Standard-bearer Jones soars in seaside showcase
The sun shone, and then the stars sparkled, as first one monarch was dethroned and then another cemented his reign, as the bareknuckle empire that is BKB expanded from Kingdom to Kingdom.
From its London base, BKB plotted a course to Thailand, alighting amid the tropical island beauty of Phuket, and sending its beasts to do battle in a ring halfway up a hill, surrounded by palm trees and overlooking the brilliant blue of the Andaman Sea.
Few places are more beautiful, and few sports are more brutal. As contrasts go, they don’t come much starker than bareknuckle boxing at The Sea Galleri by Katathani. It was the perfect setting for BKB 30 and the combat, conquests and controversy that followed.
In the main event, BKB’s flagship fighter Barrie Jones retained his featherweight world championship with a seven-round decision over Jonny Tello of Canada.
Now undefeated in nine bareknuckle boxing contests (to complement a 32-fight gloved boxing record which preceded his reinvention), the ‘Welsh Wrecking Machine’ was a worthy winner on all three cards, but was made to work by his durable challenger.
Tello is a distinguished competitor in several fight sports, and is just as comfortable with or without gloves, in a ring or a cage, and on his feet or the floor. So, there was little by was of surprise for the Ontarian – other than the excellence of the champion, of course.
Jones scored a knockdown in round four, courtesy of a southpaw straight left, but Tello was game to the last, and threatened to pull off the upset in the later stages as he furiously pursued victory.
The champion – fit, focused and as technically adept as ever – kept his composure and crossed the finish line to claim a win that exemplified the best of the BKB brand and capped a 10-fight card that truly had a bit of everything.
X-rated action as Baguzhaev takes Podmore’s title
If Jones v Tello offered an artistic counterpoint to those who imagined bareknuckle boxing to be a brute-force affair, the co-main event did everything – and more – to uphold the latter image.
Cruiserweight world champion Daniel Podmore of England collided with towering, two-metre-tall Russian challenger Akhmed ‘Megalodon’ Baguzhaev in a wild brawl which may have ended in an anti-climax but damn near overdosed on excitement before the injury-enforced finish.
The champion looked on course for an impressive early win after he chopped Baguzhaev down with an expertly delivered left hook in the first round – but the dramatics had only just begun.
Podmore, whose aggression is matched only by his machismo, resumed the hunt, but neglected to employ the few subtleties he brings into the ring. Baghuzhaev began to capitalise as Podmore’s enthusiasm came at the cost of elusiveness, until a straight right put the Englishman down in round two.
Blood flowed from two slashes to Podmore’s face and head, and a war of attrition – in which the rules were increasingly treated as an option rather than a mandate – ensured.
This was especially evident in the third round, when Podmore continued the seesaw theme by scoring another knockdown, after which Baghuzhaev launched a literally jumping attack, landing on the back of the champion, who threw him off with what was almost a suplex. Cornermen got involved, one took a punch from Baghuzhaev for doing so, and referee Tommy Hayden was almost swatted too as he sought to regain control.
The contest thereafter remained poised as both the blood pouring from Podmore and the axe-blows from either hand of the two combatants threatened to terminate matters at any moment. It was a shame, then, that a bicep tear was what ended it, with a handicapped Podmore surrendering the bout, and his belt, to Baghuzhaev.
This simply must run again.
London calling for Team Denman after triple treat
History was made on the undercard as BKB staged its first ever female match.
Not only that, but a potential star was born as Pat Denman demonstrated excellent technique and admirable adaptability to go along with her bona fide model good looks en route to a sensational upset of Nong Noey.
Flyweight Pat brought a meagre one-fight record into this bout against a veteran with more than a half-century of muay Thai contests. Not only that, but she did so on late notice, replacing her stablemate Po Denman (the surname being that of their camp, rather than any family ties).
But Pat, previously better known for her modelling work and TV appearances, belied her inexperience by making a strong start, negotiating a determined rally from Noey, and finishing the stronger of the two to take a five-round points win over her increasingly bloodied fellow Thai.
With her photogenic appearance, attractive fighting style and a bankable story, Pat could have a lucrative change of career ahead of her.
That, at least, is what BKB co-owner Jim Freeman hopes, having invited her to join future London events – alongside another Team Denman member, the formidable Tetee Denman.
Tetee added to his reputation as an all-round martial arts badass with another victory to add to an undefeated ledger that covers multiple sports – boxing, kickboxing, muay Thai, leth wei, karate and more. This, his third bareknuckle victory, came against Burmese toughman Ye Tint Naung.
It looked like being an extremely short night’s work, as Tetee scored a knockdown with his very first punch of the night, a southpaw right hook just five seconds in. But Ye Tint Naung got up, gathered his senses, and went on to play his part in a highly competitive five-round distance fight.
Tetee won the unanimous nod and could be poised for international stardom if he takes up the offer to also fly Kingdom to Kingdom – in the opposite direction.
A third win for Team Denman was secured by pro debutant Pepsi Denman, who stopped fellow Thai Apirak Mahaman in the third round. Pepsi impressed in his paid bow, following a largely successful amateur boxing campaign.
Undercard: Iron Lion tamed against his will, Phetzilla gets Chope-d down and… Batman beats Joker
While the Denmans led the way for the next generation, veterans were also on show.
Leading into the title action, as the sun started to set, there was much anticipation for the appearance of American Leo ‘Iron Lion’ Pla, a man with 23 years of MMA and bareknuckle experience behind him.
And his fight against Russian Mikhail Vetrila oozed both action and class until Pla was stopped in the fifth and final round on a cut.
With his wounds literally gushing, the TKO was the right call, but Pla was enraged. This is, after all, a man who’d rather lose his sight than a fight.
Another bout with heaps of name recognition pitted Californian-Aussie Will Chope against muay Thai legend Phetzilla.
Chope is one of the most experienced fighters on Earth, with more than 100 bouts to his name across a suite of sports – but even he was a comparative greenhorn when faced with a Thai who has fought over 400 times.
Alas, injury cut short this enticing encounter, with Phetzilla suffering a suspected dislocated shoulder in the second.
Finally, amid all the seriousness, two comic book characters came to blows.
Keerati Sririddej goes by the ring name ‘Joker’. So, when his original opponent fell through, substitute Phongsathon Aintachak decided to call himself ‘Batman’ – and walked to the ring in full superhero regalia.
The winner? Batman, of course (tko 4). The moral to the story is good always wins… and this event was a winner, as BKB30 was very good indeed.
Other results: Daro Toeur w ko 1 Sudun; Sornchai Kantiphong w pts 5 Apisit Cherdpanich
- If you haven’t yet seen BKB 30, the full broadcast can be viewed at Fite.tv
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