Duke RUOFUS Gym Past News

Wednesday, May 25, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - In observance of the Memorial Day holiday, the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy will be closed on Saturday and Monday, May 28th and 30th.

The school will also be closed on Saturday, June 4th due to the Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" professional and amateur Kickboxing & MMA show that is being held the evening prior at Milwaukee's Ramada Convention Center.

The entire staff of the Duke RUOFUS Academy wishes each of you a very happy, healthy and safe holiday weekend.

RESERVED SEATS STILL AVAILABLE - A few select VIP Table ($80.00) and Ringside Reserved ($50.00) seat tickets are still available for the above mentioned Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" show scheduled for Friday, June 3rd at Milwaukee's Ramada Convention Center Grand Ballroom.

History is in the making as 4-Time World Champion Duke RUOFUS comes out of retirement to take on Croatian Kickboxing superstar Sinisa "Thunderman" Andrijasevic in a bout that's been dubbed "The Vendetta Rematch."

Their last bout 5 years ago in Italy ended in controversy. Vowing "this time it's personal," fans can rest assured Duke doesn't plan on leaving any doubt as to the outcome this time. Good seats can still be reserved by calling Ad Cetera Sports at (414) 967-7767.

JUST ANNOUNCED: Heavyweight Gladiators Pro Kickboxing & MMA returns to Milwaukee Saturday, October 8th 2022 with "Colosseum - Clash of the Gladiators" featuring 2004 "King of the Gladiators" Champion "Lightning" Mike Sheppard taking on Duke RUOFUS Pro Team member and new Kickboxing and MMA powerhouse sensation "Big" Ben Rothwell (left) at Milwaukee's Ramada Convention Center Grand Ballroom.

Reserve your tickets in advance by calling Ad Cetera Sports at (414) 967-7767.

Saturday, April 30, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - Ray Stubbe, Front and Center!: Kudos to a long time member of the Duke RUOFUS Gym family, "Sugar Ray" Stubbe, who's photo is featured prominently on the front page of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today.

Ray (pictured at left with fellow DRG member Craig Dilley) was photographed while training at the academy, which is also mentioned by name in the photo's front and center caption.

The article, entitled "After the Fall, Vietnam 30 Years Later," recognizes the 30th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam conflict. Ray, a former Navy chaplain and noted author, is proudly recognized as the school's seniormost member. Ray was choosen to give the opening and closing prayer at this weekend's Vietnam recognition ceremonies held at Veterans Park on Milwaukee's lakefront.

According to his doctor, Ray's Boxing training has him in "fantastic shape" as he approaches 67 with the same zeal and enthusiasm as a teenager. His blood pressure bests many people a third his age. One could set their watch by his consistency.

The article contains many quotes from Ray and goes into detail about some of his life changing experiences accompanying and ministering to the First Force Reconnaissance Company's ("Force Recon") Marine unt. As a testament to his dedication, Ray, at the urging of the elite Navy SEALs division, completed the U.S. Army's rigerous Airborne training in the early 70's.

Congratulations Ray on the well-deserved recognition you received today on the front page of Milwaukee's major daily newspaper. You are a true friend and gentleman indeed, we are all very proud of you and all of your remarkable accomplishments.

Wednesday, April 27, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - Tonight's PKW Features Duke's Take on K-1: Make sure to log on to the Internet's "Voice of the Fight Fan," PKW, tonight at 6:00 p.m. for the latest breaking MMA, K-1 and Martial Arts news including a special edition of "The K-1 Ring Report" with Duke RUOFUS featuring exclusive coverage of the Battle at the Bellagio 4 in Las Vegas and live interviews with other K-1 stars.

PKW can be heard live exclusively on SportsTalkCleveland.com and/or ProKarateWeekly.com Wednesday nights from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. CST. All shows are archived so fans can listen to the show if they have missed a live broadcast. Archives, sound bytes, interviews, rumors and all of the latest martial arts news are available daily by logging onto PKW.

Fans are encouraged to contribute to the show by calling during live broadcasts on our national toll free hotline (866-371-4782) or email PKW live at the email address provided during the live broadcast. For all other Pro Karate Weekly questions please email .

KIDS CLASS SET TO START NEXT TUESDAY: Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy's new Kids Class will start next Tuesday, May 3rd at 5:30 p.m. and will meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and each Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Children as young as 6 are welcome to participate and can start by trying out a free, no obligation class. Interested parents are asked to contact Scott Joffe via via or at 414-319-1151 for more information and to set up the free introductory lesson.

Any Level 2 or higher Kickboxing student that is interested in being a volunteer coach in the Kids Class should contact Duke RUOFUS via or at (414) 403-3853.

Sunday, April 24, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - Talent Shines Through April's Graduating Class: Congratulations to the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy students who passed their Level 1 or 2 Muaythai Kickboxing or Boxing Tests on Thursday, April 21st and Saturday, April 23rd.

April's graduates were a well-prepared group, eager and ready to get in the ring and show that they had, indeed, been paying attention in class. As evidenced by the photos taken during the exams, this testing class was more than up for the challenge.

Pushing Coach Duke RUOFUS to the limit, Dan Downes continues to impress. Just as he did in his Level 1 test last month, rugby playing Dan demonstrated that he has the skills necessary to move closer to competition. Dan exhibited a knack for putting together smart combinations, on-the-spot defense, solid footwork and intelligent ring generalship. Basically what it takes to get in the ring and face off against a real opponent.

Once again, congratulations to all of the Level Testing graduates who passed their skills competency exams in April 2022. You each brought a great desire and commitment to do your best, give it your all and succeed in your goal. Keep up the hard work.

Special thanks, as always, to Coach Scott Cushman for assisting with the March Level Testing sessions.

• April 2022 Level Testing Photos

• Past DRG Level Testing Sessions

• Level Testing Photo Gallery

Monday, April 18, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - Clancy's Donation Sets Wheels In Motion: Long time DRG student Cheryl Clancy recently made a generous contribution that should have an immediate impact on the health of all academy members.

Cheryl, who is very generous by nature, felt like spreading her love and devotion for one of the most timeless pieces of training equipment - the exercise wheel. So Cheryl went out and purchased 30 wheels for the gym, assuring that no member will go wheelless ever again.

Cheryl (pictured at right working out on another timeless exercise relic), is Principal of the Kosciuszko Middle School of Excellence in Milwaukee and lost over 140 pounds since joining the gym about 3 years ago. She recently became famous as the "Million Dollar Granny."

If you see Cheryl, be sure to thank her for looking out for your good health. On behalf of the entire DRG family, your thoughtful donation is very much appreciated.

Sparring South of the Border: On Saturday, April 16th, three members of the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing Team joined their coach Duke RUOFUS for a trip to DRG affiliate gym, the Nikko-Ki Training Club in Rockford, IL, for a highly spirited afternoon of sparring and camaraderie.

Duke is in training for his upcoming June 3rd bout with Croatia's Sinisa Andrijasevic in Milwaukee. DRG amateur Kickboxers taking part were Dan LaSavage, Charmaine Tweet and Jason Williams.

Everyone got a chance to check their skills against some of Nikko-Ki's fellow fighters, including Duke's fellow Gladiators Kickboxers, Bryce Franck, who operates the Rockford affiliate, and Ben Dauck, who is a former DRG Instructor now training with Illinois' Team Toro after a recent job relocation.

LaSavage was especially active during his go-round with Nikko-Ki's Toon Singmouangthong as each fighter gave the crowd at ringside quite an exciting show.

Tuesday, April 12, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - DRG Kids Class Set To Kick Off: Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy will begin offering Kids Classes Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. The 1 hour classes will meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m.

Duke RUOFUS Academy Kids Classes will consist of a blend of Muaythai Kickboxing, Boxing and Grappling. Duke RUOFUS will oversee the program, utilizing his 31 years of Martial Arts experience as the basis for the curriculum.

Children as young as 6 are invited to participate in the multi-level class structured lessons. Besides obtaining the most up-to-date and modern skills, the kids will reap the rewards of the ancient traditions and philosophies of Martial Arts.

The program is based on a "might for right" and "tolerance" philosophy that is instilled in each of the students for a lifetime. They are taught (adamantly) that these skills are only for self-defense outside of the club.

It's a tough world we live in, why not give your child the added advantage of having the ability to defend themselves. As well, the benefit of being physically fit, uniting the strength of body, mind and spirit.

Students will develop many important life building skills including respect, discipline, confidence, self-esteem, goal setting, patience, restraint, persistence, humility, honor and passion. Along with developing these core values, students will learn how to "not sweat the small things" while having fun and the time of their life.

As we always say, "The family that kicks together, sticks together."

For more information or to set up a free class to get started, please contact Scott Joffe via or at (414) 319-1151.

Any Level 2 or higher Kickboxing student that is interested in being a volunteer coach in the Kids Class should contact Duke RUOFUS via or at (414) 403-3853.

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RUOFUS Ready For Andrijasevic Rematch

Croatian Kickboxing Champion Comes to Milwaukee June 3rd

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - In November of 1999, 4-Time World Heavyweight Kickboxing Champion Duke RUOFUS (left) traveled to the northern Italian resort town of Trieste to face Sinisa "Thunderman" Andrijasevic (right), a tough opponent who represented Croatia's best.

From a country long known as a superpower in Kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts, Andrijasevic embodies the same Croatian fighting spirit that is recognized worldwide and exemplified by Pride superstar Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic, the inaugural K-1 World Grand Prix Champion Branko Cikatic and K-1 star Stephan Leko. As well as, Andrijasevic comes from a strong athletic family, his brother Stipe is a well known professional soccer player in Croatia.

They would battle for Andrijasevic’s WKA World Heavyweight Title in a bout that had a well prepared RUOFUS controlling the fight from the onset, but ultimately losing in the end.

In the 2nd round, a frustrated Andrijasevic employed an illegal judo style, hip throw and flung RUOFUS to the canvas where he landed with a solid thud on his back and injuring him.

A confused referee was starting to give RUOFUS time to regain his senses and recover - and take away a point from Andrijasevic for the illegal move - when, after some commotion at ringside, the referee suddenly changed his call and started a 10 count on the fallen RUOFUS.

RUOFUS gathered himself as much as possible and staggered to his feet by the count of "9," attempting to soldier on. Seeing that his stunned opponent was unable to get off any shots of his own, Andrijasevic pounced on RUOFUS like the wounded prey he was, forcing the referee to call a halt to what had been a promising outing for the American Kickboxing star.

Now, almost 6 years later, RUOFUS has the chance to come out of retirement and settle the score with his old adversary Andrijasevic, who is also a 4-Time World Champion.

To make things even better, RUOFUS, 35, gets a chance to do it in his own hometown of Milwaukee, WI, when the premier match-up headlines the Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" Pro Kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts card on Friday, June 3, 2022 in Milwaukee's Ramada Airport Convention Center Grand Ballroom.

"In my mind, this is a vendetta I've wanted to settle ever since that fight. I don't mind losing. I've lost to some great fighters in my career, but I don't like losing that way," RUOFUS said. He continues, "I'm not going to let the referee or judges have any part of this one. I expect the same roughhouse tactics from Andrijasevic again. If he wants a street fight, he's got a street fight, Milwaukee style. The fans are going to see a Duke they've never seen before. He may have laughed first, I'm going to laugh last. We're going to war!”

RUOFUS has fought eight times in Milwaukee as a professional - the first appearance in his hometown was on July 20, 1989 which marked his second pro fight of his career. On December 4, 1998 RUOFUS won the IKF Heavyweight World Title with his Unanimous Decision victory over New Zealand champion Hiriwa Te Rangi.

RUOFUS successfully defended his IKF title in Milwaukee on March 19, 1999 when he dropped a first round KO bomb on Australia's Grant Barker. Then on October 23rd of the same year, RUOFUS put on a clinic against K-1 star Dewey Cooper winning their fight by a landslide Unanimous Decision victory. The last time RUOFUS fought in Milwaukee was on September 29, 2001 when he stopped Mexico’s IKF Heavyweight Kickboxing Champion Pedro Fernandez by TKO at the end of the third round.

RUOFUS lamented, "It's been a great run of fights for me in my hometown of Milwaukee. All the fights I've had here are each special in their own way, especially winning the IKF World Championship and defending it successfully in my own town. But this fight is much more intense than any other fight I've had here. All the others were for sport and business like, but this one is personal." RUOFUS’ record in Milwaukee is 8-0, with 4 knockouts.

"Return To Colosseum" will feature a total of seven pro Kickboxing and MMA bouts, including appearances by women's pro MMA star Greta "Mo' Betta" Hicks of Milwaukee, Heavyweight Gladiators Horace "The Real Deal" Craft, Cudahy, WI, "Bam Bam" Bryce Franck, Rockford, IL, and "Big" Ben Rothwell, Kenosha, WI, plus MMA Gladiators Jeb "The Butcher" Bloomquist, "B.O.B." Bobby Garrits and Rob Smith.

Fighting for her first time in front of the Gladiators Kickboxing faithful, the attractive and well conditioned Hicks (right) could well be the bridge that connects MMA fans with Kickboxing fans. Hicks kept her comments short about her bout in her hometown, offering, "I can't wait. I have seen the shows live and am glad to be a part of them finally. I'm very excited!"

Fighters appearing on the Awesome Amateurs undercard include Tom Grimmer, Charmaine "Not So Sweet" Tweet, Kyle "Wicked" Weickhardt, Mark "Machine Gun" Cribb, Liz "Lil Mo" Modaff, Tony Aveiro and Mike Sekula.

General Admission tickets for Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" are $25.00 in advance, $30.00 at the door. Ringside Reserved are $50.00 and VIP Table Seats are $80.00. Tickets may be reserved in advance by calling (414) 967-7767 or purchased at the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy, 111 W. Virginia St., Milwaukee, (414) 319-1151. General Admission tickets may also be purchased in advance at the corporate offices of 102.1 FM, 2979 North Mayfair Road in Milwaukee, (414) 771-1021 beginning Monday, May 2nd.

Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" is presented by Kyle Monreal Painting and 102.1 FM Milwaukee's Alternative Station. Additional sponsors include Combat Sports International, Connections Ticket Service, Cush, CutThroat FightGear, Euro Cafe' Bar, InPro Corp, Joey Buona's Pizzaria & Grill, Kickboxing.TV, La Perla, Lowest Rate Mortgage, MilwaukeeNights.com, On The Border, ProKarateWeekly.com, Dr. Phil Repetti/Jordan Chiropractic, Attorney Martin Stein, Sunbusters, Rick Winter DDS/Hampton Dental and Windy Muaythai Equipment.

Roundcard Girls courtesy of On The Border.

The event is sanctioned by The I.K.F., New Castle (CA), Steve Fossum, President.

For more information, please contact Scott Joffe at , (414) 967-7767.

Tuesday, March 29th, 2022 (Cleveland, OH) Travis Lutter, Matt Lindland and Duke RUOFUS LIVE..... -- Sportstalk Cleveland, Inc. and Pro Karate Weekly are pleased to announce UFC stars Matt Lindland and Travis Lutter will preview their upcoming UFC 52 clash, LIVE on PKW this Wednesday night (3-30-05).

Also on PKW, another edition of the K-1 Ring Report with world champion Duke RUOFUS for a look at the upcoming "K-1 Battle at the Bellagio 4" and all of the latest K-1 news. Plus kickboxing's female sensation Nicole Hess makes her PKW debut along with this week's MMA News.

"PKW's Question of the Week:" Which two current or former UFC fighters would you want to see coach "The Ultimate Fighter, Season 2?" Send your replies prior to this week's broadcast to: [email protected] or during this week's LIVE PKW broadcast to the email address given on the air. Selected emails will be read on air and one winner will receive this weeks PKW Prize Pack.

Pro Karate Weekly can be heard live exclusively on SportsTalkCleveland.com and/or Prokarateweekly.com Wednesday nights from 7pm to 9pm EST. All shows are archived so fans can listen to the show if they have missed a live broadcast. Archives, sound bytes, interviews, rumors and all of the latest martial arts news are available daily by logging onto www.ProKarateWeekly.com.

Monday, March 28, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - Duke RUOFUS, Back For The Fans, Back For The Fight: 4-Time World Heavyweight Kickboxing Champion Duke RUOFUS, who retired from competition in 2002 due to various lingering injuries, succumbed to his passion for the sport with his recent decision to jump back into the ring. The comeback is a big bonus for his legion of hometown fans in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as well.

RUOFUS headlines the just announced Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" show that begins at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, June 3, 2022 in Milwaukee's Ramada Inn Grand Ballroom, 6401 S. 13th St., Milwaukee, WI USA. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with an Awesome Amateurs undercard starting at 6:00 p.m..

"Return To Colosseum" will feature professional Kickboxing, plus as an added attraction, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) bouts will also be included on the evening's card. MMA has become popular among ringsports fans in recent years , attracting huge live and pay-per-view audiences along with a well received "reality TV" MMA show that Spike is currently airing.

Promoter Scott Joffe of Ad Cetera Sports is in negotiations with potential opponents for RUOFUS and one should be named soon. Other Heavyweight Gladiators Kickboxers appearing include Horace "The Real Deal" Craft, Cudahy (WI), "Bam Bam" Bryce Franck, Rockford (IL) and "Big" Ben Rothwell, Kenosha (WI). Pro MMA fighters include Henry "The Monkey" Matamoros, John Friedland and Bobby Garrits, all of Milwaukee. Over 12 bouts are planned for the card.

