TEAM USA Vs TEAM Canada Results and the Real story !
Team USA fought Team Canada in some great battles for the sold out Ottawa crowd.
As Coach of Team USA and reporter from Ring Of Fire kickboxing ,I decided to give my opinions of the Team fights
as well as give the scores as we saw them.
The fights where great , The promoter ( kickboxing-Legend)Jean-Yves Therialt treated the fighters from Team
USA with great respect before and after the fights.
Team USA had a great experience and had the chance to meet many new friends and are looking foward to meeting
Team Canada again in the future.
The Local judges had TEAM Canada win all 5 fights ,The crowd as well as myself had it a little different.
1 st Fight : Was Kenny lamb (USA) VS Ben Ladouceur (Canada) This was a close battle with kenny Lamb starting
strong backing up Ben for round 1 .
Round 2 : Started the same way giving up the agression by the end of round 2 where ben took some control of the
fight .
Round 3 : Had Ben landing a little more and we agreed with this decission. Our Score 29-28 Canada.
2 nd fight : Was Steven Casteli (USA) vs Stephane Bernadel (Canada) . This fight was shocking to people in the
crowd as Steven gave up about 7 inches in height and came out on fire throwing great hand combinations on the inside.
Round 2 : For some reason in round 2 the ref decided to keep breaking the fighters in the inside when
there was no holding. This totally took away from Steven's fight plan .
Round 3 : The fighter from Canada was landing better combinations on the outside. This was an extremely
exciting bout which went to Team Canada.Our Score 29-28 Canada.
3 rd fight ; Jarred Warren (USA) vs Marek Sviteck (Canada) .This is where things really started going in the wrong
direction with the officials.
1 st this fighter is not from Canada but from the Check Republic and recruited to team Canada.
This was a good solid amateur bout with Jarred taking control early throwing better and more effective combinations
thru all 3 rounds.
This is not to say that the fighter on Team Canada did not throw some great kicks but most where blocked
and most of Jarred's kicks landed .Jarred also landed more efective punches. Our score 29-28 USA
4th fight : Eric Reynolds (USA) VS Rene Gratton ( Canada) . This fight had Eric taking control early with solid punches
and good kicks backing his opponent up from the 1 st bell The fighter from Canada came back in the end of round 1 landing
some good combinations of his own.
Round 2: This round the American fighter showed his ring control and beagn to show that he was the more experienced
fighter being the agressor mixing some very good punch and kick combo's. The fighter from Canada had his moments as well as
he landed some decent counters off the ropes . Towards the end of this round the ref decided to take a point away from the
American for a Knee which he did not throw . He was close and threw a front kick which landed with the foot . For whatever
reason the ref did not give a warning but took a point.
Rounsd 3 : This round took over where round 2 left off with Eric Reynolds taking control early and again loosing
a point now for an attempt to grab for a clinch with no warning.
In my opinion Both of these calls by the referee where very suspicous and neither was called for.
This fight was officiated incorrectly on every count. The ref made some poor calls and the judges saw it totally
wrong.
Our score : 30-27 USA
The Main Event : John Gilliam (USA) , Team Captain VS Pavel Dvorchik ( Canada),Team Captain, The fighter from Canada
again was recruited from the Check republic.
This fight does not need a break down by round as John Gilliam was in total control from the first
bell to the final bell being the clear agreesor ,landing punches 10 to 1 and dominating with his great kicking skills
for the entire fight.
The fighter on Team Canada was a good kicker except almost none where landing . He did have great heart and was
fighting back hard thru the entire fight.
Our score is 30-27 USA
I am not sure if is just lack of international experience on the part of the officials from Canada or them
getting caught up on the excitement of the event. whatever the reason I felt that it was only fair that someone stood up and
let the American fighters kno the REAL Story !
Ring Of Fire Kickboxing - TEAM SCORE : USA 3 Canada 2
Coach - TEAM USA
TOMMY "BEE" BOTTONE
