Cage Kings Cork Nov 1st

gimmick

Making a thread after the fact, but a night that one needs remembering. Martin Horgan of Siam Warriors hosted yet another fun night at Neptune Stadium Cork.

Cage Kings is basically caged Muay Thai with 4oz MMA gloves and is the brain child of John Wayne Parr.

What a night it was. pretty much every fight was good in its own way

Fight of the night/year/decade took place between Siam Warriors Sean Clancy and Cork Thais Paul Budden. Holy shít what a brawl. Budden almost had the fight won in the opening round and Clancy even took a standing 8. Budden had him seriously rocked and had the round went another 10 seconds I think it was all over. If it was MMA scoring it was a clear 10-8. The second and third Clancy took control and elbowed the bejesus out of Budden. How Budden stayed standing is a mystery, but stand he did. After 3 rounds the judges ruled it a draw, so a 4th round was called as it was a CMT title fight. Buden wanted to continue, but his corner did not allow it given the damage he had taken. I look forward to seeing a recording of this fight and a rematch.

Other fights of note were T Bob Tinka Vs Conor O Keefe. T Bob showed his one punch finishing power again as O Keefe was winning this with a well controlled clinch and knee game. Then boom, T Bob wqalks out the winner.

Another great fight was between Donkey O Connell Vs Willie Murphy. It was pretty one sided I felt as Donkey controlled the fight from the start but that is not to say that Murphy did not get in some great offense. 2 great crowd pleasing fighters.

Young Dommie Kelly got yet another win with a sick liver shot to Mark O Mahoney in the 2nd. he has some future ahead of him in Muay Thai if he keeps going at this rate.

Brilliant night all in all. The pace felt a bit better as at some of the Neptune shows I feel there are too many fights. This had 15 I think and felt just about right.

hurpederp

Fair play to his corner for stopping him continuing.

Peetrik

Yeah spot on Gimmick, I was in two minds really about the format.

On one hand I like the idea of clinch in smaller gloves and the benefit of a cage over a ring is you can't fall out and you could scrap some of the rules on limited steps after you catch a leg.
On the other hand it is undoubtedly a bit of a gimmick to draw in the MMA crowd and of course the tradition of the current format.

I have to say though, after watching it live I'm completely sold on the idea. It is so spectator friendly, every single fight was brilliant.

Murphy vs O'Connell was the best fight I'd seen all year... and then 2 fights later was Budden vs Clancy which was the best fight I've ever seen in my life, live or recorded. I spent the whole fight with my face like this...

Mellor

Peetrik wrote: »

On the other hand it is undoubtedly a bit of a gimmick to draw in the MMA crowd and of course the tradition of the current format.

It's definitely piggy backing the popularity of MMA, but so why not. MT with 4oz gloves is something we've wondered about on here. I donlt know why it took this long. I must keep an ear out down under for similar. If JWP is the founder, he might have something on the way out here.

Peetrik

Mellor wrote: »

MT with 4oz gloves is something we've wondered about on here. I donlt know why it took this long.

Well from a first hand account it was amazing. I'd guess it took so long because for one the only promoters willing to put it on didn't have the connections in the Thai community, and secondly a lot of the Thai boxing community don't really see it as 'real Muay Thai'.

Mellor wrote: »

I must keep an ear out down under for similar.
If JWP is the founder, he might have something on the way out here.

He's had 5 CMT shows in Australia, number 6 on the way this December apparently. Few vids here...

gimmick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4_V18Jnjjw

Budden V Clancy. Enjoy.