RUOFUS, 35, looks forward to putting on a great show for the Milwaukee faithful who have always backed the lifelong resident since he started competing as a teenager. "I've had a craving burning inside for a while. I finally had enough time for everything to heal and I think I've got some fight left in me, and, what I really miss, is fighting in Milwaukee. When I fight in Milwaukee, the fans are always loud and proud, and that motivates me beyond words," Duke exclaimed.

Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" is presented by Kyle Monreal Painting and 102.1 FM. Additional sponsors include Combat Sports International, Cush, Cut Throat FightGear, InPro Corp, Joey Buona's Pizzaria & Grill, Kickboxing.TV, MilwaukeeNights.com, On The Border, ProKarateWeekly.com, Dr. Phil Repetti/Jordan Chiropractic, Attorney Martin Stein, Sunbusters, Rick Winter DDS/Hampton Dental and Windy Muaythai Equipment.

Roundcard Girls courtesy of On The Border.

The event is sanctioned by the I.K.F., New Castle (CA), Steve Fossum, President.

For more information, please contact Ad Cetera Sports, (414) 967-7767 or visit www.HeavyweightGladiators.com.

Sunday, March 27, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - March Level Testing Graduates Make The Grade: Congratulations to the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy students who passed their Level 1 or 2 Muaythai Kickboxing or Boxing Tests this past week.

The testing sessions were held on Thursday, March 24th and Saturday, March 26th. Even though the men represented the graduating class well, it was a lady who stole the show this time around.

Tai Singleton (right) was relentless in her pursuit of Coach Duke RUOFUS during her Level 2 Muaythai Kickboxing test on Thursday. Tai "brought it" in a solid performance that featured a swarming offense backed by excellent defense.

Working an inside game, Tai was able to press the action top and bottom. By peppering Duke's thighs with low kicks and tossing in a few piercing knees for good measure, Tai was able to open things up and head north where she landed a few well controlled shots to Duke's noggin. As evidenced by her performance, Tai showed she's definitely been paying attention in class.

Once again, congratulations to all of the Level Testing graduates who passed their skills competency exams in March 2022. You each brought a great desire and commitment to do your best, give it your all and succeed in your goal. Keep up the hard work.

Special thanks, as always, to Coach Scott Cushman for assisting with the March Level Testing sessions.

• March 2022 Level Testing Photos

• Past DRG Level Testing Sessions

• Level Testing Photo Gallery

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Love Is In The Air For Stanic and Kordonskiy: Exactly one month to the day after they were engaged on Valentine's Day, DRG students Aleksandra Stanic and Stan Kordonskiy were married in a small, private ceremony held inside Milwaukee's courthouse on Monday, March 14th.

On hand to witness the nuptials were Stan's parents and sister, along with Aleksandra's brother, his wife and daughter. DRG students Machi and Aleksandra Gulinski, along with Liz Haight, who served as the ring bearer and official photographer, were also on hand.

Congratulations to Aleksandra and Stan on their marriage. The entire DRG family wishes them great health, happiness and a wonderful new life together.

From left: Rafael Czaplicki, Kyle
Weickhardt, Charmaine Tweet, Cord
Crowthers, Duke RUOFUS, Scott Joffe

Sunday, March 7, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - Team RUOFUS Leaves No Doubt at "RoundKick Rumble:" The Kickboxing faithful in Carroll, Iowa said it best after the three fighters representing the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing Team all earned road victories while securing a solid place in team history with their terrific hat-trick performance last night at Pete and Pam Peterson's "RoundKick Rumble."

"Wow, you guys were great tonight! Fantastic! The best fights of the night!" and countless other words of congratulations were uttered time and time again by the appreciative fans inside the Carroll High School's beautiful new sports facility. The words were certainly well earned, as the team came prepared to fight and fight they did.

Cruiserweight Kyle Weickhardt paced the team with his impressive TKO victory, as he stepped his game up a notch when he went nuclear and unleashed a furious battle load of on-target punches and painful, bone tapping kicks that forced his opponent, Henry Bierman of Dubuque, IA to call it quits at 1:46 of the third round.

Whatever Kyle's motivation for victory was, he might have changed his mind after taking two shots below the belt during the contest. Ouch! A new fighter emerged in the third round when Kyle decided he was done playing around and was ready to attack.

Backing Henry up against the ropes near his own corner, Kyle (left) let loose with a flurry of damaging jabs and bunker busting right crosses, lightly salted with a few chopping kicks just for good measure. With the referee asking him if he wanted to continue, Henry decided he had enough and with :14 seconds remaining in the bout handed Kyle his first victory that goes down as a KO.

Kyle moves his record to 4-1 as he begins training for his next bout in Rockford, IL on May 6th. His performance hit upon the words that became the mantra for the night, "hard training really does pay off in the end."

Kyle is always the first to arrive for practice and brings a leadership quality to the team with his "actions speak louder than words" approach. His life changing transformation as a person is an affirmation of his commitment to personal excellence and to the sport.

Standing right next to Kyle on the impressive scale is Middleweight Charmaine "Not So Sweet" Tweet's masterful (which is a powerful word not to be used recklessly) show of skill in her Unanimous Decision victory over Regina English of Omaha, NB. With a record that now stands at 2-0-1, Charmaine (right) has dedicated herself to the same lofty training standard followed by Kyle. And on Saturday night she let it all hang out with an overwhelming domination of her bewildered opponent.

Char was a bug's whisker away from earning her first KO, but Regina hung tough and showed unbelievable heart and determination in making it to the end of the bout. Using the fact that Regina had also booked a fight for herself three weeks down the line, as well, and in apparent indifference to her bout on Saturday, Charmaine was no doubt highly motivated for victory.

The crowd, along with husband Cord Crowthers, watched in wild amazement as the lanky Canadian native and mother of two young boys plowed wicked, piercing knees and textbook body shots at will and often into Regina. With her opponent going down three times, two judges scored the bout 30-24, while one had it 30-25.

In the second, Regina survived a count that went 5 seconds longer than the round itself, but was able to soldier on and answer the bell for the final round. The pain was obvious in Regina's face as the crowd grimaced along as each shot connected. In the clinch, Charmaine put on a kneeing and body shot clinic. Try as she may, Regina just couldn't dial up the right combination of moves to counter and repel Charmaine's offensive onslaught.

Charmaine, who is featured in the current edition of Milwaukee's hip pocket mini mag INFO on page 25, will also be profiled in the upcoming issue of the national magazine Marie-Claire in an article about women who get in the ring.

Fighting out of Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing Affiliate gym, the Nikko-Ki Training Club in Rockford, IL, Super Heavyweight Rafael Czaplicki (left) traveled solo to Carroll to join the DRG team and earned a close Split Decision over Brad Bragg of Decatur, IL. Rafael's victory completed the team's undefeated showing in Iowa.

Congratulations to Charmaine, Kyle and Rafael on their hard fought victories. You represented the team with class and skill, while always letting your actions speak for themselves. You endeared yourselves to the fine folks of Carroll (who couldn't have been a nicer bunch if they tried). And for good reason, you led by example, and in the end, that's all that really matters.

Monday, February 28, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - How Do You Say Thanks When Words Are Not Enough?: When the phone rang this afternoon at the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy, Scott Joffe answered it just like he does every other call. Not knowing what new and interesting situation or person awaits on the other end of the line. It's a big part of what makes operating the school so special and unique.

This time it was Cheryl Clancy calling, someone Scott knew very well. Cheryl Clancy is Principal of the Kosciuszko Middle School of Excellence in Milwaukee and a member of DRG. Cheryl (pictured at left with Duke) lost over 140 pounds since joining the gym about 3 years ago and recently became famous as the "Million Dollar Granny."

Cheryl started "Kozy's Kloset" at her school, which essentially collects donated clothing and a few other useful household items and distributes them free of charge to her students and their families. A few years ago, Cheryl, along with Duke and Scott, created "D.R.G. For Others" ("Donation of Reusable Goods For Others") and began seasonal clothing drives at the gym for "Kozy's Kloset."

Many members responded graciously and some have donated frequently. One could wonder if member Marv Cohen and his family have any clothing left at all based on what he's brought in. Three more bags appeared for Cheryl to pick up last week at the gym. Yep, Marv "The Mensch" strikes again. (If you don't know what a mensch is, look it up. You should all be so lucky to know one in your lifetime.)

Well, back to the phone call from Cheryl. She was caught up in a moment of being "touched," there really is no other way to put it. Maybe flabbergasted works just as well. "I just had to call the gym," she said.

A parent of a Kozy student had stopped by to speak with Cheryl about clothing she had received from "Kozy's Kloset." She is disabled, cannot work and receives government assistance. She explained she had $27.00 dollars left (after bone' fide expenses) for food every 2 weeks.

The mother continued, and spoke about the clothing she and her family received from the school. She described a deep and profound appreciation for what they had been given, allowed to pick out whatever they could use and take, no charge. Nothing expected. Tears almost flowing from her eyes because who's ever "done this" for her and her family before. Been "so nice" to them before. Really "cared about" them before. Apparently no one.

Appreciate if you can for a moment, the clothing being donated by DRG members and our extended family is honestly, some very nice, high end stuff, and in very new to "I wonder if they ever wore or used that" condition. The mother said she and her family had never been happier or felt better. The brand names had nothing to do with her elation though.

They finally had warm coats to protect her and her children against the Wisconsin winter's cruel chill. New sweaters and sweatshirts made things even toastier when temps dipped into the single digits or less. Never has cleaning out one's own closet helped someone else so much, so quickly and so importantly.

Cheryl conveyed in her voice and story the mother's genuine gratitude, as if her family had been granted a wish. A wish that came true in the form of much needed warmth and pride. The mother and her family were comfortable this winter and they were especially happy.

Cheryl wanted to make sure that each angel who helped make these wishes come true be properly thanked. Cheryl is extremely appreciative of everything that has been donated and continues to come in through the "D.R.G. For Others" community outreach program.

So, thank you and hats off to each and every one of you who donated or continues to donate. The short amount of time it takes to go through your closets and make a "give away" bag(s), can have a real and meaningful effect on someone else's life in ways you can never imagine.

Please continue to take a personal inventory of all your good, clean, useable "stuff" and donate what you "DON'T WEAR ANYMORE" to "Kozy's Kloset" today. Fill up a few big bags and bring them into the school where Cheryl can easily pick them up. You get much needed free space to fill up with more new stuff and someone else gets a nice, comfy wool sweater, some fleece sweatshirts and a down jacket to get them through the next few cold winters. Go on, be a mensch.

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Sunday, February 27, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - Nine Make the Grade in February: Congratulations to the nine Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy students who passed their Level 1 or 2 Muaythai Kickboxing or Boxing Tests this past week.

The testing sessions were held over three days this month, Wednesday, February 23rd, Thursday, February 24th and Saturday, February 26th. The most skillful move over the three days wasn't a great kick, knee, punch or slip (though there were more than a few of those, as well).

With his wife Karin and daughters Berkley and Ramsey cheering him on, Chris Brown (left) executed from the clinch, a beautiful, counter-balance spin move on Duke that showed everyone why proper technique and practice is so, so very important. The move was so textbook that Chris actually looked Duke executing the move on someone else. Needless to say, Chris passed his Level 2 Muaythai Kickboxing Test solidly and in grand fashion.

Once again, congratulations to all of the Level Testing graduates who passed their skills competency exams in February 2022. You each brought with you a great desire and commitment to do your best, give it your all and succeed in your goal. Keep up the hard work.

Special thanks, as always, to Coach Scott Cushman for assisting with the Level Testing sessions.

• February 2022 Level Testing Photos

• Past DRG Level Testing Sessions

• Level Testing Photo Gallery

Packer Pro Bowler Appears Courtesy of Ad Cetera Sports: On Tuesday, February 22, 2022, Green Bay Packer All-Pro Fullback William Henderson took part in a recruiting event for Physical Therapists at All Saints Hospital in Racine, Wisconsin in an appearance coordinated by Duke RUOFUS KIckboxing & Boxing Academy's Scott Joffe, who is also the operator of Milwaukee's Ad Cetera Sports Celebrities.

Henderson, who is pursuing a Masters Degree in Physical Therapy, spoke about his life changing experiences involving the importance of the science. He told the large group in attendance about a young childhood friend left severely impaired from an accidental gunshot to the head. He was aided in his recovery by William and his young buddies who refused to let their friend lose hope.

They encouraged him night and day to help him along with his physical therapy. They did things with him at "his level of ability," for example: when they played sports with him, everyone was only able to use only one arm. Through their involvement, William's friend eventually was able to walk again, a feat doctors predicted would never happen.

Henderson praised those in the field and expressed great admiration for how important their contribution is to society versus what he does for a living playing professional football. William's intelligent perspective gave everyone a glimpse into what an exceptional person he truly is, as well.

In addition to addressing the group, Henderson answered questions, signed autographs and posed for photographs with event attendees. Scott (pictured with Henderson below, center photo) has worked with the versatile back since he was drafted in the third round in 1995 by the Packers and booked Henderson's first ever public appearance, prior to him ever playing an NFL down.

This is the second year Ad Cetera Sports has coordinated an appearance by Henderson at a Wheaton Franciscan Hospital. Last year Henderson spoke at Milwaukee's new St. Joseph's Hospital Outpatient Center in the same capacity.

For more information on booking an appearance by a Green Bay Packer or any other sports personality, contact Ad Cetera Sports Celebrities at (414) 967-7767 or via .

KORDONSKIY

STANIC

Saturday, February 19, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - Kordonskiy and Stanic Going the Distance: Congratulations DRG Kickboxing Team members Stanislav Kordonskiy and Aleksandra Stanic who announced their engagement earlier today at the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy.

The pair met while training at the school and it wasn't long before their wonderful personalities meshed and their individual goals, hopes and dreams united. Aleksandra loves his family and her big (6' 5") brother Michael likes Stan, a lot. There you have it. Done deal.

Stan picked Monday, February 14th, Valentine's Day, to propose at Milwaukee's tasty new Downtown eatery, Vivo. Aleksandra apparently said "yes," because she's wearing a huge grin on her face and some new icy bling on her finger.

The two are a perfect match specially made for each other. Everyone in the DRG family wishes them, with much love, a very happy, healthy and long-lasting life together. A summer 2022 wedding is planned.

Thursday, February 17, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - Franck Featured in Rockford's Daily Adrenaline Rush: A prominent back page of Sports feature story about Heavyweight Gladiator and Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing Pro Team member Bryce "Bam Bam" Franck, Rockford, Illinois, USA, appeared yesterday in the aptly named "Adrenaline"section of his hometown's daily, the Register Star.

Check out the great article the paper published about Bryce and his passion for the sport of Kickboxing. Bryce's next appearance will be in Rockford, Friday, May 6, 2022 on the Heavyweight Gladiators "Young Guns" show at Giovanni's Convention Center. Tickets may be purchased for "Young Guns" by calling the Nikko-Ki Training Club at 815-874-7687.

Ad Cetera Adds Packers D-Linemen to Roster: Ad Cetera Sports Celebrities has added two newer members of the Green Bay Packers Defensive Line, Cullen Jenkins (#77) and R-Kal Truluck (#91), to it's long list of Packer clients. The versatile Jenkins started six games for the Pack last season and is predicted to be one of the team's D-Line starters come September. Truluck possess raw talent and power that make him an exciting player for fans to keep an eye on.

It wasn't long before Ad Cetera's president, Scott Joffe (pictured with Jenkins below, left), received his first opportunity to suggest the players to a client. Cuts Fitness For Men in Middleton, WI contacted Scott and explained how they found themselves in need of a sports celebrity for a Grand Opening celebration the following weekend! Without hesitation, Scott raced into action (on the morning of Super Bowl Sunday no less), and within 10 minutes had Jenkins confirmed for a noon to 2:00 p.m. appearance the following Saturday.

Jenkins (pictured wearing Dolphins' Marino Throwback jersey) greeted Cuts Fitness' customers, posed for photographs and signed autographs. Two local newspapers covered the event. Ad Cetera also coordinated a radio interview for Jenkins on a popular local FM stations's morning show the Thursday prior to the event. Working as a team, Cuts Fitness, Cullen Jenkins and Ad Cetera executed this 2-minute drill perfectly, with all pieces of the appearance coming together 100% as planned.

Since 1993 Ad Cetera Sports Celebrities has been recognized as a premier source of current and former Green Bay Packer players and Hall of Fame members. Scott Joffe can be contacted at 414-967-7767 or via for more information.

Tuesday, February 15, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - DRG In The News: Two of Milwaukee's better known media outlets recently gave prominent mention to the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy.

On Tuesday, February 8th, Milwaukee's CBS affiliate WDJT TV 58 aired a story during their 10:00 p.m. News on the popularity of the hit movie "Million Dollar Baby" and women's Boxing in Milwaukee. Features Reporter Ashleigh Barry (right, upper) visited the school along with her cameraman Jason, shooting footage over two days for use in her lengthy report. The results were fantastic, to say the least.

Asheligh got all she needed and more from her two visits to DRG, as she decided to put the gloves on for a Boxing lesson with Instructor Scott Cushman (left), then recorded all of her on-camera shots for the final edited piece. The report featured on-camera interviews with Duke, Cheryl Clancy (a.k.a. "The Million Dollar Granny"), Liz Haight and Charmaine Tweet (right, lower), plus shots of many of DRG's other female students in the midst of their workouts.

