What's been the best show you've ever been to? And why? Who promoted it?

I'm thinking mainly of fight nights in the UK, USA etc not Thailand.

It'll be interesting to see if the same show appears here a view times!

I have only been going to shows in the past 3 years but the ones I remember best are:-

The first K1UK, Matt Skelton won but all of the fights were pretty good quality and the show was well organised.

K1UK Britain V's Japan was also good.

I saw another great show at Aston Villa where Peter Crooke fought a Thai but can't remember the name of that one.

One of the first I saw in the UK was also at Aston Villa which had Boullem Bellani, Patrick Erickson and if I remember right I think Peter fought on that as well. That was a very good show.

And one more to mention was at Altrincham sports centre recently that Pele Nathan put on with Frankie Hudders fighting. Good fights and good organisation.

FB'Slim

My favourite fight night in the Uk - was the first K-1 Max 2002 in Aston Villa - I think? With Woods winning
All the fights were of a high standard including the supporting ones.

Malice at the Palace in Calgary, Canada promoted by Mike Miles. I think it was 1998, or 1999. It was one of the first fight shows I'd been too and I was awed by the whole thing. I got to sit ringside to watch fighters like Trevor Smandych, Jason Fenton and Sokhim Or. It really got me fired up to train harder and get more involved in my gym.

First K1 in Paris with the Mark Hunt vs Jerome Lebanner war... Hoost vs Leko, Ignashof hard knokout on Bregy, Bonjaski hard knockout high kick on Mastrejovic, Cyrill Abidi knocking out Reid, best linu-up i ever seen live and what a show, 10500 people going wild ... this was really the best ...

The first K1 in Holland won by Venetiaan was a very good show to, Aerts, Leko, Ignashof, Bonjaski, Mrabet, Berner etc... Nice show , great.

This years best for me was the Superleague in Vienna. The Chapman vs Ole Laursen was a thriller. Erikson vs Balicha was superb, Cocco Roberto's flying knee was awsome, Saban, Konate, Mustapha Dede, Fadi Merza etc... The show was incredible...

But i expect the Superleague shows in Wüppertal and even more in Rotterdam to be even more fantastic...

Lords of the Ring 1+2 and Clash of the titans, all in Guildford....... OK!! Maybe not, but I might aswell try!!

I think it has to be the K1 Max last year, that was a very good show, well organised with some very good fights (Harper/Denton was pick of the bunch for me))

Too be honest, the bad ones stick out more..... I wont mention Jacko!!! :)

Master Skens Supreme World Champinships 1 + 2 From Oldham and manchester Home of Muay-Thai U.K. Esp: when the Thais brought over was the best of any era so i reckon ! in 1990 and 1991
The Likes of Numphon, Coban, Tantanoi Khonthoranee ( Samarts bro: ) etc: All came over v the U.K. and Europe
WICKED !

My Sisters engagement party! - That was amazing! I had 2 fights that night :)

"QUALITY" Dave!!!!!!!!!!!
dya Know i really do like you MORE sometimes !
hahaah !

Master Sken's at Bowlers, Humphrey v's Coban the most amazing atmposhere ever!!!! 85% of the crowd on their feet chanting Humphrey just before the last round started

The sken shows at bowlers and oldamham were great! Also toddys at pickets lock,when Ronnie fought Sombat 1st fight and Langsuan vs Liewfat Dok mai paa and Padetsuk also fought.

two gala's here in Holland are for me the best fightnights,first ,,the battle of the year,, from 18-11-1990 with a mainevent who really was a thriller Rob Kaman vs Ernesto Hoost and Peter Aerts vs Jan wessels,8 fights and 7 knock outs !!the promotor was the n.k.b.b and the place was the Jaap Edenhal in Amsterdam.

two gala's here in Holland are for me the best fightnights,second ,Worldchampionship Muay thai Holland vs Thailand, wit a national team of Thailand versus Holland wioth some real great fights Rob Kaman vs Changphuak,Ramon Dekkers vs Namphon,Brian Pieters vs Petdam,Michael Lieuwfat vs Rambo,Tommy v/d Berg vs Kiartbanchong and some more.The promotor was again the n.k.b.b,but together with Jan Willem Essink.Thailand lost with 3-2 and the two fights with Ramon dekkers vs Namphon and Rob Kaman vs Changphuak are muay thai classics now.

K1 max last year was awsome and also very much enjoyed Richard Smiths show at Leeds Town hall. That is a great venue. Lisa houghton V's Illonka was an excellent fight and this year looks to be just as good at the town hall.

