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Event Results: HAMMOND, IN -- Ironheart Crown promoters Eric Moon and Braulio Corral have been smiling non-stop since the start of their latest production of the Ironheart Crown, held on October 26 in Hammond, Indiana. The show was a success from start to finish. Local boxing announcer, Johnny Bellino opened the show with an introduction of the U.S. Marine Corps color guard. They marched into the ring, then stood at attention as a capella vocalist Dave Wilner sang a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem. ...And then the fights began. From start to finish, it was non-stop action as perfectly matched competitors fought to the finish in ten exciting bouts. The results are as follows: Bout #1: SHOOTO Class-B (145 lbs) Tommy Lee [Gilbert Grappling] def. Cedric Stewart [Warrior Concepts] Decision (3-0) 5:00 rd2 Bout #2: SHOOTO Class-B (170 lbs) Gideon Ray [Hackney Combat] def. Justin Weinan [Jim’s Gym] TKO (Bleeding nose) 2:20 rd 1 Bout #3: SHOOTO Class-B (185 lbs) Mikhail Rashkov [Carlson Gracie] def. Eric Gwaltney [Ottawa Nautilus] Submission (Armbar) 0:40 rd1 Bout #4: SHOOTO Class-B (205 lbs) Rafael Piszczek [Hackney Combat] def. Steve Rivera [Keller’s Martial Arts] TKO (Shoulder injury) 1:50 rd1 Bout #5: Non-SHOOTO bout. (125 lbs) Jeremy Bolt [Integrated Fighting] def. Jason Lugtu [Elite Academy] TKO (laceration) 0:50 rd1 Bout #6: Non-SHOOTO bout. (185 lbs) Brian Gassaway [Chicago Fitness Center] def. Jason Rigsby [Ottawa Nautilus] Decision [3-0] rd3 Bout #7: SHOOTO Class-A (205 lbs) Jim Theobald [Z’s Martial Arts] def. Brad Spent [Warrior Concepts] Submission (Rear choke) 3:07 rd2 Bout #8: SHOOTO Class-A (245 lbs) Jason Godsey [Integrated Fighting] def. Vaughan Palelei [Team Caique] Submission (Rear choke) 2:29 rd1 Bout #9: SHOOTO Class-A (145 lbs) Jeff Curran [Pedro Sauer Team] def. Ryan Ackerman [Grappling Works] Decision (3-0) 5:00 rd3 Bout #10: SHOOTO Class-A (170 lbs) Shonie Carter [Chicago Fitness Center] def. Jay Buck [Gilbert Grappling] Decision (2-1) 5:00 rd3 Current Title-Holders: This fight was the first IHC event sanctioned by the Japan Shoto organization. Rich Santoro, a representative of Shooto's U.S. division has been negotiating with the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation, and it seems hopeful that the next Ironheart Crown will return to its home in Chicago. October 1,
2002 
Headlining the card will be a highly anticipated bout between returning IHC welterweight champion, Jay Buck, and the notorious Shonie Carter, also known as "Mr. International." Chicago area fans have been demanding this match-up ever since Jay Buck caught the public's attention with his devastating win over Eddie Rolon in Ultimate Athlete's Genesis show. Both men have proven themselves to be A-Class fighters, but the contrast between their unique styles makes the outcome impossible to predict. Shonie Carter has been involved in the martial arts for most of his life. With 16 years of wrestling experience, he was a collegiate All-American who made it to the U.S. Olympic Trials in Greco-Roman Wrestling. He also has eight years of judo experience which earned him an East Coast Championship at the black-belt level. In 1997 he began training with Master Bob Schirmer of the All-American Academy, adding kick-boxing and jiu-jitsu to his arsenal, while simultaneously honing his wrestling skills. Recently he switched his base of operations to the Chicago Fitness Center, where he has been studying Shidokan Karate under the guidance of Shihan Eddie Yoshimura. All of this experience has earned him the right to compete in the biggest shows world wide, including the UFC and the King of the Cage, the Pancrase and SHOOTO organizations of Japan, and the Warrior's Quest and Superbrawl in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was the first-ever Extreme Challenge lightweight champion, and he was the 2001 U.S. Shidokan middleweight Champion. Carter's vast experience is beyond the scope of this article, but it should suffice to say that in seven years of mixed martial arts experience, fighting at the highest level of competition that the world has to offer, Shonie has maintained an impressive record of 59 wins, 6 losses, and 6 draws. When asked about his thoughts on opponent Jay Buck, Shonie had some interesting comments. "I know Buck's pretty good. I respect the fact that he's the Ironheart Crown Champion right now. He's been doing really well at the local level, and I guess he's earned the right to fight me." "I've seen him fight, and he has skills, but he has to realize that he's fighting at a different level now. He's not