Speaking of Charmaine, maybe we should start calling her "Queen of all Media," as she is also featured in the current volume of Milwaukee's ultra-hip mini mag INFO. Flip to page 25 and witness the creation of a new INFO category we like called "Featured Kickboxer," (Hey INFO Staff, don't forget our other female Kickboxer Liz Modaff of Eve!).

Char, who credits her husband Cord (the force behind Milwaukee's popular new ultralounge CO2) for introducing her to the "guys from Duke's gym," shows her serious side in the interview, offering "I don't trash talk too much. I just like to go in and get down to business."

Char's photo in INFO makes the stay-at-home mother of 2 beautiful boys (Josh, 8 and Christian, 5) look like one menacing, mean Muaythai mama. But, as anyone who has met her knows, she's as nice a person could be. It's a good piece though and Char definitely looks like she needs a needle and thread because she's (all together now) . . . ripped!

Monday, February 14, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - Grasse Wins WKA Muaythai Title: Congratulations and much Valentine's Day love go out to Harvey "Inca" Grasse (left), former Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing Team member and Instructor, who won the WKA Amateur Light Heavyweight "King of the Ring" Muaythai title in a thrilling, 5 round Unanimous Decision on Saturday, February 12th in Virginia Beach, VA.

Harvey handed his opponent, Kirt Rheinhardt, two standing 8-counts, the first coming in the 2nd round and the other in the 4th. Inca trains out of the well-known VBAMA (Virginia Beach Academy of Martial Arts) gym in Virginia Beach where he now resides.

Though Harvey lives in Virginia, he showed that he still keeps DRG very near to his heart by featuring the word "DUKE" on the left leg of his fight shorts (right). Thank you Harvey, you are a class act indeed.

Under Duke's care, Harvey won his first title, the 1999 IKF National Amateur Middleweight Kickboxing Championship in grand style. In one of the greatest acts of determination and toughness, Harvey won the '99 title after his shoulder was dislocated due to an illegal throw, then, popped back into place, he was allowed to continue. Which he did with gusto right to the championship.

Once again, great job Harvey from everyone in the extended DRG family. Keep up the great work.

Saturday, February 5, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - Great Turnout for DRG Team Social: A large crowd flocked to Milwaukee's CO2 Ultralounge on Friday evening, February 4th for the DRG Kickboxing Team's Social Fundraiser. Over 80 people popped in to relax and unwind in CO2's comfortable and loungy atmosphere.

A ton of new faces were seen in the crowd as many of DRG's members and friends did a great job of rallying the gang for a night out at Milwaukee's hottest club. CO2's expert staff served as the perfect compliment to a wonderfully fun evening.

Special thank you to Cord Crowthers of CO2 for organizing the fundraiser, Charmaine Tweet for her invaluable help, and also to Tami Brown, Cheryl Clancy and Mike McMorrow for effectively getting the word out. Thank you, as well, to those who couldn't attend, but nonetheless, made a financial contribution.

Based on the success of this event, watch for future socials at some of Milwaukee's other top nightspots. Funds raised go toward offsetting the teams's 2022 travel and lodging expenses.

Diversity of Site's Visitors Reaches 50 Languages: As the Internet shrinks the world into a palmsized planet, our far away neighbors yesterday are today, as the cliche' goes, only a click away.

Live data obtained from the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy's website shows that the number of "languages" (countries) of visiting computers recently reached 50. It is interesting to stop and think about how sport, and Kickboxing in particular, brings the world closer together when you see a compilation as diverse as this.

With "US English" leading the way, the rest of the lingual list looks like this: UK English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Canadian English, Japanese, Polish, German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Swedish, Modern Greek, Mexican Spanish, Finnish, Australian English, Belgian Dutch, Czech, Argentine Spanish, Hebrew, Russian, Sauda Arabic, Swiss German, Belgian French, Hungarian, Norwegian, Peruvian Spanish, Estonian, Slovenian, Turkish, Taiwan Chinese, Austrian German, Irish English, Croatian, Lithuanian, Serbian, Thai, Hong Kong Chinese, Iraqi Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chilean Spanish, Colombian Spanish, Canadian French, Swiss French, Romanian, Slovak and Ukrainian.

Whew.

RETURN TO TOP

Friday, February 4, 2022 (Milwaukee, WI USA) - CO2 DRG Team Social Tonight: CO2 Ultralounge (715 South 5th Street, Milwaukee) is the place to be this evening for the DRG Kickboxing Team Social Fundraiser. A $10.00 donation includes admission into CO2, plus complimentary beer, soda and hors d'oeuvres from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Money raised will go toward offsetting the DRG Kickboxing Team's 2022 travel and lodging expenses. Watch for additional fundraising socials throughout the year.

Tickets for tonight's event may be purchased at the door. CO2 enforces a dress code so please dress appropriately (no tennis shoes, hats, etc..., collared shirts required). For more information, please call Scott Joffe at 414-305-3474 or Cord Crowthers of CO2 at 414-383-0000. This will be a very good time so please try to attend.

Wednesday, January 19, 2022 (Cleveland, OH USA) - Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia and Duke RUOFUS LIVE On PKW Tonight: Sportstalk Cleveland, Inc. and Pro Karate Weekly are pleased to announce that UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture will do a live interview on PKW tonight discuss the debut of the UFC's "The Ultimate Fighter" on SPIKE TV. Also on this week's show former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim "The Maniac" Sylvia will preview his UFC 51 battle with Andre Arlovski - PLUS another edition of the K-1 Ring Report with world champion Duke RUOFUS for the latest K-1 news. All three guests will be taking emails from fans during PKW's live broadcast.

Upcoming LIVE PKW interviews will include:

January 26th - Tito Ortiz, David Terrell and the EFC's Bo Kimly, February 2nd - Vitor Belfort, Andre Arlovski and FCF's Derek Callahan, February 9th - Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and MMA.TV's Josh Balis.

PRO KARATE WEEKLY can be heard live exclusively on SportsTalkCleveland.com and/or ProKarateWeekly.com Wednesday nights from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm EST. All shows are archived so fans can listen to the show if they have missed a live broadcast. Archives, sound bytes, interviews, rumors and all of the latest martial arts news is available daily by logging onto www.Prokarateweekly.com.

Fans are encouraged to contribute to the show by calling during live broadcasts to 1-866-371-4STC (4782) on our national toll-free hotline or email PKW live at . For all other Pro Karate Weekly questions please email .

Tuesday, January 18, 2022 (MIlwaukee, WI USA) DRG Team Members In Action Around the World & Across the US: Many members of the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing Academy will be competing in the US and abroad over the next few months.

Pro Heavyweight "Big" Ben Rothwell travels to Japan January 23rd to face Japanese K-1 Fighter Nobu Hayashi of the famous Chakuriki Gym on a Shoot Boxing promotion.

Pro Heavyweight "Bam Bam" Bryce Franck returns to the ring March 19th in Rockford, IL, coming off a win over Mark "The Shark" Miller. His opponent has not been named.

Amateur Kyle "Wicked" Weickhardt has 2 fights scheduled, the first March 5th in Carroll, IA vs. Henry Bierman of Singto Muay Thai (Dubuque, IA) and April 2nd in Joliet, IL vs. Ross Grady of host club HillClan.

Charmaine "Not So Sweet" Tweet faces Regina English of Team Mick Doyle (Omaha, NB) March 5 in Carroll, IA, while Liz "Lil Mo" Modaff, Jonathan "Pee Wee" Costello, Tony Aviero and Mark "Machine Gun" Cribb are training hard awaiting bout confirmations.

FRANCK

ROTHWELL

MODAFF

TWEET

WEICKHARDT

Sunday, January 16, 2022 (MIlwaukee, WI USA) Fantastic Crew Jams On DRG Rejuvenation Day: A very special thank you to the wonderful group of DRG members who turned out yesterday for a "pre-spring cleaning," to hang photos, artwork and posters, winterize and whatnot during "Rejuvenation Saturday."

Those responsible for the new look that will greet members come Monday morning are: Tony Aveiro, Christine Bramble, Alex and Machi Gulinski, Russ Ledvina, Freddy Lopez, Kathleen McNamee, Brian RUOFUS, Charmaine Tweet, Julie Vance and Instructor Scott Cushman.

Many special mementos, fight posters, photos and articles chronicling Duke's involvement in the sport were put on display for all members to enjoy. It will definitely take more than a few minutes to take this trip down memory lane. Additional DRG Rejuvenation Saturdays are planned for the future.

Once again, thank you to everyone who answered the call. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Tuesday, January 11, 2022 (MIlwaukee, WI USA) It's All Downhill From Here: Congratulations to DRG Muaythai Kickboxing student Tamara Pogue, 27, on her First Place finish in the Metropolitan Milwaukee Ski Council's Select Women's A Division Slalom competition held Sunday, January 9th at Sunburst Ski Hill in Kewaskum, WI.

What makes Tamara's accomplishment even more special is that it's been 8 years since she skied competitively. Tamara, who started skiing when she was 4, was a high school standout who skied competitively at the NCAA level. Tamara competes on the Sitzmark Ski Team. Muaythai Kickboxing and Downhill Slalom Racing, now that is what you would call cross-training to the extreme. Good luck to Tamara and her teammates throughout the rest of the season.

Sunday, December 19, 2004 (MIlwaukee, WI USA) December Sees Need for Second Round of Level Tests: A second series of December 2004 Level Testing sessions were conducted at the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing and Boxing Academy on Thursday, December 16th and Saturday, December 18th.

Six students who were eligible, but unable to attend the first round of December tests, passed their Muaythai Kickboxing or Boxing exams with skill and confidence, impressing coaches Duke RUOFUS and Scott Cushman with their performances.

Congratulations to all of the graduates who passed their December 16th & 18th 2004 DRG Level Tests. Each trained hard, stepped up to the challenge and got the job done. Once again, congratulations on your accomplishment and much continued success to all.

Special thanks, as always, to Coach Cushman for assisting with the Level Testing sessions.

Students Feast at DRG Holiday Party: The setting couldn't have been more perfect for the Duke RUOFUS Gym 2004 Holiday Party than Milwaukee's beautiful CO2 Ultralounge (715 S. 5th St.). Decked out in seasonal white, CO2 served as the perfect backdrop for the many DRG members who turned out for the festive Saturday, December 18th soiree.

Reminiscent of last year's Pot Luck, members were once again treated to a wide variety of wonderfully prepared, homemade appetizers, main course entrees and delicious desserts. Scrumptious portions of freshly prepared broccoli casserole, chile verde, lasagna, black beans & rice, fruit tart, meatballs, salsa, fruit, cheese, vegetables, cookies, cakes and snacks were readily available to satisfy everyone's individual taste buds.

Special thank you to Cord, Ozzie, Oscar, Drew, Colin, Jamie and the rest of the superb crew from CO2 for helping make the 2004 DRG Holiday Party a special night to remember. Everyone who attended truly appreciates your efforts and the first class venue you provided.

Happy holidays from the entire DRG family with warm wishes for a healthy and safe New Year.

DRG Featured in MKE Magazine: The Duke RUOFUS Academy was recently profiled in the new Milwaukee area weekly magazine MKE, which is published by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Reporter Bob Purvis (left) attended a beginner Kickboxing class and wrote about his experience in an article entitled "Kickboxing deals blow to stamina but sure kicks butt."

We're happy to report Bob made it through class and apparently was able to fight through the first time soreness and write some nice things about his experience. As you'll read, Bob didn't get his butt kicked, but his stamina was KO'd. And, as he goes on to write, he enjoyed a mighty good workout in the process.

Along with Bob's write up, video of Bob's lesson is also available online, as well - and if you watch closely you'll see DRG members Tom Dattulo and Craig Dilley making some noise during a Boxing pad session workout at the video's end.

DRG HOLIDAY HOURS REMINDER: The Duke RUOFUS Academy will be closed on the following dates in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays - Saturday, December 25th, Monday, December 27th, Saturday, January 1, 2022 and Monday, January 3rd. The school will remain open for all other regularly scheduled classes.

Monday, December 13, 2004 (Milwaukee, WI USA) DRG Holiday Party This Saturday at CO2 Ultralounge: The 2004 Duke RUOFUS Gym Holiday "Pot Luck" Party will be Saturday, December 18th from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the new CO2 Ultralounge, located at 715 South 5th Street (1.5 blocks south of La Fuente Mexican Restaurant/Virginia St. or 1/2 block north of National Ave.). The phone number to CO2 is 414-383-0000.

Members are encouraged to whip up and bring their favorite dish for all to enjoy. Last year's event featured some unbelievably wonderful appetizers, main course entrees, desserts and snacks. There is a kitchen at CO2 where dishes may be warmed up. Please bring along any special serving utensils if necessary, as well.

There is free parking in the lot directly behind CO2 that is accessible through the alley or from 6th street to the west. Street parking is also available on 5th. Attire is "nightclub chic."

Please RSVP via or at the gym (414-319-1151). There is a sign-up sheet at the front desk. If you respond through e-mail, please give your name, phone number, number of adults attending and what you will be bringing for the Pot Luck.

DRG HOLIDAY HOURS: The Duke RUOFUS Gym will be closed on Saturday, December 25th, Monday, December 27th, Saturday, January 1st and Monday, January 3rd. The gym will remain open during the holidays for all other regularly scheduled class times and gym hours.

Saturday, December 4, 2004 (Milwaukee, WI USA) December Level Testing Graduates Take Duke To Task: It was only appropriate that Talia Carrasquillo would be the final Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy student to take their December 2004 Level Test. Her fearless performance put an exclamation mark on two days of spirited Kickboxing and Boxing Level Testing sessions at the school on Thursday and Saturday, December 2nd and 4th.

During her six round, Level 2 Muaythai Kickboxing test, Talia went after Head Instructor Duke RUOFUS with, as he'd say it, "Two guns a blazin'." Showing no mercy, Ms. Carrasquillo was relentless in her pursuit of her much larger prey. After punishing Duke with killer knee shots, deadly punch combos and crisp shin kicks for five brutal rounds, Talia came out for the sixth and final round fresh as a daisy.

The sixth round would prove to be Talia's best, as she poured it on as if a world title lay on the line. Her energy overflowed into the crowd gathered ringside as everyone watched with excitement as the 12 year old graduated with flying colors into the DRG Level 2 Muaythai Kickboxing class. Nobody could have been happier though, than Talia's parents Minerva & Marco and sister (and fellow DRG student) Carissa, who were ringside cheering Talia on with each and every shot.

Congratulations to all fifteen of December 2004's graduates who passed their Kickboxing and Boxing Level Tests. There were some very impressive displays of talent shown during the tests, a few students exhibited skills that may one day take them into the ring for a real, scored bout. But on these two days, it was safe to say each student brought their best stuff with them.

Please take a moment to see all of the students who completed their December 2004 DRG Level Tests. Each worked extremely hard training for and during their exhausting testing sessions. Once again, congratulations on your accomplishment and much continued success to all.

Special thanks, as always, to Coach Scott Cushman for assisting with the Level Testing sessions.

Cleveland,Ohio - November 23rd, 2004 -- "KIng of the Gladiators" Champ Sheppard Featured on PKW: Sportstalk Cleveland, Inc. and Pro Karate Weekly are pleased to announce that newly crowned Heavyweight Gladiators "King of the Gladiators" Champion Mike Sheppard is scheduled for a LIVE interview during this weeks (11/24/04) broadcast of Pro Karate Weekly.

Also scheduled for live interviews this week are K-1 USA Champion Mighty Mo who will preview his participation in the 2004 K-1 World Grand Prix finals and discuss his opening round match-up against Thailand's Kaoklai Kaennorsing and "WWE Tough Enough" hopeful Daniel Puder. All fighters will be taking emails from fans during PKW's live broadcast and don't forget that, as always, PKW will give listeners a chance to participate live and win some great UFC, K-1, PRIDE and MMA merchandise.....Courtesy of the "Voice of the Fight Fan," PKW. Listen live for your shot to win!

PKW will also be announcing the start of it's second annual "Fighter of the Year" Awards which will be voted on by YOU, the fans. MMA, Kickboxing, Sport Karate and Grappling categories will be announced along with the dates and rules of the contest. PKW is proud to help give these amazing athletes the recognition and exposure they deserve....listen live this week to find out more about this years "Fighter of the Year" Awards and how you can participate.

PRO KARATE WEEKLY can be heard live exclusively on SportsTalkCleveland.com and/or Prokarateweekly.com Wednesday nights from 7 pm to 9 pm EST. All shows are archived so fans can listen to the show if they have missed a live broadcast. Archives, sound bytes, interviews, rumors and all of the latest martial arts news are available daily by logging onto www.Prokarateweekly.com.

Fans are encouraged to contribute to the show by calling during live broadcasts to 1-866-371-4STC (4782) on our national toll free hotline or email PKW live at . For all other Pro Karate Weekly questions please email .

Monday, November 22, 2004 (Milwaukee, WI USA) White-Collar Boxing All The Rage: Thank you to longtime member Jessica Zagarri for tipping us off to an excellent article about the popularity of "White-Collar Boxing" that appears in the current BusinessWeek Online magazine.

