New Breed Event - Videos added

Gary Fullerton (ProKick NI) Vs Chris Coyle WIN PTS (Donegal Black Dragon) 

First round, both fighters came out of their corners all guns blazing. Fullerton forced a standing count to the Donegal fighter, Coyle. Second round was more evenly matched. Third round, Fullerton started as the stronger of the two and looked on his way to victory until a fast full turning back kick landed right on target to floor the East Belfast kickboxer. If you've heard the saying before, "Saved By The Bell" That's exactly what it was. Scores totted and the decision went to Chris Coyle.

Mark Baird (ProKick NI) Vs Colin O’Leary WIN PTS (Wolfpack Kickboxing Athlone)

Débutante Mark Baird faced his more experienced opponent Colin O'Leary from Wolfpack and on top of that gave nearly 3kg away in weight. A big ask for a first time fighter. Saying that, the Belfast fighter and the Athlone fighter came out swinging with good kick and punch combinations landing on target. The first round looked like O'Leary just shaded it but in the second round, Mark pushed forward and maybe nipped the round on a very evenly matched bout. It was all on the last round and the young ProKick fighter looked like he was running out of steam with the more experienced O'Leary using his knowedge to land good shots. After the judges totted up the score, they could only se it one way, in favour of O'Leary. Well done both boys.

 
Gareth Leeman (ProKick NI) WIN BY W/OVER Vs Robert Kelly (Li Ching Wu Dublin)

Young Gareth Leeman was told at the weigh in that Robert Kelly was out with a virus from the night before. He weighed in at 59kg however his replacement hit the scales at 69kg. Unfortunately that's too much of a spread even though the young East Belfast man wanted to take the match. All attempts had failed in the short period of time given to make another match, just hours before kick-off. Gareth will have to wait for his début. 

Carl Wilson (ProKick NI) Vs David Fisher WIN TKO (Black Dragon Galway)

Young Carl Wilson was hoping to rectify his defeat in Scotland 2 months ago in his first bout. Sadly this was not to be. Carl started off like a man in a Saturday night brawl and to his peril walked on to a solid hook that knocked the plans to even out his record. After a cumulation of further punches, the referee jumped in to stop the fight. Moral of this fight, stick to basics. Carl was back at the gym wanting to know when his next fight was.

Lukasz Wojslawski (ProKick NI) WIN PTS Vs Mark Tobin (Wolfpack Kickboxing Athlone) 

It was a battle of the middleweights and that started even before the first bell sounded with a stare down. All three rounds were a tit for tat battle and after the judges totted up the score they gave it in favour of Wojslawski. Well done to both kickboxers.
                                        
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Simon Turkington (ProKick NI) Vs Eoin Ryan (Li Ching Wu Dublin) - DRAW

Neither of the two were scheduled to face each other however after weight discrepancies with other fighters, the two weighed in the same and the match was made. A very even match from the sound of the bell until the very last punch was thrown. Neither judge could split them and rightly so, it would be unfair to give anyone the decision when both fighters gave their all to the last bell of the match. The judges only saw it one way, and that was a draw. A great display of courage, fitness and technique for the two débutantes. It was exactly what a match should be for two novice fighters with no fight experience.

Lubo Klizan (ProKick NI) Vs Ian Doody WIN BY W/OVER (Li Ching Wu Dublin)

One of ProKick's fighters Lubo Klizan was out with a shoulder injury. It was a reocurring injury every other week, his shoulder would dislocate during training. In the final training sessions leading up to the event his shoulder popped. The team waited to see if it would be healed in time, unfortunately it wasn't. Ian Doody wins by walk over.

Chris Carlisle (ProKick NI) Vs Martin Greaney WIN TKO (Ken Horan Galway)

Battle of the welterweights. Chris started off well using his long front kicks. It wasn't long before Greaney closed him down, who by the way had his first fight just two days before this event at a charity do which he won on a points decision. Well done Martin. Back to this fight, the extra confidence of his win in Dublin spurred him on with the Galwegian landing some powerful left hand southpaw punches that shook Carlisle to his boots. That forced the referee to call a halt to the fight close to the end of the first round. Well done to Greaney.

