’s biggest kickboxing festival. The Post Tenebras Cup is a three day event held in Geneva in which sees all forms of Martial arts demonstrated and competed. Each Year the event is closed with a series of Full-Contact kickboxing bouts including a World title fight. Nick won’t be competing for World glory just yet, however the Saintfield man who fights out of Billy Murray’s Prokick gym could be in the fight of his life. The fight offered is against Jean-Philippe whom ‘Bad Boy’ Kenny Bishop also of Murray’s camp fought and beat two years ago. Bishop has since hung up his gloves due to work commitments. If Baird accept this invitation and wins it would boost the Saintfield man right up the European Rankings and closer to a possible European title shot. However, coach Murray isn’t sure the fight is right at this time. “Nick is extremely talented and has the credentials to go all the way to the top, but it may be too soon for him to take on a fighter of Jean-Philippe ‘s calibre. We haven’t made a decision just yet but Nick’s training and sparring is going very well ”. The WKN who sanction the kickboxing bouts at the Tenebras Cup approached Murray after being impressed with Baird’s performance in France a fortnight ago. Details of the bout will be confirmed by next week.

PAUL'S BACK ON A KNIFE EDGE There's no stopping the Kilkenny express. Married just a fortnight and he's on the move - As reported in Forkicks earlier this month Paul Cummins finally married his long term fiancée Patsy - the big day hung in a balance to his unbeaten kickboxer when the undefeated world champion agreed to a bout in Norway just a few days before they were to be wed. Well he's of again this this to France were he will face unbeaten star LOMBARDO and if that's not enough its at a heavier division, perhaps that's down to Patsy's cooking?

Ladies Rumble Stumbled Last week we released details that Belfast’s Andrea McAllister and Galway’s former Featherweight Irish champion Amy Charles were to have a rematch showdown for the Super-Bantamweight Irish title. The two met in the last ‘Rumble in the Bay’ in Galway in March when Charles sneaked a points victory in their two round contest. The bout has been postponed from the Scheduled event on May 4th due to McAllister suffering from a kidney infection. The 22 year old fiancée of World Champ Gary Hamilton has been suffering from the infection for a couple of weeks and had hoped it would clear up. However, her doctor has now told her she will not be fit to fight on Peter Foley's event and may even have to go into hospital for treatment. Foley now hopes to re-schedule the contest for his next show, but it could also happen in June at Kickboxing Mania VI. For tickets to ‘The Rumble in the Bay’ contact Peter Foley Tel. 0 878119227

NOADE GO Gary Noade was waiting in great anticipation this week as the British Boxing Board of Control in London were to make their decision on whether or not to issue the Downpatrick man a License to box as a professional. Noade was to utterly disappointed at the end of last week when a regional board official informed his coach Billy Murray that the board weren’t making a decision until this week. Noade who had his shoes off and ready to weigh-in for a fight on the under card of Darren Corbett’s return was devastated, but kept his head held high and fingers crossed for the decision which came on Thursday. Unfortunately for thirty-nine year old Kickboxing World Champion got the nod but wasn't in his favour. The BBB ofC refused to process his license due to his age. More details will follow shortly, but Noade’s camp are said to be appealing the decision.

New Prokick Class Prokick Gym is introducing three new beginners classes in the next couple of weeks. The first is for Adults 16+ at the Belfast Club which commences this Friday at 6pm, 25th April followed by a Junior class 6-13 years old on Saturday morning at 10am on the 26th April. Prokick Ballymena is also boasting success at the moment and a new class will be starting at the Dunclugg Community Centre in the town on Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm due to start on 23rd April. The Ballymena club also runs on a Saturday afternoon between 12.30pm – 1.30pm at the Seven Towers Leisure Centre. If you would like to get started at any of Prokick’s eleven different outlets please Tel. 028 90 651074

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