Local attorney Mike Tarnoff (left) and Jonathan Costello (right), who both train at the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy, participated in a "white-collar Boxing" exhibition on the undercard of the Heavyweight Gladiators Pro Kickboxing "King of the Gladiators" 8-Man Tournament held Saturday, November 13, 2004 in Milwaukee's Ramada Inn Grand Ballroom.

The crowd loved every minute of it as the 66 year old Tarnoff and the 20 year old Costello stood toe-to-toe and went at it for 3 rounds. Tarnoff boxed in his youth and regularly participates on the "white-collar Boxing" cards held at Brooklyn's famous Gleason's Gym. His next appearance at Gleason's is on Friday, December 17th and then back in Milwaukee, Saturday, February 12, 2022 on the undercard of the next Heavyweight Gladiators show, "King of the Gladiators III," at the Ramada Inn.

Sunday, November 14, 2004 (Milwaukee, WI USA) Lightning Strikes Three Times: "LIghtning" Mike Sheppard, representing Palentine, West Virginia's Ramsey Gym, defeated local favorite Horace Craft by TKO in the second round of the Kyle Monreal Painting presents Heavyweight Gladiators "King of the Gladiators II" championship bout to win Saturday evening's 8-Man Heavyweight Tournament in MIlwaukee.

After Sheppard tagged Craft with a solid overhand right that sent the Cudahy resident crumpling to the canvas, Craft regained his footing (albeit rather clumsily) and was able to pull himself together enough that referee Al Wichgers deemed him able and fit to continue.

The end came seconds later however, when a member of Craft's cornering team threw the towel in, giving Sheppard the victory and the spoils that come with, what he said was "my first title I've won after losing my first six attempts in other championship bouts and tournaments. This feels great."

Craft was lucid and quite vocal in stating his displeasure with his corner's decision to halt the bout. In the end though, all that mattered was after a great night of fights, Mike Sheppard was "King" of the Heavyweight Gladiators Professional Kickboxing series.

Along with his "King of the Gladiators" title belt and winner's purse, Sheppard also received a propane Keg-A-Que stainless steel BBQ grill, Real Fight Gear punch mitts, a bottle of Armadale Vodka and Green Bay Packer seat cushions compliments of TailgateTime.com. Second place finisher Craft also received the same items. Third Place finishers Scott Lighty and Andre Walker received Real punch mitts and Armadale Vodka.

All Tournament fighters received special gift bags after weigh-in and registration was complete. Included were ESPN towels, Cherry Bomb t-shirts, Cut Throat Fight Gear, Title hand wraps, Three Olives Vodka light-up pens and Berghoff strobe beer caps.

Addition sponsors include CO2 Ultralounge (home of the absolutely packed Post Fight Party), Cut Throat Fight Gear, FlyBar, Kickboxing.TV, Milwaukee Nights, Movin' & Lubin', Pro Karate Weekly and Three Olives Vodka.

Jorges Matto of Telemundo's action sports series "Adrenalina TV" covered the event utilizing multiple robotic cameras. Watch for the show to be featured on Adrenalina TV in the months to come. Kickboxing.TV's Eric Haycraft was also on hand to record the show for future broadcast on the web based Kickboxing subscriber network as was Pro Karate Weekly's Greg Kalikas.

Watch for a complete write-up and photos from correspondent Brian Smith coming soon.

AMATEUR BOUTS RESULTS:

Kourtney McCarty over Erin Rasch – TKO RD 2
Mike Vaughn over Stan Kordonskiy – SPLIT DEC
Chris Trautsch over Anibal Santiago – TKO RD 1
Billy Horn over Rachid Maakoul – UNAN DEC
Mark Cribb over Tim Riordan – UNAN DEC
Kyle Weickhardt over Oliver Davis – UNAN DEC
Damian Smetkala over Ketla Jackson – TKO RD 3
Tom Grimmer over Brian Macechern – KO RD 2
Liz Modaff over Jackie Ibe – SPLIT DEC
Charmaine Tweet over Jennifer O’Bradovic – UNAN DEC

"KING OF THE GLADIATORS" TOURNAMENT RESULTS:

Heavyweight Gladiators – Ben Rothwell over Doug Sauer – TKO RD 1
Quarter-Final #1 – Horace Craft over Harold Johnson (replaced Romero) – TKO RD 1
Quarter-Final #2 – Bryce Franck over Mark Miller – TKO RD 1
Quarter-Final #3 – Mike Sheppard over Andre Walker – DQ RD 1
Quarter-Final #4 – Scott Lighty over John Castle – UNAN DEC
Semi-Final #1 – Horace Craft over Andre Walker (replaced Frank) – DQ RD 1
Semi-Final #2 – Mike Sheppard over Scott Lighty – KO RD 1
Finals – Mike Sheppard over Horace Craft – KO RD 1

Thursday, November 4, 2004 (Milwaukee, WI USA) Line Set On Gladiators Tourney: San Luis Obispo, California's Scott Lighty is pegged as the early favorite to win the November 13th Heavyweight Gladiators "King of the Gladiators" 8-Man Tournament in Milwaukee according to MMA Bets odds makers.

Denver's Andre Walker and Mexico's Raul Romero round out the top three picks to take it all. Odds are available on the first four tournament bouts, as well as, on the tournament champion pick. To find the Gladiators tournament odds easier, choose "MMA/BOXING" from the site's list of gaming options.

MMA Bets is the top site for Kickboxing, Mixed Martial Arts and Boxing on-line gaming, featuring betting lines on K-1, UFC, Pride, Boxing and now, Heavyweight Gladiators Kickboxing. Join MMA Bets today and let 'er ride on your favorite Gladiator.

For more information or to reserve tickets for the "King of the Gladiators" Tournament, please call (414) 967-7767.

Friday, October 22nd, 2004 • Carrasquillo Aces English 10 Speech: As mentioned in the article below, Duke RUOFUS Academy student Carissa Carrasquillo recently delivered an oral presentation on Muaythai Kickboxing for her English 10 Speech class at Kettle Moraine High School. What made her speech standout was that Carissa included various live demonstrations of punching, kicking, kneeing and elbowing - with the Thai pads held by her coach and mentor Duke RUOFUS himself.

Carissa delivered a great talk on Muaythai and used the little space she had in the classroom to perfection, as she lit up the pads with booming cracks from her powerful kicks and punches. Her extra effort paid off, as she brought home an A for her "live multimedia" presentation. Kudos to Carissa for being creative in her approach, "thinking outside the box" and earning an excellent grade on her presentation.

Ad Cetera Scores Packers Top Three Receivers: Green Bay Packer Wide Receivers Donald Driver, Robert Ferguson and Javon Walker attended a private signing coordinated by Ad Cetera Sports' Scott Joffe today in Green Bay, WI. Joffe is co-owner of the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy.

The players stopped by the signing after practice and promptly got down to work, affixing their signatures to collectible footballs, helmets, photos, trading cards and other assorted pieces of Packer and sports memorabilia. Hopefully the rest of the Packers' season goes as well as the signing did.

Wednesday, October 13th, 2004 • Carrasquillo's Speech a Hit at Kettle Moraine High: Carissa Carrasquillo, Sophomore at Kettle Moraine High School and longtime member of the Duke RUOFUS Academy family, figured the best way for her to ace her "English 10 Speech" oral presentation today was to pick a topic which she was knowledgeable and passionate about. She choose the sport of Muaythai Kickboxing. Then she took it a step further...

Carissa decided she would incorporate a demonstration of various Muaythai weapons into her presentation and enlisted the help of her instructor, Duke RUOFUS, who was happy to assist. It was a sight to behold as Carissa, in colorful Thai shorts, team shirt, ankle supports and boxing gloves, slammed home an array of devastating Thai kicks, gut busting knees, razor sharp elbows and powerful punches - all in a small area in front of the class next to the chalkboard.

Carissa offered her teacher, Mrs. Beth Kennedy, and fellow students a detailed and exciting glimpse into the 700 year old national sport of Thailand, which she has been training seriously in for the past 2+ years. Carissa credits Duke not only for helping her get into shape and live a healthy lifestyle, but also for helping her grow mentally and become more mature.

One could easily see from her speech that Carissa practices what she preaches, as she flowed back-and-forth from her verbal presentation (accompanied by overhead projection displays) and physical demonstrations with Duke. Working in the confined space had one positive effect as it provided a loud, booming echo each time Carissa cracked the Thai pads with a succession of solid strikes.

Carissa then engaged in a Q & A session with Mrs. Kennedy, who asked detailed and specific questions about various aspects of the sport such as the difference in use of Muaythai in the ring versus physical attack situations and varying types of Kickboxing styles. Duke appreciated being asked to provide additional insight and commentary during Mrs. Kennedy's thoughtful questioning.

Congratulations Carissa on doing what the majority of Earth's population despise doing, getting up in front of a group of people and speaking. In your case, speaking and performing, which most people can't stand to do even more. You showed that fear only exists if you let it. Keep up the good work.

BOXING FANS (and family/friends of Boxing fans): If you have a passion for Boxing or know someone who does, then we want to from you. The Duke RUOFUS Academy is organizing a series of quarterly social gatherings for fans and aficionados of Boxing at a local, popular eatery.

Guests would enjoy dinner together, listen to featured speakers, view historical and classic films, and be able to do what they love best, trade stories and reminisce about the sport that excites them most - Boxing. You don't have to be a "pugilist specialist" like Lennox, call yourself the Golden Boy or float like Ali's butterfly to be in this group. Casual or hardcore, old school or new school, all fans are welcome.

It's going to be fun, the times will be memorable. The group could eventually meet more often and travel to various out-of-state, high level events and shows. The sky is the limit.

If this sounds like something you could get into, please contact Scott or Duke at the Duke RUOFUS Academy, (414) 319-1151 or via . Please pass this information along to any family or friends who you think might also be interested in attending. All ideas and suggestions are welcome.

(Cleveland,Ohio) Tuesday, October 12th, 2004 • Get the Straight Shot from Duke on PKW: Sportstalk Cleveland, Inc. and Pro Karate Weekly, are pleased to announce that UFC stars Tito Ortiz and Guy Mezger are scheduled for interviews during this weeks live broadcast of Pro Karate Weekly (10-13-04). Both fighters will answer emails from fans as they prepare for their upcoming battle on Friday, October 22nd at UFC 50.

Also scheduled.....Former K-1 and Muay Thai World Champion Duke RUOFUS with another installment of "The K-1 Ring Report." Duke and the PKW crew will be bringing listeners the latest breaking K-1 news including results from this weeks K-1 Max event plus a look at the upcoming Grand Prix Finals and Heavyweight Gladiators "King of the Gladiators" Tournament.

PRO KARATE WEEKLY can be heard live exclusively on SportsTalkCleveland.com and ProKarateWeekly.com Wednesday nights from 9:00 to 10:30 pm EST. All shows are archived so fans can listen to the show if they missed a live broadcast. Archives, sound bytes, interviews, rumors, and the latest K-1 and MMA news are available daily by logging onto www.ProKarateWeekly.com. As always, PKW will give listeners a chance to participate live and win some great UFC, K-1, PRIDE and MMA merchandise.

Fans are encouraged to contribute to the show during live broadcasts by calling 1-866-371-4782 toll free or e-mail PKW live at .

Monday, October 11, 2004 • Affiliate Nikko-Ki Hosts Spirited Sparring Session: Duke RUOFUS Academy affiliate Nikko-KI Training Club, Rockford, IL, and their Head Instructor Bryce Frank, hosted an afternoon sparring session on Saturday, October 9th that those in attendance will not soon forget. The action was intense as everyone got their chance to "go live." They could of sold ringside seats to this one.

Duke RUOFUS brought along a crew that consisted of Jonathan Costello, Ben Dauck, Mark Cribb, Neal Fox, Stan Kordonskiy, Chris Trautsch and Kyle Weickhardt. Joining Franck from Nikko-Ki were Jeff Carlson, Rachid Maakoul and Toon Singmouangthong. Many were preparing for their upcoming bout on the November 13th Heavyweight Gladiators "King of the Gladiators" undercard in Milwaukee.

Every fighter brought their best with them Saturday, as evidenced by the many bumps and bruises each took home as a trophy of a great day. And no one went home empty handed. Just ask Toon and Mark's noses, Duke's hand and Bryce's shoulder.

While the action was intense, the sportsmanship was even more noticeable. The fighters all knew the day was a rare chance to open up the throttle and let 'er rip, which they surely did. But as is was with this group, nobody took a cheap shot at the other or went farther than necessary when they found the opening.

Carlson, 15, was experiencing his first full blown sparring session. But, from the look of things, one would have guessed that he had done this countless times before, as his level of athleticism and skill matched his equally high level of maturity. It will be only a matter of time before Carlson has the Rockford faithful jumping out of their seats when he's in the ring.

An Affiliate Sparring photos page has been created and features some of the best shots from the session.

Tuesday, October 5, 2004 • Help "Kozy's Kloset" Keep 'Em Cozy: It's that time of the year again when Duke RUOFUS Gym's community outreach program "D.R.G. For Others" ("Donation of Reusable Goods For Others") helps you clean out your overflowing closets and drawers.

Just a few easy steps and, wah lah!, they're clean - and you've helped out member Cheryl Clancy and the Kosciuszko Middle School of Excellence in Milwaukee, where she is Principal.

To begin, get a few large, sturdy bags. Next, with bags open and at the ready, start filling them with all of the little or never used jackets, hats, gloves, mittens, sweaters, pants, shirts and any other clean and usable clothing items you can get your hands on.

Get more bags if necessary and keep filling. Don't stop until every last nook and cranny in your home has been thoroughly gone through.

When finished, bring your stuffed bags to the DRG where they will be donated on your behalf to help fill up "Kozy's Kloset" at Cheryl's school. You end up with a cleaner home, while this winter someone else gets to wear your handmade, 100% wool, "authentic" Irish goat herder's sweater that you wore once (The one you thought was just "way too warm."). All clothing from "Kozy's Kloset" is given free to anyone in need.

Please take a moment to go through your "stuff" and if you haven't worn it in the last year, chances are you probably never will again. So give it away, to Ms. Clancy, to "Kozy's Kloset," to the students and families of Kosciuszko. They will appreciate it more than you will ever know. Especially when it's 17 degrees out with a windchill of minus 4.

Wednesday, September 29, 2004 • Burger Baby Already Proving She's No Lightweight: On Tuesday, September 7th, 2004, Kylie Rae Burger, daughter of Duke RUOFUS Gym member Matthew Burger and his lovely wife Rhonda, entered the world weighing in at a small, but spunky 5 lbs. 3 oz. and standing 17.5" tall. Kylie Rae was born 7 weeks early and spent 2 weeks in the NICU after which she was moved to Pediatrics. She is expected to be released to come home soon.

Matt and Rhonda are very excited to welcome Kylie to the family and possibly to the ring, as Matt hinted, saying, "She kicks like a mule already. We'll have to get her started in kickboxing ASAP!"

Regardless of her athletic aspirations, this little doll will always be a lifetime member of the DRG family. Congratulations to Matt and Rhonda on the birth of your beautiful baby girl. We all have her in our thoughts and prayers and hope you can bring her home as soon as possible.

...and once she's able, the Burgers better bring her by the gym and show her off. We're sure we have a pair of gloves that will fit her.

Saturday, September 25, 2004 • Students Excel in September 2004 Level Testing Sessions: Congratulations to all of the Duke RUOFUS Gym students who passed their Level 1 and 2 Muaythai Kickboxing and/or Boxing Tests on Thursday, September 23rd and Saturday, September 25th.

Head Instructor Duke RUOFUS had his hands full as the September graduating class brought an extremely high level of tenacity and raw talent into the ring. Based on the performances he observed, Duke noted that the students who had a desire to one day compete were well on their way to reaching that goal.

Please take a moment to see all of the students who completed their September 2004 DRG Level Tests. Each has worked very hard to get to this point. Once again, congratulations on your accomplishment and much continued success to all.

Special thanks to Coach Scott Cushman for assisting with the Level Testing sessions.

One Tournament, 3 Fights. One Night, 1 King!: Tickets are now on sale for the Saturday, November 13th Heavyweight Gladiators "King of the Gladiators" Pro 8-Man Heavyweight Kickboxing Tournament presented by Kyle Monreal Painting.

VIP Ringside ($50.00) and General Admission ($25.00 advance/$30.00 door) may be reserved by credit/debit card and picked up at the door by calling 414-967-7767. Tickets are also available at the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy, 111 West Virginia Street in Milwaukee (414) 319-1151.

The pro card, featuring 10 bouts, is set to begin at 8:00 p.m. in the Ramada Inn's Grand Ballroom, 6401 South 13th Street in Milwaukee. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. with an "Awesome Amateurs" undercard set to feature over 15 bouts. Many of North America and Canada's new crop of top talent will be represented on the show, including Scott Lighty, training mate of UFC Superstar Chuck "The Iceman" Liddel, former ISKA World Champion Jeff "Big Diesel" Ford and 2004 IKF Amateur National Heavyweight Champion "Big" John Castle.

Rounding out the rest of the 8-man field are Cudahy, Wisconsin's own Horace "The Real Deal" Craft, Brian "The Lion" Wright, "Bam Bam" Bryce Franck, Mark "The Shark" Miller and "Mighty" Matt Ives.

The event is sponsored by Armadale Vodka, CO2 Ultralounge, Cut Throat Fight Gear, Kickboxing.TV, Milwaukee Nights, Movin' & Lubin', Pro Karate Weekly, Real Fight Gear and Three Olives Vodka.