just taking it up a notch on this one… He's taking it up two or three notches." "Everyone loves to call me a pimp. Do you know what PIMP stands for? It stands for 'Punching Is My Pleasure.' I know his guys think they're going to make a name for themselves by beating me, but if he wants to punch and kick, I'm going to punch and kick harder, and if he wants to take it to the mat, he better realize that he won't be able to ground and pound with me." "I'm not saying that this is going to be an easy fight. Hell, I never get easy fights, but no matter how tough Buck may be, the outcome's going to be the same. I'm a father. Right now I'm raising an 18 month old baby, and one thing I've learned from raising my kids is that when a baby learns to walk, he gets a little confidence, and all of a sudden he's walking into a world of shit that he wouldn't have gotten into if he was still crawling. That's kind of what Jay Buck is going through right now." While Carter's comments may sound arrogant, no one can deny that he has earned the right to be cocky. Still, a review of Buck's credentials raises some doubt in the minds of those who have followed his budding career. Jay Buck has been boxing for a total of fourteen years. For two years in a row, he was a finalist in Chicago's Golden Gloves. Add to that ten years of wrestling experience through the collegiate level, with All-State and All-National recognition, and you have a fighter born and raised for the mixed martial arts. Three years ago, Buck brought his background to the martial arts world, training at first with Jeet-Kune Do stylist, Joe Goytia, and later with Keith Hackney of UFC fame. For the past two years, he has been working out on a daily basis with Joey and Danny Gilbert out of Gilbert Grappling in Mokena, Illinois. By adding various martial arts techniques to a solid background of boxing and wrestling, Jay Buck has become a juggernaut in the mixed martial arts arena. While he does not have Carter's experience, Buck has completely annihilated just about every man he's faced. Before becoming the Ironheart Crown welterweight champion, he fought in Japan SHOOTO events, the HooknShoot, Ultimate Athlete, and King of the Cage. He has a total of fourteen fights under his belt, with only two losses early in his career, one of which was a medical disqualification due to a cut above his eye. While he has only two knockouts and three submissions to his name, all of his other victims have succumbed to brutal one-sided "ground-and-pound" beatings that resulted in unanimous decisions. Simply put, he has won all of his matches powerfully and decisively, in contrast to the many controversial split-decisions which seem to characterize Shonie Carter's career. When discussing his upcoming fight against Carter, Jay Buck exuded confidence. "He's taking me way too lightly. I know he thinks he's better than me. I'm just going to go in there and do what I always do. This fight won't be any different than the others. I'll probably keep it standing, because I don't think he can box with me. If we get tied up in a clinch, he's the one who's going to get launched - not me - and then I'll ground and pound him. I know I can control him on the ground. I've fought better wrestlers. I know it's going to be a tough fight for me, but I think I'll probably knock him out in the first round. Oh, and if he wants to compare me to a baby learning to walk, he's going to find out that I already know how to walk… and on fight night, I'll be walking all over HIM." Hard words from a hard fighter. No matter what the outcome, one thing is certain. This fight will pit two talented fighters against one another in an exciting match that won't soon be forgotten! In addition to the main event, five other title fights will be featured on the October card. Jason Lugtu (5-0) of the Elite Academy will take on Jeremy Bolt (20-4) of Integrated Fighting for the newly-established IHC bantamweight title. Jeff Curran (16-4) of the Pedro Sauer Team will face 1996 World Jiu-Jitsu Champion Helio "Soneca" Morreira (1-0 MMA) of Barra Gracie for the vacant featherweight title. Brian Gassaway (21-8) of the Chicago Fitness Center and Jason Rigsby (8-3) of Ottawa Nautilus will lock horns for the middleweight title. Returning light-heavyweight champion Jim Theobald (86-11) will defend his title against Stephan Bonnar (5-0), a rising star from Carlson Gracie's chicago team, and current IHC heavyweight champion, Vaughan Palelei (24-2) of Caique Jiu-Jitsu plans to keep his belt from Jason Godsey (40-12) of Integrated Fighting. Rounding out the card are four preliminary events which promise to be every bit as exciting