Andrew Mercer (ProKick NI) Vs Paddy Sheriff WIN RSF(Wolfpack Kickboxing Athlone)

It wasn't Andrew Mercer's night and I'm sure he would have preferred to be somewhere else as Sheriff laid down the law from the first bell and gave Mercer no time to settle into his début. Mercer did his best to fight back at one stage forcing Sheriff to the corner but there was no denying the more experienced Athlone fighter success on the New Breed event. The referee, Scotland's Gary Langford stopped the proceedings after instruction from the ProKick corner. Well done guys, we hope you enjoyed the experience and the old saying goes, Hands up, chin down. Hope to see you both back in the ring soon.

Jonny Ogilvie (ProKick NI) Vs John Cowley WIN PTS (WKA - Waterford) 

Ogilvie's original opponent had withdrawn the night before due to an illness and was meant to be another Waterford débutante from Billy O'Sullivan's gym. O'Sullivan changed the opponent's name to Cowley at the last minute after searching for another fighter to help the event out. Cowley was also a débutante but certainly didn't fight like one. But neither did Ogilvie. Both men gave their all and the third and final round was the deciding factor as the Waterford fighter was the fitter and more prepared for the ring, catching the Newtownabbey fighter with some serious, hard shots giving the referee no choice to administer a standing count in the final round leaving the judges no choice but to declare the winner from the away team. Great little scrap.

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James Boyd (ProKick NI) WIN PTS Vs David Cunniffie (Wolfpack Kickboxing Athlone)

Two heavyweight débutantes opened their accounts in the honourable art of kickboxing. It was a three round technical battle with James using more kicks and the David using more hands. It was the same for all three rounds with the Belfast fighter just edging on the side of fitness and kickboxing technique that swayed the judges to give a unanimous decision in favour of ProKick fighter Boyd.

  
Robert Ferris (ProKick NI) Vs Kris Rakus (Ken Horan Galway) - DRAW

When you looked at the stature of the two fighters, you would have though there was a massive weight difference but their wasn't as they weighed in with just 1kg between them. Rakus was more athletically built and taller and Ferris was shorter and stockier. For the first round, Ferris took everything that was thrown at him and more. Ferris also dropped 4 kicks in the first round. Second round was a different story where the ProKick fighter pushed forward to the three fight veteran getting off his required 8 kicks and more than the 4 he needed. He put Rakus under pressure on a few occasions and when he finally closed him down and looked like he was about to stop him any minute. The third round, the fitter fighter, Rakus pushed forward and out worked the shorter, stockier man on the legs but Ferris countered well with the hands. At the end of the match, the judges couldn't split them and called a draw.  

Alex Ciocoi (ProKick NI) - WIN BY W/OVER 

Alex Ciocoi unfortunately didn't fight as his opponent weighed in 6kg over the agreed weight and therefore won by walk-over. Luckily the ProKick fighter, fighting out of Belfast but originally from Romania, had his début bout two weeks ago in Glasgow, Scotland when he stopped his opponent in the third round. 

Paul Best (ProKick NI) Vs James Gillen (ProKick NI) - HEAVYWEIGHT DEMO

Unfortunately for Paul Best his opponent pulled out a few days ahead of the event. All efforts were made to try and replace him but to no avail. Fortunately for him he was matched on a Dublin show two days before this event and got his ring début winning by stoppage in the first round. Big James Gillen helped the former rugby player to do a round to satisfy his adoring fans. 

    LadyKillers

We had a section on the fight card that was devoted to the ladies. Tomorrow we will give you an individual summary on how all the débutant ladies favoured. The only one with a little bit of experience was Urusla Agnew from the ProKick side.  

Amy-Lee Tonner (ProKick NI) Vs Zahra Archeball (Ken Horan Galway) - DRAW (DEMO)
Sarah Floyd (ProKick NI) Vs Deirdre Newell WIN RSF(Ken Horan Galway)
Nuala Ward (ProKick NI) Vs Yvonne McNevin WIN PTS (Black Dragon Galway)
Stefanie McMullen (ProKick NI) WIN RSF Vs Danielle McLaughlin (FreestyleDragons Belfast)
Ursula Agnew (ProKick NI) Vs Donna Larkin WIN PTS (Black Dragon Galway)

     Pro-Amateur

This section of the fight card was for fighters with a little bit more experience and in some cases a lot of experience. 