Monday, September 20, 2004 • Busy Bodies: It's a busy time for Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Academy students Cheryl Clancy and Mike Tarnoff as each submerge themselves even deeper in the sports they love most.

Clancy travels to Las Vegas, Nevada on October 22nd for a three day Muaythai Seminar at Master Toddy's famed kickboxing facility that was recently featured on MTV. To further help prepare herself for the experience, Clancy will participate in the Fox Cities Marathon this upcoming Sunday, September 26th in Appleton, Wisconsin.

She'll have time to relax though come January 4th (her 55th birthday) when she travels to Honolulu, Hawaii for the Hawaii International Conference on Education. Clancy, who went through a rigorous selection process, will deliver a 90 minute presentation on school reform. She is the Principal at Kosciuszko Middle School of Excellence in Milwaukee and has lost over 130 pounds since joining DRG about 2 1/2 years ago.

Tarnoff, 66, headed east Thursday, September 9th, to the magnificent Catskill Mountains, for a four day Fantasy Boxing Camp operated by Brooklyn, New York's fabled Gleason's Boxing Gym. Tarnoff's was coached by some of the best to ever enter a ring, including former world champions Carlos Ortiz (Lightweight), Matthew Saad Muhammed (Light Heavyweight), Vito Antuofermo (Middleweight), Juan LaPorte (Featherweight) and Emile Griffith (Welterweight).

Other boxing legends who worked with Tarnoff include Terry Southerland, who fought for the Lightweight Championship, Edgar Santana, Eric Simmons, Hector Roca, Bobby Beckles and Martin Gonzalez.

The highlight of Tarnoff's trip was his masterful victory on Saturday evening over Brooklyn's Anthony Pellegrino, his 63 year old opponent (who had fought on over 50 of Gleason's famous White Collar Boxing cards prior to their match). As an added bonus, the referee for the bout was Emile Griffith. This was Tarnoff's 4th appearance on a Gleason's event.

Congratulations to both Cheryl and Mike for their tremendous accomplishments, their long-term dedication, their inspiration, and to living life to it's fullest, in the fast lane.

Franck's KO Terminates Jewell In Gladiators Rockford Debut

Sold Out Crowd Witnesses Gem of a Performance

By: Scott A. Joffe

Saturday, September 11, 2004 (Rockford, IL USA) - Two things can be said about the people of Rockford, IL, they are extremely friendly and looks can be deceiving as Holley, NY's Chuck Jewell found out Friday night.

With a standing room only crowd roaring around him, local favorite Bryce "Bam Bam" Franck was anything but nice as he delivered a punishing knee to Jewell's midsection that stopped the East Coast fighter dead in his tracks at 2:28 of the second round of the scheduled five round Heavyweight Gladiators Professional Kickboxing "Rise of the Machines" main event at Rockford's Tebala Shrine Temple.

Franck notched his second Gladiators victory to one loss, while Jewell's finish in his first Gladiators bout puts his record at 0-1. It was an exciting, action packed, technical bout from the start. Franck went to work early, peppering kicks to the inside and outside of Jewel's left thigh, while Jewell was content to take the shots and relied on his boxing skill to carry him through the first round.

In the second, Franck delivered a textbook straight punch to Jewell's stomach that crippled him. After beating ace Kickboxing Referee Al Wichgers' count, Jewell soldiered on and appeared to be ok, but Franck threw the book out on Rockford hospitality as he treated Jewell to a barrage of well placed kicks that culminated with another straight shot to the body and the cou-de-gras knee attack. It was a solid, painful blow, the kind that usually knocks the wind out of most people. Jewell wasn't as quick to his feet this time and Referee Wichgers had no choice but to end the contest, sending Franck's Rockford fans into a frenzy of delight.

After his victory, Franck brought his wife Lori up into the ring and thanked the huge crowd for their support, which included his trainer 4-Time World Heavyweight Champion Duke RUOFUS and Rockford Kickboxing legend "Bad" Brad Hefton. Franck also congratulated first time promoters Colin Kvool and Frank Ingardona of Rockford's Nikko- Ki Training Club, who worked with Scott Joffe's Milwaukee (WI) based Ad Cetera Sports in producing a truly first class, top notch Heavyweight Gladiators Kickboxing event.

In the other professional bout of the night, fans were treated to a classic match-up pitting Boxing versus Mixed Martial Arts, as seasoned boxer Harold Johnson, fighting out of Milwaukee's Martin Luther King Center, took on Indianapolis (IN) MMA fighter "Lethal" Leo Slyvest of Ringsports Gym. Johnson managed to get off a few kicks and some decent punches, but Slyvest was able to land a low kick to the outside and just below Johnson's left knee early in the first round that neutralized Johnson's plant leg from that point on. Slyvest sent Johnson to the canvas a few times during the round, but Referee Wichgers determined that Johnson was fit to continue, and it seemed Johnson was indeed energized and ready for more.

The second round started out with the same intensity as the first, with Slyvest showing a bit more power and aggressiveness. The combination proved to be lethal as Slyvest overpowered Johnson and earned the knockout victory at 29 seconds into the second round.

The undercard was billed as "Awesome Amateurs" and the match-ups did not disappoint. In the first bout of the night, Kyle "Big Truck" Weickhardt, fighting out of Milwaukee's Duke RUOFUS Gym, earned a unanimous decision victory over Nikko-Ki's Gabe "The Iron Dreidl" Wassner in a Light Cruiserweight battle. Both fighters put on an excellent display of smart, well timed punch/kick combinations, while showing an extreme amount of focus for newer amateur fighters. This bout set the tone for the rest of the evening.

The next bout featured a "Battle of the Badges" Super Cruiserweight contest between law enforcement officers Neil Roberts representing Nikko-Ki and Duke RUOFUS Gym's Rick "Iron Weasel" Albidress. Roberts had Albidress' number in this one. Albidress didn't have much of an answer for his opponent's' barrage of punches and kicks as Roberts pressed the action, causing Referee Wichgers to stop the bout at 1:51 of the opening round.

Duke RUOFUS Gym's Chris Trautsch and Nikko-Ki's Rafael Czaplicki squared off in an evenly matched, exciting Heavyweight 3 rounder that saw Czaplicki eek out a narrow split decision victory. The scheduled Light Welterweight bout between Nikko-Ki's "Looney Toon" Singmouangthong and Siam #1 Muaythai Club's Tim Robbons of Toronto, Ontario, Canada ended before it even began with Robbons pulling out of the bout as he stood in his corner suffering "breathing problems due to a new mouthguard." Singmouangthong was none too happy to take the forfeit victory as the Rockford faithful let loose with a chorus of boos. Fighters take note: the night of a fight is not the time to test out new equipment.

2003 North American Amateur Light Heavyweight Champion Tom Grimmer always represents Waukesha, Wisconsin's Medina Gym well, but he had his hands full with Siam #1's Rick Sanita, who came to fight in this Super Middleweight donnybrook. Grimmer is an explosive, exciting fighter who can strike at any moment. Fans well remember Grimmer's devastating headkick knockout of Stan Rousenelos last February 21st in Milwaukee that put Rousenelos out cold.

Sanita, however, was very prepared and none of Grimmer's past accomplishments mattered much to him tonight. Whatever Grimmer attempted, Sanita usually warded off and fired back a few shots of his own. As is often the case, Grimmer controlled the entire bout and kept bringing the fight to Sanita, who stayed tough, but ended up on the losing end of Grimmer's unanimous decision victory.

The show was sponsored by Big Al's Bar and Miller Lite. Additional sponsorship was provided by Giovanni's Restaurant & Convention Center, AmCore Bank, Insight Communications, Gerald M. Donnelli, DDS., Swilligan's, Orthopedic Rehab Specialists, Hooters of Rockford, Bing's Drive-In, Paragon Restaurant, Under-Pressure, Farmers Insurance, Windsor Auto Sales, Byrd & Taylor Attorneys at Law, Security Finance, Rock River Building & Grounds, Alpha Chiropractic Center, Fidelity Mortgage, Meads Longwood Meat Market, BMC Ticket Service, Courtyard by Marriott, The Groove Shop, Primo's Pizza, Custom Copy & Printing, Security Professionals of Illinois, JoJo's Pizza, Alpine View Restaurant, Sunrise II Family Restaurant.

The show was dedicated to the memory of Rockford Police Officer Kevin Rice, who was killed in the line of duty. A donation was presented to Ms. Ardine Rice, on behalf of the Kevin Rice Foundation at Rock Valley College, by Walt Booth, Vice President of AmCore Bank and Frank Ingardona, President of Nikko-Ki. Dave Arnold, representing the R.V.C. Foundation was also in attendance for the check presentation.

Saturday, August 28, 2004 • East Coast Represents Well at DRG: The Duke RUOFUS Gym was pleased to have two visitors from the East Coast come and train along with Duke and fellow DRG students. Neil Lynch of Charlestown, Rhode Island and Robert Smeeton of Columbia, Connecticut spent a busy week in Milwaukee taking private lessons with Duke and joining in on DRG student classes as they trained for their DRG Level 1 Muaythai Certification.

A ceremony was held Saturday, August 28th where Duke made special note of Neil and Robert's accomplishment. Congratulations to Neil Lynch and Robert Smeeton for achieving their DRG Level 1 Muaythai Kickboxing Certification. We hope to see them back in Milwaukee very soon.

A special thank you to DRG Instructors Scott Cushman and Ben Dauck who assisted with Neil and Robert's training.

Saturday, August 21, 2004 • August 2004 Level Tests Heat Up: Congratulations to all of the Duke RUOFUS Gym students who passed their Level 1 and 2 Muaythai Kickboxing and/or Boxing Tests on Thursday, August 19th and Saturday, August 21st.

Despite the cooler than normal temperatures outside, things got pretty hot indoors once the Level Testing sessions began. Every student left it all in the ring, leaving no doubt as to their common desire to succeed.

Please take a moment to see all of the students who completed their August 2004 DRG Level Tests. Each has worked very hard to complete their goals. Once again, congratulations on your accomplishment and much continued success to all.

Special thanks to Coaches Scott Cushman and Ben Dauck for assisting with the Level Testing sessions.

Friday, August 6, 2004 • Weickhardt Puts Perfect Record on the Line in Cicero: Here's to Duke RUOFUS Gym Kickboxer Kyle "Big Truck" Weickhardt as he goes for his third straight win Saturday evening, August 7th in Cicero, IL.

Kyle has trained very hard for this bout, his consistency and preparation should help him earn another victory. Everyone is welcome to come down and join the DRG family as we support Kyle on what should be an exciting event. For more information and to order tickets to the show, please call (414) 319-1151.

Log on and Listen to Duke on PRO KARATE WEEKLY: Sportstalk Cleveland, Inc. and PRO KARATE WEEKLY , are pleased to announce that Kickboxing great and K-1 USA commentator Duke RUOFUS will be a live guest on PRO KARATE WEEKLY this Wednesday, August 11th at 9:00 pm EST.

Duke will give PKW listeners his views on the latest K-1 "Battle at the Bellagio," the increasingly popular K-1 Max and the upcoming Heavyweight Gladiators shows in Rockford ("Rise of the Machines," September 10th) and Milwaukee ("King of the Gladiators" 8-Man Heavyweight Tournament, November 13th).

PRO KARATE WEEKLY can be heard live exclusively on SportsTalkCleveland.com and ProKarateWeekly.com Wednesday nights from 9:00 to 10:00 pm EST. All shows are archived so fans can listen to the show if they missed a live broadcast. Archives, sound bytes, interviews, rumors, and the latest K-1 and MMA news are available daily by logging onto www.ProKarateWeekly.com.

Fans are encouraged to contribute to the show during live broadcasts by calling 1-866-371-4782 toll free or e-mail PKW live at .

Sunday, July 25, 2004 • Duke RUOFUS OnMilwaukee.com Article Produces Positive Talkback: Reader are speaking up on-line about the article featuring Duke RUOFUS that appeared recently on OnMilwaukee.com.

Among the positive offerings was this missive about Duke and his Virginia Street Kickboxing and Boxing academy, "Duke RUOFUS is an authority on the sport and without a doubt can offer to give a lot of knowledge to anyone that is interested in learning it. I would have to say that there is no doubt that they treat everyone like family. I personally feel that there is no better place to train the sport."

The article, "RUOFUS' Might Has Put Milwaukee on the Kickboxing Map," was penned by local writer Brian Smith and first appeared on July 16, 2004.

Saturday, July 24, 2004 • Bizzaro & Singleton Shine in July Level Testing: The lure of a lazy summer didn't have any effect on July 2004 Level Testing for Amelia Bizzaro and Tai Singleton, as each showed off their best stuff for Head Instructor Duke RUOFUS.

Bizzaro's Level Two six round trial with RUOFUS showcased tough infighting and clinching. Singleton showed talent and potential during a strong, well rounded Level One contestation. Congratulations to Amelia Bizzaro and Tai Singleton on passing your Duke RUOFUS Academy Level Testing sessions.

Take a moment to see both of the July 2004 Level Testing graduates and photos taken during the their Level Testing sessions. A portal to past Level Testing sessions is also available.

Tuesday, July 20, 2004 • Weickhardt Hopes to Keep Win Streak Alive in Cicero Match-up: Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing team member Kyle Weickhardt will be Kickboxing Saturday evening, August 7th in Cicero, IL.

Weickhardt, who is looking to add another win to his 2-0 record, will be taking on Andy Kovac of Shidokan Martial Arts Club in Arlington, IL. Everyone is welcome to come down and join the DRG family as we support Kyle on what should be an exciting event. For more information and to order tickets ($30.00) to the show, please call (414) 319-1151.

Friday, July 16, 2004 • Duke RUOFUS Headlines OnMilwaukee.com: An article featuring Duke RUOFUS tops the Sports section of Milwaukee's Official "What's going on" web page, OnMilwaukee.com today.

The piece was written by local Milwaukeean Brian Smith and looks at Duke's views on tournament fighting, boxing and amateur competition. Take a moment to check it out.

Thursday, July 8, 2004 • Special of the Day - FAT SANDWICH: Storm Bastille Days with DRG member Mark Samman (pictured in photo on right) and his super funky 2004 WAMI award winning (R&B/Urban/Scratch/Hip-Hop Group or Artist of the Year) band Fat Sandwich.

Fat Sandwich will be comin' at you with a full buffet of shake your money maker grooves on Saturday, July 10th from 5:30pm - 8:30pm at the "Wilson Farm Meats" (Kilbourn St. West) Stage. You know there's going to be a blazin' party when Fat Sandwich is on the funkadelic menu.

Other dates for Fat Sandwiches' "Summer Sizzlin' Grooves Tour" can be found at Fat Sandwich. Viva la Fat Sandwich!

Saturday, July 3, 2004 • Harley's Foley To Oversee China Operation: Congratulations go out to DRG member David Foley on his recent promotion to Director of Sales & Market Development for Harley-Davidson's new base of operations in China.

Dave, who has been involved in martial arts for a large part of his life, formerly oversaw business development for Harley's Buell Motorcycle Division in Australia, Asia and the throughout the Pacific Rim. Dave and his wife Christine will be moving to China in September.

Monday, June 28, 2004 • June 2004 Level Tests In the Books: Congratulations to all of the Duke RUOFUS Gym students who passed their Level 1, 2 or 3 Muaythai Kickboxing and/or Boxing Tests on Thursday, June 24th and Saturday, June 26th. Special recognition goes to Tom Dattulo who passed his 9 round Level 3 Test on Saturday. Thanks to Coaches Scott Cushman and Ben Dauck for assisting with the level testing sessions.

Please take a moment to see all of the students who completed their June 2004 DRG Level Tests. You can also access all of DRG's Past Level Testing sessions, as well. Congratulations to each and every one of you. You have worked very hard to complete your goals. Much continued success to all.

Friday, June 25, 2004 • Strout Coaches Pair to US Championships: DRG certified coach Jason Strout trained Chris Romolo and Carlos Zevallos, both of New York, who each won titles at the 2004 WKA USA National Kickboxing Amateur Championships. The event was held June 18th & 19th at Virginia Wesleyan College in Virginia Beach, VA.

Chris Romulo won the 2004 WKA USA Amateur Middleweight Muaythai Title and Carlos Zevallos earned the 2004 WKA USA Amateur Heavyweight Muaythai Title. For more information and complete results, please go WKA USA.

ALERT: Thursday, June 24, 2004 • DRG's Summer Hours Start Monday, June 28th: Duke RUOFUS Gym’s 2004 Summer Hours go into effect Monday, June 28th.

Daytime (11:30 a.m. –1:00 p.m.) and Saturday (9:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m.) class times STAY THE SAME, only the Monday – Thursday evening class times/open hours change.

Monday & Wednesday, Open at 5:00 p.m., All Levels Adult Boxing 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., All Levels Adult Kickboxing 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Close at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday & Thursday, Open at 5:00 p.m., All Levels Adult Kickboxing 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., All Levels Adult Boxing 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Close at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 • Joffe Finds Former Packers In Demand: Scott Joffe's Ad Cetera Sports Celebrities has been busy over the past few months coordinating the appearances of some very well known former Green Bay Packer greats for some very well known clients, as well.