Also, Extreme Force at Wembley a few weeks ago. Although a MMA show, I was very impressed with the quality of the fights and the venue was just incredible with an amazing atmosphere(also the show was run very well..... but I was one of the fight co-ordinators...so what do you expect??? LOL)

the superleague in vienna as the best show for me.
excellent organisation, only top a-class fighters
best fights:

balicha-erricson
choppa-laursen
merza-shimizu
morris-woods

in qld its a once a year match up but its worth the trip to see !!!

Dirk.I've got those fights on tape, they must have been awsome to have been there.
I went to all the great shows when Toddy and Sken were bringing over the legendary fighters and stadium champions. I don't know which was the best? sometimes the exciting fights aren't the best quality. Kash Gill v 'Superman' Osodsapa was an edge of the seat fight, and Dawson Burghandy v Monkondest is always worth another watch.
It was unbelievable to watch so many of the truely great fighters on our shows, and great fun being slightly involved in a couple of them.

Hi Colin,
well when i'm older now and i know that i'm a lucky boy,i go to kickboxing here in Holland now for 17 years to all the big gala's,i haved seen here the best of the best,about the national team of Thailand in begin nineties,that was a big top team,i have here also the tapes of your country,they had some big battles overthere,Orlando Wiet vs Changphuak with also Tantawannoi,Namphon and Coban and i have here also a tape with Orlando Wiet vs Kongburi,Harrison vs Coban and Lieuwfat vs Orono,Dida vs Chart.If you was there in the crowd,then you had the same feeling as i here in Holland,I think that the thais now not have the same team as then.Well,those where the days !!!!!

Dirk. I was at all of those fights. I know what you mean about "then you have the same feeling". It was really exciting to see such fighters. And so many on one show, it was fantastic.
I guess if i had to pick one show it would have to be very the first one we had in this country which Toddy put on. Luang Suan was on against Micheal Leiwfat (first time i saw Leiwfat live)and Dok Mai Pah, who i was desperate to see. I applied that early for the tickets we ended up with ticket no's 1, 2 and 3, right in the Thai's corner.
Like you say "those were the days" :-)

you're right,Colin !! Michael Lieuwfat was a good fighter,one with a lionheart!!
Maeng ho was a great team in those days,a team with Ramon Dekkers,Michael Lieuwfat,Luc Verheye,Orlando Wiet,Andre Masseurs,Bas Rutten,Noel v/d Heuvel and some more a class fighters.

I still get a buzz watching Liewfat...he had the kind of attitude that makes me sit on the edge of my seat when watching him on a video I have seen 100 times!
(I get a similar buzz watching my own fighter Abdul Arif, he is only 19 and is not in the same class as Liewfat but Abdul doesnt do "Boring fights")

I was 10 seats away from the ring for the Riddick Bowe vs. Andrew Golota melee. That was an, ahem (clearing throat), an experience. I enjoy watching the fights live but I could do without the metal folding chairs flying around at randomn. Thankfully I wasn't part of anyone's entourage. I saw buddies of Golota (I assume) getting kicked and slammed with chairs by Bowe-supporters. Scary!!!

Liewfat showed in that fight with Langsuan incredible heart as he took an awful lot of shots from a fighter feared in Thailand.

Me and Liewfat in Holland.

Liewfat, Ramon and myself with some friends in Las VEgas.

Cool pics: Bet if Ramon saw your "Bunny" after the Pic: hed kick your ass ! LOL :-p

LOL! Or I bet he would love the pic from 1994 when we had a bit too much to drink and he is wearing a wig! Then for sure he would kick my ass!

Hi erichaycraft,
great pictures !!i haved seen here in Holland the most of Ramon his fights,i goes to all the big gala's here in Holland from about 1986 and i'm always with a cousin of me.My cousin was born in Breda and he lived next door to a boy who later became one of the greatest fighters ever,that boy was Ramon.So we haved follow Ramon through his career.I can tell you a little secret i haved worked the last few weeks on an article about Ramon his fighting Career,this is coming on internet,very soon !he really deserve that !!

Eric,
you MUST post the dekker in a wig photo

I can not do that B. I know some day Ramon will find me! LOL!

Dirk,

I look forward to your article!

Eric

Ramon was a great warrior,Eric !! he have the most fights of all the foreigners in Thailand,so he must have an article on the web.

How many times did he fight in Thailand?

Great pics guys. (Man Eric, that's a great pic of you and Michael...) How about the gala when Rob Kaman won the world title against Moncayo, I think Royers, Yamali and Brilleman were on that card. Must have been 1985 or 86?