Stuart Jess (ProKick NI) Vs Daryl Orr WIN PTS (Donegal Black Dragon)

The match was set at 66kg under Full-Contact rules. It was a hard fought fight with both fighters showing signs of their experience. Orr was definately the cleaner kicker and at one stage rocked the Saintfield fighter with a kick to the head. Jess did what he does best, putting pressure on and throwing punches. It wasn't until the closing stages of the third round where he landed a couple of telling blows. The judges gave it in favour of the Donegal Black Dragon fighter for his cleaner and more effective work. 

Karl McBlain (ProKick NI) WIN PTS Vs Stephen Dent (Li Ching Wu Dublin)

At the weigh-in there was only 1kg of a difference between the 2 young fighters. From round one McBlain put the pressure on throwing some very hard combinations and at stages you were just waiting on the referee to jump in and administer a standing count but saying that, the young Li Ching Wu fighter came back with his own combinations. This was the story of all three rounds and at the end of it the judges gave it towards the Belfast fighter. A fantastic fight by both the young kickboxers and hopefully both of them will go from strength to strength.

Johnny Smith(ProKick NI) WIN PTS Vs Bryan Merrigan (Black Dragon Galway)

This bout really got the Hilton Hotel audience rocking right from the off. Two different stylists, Smith with a more conventional kickboxing style and a more Thai oriented 'Tong-Po' style kickboxer in the shape of Bryan Merrigan. Some nice action in the first round with nice exchanges of kicks and knee strikes with Smith forcing a standing count with a fast harp punch combination. In the second round it was much of the same, both fighters going for it and showing a good variety of technique. At the end of the second round, right on the bell it looked like Smith was caught with a punch that took him to the canvas (we are currently in the process of reviewing the video evidence) however there was no count given as the referee Gary Langofrd thought that is was after the bell. Lucky Smith? In the third round Merrigan started fast but Smith matched him for power and speed and again a great variety of technique from both fighters. At the end of the match the judges gave it towards the Belfast fighter. Merrigan showed true sportsmanship by lifting Johnny's hand to acknowledge he was a worthy winner. 

Mark Bird (ProKick NI) Vs Charlie Ward (Black Dragon Galway) - DRAW

This was one the Belfast fight fans were waiting on as they have heard a lot about teenager Charlie Ward. He is a holder of Irish and 5 nations belts amongst others. Bird also no stranger, a popular fighter at ProKick events. First round saw Ward throw some nice, fast expected hand techniques and Bird placing his low kick less frequently but more effectively. An even round if not shaded slightly by Ward. The second round there was a little more urgency from Bird's technique placing hand foot combinations and countering that bit faster but still looked as if he wasn't out of second gear. Ward at this point was a little more on the back foot unoficially on our card we would say that the second round went to Bird. Ward scoring well again with some fast hand technique countered by Bird's low kick with a switch to high and mid kicks. It was a tit for tat battle with both fighters showing a good array of technique but still looked as if both could go up a gear. Judges couldn't split them and scored the contest a  draw. Ringsiders thought that this was a bad call and Bird was placing the better shots but they would say that as most of them were ProKickers. It was a nice technical fight and one that would warrant a re-match. The team would gladly travel to Galway for a 4 or 5 rounder. This is one that will thrill the Galway fight fans.

ProKick and Billy Murray would just like to thank all the participating teams, fight fans, helpers and organisers of the event that made it possible. This is the first time in many years that it was an all Irish fight card making some new friends from Galway, Athlone, Donegal and Dublin. As usual our fight fans were respectful to both camps and visitors and our visiting friends and supporters were equally well behaved. We would like to see you all back at another ProKick event. Last but not least we would like to thank our sponsors, Leisure Industry Academy, Shwarzkopf Professional, Company Haircutters and The Premier Gardening Company.