On Thursday and Friday, June 3rd and 4th, Joffe provided Packer Lombardi era legends Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston for the "Casting Light Upon the Waters" Partner's Fishing Outing which took place at Lac Courte Oreilles tribal owned Herman's Landing on the beautiful 15,000 acre Chippewa Flowage in Hayward, WI.

The annual relationship building event is coordinated by Robert Jackson of the Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs in conjunction with Mark Rose of Discover Wisconsin. Heads of all of Northern Wisconsin's Indian tribes take part, as well as, US Government and Department of Natural Resources Officials. Last year, Joffe booked Packer receiver Donald Driver for the event. Oddly enough, both Kramer and Driver each caught the largest fish during their respective outings.

On Friday, June 11th, Joffe traveled to St. Germain, WI with former Packer star Defensive Tackle Santata Dotson for the Rose family's (same Mark Rose of Discover Wisconsin as mentioned above) "Angel On My Shoulder" Cancer Foundation's Annual Golf Outing at the pristine St. Germain Golf Course.

Dotson posed with each of the tournament's foursomes, played golf with various groups, and then autographed each of the photographs taken earlier in the day so all participants could receive their signed photos at the evening banquet and auction. Last year, Joffe coordinated Packer fullback William Henderson for the event.

Monday, June 21, 2004 • Gladiators Kickboxing "Night of Champions" Blows Roof Off Winnipeg: The most recent installment of Gladiators Kickboxing took place Friday, June 18th in Canada's newest hot spot for pro Kickboxing - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The sold-out show was produced by DRG affiliate gym (Canadian Kickboxing & Muay Thai Centre/"CKMTC") owner and local Kickboxing favorite, Giuseppe "The Godfather" DeNatale, along with the top notch team at Prairie Bros. Promotions.

Coach Duke RUOFUS conducted a 2-week training camp at CKMTC prior to the event and watched the team win 8 of 10 hard fought bouts, including an amazing, come-from-behind victory for Dave Horvath in the main event. A complete write-up and results are available at Heavyweight Gladiators News.

Wednesday, June 9, 2004 • Success Is In The Numbers: People can change. Yes, they definitely can - and we see it happening daily at the Duke RUOFUS Gym. One person in particular who personifies the ability to change is Kyle Weickhardt.

Kyle graduated from Brookfield East High School on Sunday, June 6th with a 3.5 G.P.A. after having started out with a 1.4 his Freshman year. That's quite an improvement in anyone's book and it's one his parents attribute to Kyle's consistent training at DRG.

The regiment is reaping huge rewards for Kyle and his family, as they grow closer and relationships get stronger. As Kyle matures, so does his outlook - he realizes the more he focuses on the positives around him the better everything gets, in all phases of his life, and most importantly his family life.

Consistency is the key to making change occur and Kyle demonstrates his consistent commitment to his education and Kickboxing training each and every day, without fail. From being the first to arrive at the gym to getting his road work (outdoor running) in regardless of the weather, Kyle never is one to miss or make an excuse for why he can't/won't do something. He just gets it done, period.

Congratulations Kyle on your most noteworthy achievement of graduating Brookfield East High School with your vastly improved 3.5 G.P.A. and for making the changes necessary in your life to help you mature into the wonderful and successful person you have become.

Wednesday, June 2, 2004 • Grab A Fat Sandwich At Riversplash: Kick off your Summer Festival Season downtown at Milwaukees Riversplash with DRG member Mark Samman (pictured in photo on right) and his WAMI award winning (R&B/Urban/Scratch/Hip-Hop Group of the Year) band Fat Sandwich.

Fat Sandwich is going to be slammin' all your favorite sounds at the Water Street North Stage on Saturday June 5th from 6:00pm - 8:30pm.

Come see Fat Sandwich and then stick around for the Love Monkeys if you have any energy left. Other dates for Fat Sandwiches' "Summer Sizzlin' Grooves Tour" can be found at www.FatSandwich.com. Check it out!

Saturday, May 29, 2004 • Nungaray's April Sales Blitz Earns Trip To Indy: Longtime DRG member Ramiro Nungaray was the #1 sales person in April at Holz Chevrolet, Hales Corners, and was rewarded with an all expense paid trip from GM to this weekend's exciting Indianapolis 500.

In addition to having primo seats for 88th running of the "greatest spectacle in racing," Ramiro also gets the thrill of taking a few hotlaps in the official pace car. Now that sounds like an exciting way to spend the holiday weekend. Congratulations Ramiro on your excellent sales accomplishment.

Wednesday, May 26, 2004 • Strout Takes Bite Out Of Big Apple: Jason Strout, Duke RUOFUS Gym Instructor and Coach, has moved to Brooklyn, New York and is looking to establish a DRG affiliate gym in the very near future.

Jason (pictured at far left, along with Andre Mannaart, Rob Kaman and Duke RUOFUS) will be truly missed by all of the DRG family, but remains a major part of the team. Strout hopes to travel back to Milwaukee on occasion and visit with all of his friends at the gym.

Everyone at the Duke RUOFUS Gym wishes Jason well and lots of luck. As they say, if he can make it there, he can make it anywhere! Take care Jason, we all will definitely miss you.

Tuesday, May 25, 2004 • Always Remember, Never Forget: The Duke RUOFUS Gym will be closed Monday, May 31st in observance of Memorial Day. Please take a moment to remember the heroic men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice while defending the right to freedom for all Americans and our allies around the globe. The gym will be open as usual on Saturday, May 29th.

Ramski's Military Efforts Golden: Congratulations to Sergeant First Class and DRG member Glenn Ramski who proved he was more than up for the challenge and returned from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas after earning the prestigious German Armed Forces GOLD Badge for Military Proficiency over the past weekend.

Glenn, 40, had to prove his proficiency in a number of extremely challenging categories to earn the Gold Badge, including covering a 15.6 mile road march (with a 30 lb. pack on his back) in 4 hours, hitting a perfect 100% score in marksmanship and swimming 1000 meters in less than 25 minutes. Over 300 people participated, about 75 of them took home the Gold Badge.

Glenn credits his training at the Duke RUOFUS Gym in enabling him to accomplish this extraordinary feat. Nice going Glenn, your friends at the DRG are very, very proud of you.

Saturday, May 22, 2004 • May 2004 Level Testing In The Books: Six eager DRG students brought their "A game" to the ring and took Duke RUOFUS to task on Thursday, May 20th and Saturday, May 22nd as the Duke RUOFUS Gym held their May 2004 Level Testing sessions. Congratulations on a superb performance to all of DRG's May 2004 Level 1 and 2 Muaythai Kickboxing and Boxing graduates.

To see all of the May 2004 Level Testing graduates and photos taken during the May 2004 Level Testing sessions, please click HERE. For a portal to all past Level Testing sessions, click HERE.

Tarnoff Stars at Gleason's: Milwaukee Attorney and amateur boxer Mike Tarnoff wowed the crowd Friday evening, May 21st as he put a lickin' on his 35 year old opponent in his third appearance boxing at the famed Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, New York.

What makes the accomplishment so special is that Tarnoff is 66 and, after a 40 year hiatus from the sport, has been training for the past 10 months under the watchful eye of Duke RUOFUS Gym coaches Jason Strout and Scott Cushman. As you can see, the Duke RUOFUS Gym really is for anybody. Congratulations Mike on your excellent, on-going accomplishment in Boxing.

Sunday, May 9, 2004 • Nice Going People: Congratulations are in order for a few Duke RUOFUS Gym students who have been busy excelling both in and out of the gym.

Level Two Muaythai Kickboxing student Laura Leach (left) competed in the Alpine Valley Mountain Bike Race on Sunday, May 2nd and placed a very respectable 2nd in her age group. We're confident she'll take the top spot in her next race.

"...to whom it may concern...," the new CD from DRG member (right) and his band Kickstand has just been released. It's the fifth album from one of Milwaukee's top local bands and features some major guitar wizardry from the multi talented Riz. Be sure to take a moment to read the great article recently posted about the band at OnMilwaukee.com.

Wedding bells rang out on Tuesday, April 13th at the Renaissance Jamaica Grande Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica for Mike and Michelle Sekula (left). Word is the sun was shinning bright and beautiful for DRG member Mike and Michelle's romantic oceanside nuptials.

Speaking of law enforcement, congratulations to Bryce Franck (left), DRG Pro Kickboxer and owner of DRG Affiliate Gym Nikko-Ki Training Club, Rockford, IL, who was recently presented with The Certification of Excellence by Sheriff Richard Meyers of Winnebago County IL as part of National Corrections Officer's Week. The award is presented to a Winnebago County corrections officer who goes beyond the call of regular duty.

In 2003, Bryce became an Advanced Trainer with the National Law Enforcement Training Center out of Kansas City, MO and a Defensive Tactics Trainer though the Northern Illinois Training & Standards Board. During the past year Bryce has trained new recruits, in-service corrections officers, the Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT) and police officers from several different agencies and SWAT teams. This is unique because corrections officers are not often involved in the training of police officers.

Tuesday, April 27, 2004 • Fat Sandwich Popular WAMI Menu Item: Congratulations to DRG member and his group Fat Sandwich who just were named the Best R&B/Urban/Scratch/Hip-Hop Group at last night's 2004 Wisconsin Area Music Industry Awards show held at Potawatomi Bingo & Casino's Northern Lights Theater.

Mark, a longtime DRG student, is better know as "Fish" to Fat Sandwich fans and is an excellent guitarist who can lay down some pretty wicked chops. If you haven't seen Fat Sandwich, try to make it a point to check them out as they play many area establishments regularly. Now that's a tasty meal you can sink your teeth into!

Monday, April 26, 2004 • Loyola Paces April 2004 Level Test Graduates: Wearing a support brace on his injured left knee, a determined Enrico Loyola set the tone for Duke RUOFUS Gym's April 2004 Level Testing sessions. As if six exhausting rounds working the pads with Duke weren't enough, Loyola then went toe-to-toe for three full-on rounds of sparring with the 2003 USA Boxing Wisconsin Middleweight Champ Jason Strout, thus earning his DRG Level 3 Boxing certification and the admiration of those who witnessed his gutsy performance.

A additional 16 students earned their Level 1 or 2 Muaythai and/or Boxing certification during the testing sessions which took place on Thursday, April 22nd and Saturday, April 24th.

Congratulations on an excellent performance by all of Duke RUOFUS Gym's April 2004 Level Test graduates.

To see all of the April 2004 Level Test graduates and photos taken during the testing sessions, please click HERE. New photos have also been added to the Level Testing Photo Gallery, as well. For a portal to all past Level Testing sessions, click HERE.

Tuesday, April 20, 2004 • Sittin' Tall in the Saddle: Kudos to longtime DRG student Sean Mahin who was recently named to the Milwaukee Sheriff Department's Mounted Patrol Unit and S.W.A.T. Team. Sean has been training at the Duke RUOFUS Gym for over 5 years. Congratulations Sean - that's what we call having a great month.

Thursday, April 15, 2004, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada • The Godfather Ready to Make a Hit on the MMA Scene!: When K-1 fighter Giuseppe "The Godfather" DeNatale talks about his upcoming MMA debut in the Freestyle Fighting Championship he sounds like a kid going to Disney World for the first time, "I have an almost giddy feeling, sort of like when I made my K-1 debut," DeNatale said recently in an interview at his Winnipeg based gym, the Canadian Kickboxing & Muaythai Centre.

Giuseppe's confidence and excitement permeated the conversation when talking about his fight against Atlanta's Kevin Brooks on the upcoming FFC IX card at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino on Friday, May 14, 2004. Gulf Coast fight fans, as well as MMA fans around the world via Internet Pay-Per-View, are in for a treat as this long time martial artist turns his attention to Freestyle Fighting.

DeNatale, a native of Winnipeg, was born in 1973 to immigrant parents from Bari, Italy. DeNatale started his martial arts career at the age of 8 in Shotokan Karate, competing in point tournaments until he was 22. After more than a few disqualifications due to "excessive contact," DeNatale turned his attention to the 700 year old martial art of Muaythai.

Starting in local gyms, he eventually competed in amateur Muaythai matches, amassing an impressive record and a string of KO's - which eventually landed him in the Milwaukee fight scene. It is there he met Duke RUOFUS and that was the beginning of a personal and professional relationship that goes on today.

"Duke and I hit it off right away and we've since done a lot of training camps together," said DeNatale. "The Godfather" made his pro debut in 2000, beating a very tough Dewey Cooper on a K-1 USA Superfight in Las Vegas. He entered the world of K-1 tournament fighting by winning the February 2002 8-Man K-1 USA qualifier in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In the Milwaukee tournament, DeNatale faced 2003 K-1 USA Champion Carter Williams in the 2nd round and won by TKO. He has since gone on to be a force in K-1, competing in K-1 USA in 2002 & '03.

Giuseppe was a fan of the early UFC shows and eventually started to feel a desire to turn his attention to MMA. "The real reason I want to come to MMA is I always wanted to hit someone with those little gloves," DeNatale continues, "I feel that there are very few people in this sport at 205 lbs. that can bang with me."

There have been a few guys who have made the transition from K-1 to MMA with the likes of Cro-Cop, Mo Smith and Michael McDonald. "The Godfather" gets more excited as he thinks of his bout, "There's no more Mr. Nice Guy. I can't wait to hurt someone. I feel I was made to do this sport. It's like going back to my roots, on the streets."

DeNatale wrapped up the interview by stating his game plan for this fight, "I have been training in all phases of the game, including boxing, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu and roadwork in the snow, so I am ready for anything." When asked what the fans of MMA will get on May 14th, DeNatale answered matter-of- factly, "They will see a display of punching and kicking like they've never seen before!"

Wednesday, March 31, 2004 • Who Will Be The Last Man Standing?": Ad Cetera Sports is pleased to announce the Heavyweight Gladiators Professional Kickboxing Series returns to Milwaukee, WI on Saturday, November 13, 2004 with a very special "King of the Gladiators II" 8 Man Tournament. Who will be the last man standing, fighting 3 times in one night, claiming the title of "King of the Gladiators," proving who really is best-of-the-best in North America?

The first "King of the Gladiators" was February 9, 2002 and was a qualifier for the 2002 K-1 USA in Las Vegas. Giuseppe "The Godfather" DeNatale was the inaugural "King of the Gladiators" winner with 3 TKO victories over Mark Miller, Carter Williams (2003 K-1 USA Champion) and Kurt Hasley.

A "King of the Gladiators" Middleweight Tournament is planned for February of 2022 in Milwaukee, as well.

A final line-up for the November 13th tournament will be confirmed soon. For more information, call (414) 319-1151 or visit www.HeavyweightGladiators.com.

Tuesday, March 30, 2004 • Here Comes the Judge: Kudos to DRG member, ISKA Certified Official and USA Boxing Official Cheryl Clancy, who can now add the title of "Professional Boxing Judge" to her already long list of impressive accomplishments and credentials.

Cheryl made her pro judging debut Saturday, March 27th, working the Pro-Am Boxing show at the Mohican Northstar Casino in Bowler, WI. Cheryl is the Principal at Kosciuszko Middle School of Excellence in Milwaukee and has lost over 130 pounds since joining DRG about 2 1/2 years ago (see March 27, 2004 article below).

Saturday, March 27, 2004 • March 2004 Level Tests Include Three Level 3 Graduates: Things got downright intense during Duke RUOFUS Gym's March 2004 Level Testing sessions. As many already know, Level 1 and 2 Tests are a serious test of physical and mental toughness to begin with. You better bring your "A" game when you step in the ring to test with the 4-time world heavyweight champ.

During March 2004 Level Testing three students achieved Level 3 rank in Duke RUOFUS Gym's Muaythai Kickboxing Program. Of special note (and not to take anything away from the two other Level 3 graduates, Jonathan Costello and Kyle Weickhardt) is the accomplishment of Cheryl Clancy (who is roughly 2.75 times as old as the other two, you do the math if you want, our lips are sealed).

Cheryl is the Principal at Kosciuszko Middle School of Excellence in Milwaukee and has lost over 140 pounds since joining the gym about 2 1/2 years ago. After taking it to Duke for 6 tough rounds, Cheryl went toe-to-toe for 3 more rounds with DRG Instructor Joe Nicols. A special "Congratulations" to this extremely inspirational and very special person indeed. Cheryl's noteworthy accomplishment is a true and real testament to CONSISTENT HARD WORK AND UNWAVERING DETERMINATION.

Those present to witness Kyle Weickhardt's Level 3 session saw a rare level testing occurrence. Weickhardt's anemic offensive performance in round 9 would surely lead to his failure of the test, and it almost did. Duke, on the verge of giving Weickhardt's sparring portion performance the ol' "thumbs down," instead offered a choice. Either go a 10th and deciding round, bring some energy and action or fail.

Without hesitation, Weickhardt sucked it up, tapped into his energy reserves and got back in with Coach Jason Strout for another round. Strout, a North American Amateur Muaythai Kickboxing and USA Boxing WI State Champion, held nothing back as he popped and pummeled, whacked and whittled away at Weickhardt, who did somehow find enough energy to mount a decent offensive attack on Strout in the 10th, and GOT THE JOB DONE, passing his Level 3 Muaythai Kickboxing test - and in the process earning the utmost respect of all who witnessed his gutsy performance.