as the six title bouts. One fighter to watch for is Gideon Ray (6-0) out of Hackney's Combat Academy in Roselle, Illinois. Ray's mentor, Keith Hackney is excited about the new fighter that he has produced. "No one in the world can compete with Gideon at 169 pounds. No one. Gideon came to me with sixteen year's experience in Tae Kwon Do, with several state and national titles. I supplemented his game with some low kicks, a little boxing, and a few grappling techniques, and now he's unstoppable." "I train six or seven days a week for at least three hours a day," Gideon states. I've been doing it for the past two years. People hear that and say that I'm over-training, but I'm not. It's not all martial arts. My routine encompasses every aspect of the game… everything from strength training, to conditioning, and of course I do drills and techniques, and I spar. We do everything over at Keith's. I eat right, I get lots of sleep, and I train. That's just about all I do." "He's going to be in the UFC," says Hackney. "Its just a matter of time before one of the big match-makers notices him and scoops him up. Then he'll finally get the recognition he deserves." Gideon will square off against Justin Weiman (7-2) of Jim's Gym. A victory in this match will earn him a shot at a bigger name fighter, and possibly an IHC title bout sometime in the future. Also on the undercard, Tommy Lee (1-1) of Gilbert Grappling will face Cedric Stewart (14-5) of Warrior Concepts, and Micki Fevic (1-0) of Hackney's Combat Academy will take on Steve Rivera (6-0) of Keller's Martial Arts. Finally, in a mixed-martial arts debut, two exciting new faces will enter the ring. Mikhail Rashkov (0-0) of the Carlson Gracie Team and Sebastian Helon (0-0) of the Linxx Academy are both looking to test their skills in true MMA competition. "This is going to be an incredible show," promoter Braulio Corral comments. "We are featuring the best talent that the area has to offer. The biggest names from the Chicago area will all be competing in this event, and many of them will be facing their toughest opponents to date. There's never been a show like this in Hammond. It's going to be huge!" Co-promoter, Eric Moon agrees. "I just hope I'm not too busy running around working the event. I really want to be able to sit down and see some of these fights live and up close. Watching them after-the-fact on video just won't be the same. Even the best video can't capture the energy… the adrenaline… I can't wait!" The Ironheart
Crown will be held on Saturday, October 26 at the Hammond Civic
Center Arena, located at 5825 Sohl Avenue in Hammond, Indiana.
The doors will open at 6:00, and the fights are scheduled to
begin promptly at 8:30 PM. Tickets are on sale now, and a limited
number of ringside seats and floor tables are available. For
tickets and information, call 219-844-8504 in Northwest Indiana
or 773-793-6555 in Chicagoland. Detailed information, including
maps and directions, is also available on the internet at www.ironheartcrown.com.
Tickets may be purchased online at this site, using a credit
card. May 19, 2002 On May 18, 2002, the Hammond Civic Center Arena hosted the first-ever Springtime production of the Ironheart Crown. Eric Moon and Braulio Corral took a much-needed break from the promoting game, allowing Virgil Strzelecki to get his feet wet as a fight promoter. Strzelecki is an active competitor on the Midwest fight circuit. His knowledge of the local fight scene was evident in his match-making, as some of the best fights in IHC history took place on this card. Here is a brief summary of the evening's bouts, compliments of RICH SANTORO, President, U.S. SHOOTO: Bout
#1: 155 lbs Bout
#2: 205 lbs Bout
#3: 170 lbs Bout
#4: 155 lbs Bout
#5: 170 lbs Bout
#6: 185 lbs Bout
#7: 135 lbs Bout
#8: 185 lbs (IHC Championship Bout) Jay Buck retains the title.
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CHICAGO,
IL - Ever since its inception in 1999, the Ironheart Crown has
been the premiere mixed martial arts fighting event in the Chicago
area, setting the standard for local competition. When the boxing
commission cracked down on fighting events in Illinois, the Ironheart
Crown packed up and moved over the border to friendlier soil
in Hammond, Indiana. Despite the persecution by Illinois authorities,
the show has continued to thrive, growing bigger and better with
every production. On Saturday, October 26, 2002, promoters Eric
Moon and Braulio Corral are preparing to launch the most exciting
card seen in the area to date. Fight Fans in Chicagoland and
in Northwest Indiana, hold on to your seats… the Hammond
Civic Center is preparing for war!