In the city of glitz and glamour, Chuck Norris presented his World Combat League last Friday at the Orleans Arena.  This was the league's debut in Las Vegas.  The World Combat League has some of the most exciting fighters in the nation.  Their punching skills, for instance, include spinning back fist directed at targets above the belt; Roundhouse kicks directed above the knee on the opponents lead leg are part of a combination attack.

Knee strikes to the body and head are allowed without holding the neck, wrestling, or clinching.  Unlike other martial art sports, the World Combat League doesn’t allow throws, sweeps, or take downs.  There is no wrestling or ground fighting and no kicking the opponents rear leg or supporting leg or either leg below the knee.  This is an all-action sport where the fighters go all-out for three minutes.  There are no fences or post, just one ring that is 27 feet in diameter, which allows anyone in the arena to have a good view of the fighter.

According to Dale Apollo Cook, the six-time world kickboxing champion, WCL, is the most exciting team sporting event of any kind that he has seen.  The turf wars began with the Dallas Dragons taking on the Denver Destroyers.  Denver won 140-116.  Tim ‘Irish Pride’ Connors, of the Denver Destroyers and national Golden Gloves champion fought an impressive fight against Luis Nazario of the Dallas Dragons. Connors won the match.  Another exciting fighter, Kevin ‘The Hit Man’ Engel, of the Denver Destroyers, the two-time national kickboxing champion, won a TKO over Pete ‘Secret Weapon’ Spratt of the Dallas Dragons.

Tim  “Irish Pride” Connors handles his opponent.

In the second team match up, Jeri Sitzes, the world kickboxing champion and boxing champion of the Las Vegas Gators beat out Alicia Ashley of the Los Angeles Stars.   Thomas ‘Thunderkick’ Longacre of the Las Vegas Gators, beat out Randy Pogue of the Los Angeles Stars by a knock out. Raymond ‘Real Deal’ Daniels, the seven time world karate champion, from the Las Angeles Stars, knocked out Ronnie ‘The Kid’ Copeland of The Las Vegas Gators. 

Jeri Sitzes, the world kickboxing champion and boxing champion
of the Las Vegas Gators beat out Alicia Ashley.

Raymond "Real Deal" Daniels in blue executes a side kick to Ronnie "The Kid" Copeland

All of these matches were quite exciting to say the least.