Costello, was a late addition to the March 2004 testing schedule, deciding to attempt his Level 3 test only one hour before taking it. For the first 6 rounds, he looked sharp testing with Duke. Then Strout got back in the ring. If it's one thing Jason Strout enjoys, it's one great sparring session followed by another, and another, and another. . . Jonathan stepped up and went shot-for-shot with a revved up and animated Strout, passing his Level 3 Muaythai Kickboxing test with confidence.

Congratulations on a superb performance to all of Duke RUOFUS Gym's March 2004 Level 1, 2 & 3 Muaythai Kickboxing and Boxing graduates.

To see all of the March 2004 Level Testing graduates and photos taken during the March 25th and 27th sessions, please click HERE. New photos have also been added to the Level Testing Photo Gallery, as well. For a portal to all past Level Testing sessions, click HERE.

Thursday, March 18, 2004 • Godfather Executes Third Hit in Pro Boxing: ISKA North American Heavyweight Muaythai & Kick boxing Champion Giuseppe "The Godfather" DeNatale (3-0, 3 KO's) defeated Brad McPeake (Surrey, B.C., Canada) Wednesday, March 17th in his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada by 3rd round TKO.

DeNatale scored a knockdown in the 2nd round and pressure in the 3rd round forced the referee to bring the fight to a stop. He is trained by Duke RUOFUS.

Monday, March 15, 2004 • Walk On!: The Duke RUOFUS Gym has added a treadmill to it's growing lineup of quality cardio equipment students can use any time the gym is open. Students are encouraged to get the most out of their membership by maximizing their use of the fitness area before or after class.

Important 2004 Dates To Remember - Here are a few upcoming events planned for members, family and friends to attend at the Duke RUOFUS Gym:

Summertime In the City Means Spar-be-cue: The first DRG "Spar-be-que" fundraiser will be held Saturday, June 19th. The exact start time of the early evening event will be announced shortly. This is a great chance to show family and friends just what it is that you have been learning down at the gym. Admission to the event includes food and beverages. Please see Duke or Scott for more information. Can you smell what the DRG is cookin'? Smells like some tasty brats fresh off the Keg-A-Que sponsored grills, that's what!

Enter, If You Dare!: An early evening DRG Halloween party is planned for Saturday, October 30th. Feel free to stop by and show off your costume and mingle with your ghoulish friends at the gym. This should be a spooktactular event not to be missed indeed.

Ho, Ho, No!: We're making you think about Christmas and Hanukkah and winter and snow again, and it's only March, but what's wrong with planning ahead. Saturday, December 18th has been set aside for the 2004 DRG Holiday Pot Luck Party. If you were at the 2003 event, you know what a huge array of awesome food the members cooked up. No one went home hungry that night.

Friday, March 12, 2004 • Godfather a Hit in Winnipeg: Giuseppe "The Godfather" DeNatale (2 - 0, 2 KO's) will make his third trip to the the squared circle under the Marquis of Queensbury rules Wednesday, March 17th in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada against Brad McPeake of Surrey, B.C., Canada. DeNatale looks to keep his unbeaten Boxing record intact in this 4 Round Cruiserweight bout on St Patrick's Day.

DeNatale is the current ISKA Muaythai & Kickboxing North American Heavyweight Champion. He is currently ranked #2 in the world by the ISKA & IKF. He also won the 8 man 2002 K-1 USA Milwaukee Tournament. His current professional Kickboxing record is 11 - 3, 10 KO's. He is trained by Duke RUOFUS.

Saturday, March 6, 2004 • Two March Level Testing Dates Scheduled: The March Duke RUOFUS Gym Kickboxing & Boxing Level Testing sessions have been scheduled for Thursday, March 25th starting at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 27th starting at 12:00 p.m. Please call (414) 319-1151 or see Scott Joffe to register. To see photos from previous Level Testing sessions, please click HERE.

Friday Sparring Sessions Get Rolling: Twice daily supervised Friday Kickboxing and Boxing Sparring sessions for Level 2 and up students are now in full swing. The first session is from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. and the second session is from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. The cost is $10.00 per session. Please remember to bring all of your gear, including mouth guard and athletic tape (if needed).

Special Event Coming to DRG: Watch for more details about DRG's upcoming sparring event fundraiser planned for June 19th at the gym. Level 2 and up members who are interested in appearing on the event should contact or call 414-319-1151.

Saturday, February 28, 2004 • Nineteen Graduates For February Level Testing: Eighty-one rounds and nineteen students later, and Duke RUOFUS Gym's February 2004 Muaythai Kickboxing and Boxing Level Testing is in the books.

Eleven students achieved Level 1 certification, while 8 moved to the ranks of Level 2 over the course of the February 26th & 28th sessions with Head Instructor Duke RUOFUS. To see all of the students who completed their Level 1 or 2 Tests in February, please click here.

Congratulations on a job well done to all of Duke RUOFUS Gym's February 2004 Level 1 & 2 graduates. Many of the session's best photos have also been added to the Level Testing Photo Classics page, as well. To view all of the past Level Testing sessions, please click here.

Friday, February 27, 2004 • Battle Pics Posted: Pictures taken at last weekend's Gladiators Kickboxing "Battle in the Ballroom" have been posted and may be seen by clicking here. More photos are on the way and should be posted in a few days.

Special thanks once again to all of the great fans, volunteers and officials who helped make this exciting event an overwhelming success.

The next Gladiators Kickboxing event is scheduled for Saturday, November 13, 2004 in the Ramada Inn South's beautiful Grand Ballroom. For more information or to reserve tickets, please call (414) 319-1151.

REMINDER: Twice daily supervised Friday Sparring sessions for Level 2 and up students are now in full swing. The first session is from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. and the second session is from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. The cost is $10.00 per session. Please remember to bring all of your gear, including mouth guard and athletic tape (if needed).

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE: While the Duke RUOFUS Gym's winter clothing drive has ended (a major success!), there is still a need for more garments of all types. If you have anything that you feel a child or adult might get some good use out of, please bring it to the Duke RUOFUS Gym and it will be given to someone who truly needs and appreciates your generosity.

Thank you once again to everyone who brought in clothing, much of which kept others warm during the extremely frigid stretch of temperatures our area recently experienced.

Sunday, February 22, 2004 • Smokin' Gladiators Show a Knockout!: In football it's called the "bomb" and nothing beats the ol' "grand slam" in baseball. But in kickboxing, the grand daddy of all knockouts is the head kick KO!

Imagine then what must have been going through everyone's mind who were in attendance at the Kyle Monreal Painting Presents Gladiators Kickboxing "Battle in the Ballroom" extravaganza Saturday night, February 21st in the Milwaukee Ramada Inn South's beautiful Grand Ballroom. Not only did the second to last fight of the night end in spectacular fashion with a head kick KO, so did the final bout of the night, as well. That's two grand salami's back-to-back.

In the show's second to last bout, Duke RUOFUS Gym's Ketla "Action" Jackson took on a hard charging and eager Jeff Cunningham of Team Roundkick, Carroll, Iowa, in a well matched Light Heavyweight donnybrook. Both were in excellent shape and both came to fight.

After battling for two solid, exciting rounds, Jackson threw a wicked double knee combination followed by a blazing head kick midway through the third that landed, picture prefect, on Cunningham's noggin and everywhere else in that area code. The sold-out, capacity crowd went nuts and gave both fighters a loud ovation as they exited the Gladiators' ring. It would be hard for the main event of the night to best that, but best it never looked so easy.

In the show's Main Event, Tom Grimmer of Waukesha's Medina Gym showed why he is the 2003 North American Amateur Light Heavyweight Champion. But - for every "true" great champion there must be truly exceptional opponents along the way, as well. That person Saturday night was Stan "Roughneck" Rousenelos from Joliet, Illinois' Hill Clan Training Center.

Stan put up quite a fight through three tough rounds before, late in the third, he inexplicably lowered his hands for what seemed like an eternity and Grimmer pounced like a caged animal let loose in the wild. "Ka-Boom!" came the vicious head kick and boom, boom, out went the lights for Rousenelos, who seemed to be trying to catch his breath when Grimmer connected up-top, hard.

Rousenelos was down as the fans leapt to their feet, stunned at what they had just seen. Not only did they just witness Ketla Jackson's thrilling KO, but now, minutes later, the main event just came to a screeching halt with Grimmer's well timed, devastating head kick KO of his own.

The other featured bouts of the night were all equally packed with non-stop action galore. Duke RUOFUS Gym's Jonathan "Pee Wee" Costello notched his second victory in as many fights with his 3 round unanimous decision victory over a feisty Matt Wagner of Madison's (WI) Team Function.

In a great women's match-up, Julie Kedzie fighting out of Bloomington, Indiana's Monroe County Martial Arts and Charmaine "Not So Sweet" Tweet of the Duke RUOFUS Gym were so evenly paired that the ladies (along with a very appreciative crowd) had no choice but to agree with the draw the bout produced.

Beau Whipple represented Denver's TKO Gym well with his split decision call over Rockford (IL) Nikko-Ki's "Loony" Toon Singmouangthong. Once again, great matchmaking lead to another barn burner that could have gone either way.

Duke RUOFUS Gym's Kyle "Big Truck" Weickhardt showed consistent training can pay big dividends after earning a unanimous decision over a game Andy Uhlenkamp from Carroll, Iowa's Team Round Kick.

Duke RUOFUS trained fighter James Mahmoudi worked a potent, swarming knee attack and eventually overwhelmed Marinette's (WI) Mike Sbonik who fights out of the Lima Lama Academy. Mahmoudi earned his victory via TKO when world-class referee Al Wichgers stepped in and stopped the bout midway through the third round after Sbonik took one too many piercing knees to the midsection.

Milwaukee's Alive & Kicking Martial Arts kickboxer Tim Ottman cross-trained for his bout by attending Duke RUOFUS Gym's Combat Camp and made Coach Jason Strout proud with his performance against Matt Olson of Madison's Team Function, gutting out a split decision in yet another well matched bout.

A great women's match-up, knee attack knockouts and back-to-back head kick KO's to close out the show and Gladiators Kickboxing first of two MIlwaukee events this year is in the books, filed under "Smashing Success."

Congratulations to all of the kickboxers who participated on the card or in an exhibition. Without your fearlessness and courage, talent and skill, desire and commitment, the sport would not exist.

Special thanks to all of the great officials and volunteers who made this one excellent, well run production. And without the tremendous fan support the show received, none of this would be possible.

Sponsored by: Kyle Monreal Painting, Sunbusters, Bell Ambulance, Kinkos, Attorney Martin Stein and Dr. Phil Repetti/Jordan Chiropractic. Produced by Ad Cetera Sports and the Duke RUOFUS Gym. Sanctioned by the I.S.K.A. and W.K.A. under Amateur Muaythai Rules.

The next Gladiators Kickboxing event in Milwaukee will be on Saturday, November 13, 2004. Fans may reserve tickets in advance by calling (414) 319-1151.

Friday, February 20, 2004 • Packer Off-Season Requests Keep Ad Cetera Sports Busy: The Green Bay Packers surge toward the end of the 2003-04 season has Scott Joffe, president of Ad Cetera Sports Celebrities and co-owner of the Duke RUOFUS Gym, fielding a much higher volume of requests during the team's current off-season.

St. Joseph Hospital's beautiful new Outpatient Center on Highway 100 and Bluemound Road was the scene of Ad Cetera's most recent booking on Thursday, February 19th. Packers' star fullback William Henderson was appearing as part of a recruiting event for physical therapists, his college major.

Henderson delivered a stirring keynote to a packed audience, gave some great, informative answers to a bevy of smart questions, posed for photographs and signed autographs for all. This was the 17th appearance Ad Cetera coordinated with Henderson, a list that includes Henderson's first ever paid public appearance in June of 1995.

Joffe was accompanied by gym member and huge Henderson fan Mark Samman who assisted at the event. Samman stated what many others have come to know about Henderson, saying "He is such a real guy, is he easygoing or what," which easily makes him one of Joffe's favorite players to work with.

Other Packers in Ad Cetera's mix include Lombardi era stars Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston, "jump-in-the-stands" creator and legendary safety LeRoy Butler and current stars defensive lineman Aaron Kampman and all-time leading points scorer in team history, kicker Ryan Longwell.

Saturday, February 14, 2004 • Second February Level Testing Date Scheduled: Thursday, February 26th, has been added as the second date for Level Testing this month. Level Testing on the 26th will begin at 7:00 p.m. and at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 28th. Duke RUOFUS will be conducting Kickboxing and Boxing Level Tests during these times. Please e-mail or call (414) 319-1151 to register.

Monday, February 2, 2004 • PRO KARATE WEEKLY welcomes K-1's Duke RUOFUS and UFC referee Larry Landless......LIVE this Wednesday night.

Sportstalk Cleveland, Inc. and PRO KARATE WEEKLY , are pleased to announce that Kickboxing great and current K-1 USA commentator Duke RUOFUS will be a live guest on PRO KARATE WEEKLY this Wednesday, February 4th at 9:00 pm EST.

Duke will give PKW listeners an insider's look into the 2004 K-1 season. PRO KARATE WEEKLY will also feature a live interview with current UFC referee Larry Landless who will talk about his transition into the sport as a fighter.

In addition, PKW will offer results and analysis from the recent UFC 46 and PRIDE Inferno events, along with all the latest rumors.

PRO KARATE WEEKLY can be heard live exclusively on SportsTalkCleveland.com and ProKarateWeekly.com Wednesday nights from 9:00 to 10:00 pm EST. All shows are archived so fans can listen to the show if they missed a live broadcast. Archives, sound bytes, interviews, rumors, and the latest K-1 and MMA news are available daily by logging onto www.ProKarateWeekly.com.

Fans are encouraged to contribute to the show during live broadcasts by calling 1-866-371-4782 toll free or e-mail PKW live at .

PLUS - Don't forget to tune in this Sunday, February 8th at 7:00 pm for the debut of "Fight Factor MMA Radio"...on www.TheFightFactor.com - featuring a live interview with Bas Rutten - "Support your sport!"

Saturday, January 31, 2004 • The Heat Is On!: After a few upgrades and improvements to the Duke RUOFUS Gym's heating system, and a bit of a rise in the outdoor temperatures, the indoor training climate is excellent and should stay that way throughout the winter.

While no future closings due to extremely low temperatures are expected, make it a point to check this site often for the latest information if the weather is inclement and a closing may be possible. The last thing we ever want to do is close, but student safety and comfort always has to come first.

Monday, January 26, 2004 • Click!: Please take a moment to check out the new photos that were added to the Interactive Photo Gallery and 2003 Holiday Party pages. A "lost roll" of film turned up from the holiday soiree containing many photos of bright, smiling faces seemingly having a great time.

Gladiators Kickboxing Tickets On Sale Now: Tickets are now on sale at the Duke RUOFUS Gym for February 21st's "Battle in the Ballroom" in the Ramada Inn South's Grand Ballroom. Over 12 bouts are planned for this exciting event. $30.00 Reserved and $15.00 ($20.00 Door) General Admission Tickets may be purchased by calling (414) 319-1151.

FEBRUARY LEVEL TESTING SCHEDULED: The first February Level Testing session has been scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 28th. Duke RUOFUS will be conducting Kickboxing and Boxing Level Tests throughout the afternoon. A second session may also be added. Please e-mail or call (414) 319-1151 to register.

Thursday, January 22, 2004 • Duke RUOFUS Gym Closed Today: Due to the extremely cold and dangerous temperatures outside, and the resulting cooler than normal training climate inside the Duke RUOFUS Gym, the GYM IS CLOSED TODAY, THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2004 FOR ALL CLASSES. The gym will reopen as scheduled on Saturday, January 24th.

Saturday, January 17, 2004 • January's Level Tests Keep Duke RUOFUS On His Toes: The second of January's two Level Testing sessions to take place in the new year and in the newly remodeled Duke RUOFUS Gym was completed today with a total of 19 students graduating in Levels 1 or 2 Muaythai Kickboxing or Boxing. The first session was held Thursday, January 15th.

84 seems to be Duke's lucky number as he held pads for a total of 84 grueling, tough rounds during January's Level Tests and also held pads for the exact same amount for December 2003's Level Tests, as well. Every student brought their "A" game to the ring, causing Duke to wonder aloud about how much "Wheaties" or "Rocket Fuel" they consumed that morning. Needless to say, the heart and skill shown by all who graduated their Level 1 or 2 Tests was awesome.

Please take a moment to see all of the students who graduated along with PHOTOS of each. Please be sure to also visit the Level Testing "Photo Classics" page to see some of the best action shots taken at all the sessions. Congratulations on a job well done to each and every student who passed their January 2004 Level 1 or 2 Tests.

"D.R.G. For Others" CLOTHING DRIVE STILL ACTIVE: Just a reminder that the Duke RUOFUS Gym's winter clothing drive is going on until Saturday, January 31st.

With the temperatures outside hovering around the single digits and low teens, please bag and bring your clean, wearable (warm) clothing to the gym as soon as possible, as the items are donated to those in need within a day or two.

If you can't fill up a bag (or two or three), do not worry, as every coat, sweater, sweatshirt, hat, mittens or pair of gloves donated has individual value far beyond what you can imagine. Even if it's only one item and you think someone's life can benefit from using it, bring it in, it will make a world of difference.

Thank you in advance for showing that "D.R.G. For Others" never stops working - even if it is freezing outside, we know how to get the job done.

