Top kickboxing stories of 2012
BloodyElbow’s Fraser Coffeen put together a list of the top stories in kickboxing for 2012. For kickboxing fans, 2012 was…
BloodyElbow’s Fraser Coffeen put together a list of the top stories in kickboxing for 2012.
For kickboxing fans, 2012 was a glorious year. Yes there were bumps along the way, and no it didn’t produce any all time classic fights, but after the darkness of 2011, it was a reminder that international kickboxing is not dead.
1.Welcome Glory.
In 2012 Golden Glory gyms stepped it up, big time, founding GLORY, a new organization with clear designs on filling the void left by an absent K-1.
2. Goodbye It’s Showtime.
One big step in the rise of Glory was their buyout of Europe’s #1 kickboxing company It’s Showtime, which was absorbed into Glory over the summer.
3. The Rocky Return of K-1.
The big name for casual fans remains K-1, and after a dormant 2011, K-1 finally came back in 2012, though the return was far from smooth.
4. Semmy Schilt and Giorgio Petrosyan: Still the Man
Schilt and Petrosyan (and, to a lesser extent, S-Cup champion Andy Souwer) showed that the guard isn’t ready to change just yet.
5. The Trials and Tribulations of Badr Hari.
He now sits in jail, waiting to face nine different charges that could result in very serious jail time.
Honorable Mention
•3-0 kickboxing record of Mirko Cro Cop in 2012.
•Rise of Superkombat.
What were your kickboxing highlights of 2012?