Sunday, 19 May 2013 20:50

For over a year now we've been hearing news of the possible retirement of Remy Bonjasky.  The 3 time K-1 Grand Prix champion started talking retirement in early 2010, citing a recurring eye injury that has required multiple surgeries and threatens his long-term vision.  He's been on the sidelines for well over a year now, having not fought since the 2009 GP, instead taking jobs as a host for It's Showtime events, a celebrity ice skater, and running his gym.

This past weekend, Kombat.ro caught up with Bonjasky at an event and asked him about his future plans.  For fans of The Flying Dutchman, the news was not good:

"It's a small chance I will return to the ring... maybe, you never know.  If the money's right, I'll be there."

Earlier this year, It's Showtime's Simon Rutz told us that he tried to set up a retirement fight for Bonjasky last year, but the money Remy asked for was too high. Since It's Showtime isn't willing to pay, and given K-1's financial troubles, I think we've likely seen the end of the line for Bonjasky.  It's a shame that he may go out without one final fight, as his last was an unimpressive, largely forgotten showing against Semmy Schilt.  Bonjasky has a lot of detractors, but he's one of K-1's all time greats, and deserves a bigger farewell.

Also of note - Bonjasky ends the interview with one more dig at his rival Badr Hari.  The interviewer asks Remy about Bogdan Stoica, who defeated Bonjasky's student at the event, saying Ray Sefo and Mighty Mo called Stoica the next Badr Hari.  Remy's response: "I hope not... he doesn't respect the rules, and I hope this guy will respect the rules."

Watch the full interview here.

Sunday, 19 May 2013 20:50

It's Showtime officially announced that Hesdy Gerges will be released tomorrow and will indeed be fighting Daniel Ghita on March 6th in Amsterdam.

Gerges was arrested because of possible involvement in a drug trafficking ring that included his half brother Ashraf.

Throughout this ordeal, Simon Rutz of It's Showtime has maintained he believes that Hesdy is innocent. His persistence appears to be well founded.

This is an intriguing fight and one I'm very excited to see. Both men are in the prime of their careers and fighting on a high level. Ghita comes in off of an absolute war against Gokhan Saki at the K-1 WGP Final, where he fell just short of victory. Gerges' last fight, also at the K-1 WGP Final, showcased him laying an absolute beating on Yusuke Fujimoto and ending the fight by TKO in the first round.

While K-1's future is mired in uncertainty, It's Showtime is poised for a big year and already have marquee fights lined for the future including stars such as Badr Hari, Giorgio Petrosyan, Daniel Ghita, and others. I suggest you keep an eye on their website, follow them on twitter, and friend them on Facebook. Simon Rutz and company are doing big things this year.

Sunday, 19 May 2013 20:50

FEG, Fighting and Entertainment Group has been quiet lately. Outside of the news that we might get some news in May and maybe a show in July, we've heard nothing. There have been persisting rumors about FEG changing it's name, as well as some fans believing that K-1 might even have a name change of sorts. That sort of talk is borderline ridiculous, as K-1 is a global brand with so much value to it. Imagine if UFC decided the name just didn't make sense for them anymore? It would be brand suicide. Don't expect a K-1 name change.

According to NOB, Tanikawa plans on a press conference next week, or the week after (oh FEG, even flaky on your death bed), maybe, to talk about a possible name change and what the future holds. The truth is, if you expect any solid answers out of FEG in regards to what is going on and what to expect, you are either new to the Japanese fight scene or your faith in it brings a tear to my eye.

If you are worried about Tanikawa, never fear, he put up a video on Yfrog, and his hair is as terrible as ever. [source]

Sunday, 19 May 2013 20:50

We've been sitting on some information about Hesdy Gerges recently, where we've spoken to a few people close to the situation and the general thought is that Hesdy Gerges will be released from prison on Thursday and should be able to compete on March 6th against Daniel Ghita. Everyone close to the situation has felt a need to not talk about it as to not possibly interfere with the court proceedings.

Well, Simon Rutz spoke with FightstarTV today and the cat is out of the bag. Simon Rutz believes that Gerges will be released after his hearing on Thursday and maintains his innocence. Rutz speaks about lots of things, including the relationship with K-1 and possible replacements for Gerges. Watch. [source]

Sunday, 19 May 2013 20:50

They say that the news never sleeps, and in that regard, neither do I, apparently. Keeping Dutch hours leads you to find pretty cool stuff in the wee hours of the morning, and it turns out that Badr Hari's return opponent has been announced by It's Showtime, officially, as has the rest of the Lyon card and it is lining up to be absolutely incredible.

The main event features the return of the Bad Boy, Badr Hari! Badr will be coming back after a year layoff due to some nagging legal issues, and his return opponent has been hotly debated for the past few weeks or so. The long-standing rumor was that the fight between Gokhan Saki and Badr Hari that was originally airmarked for the Amsterdam ArenA show would materialize in Lyon, but instead local kickboxer Tony Gregory has been called back into action to fight Badr Hari. This is a great return bout for Badr Hari, as it gives him a chance to hone his skills and gives him a bit of a cushion before heading back into the deep waters. Tony Gregory retired from kickboxing a few years ago to pursue a boxing career, but after disappointing results he finds himself back in the kickboxing mix, this time against one of the most dangerous fighters in the kickboxing world.

Tyrone Spong steps back into the It's Showtime ring, this time at Heavyweight as he'll take on Igor Mihaljevic, a Croatian Heavyweight. Igor provides a stiff challenge at Heavyweight for Spong, who is right now training with King Mo Lawal in Holland. Spong looks to cement his spot as one of the elite Heavyweights in the world by taking the fight to Igor here. Paul Slowinski's jam-packed year doesn't stop just yet, as he will take on the man that is more of a beast, the Romanian Daniel Ghita. Ghita looks to be heading into his fight with Hesdy Gerges in a few weeks, and a fight against Slowinski will provide another challenge, but will Slowinski just be a stepping stone for Ghita?

Then we move down from Heavyweight to Middleweight, as It's Showtime's 70kg MAX division fills out the rest of the card, with two-time K-1 MAX World Grand Prix Champion Giorgio Petrosyan takes on a fighter that last year put on one of the best fights imaginable against Mike Zambidis, Chahid Oulad El Hadj. This is a huge fight for Chahid, and for Petrosyan it is just another day at the office. With It's Showtime planning a 70kg MAX tournament in July and both men rumored to be involved, a win here is huge for momentum.

It's Showtime's 70kg MAX champion defends his crown finally, as Chris Ngimbi looks to ward off Willy Borrell. Ngimbi's title win has been disputed by some fans, so a strong performance by Ngimbi can help solidify his spot in It's Showtime this year and help build momentum for the MAX tournament in Russia this July. Rounding out the card is Abder Penda facing off against Marat Grigorian at 70kg, with both men looking to leave a big impression on the international kickboxing scene.

I'll say this, It's Showtime hasn't disappointed yet and keeps marching forward for what looks to be a banner year. I know many fans are upset with the lack of K-1, but It's Showtime is really churning out the big cards. [source]