Monday, January 12, 2004 • DRG Announces Creation of Virtual Kickboxing Hall Of Fame: Duke RUOFUS Gym has created a virtual Kickboxing Hall Of Fame, dedicated to preserving and honoring the sport's greatest competitors, moments, bouts and rich, colorful history.

The DRG Virtual Kickboxing Hall Of Fame is under construction right now, with many new and interesting features, stories and links planned. Check DRG News often to see what's been added to the Duke RUOFUS Gym's Kickboxing Hall Of Fame.

Saturday, January 10, 2004 • DRG Extends Community Outreach Through Giving: The Duke RUOFUS Gym is pleased to announce the creation of a new, ongoing community outreach program appropriately named "D.R.G. For Others" ("Donation of Reusable Goods For Others").

"D.R.G. For Others" was created by Ms. Cheryl Clancy, along with DRG owners Duke RUOFUS and Scott Joffe. Ms. Clancy is the Principal at Milwaukee's Kosciuszko Middle School and has lost over 130 pounds training with Duke. Those of you who have met Cheryl know what a fantastic, caring lady she really is.

After hearing about the many, many people Ms. Clancy encountered who didn't have any clothing or jackets to keep them warm through the winter months, the trio sprang into action and created a plan to get the word out about the dire situation these folks were in. "If any group could be counted on to respond, DRG members could," they thought.

A few members have already brought in boxes and bags of sweaters and sweatshirts, jackets, mittens and gloves, scarves, hats, shirts and pants, you name it. The clothing is given, free, to students and their families, or to anyone else in need who is fortunate enough to know Cheryl. We'll accept clothing that is clean and in good condition of any size for infants, children and adults. Winter coats and sweaters are especially welcomed.

Other seasonal clothing will also be accepted. All members need to do is bring their bags or boxes of clothing to the Duke RUOFUS Gym and Cheryl will take it from there. This is a super, fantastic reason to finally "CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSETS AND DRAWERS!"

The "D.R.G. For Others" winter clothing drive will end Saturday, January 31, 2004 so hurry up, go through all of your stuff, pick out the things you haven't worn in the last 12 months or more that you can part with, pack it up and bring it in. It's really that simple. Get hustling, it's not getting any warmer outside. We need to show that the Duke RUOFUS Gym family knows how to reach out and take care of others - and get the job done!

Friday, January 9, 2004 • Two January Level Testing Dates Scheduled: The January Duke RUOFUS Gym Kickboxing & Boxing Level Testing sessions have been scheduled for Thursday, January 15th starting at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, January 17th starting at 12:00 p.m. Please call (414) 319-1151 or see Scott Joffe to register. To see photos from previous Level Testing sessions, please click HERE.

Monday, January 5, 2004 • New Year Brings New Look To DRG: A happy and healthy New Year and welcome back to all. The holiday break is over and 2004 is here - and as the 'ol saying goes it's "out with the old and in with the new" at the Duke RUOFUS Gym.

Students attending class today were greeted by a freshly painted facility (compliments of Kyle Monreal Painting), new lockers throughout, a second men's locker room, a unisex restroom off the lobby, a new floor and larger area for stretching/working out on the Fitness Loft and a few more heavybags.

The new Class Schedule also started today, with the gym now opening at 4:30 p.m., an all levels Kickboxing class being offered at 5:00 p.m. (Monday thru Thursday), followed by additional classes that now start at 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. (DRG's former 5:30 & 6:30 schedule). The gym now offers 18 total class hours a week on it's "open schedule" for members. Please refer to the Class Schedule for exact Kickboxing and Boxing class times.

The new 5:00 p.m. Kickboxing class was very well received, with 27 students in attendance. Overall, 38 different students attended an evening Kickboxing class today, a new DRG record! Add in the noon class and the number rises to 49 students. It's a good guess that more than a few people had a little holiday celebrating to work off.

A special DRG S-A-L-U-T-E and welcome back to Kina Noppen who is on leave from the United States Air Force. Unfortunately, Kina is back for only a short while, she's due to be deployed overseas in February. Kina was also one of the first to respond when a call went out for volunteers to help out at the gym this past weekend.

Thanks again Kina, and also a big thank you to Brett Fox, Russ Ledvina and Jan Pierce, plus all of the other volunteers mentioned previously who pitched in when needed. You are the major reason the Duke RUOFUS Gym's new look is getting such great reviews.

JANUARY LEVEL TESTING SCHEDULED: The first January Level Testing session has been scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 17th. Duke RUOFUS will be conducting Kickboxing and Boxing Level Tests throughout the afternoon. A second session may also be added. Please e-mail or call (414) 319-1151 to register.

REGISTER FOR COMBAT CAMP THIS WEEK: Persons interested in Duke RUOFUS Gym's 6-week long, Thai style Kickboxing Combat Camp, featuring Instructor Jason Strout, still have a chance to register. The camp starts Monday, January 12th, with 2 hour sessions starting at 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday thru Thursday. Combat Camp ends Thursday, February 19th. Please e-mail or call (414) 319-1151 to register.

Tuesday, December 30, 2003 • Demolition Men: Today was another day we got to break stuff and tear things apart, then clean a bit and build something new and paint it, our own "Monster Gym," so to speak (everything is "monster" today; "Monster Garage," "Monster House," etc..., what's up with that?).

Designer and master craftsman Mike Neuman readied the new lobby area, a few more heavybags were hung, more work was completed on the new men's locker room and a ton of winter cleaning continued to take place.

Special thanks to Jonathan Costello, Scott Cushman, Ben Dauck, Mike Hermann, Mason Neuman and Kyle Weickhardt for all of their help and hard work.

The new color scheme being applied by the ace crew from Kyle Monreal Painting gives the gym a completely different feel, while at the same time retaining the DRG's grittiness and old school charm of cream city brick and cement block everyone so enjoys.

Friday, December 26, 2003 • Work Begins on DRG: Renovations started on schedule at the Duke RUOFUS Gym today. The 4-man crew from Kyle Monreal Painting kicked it into high gear right-off-the-bat on Day 1 of the project. These guys know how to do a great job FAST (and clean too).

The second men's locker room is starting to take shape and some improvements to the heavybag configuration were made. The much anticipated Winter Clean-Up (throw all junk away) also began, with much ground being covered in the initial phases of the battle.

Look for more Renovation Updates as we keep you informed and up to date on the progress.

Monday, December 22, 2003 • Improvements Slated For Holiday Break: The Duke RUOFUS Gym will be closed from Wednesday, December 24th thru Sunday, January 4, 2004 for the holidays and some planned improvements. The gym will reopen at 11:30 a.m. as usual on Monday, January 5th.

A larger, second men's locker room is being added along with new lockers throughout and an updated color scheme. The main lobby is also being remodeled to help improve traffic flow through the area. A unisex restroom will also be made available for members use in the main lobby area, as well.

2004 CLASS SCHEDULE POSTED: An updated 2004 Duke RUOFUS Gym Class Schedule is now available. The new schedule starts Monday, January 5th. Note the new Monday - Thursday 5:00, 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. class start times.

NEW SCHEDULE CHANGE - PLEASE NOTE: The Saturday class schedule for 2004 will remain the same and NOT change as previously mentioned. The gym will still open at 9:30 a.m., Boxing is at 10:00 a.m. and Kickboxing is at 11:00 a.m. The gym will close at 12:00 p.m.

The start of the Kids Kickbox class has been postponed. Parents of children, ages 7 through 14 years old, can contact Scott Joffe at 414-319-1151 or by for more information about the Kids Kickbox program.

Sunday, December 21, 2003 • Great Food And Fun For All At Holiday Party: The turnout was excellent and the food even better at the 2003 Duke RUOFUS Gym Holiday Pot Luck. The cuisine was top notch as expertly prepared entrees, representing a diverse spectrum of ethnicities and flavors, mingled with decadent desserts and other tasty treats.

Members, family and friends had a chance to spread a little holiday cheer amongst each other before heading off to other seasonal celebrations. The friendship was flowing while everyone enjoyed sampling some delicious food. Needless to say, the party was a tremendous success.

Friday, December 19, 2003 • Holiday Party Tomorrow: The Duke RUOFUS Gym's 2003 Holiday Pot Luck Party is set to kick off tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. at the gym. There is still time to RSVP by calling 414-319-1151 or you may us, as well. All students, family and friendsare invited. The party runs until 8:00 p.m., so you'll still have time to fit a few more holiday celebrations in on the same night. Hope you can come - it's going to be a very fun, social event at the DRG.

Wednesday, December 17, 2003 • Busy Card Set For Gladiators Kickboxing: A total of 13 bouts (including 3 women's match-ups) have been announced for the Saturday, February 21, 2004 Gladiators Kickboxing "Battle in the Ballroom" set to take place in the Ramada Inn South's Grand Ballroom. Many more bouts are in the works, as well.

Fans are invited to attend a free post fight party in the Ramada's Grand Ballroom that will immediately follow the show. This is going to be a fun and exciting evening of Amateur Muaythai Rules Kickboxing you do not want to miss.

A limited amount of reserved seat tickets ($30.00) are available and may be reserved by calling (414) 319-1151 or you may your ticket request, as well. Please be sure to include a phone number with all e-mails. This is your first chance to reserve tickets to Gladiators Kickboxing "Battle in the Ballroom."

NEW PAGE ADDED: Be sure to check out Duke RUOFUS Gym's new Level Testing Photo Gallery featuring many of Scott Joffe's classic "point-of-impact" photos pulled from all of the Level Testing sessions. These photos capture the intensity, power and skill exhibited by the students during their Muaythai Kickboxing and Boxing Level Testing sessions with Duke. Recognize anyone?

Tuesday, December 16, 2003 • Huge Holiday Pot Luck Planned: From the many names appearing on the sign-up sheet, a very large turnout is expected for the Duke RUOFUS Gym's 2003 Holiday Pot Luck Party set for this Saturday, December 20th from 5 - 8:00 p.m. This will be a fun time for all and give everyone a chance to mingle outside of the gym's regular "workout mode" atmosphere.

Please see the sign-up sheet at the front desk or Scott Joffe if you pan to attend and also remember to mention what dish or beverage you are bringing and how many guests are coming with you.

Saturday, December 13, 2003 • December Level Testing Fast, Furious & Fun: Duke RUOFUS Gym's second Level Testing session for December finished today with 14 students graduating in Levels 1 or 2 Muaythai Kickboxing or Boxing. A total of 21 students passed their Level 1 or 2 tests this month. The first session was held Thursday, December 11th.

Once again, Duke RUOFUS administered the Level Tests and stood in as the Ironman for 84 action packed and exciting rounds. Please take a moment to see all of the students who graduated along with PHOTOS of each. Congratulations on a job well done to each and every student who passed their Level 1 or 2 Tests.

Friday, December 12, 2003 • Young Mind, Body, Spirit Prevail: Please take a moment to read the wonderful Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article that appeared on the front page of the Sports Section about Milwaukee Attorney and amateur boxer Mike Tarnoff. Tarnoff is training at the Duke RUOFUS Gym for his second bout next Friday, December 19th at the famed Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, New York.

What makes the feat so special is that Mike is 66 years old and just started boxing again after a 40 year hiatus. Mike is being trained by DRG's Jason Strout. As you can see, the Duke RUOFUS Gym really is for anybody.

Tuesday, December 9, 2003 • "Mr. Weickhardt . . . Will You Please Step To The Front Of The Class." YES, HE WILL!: Congratulations and a huge "job well done" go out to Duke RUOFUS Gym member and Brookfield East senior Kyle Weickhardt who recently made his High School Honor Roll.

What makes Kyle's accomplishment extra special though, is not so much his awesome improvement in his G.P.A. - from a 1.4 Freshman to a 3.6 Senior - it's more so about how Kyle has changed as a human being in the process.

Kyle is probably very typical of any 17 year old male trying to make his way through the world, finding his identity along the way. Living. Learning. Young, restless, and a few years ago, a rebel, fighting the establishment, or more specifically, his parents. As they say, that was then and we don't need to go there.

Kyle started training at the gym a little under 2 years ago. For many reasons, all of them embraced by an ever inquisitive Kyle (asking questions - a good trait to have), the transformation began. Kyle settled down and started showing respect to others around him. He also trains daily and is one of the first to arrive, often arriving early and waiting for the gym to open.

About 4 months after Kyle started, his father Sid phoned Duke RUOFUS out of the blue to personally tell him "(his) son had changed! He's been really good at home and is doing much better in school." "That's great news to hear, " replied Duke, as proud as the papa himself.

In his most recent conversation with Duke, it was Sid the father telling Duke, not Kyle (humility - another good trait to develop) about the Honor Roll achievement. Kyle's very mellow and focused, so you'd never have found out from him. And what's wrong with a proud father calling to spread the great news. Absolutely nothing. It's wonderful when you get calls like this.

It always great when someone like Kyle comes along who makes your life a little more significant as you help make his. Thank you Kyle and once again, great job. Keep up the excellent work.

Thursday, December 4, 2003 • Holiday Pot Luck Party Simmers To A Boil: If initial indicators are any representation of things to come, the 2003 Duke RUOFUS Gym Holiday Pot Luck Party should be a gourmet's delight.

Many members are anxious to whip up their tastiest, healthiest dishes for all to enjoy. Some are bringing delicious surprises from their family's ethnic restaurants and grocery stores. This will be a good chance to just hang out with your fellow members and not drip with sweat while you play kick with them.

Remember the date - Saturday, December 20th from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the gym. Please try to attend, if only for a moment. Feel free to bring along your family or friends, especially those who may have never visited the gym.

If you are planning to attend, please us and mention how many people you are coming with and what dish you plan to bring. You can also contact Scott Joffe at (414) 319-1151 or see the sign-up sheet at the front desk. Be Merry, Be Safe.

Duke RUOFUS Gym Gift Certificates Always Available: The Duke RUOFUS Gym has the perfect gift idea for any stocking stuffer, Hanukkah gift, Kwanza celebration, New Years Resolution, birthday, wedding, graduation, promotion, hiring, you name it or just because. Whatever the reason or occasion, DRG Gift Certificates are sure to put a smile on the face of anyone receiving them. Stop by the gym today and pick them up in any denomination you desire.

HUGE HOLIDAY SALE NOW IN PROGRESS: We're blowin' the roof off the Duke RUOFUS Gym with special savings on all of your favorite items - SAVE $10.00 on all sweatshirts, buy 6 DRG t-shirts for $66.00, ANKLE SUPPORTS ONLY $10.00. WOW! The savings are incredible. Only at the Duke RUOFUS Gym.

There you have it, a Holiday Pot Luck, Gift Certificates AND a huge sale, all in one news blurb. Now that's having your ear to the pavement! Coming soon, new information on the "second" men's locker room planned for 2004, NEW (and more) lockers and a whole new look - ALL in the works for the Duke RUOFUS Gym.

Wednesday, December 3, 2003 • December Level Testing Scheduled: The December Duke RUOFUS Gym Kickboxing & Boxing Level Testing sessions have been scheduled for Thursday, December 11th starting at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 13th starting at 12:00 p.m. Please call (414) 319-1151 or see Scott Joffe to register. To see photos from previous Level Testing sessions, please click HERE.

JUST ANNOUNCED!!! Reserve Gladiators Kickboxing "Battle in the Ballroom" Tickets Today: Tickets may now be reserved for the next Gladiators Kickboxing "Battle in the Ballroom" event scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Saturday, February 21, 2004 in the Ramada Inn South Grand Ballroom, conveniently located 1 block East of I-94 at 13th & College Avenue (6401 South 13th Street) in Milwaukee.

Over a dozen exciting bouts are planned for this Las Vegas style ballroom show, including appearances by many Kickboxers representing the Duke RUOFUS Gym and from across the USA and Canada.

VIP Ringside Reserved seats are $40.00, Ringside Reserved seats are $30.00 and General Admission tickets are $15.00 in advance, $20.00 at the door.

Ample FREE parking will be available, as well as, inexpensive food and beverages. A free Post Fight Party in the Grand Ballroom follows the event and all are invited. This is going to be a great night of Kickboxing and camaraderie.

Please stop by the Duke RUOFUS Gym or call Scott Joffe at (414) 967-7767 to reserve your tickets for the Gladiators Kickboxing "Battle in the Ballroom" today.

Tuesday, December 2, 2003 • Tis The Season To Add Another Holiday Party To Your List: The Duke RUOFUS Gym cordially extends an invitation to all current and former students, friends and family to attend our 2003 Holiday Pot Luck Party, Saturday, December 20th from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Walker's Point facility.

Contact Scott Joffe at 414-319-1151 to RSVP (or see the sign-up sheet at the front desk) and to inform us of your favorite dish you would like to add to the mix. Please try to attend - this should be a very fun DRG social event.

Saturday, November 29, 2003 • New Hours Starting January 2004: Duke RUOFUS Gym's new evening hours will begin Monday, January 5, 2004.

An adult, all levels Kickboxing class has been added to the schedule at 5:00 p.m., Monday thru Thursday. In the evening, adult classes will now be offered Monday thru Thursday at 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

All current adult 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. classes have been pushed back a half-hour and will now start at 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., respectively. In the evening, the gym will open at 4:30 p.m. and close at 8:00 p.m.

On Saturday, the gym will open at 9:30 a.m. as usual. Adult, all levels Boxing will begin at 10:00 a.m. and adult, all levels Kickboxing will start at 11:00 a.m. The gym will close at 12:00 p.m.

The addition of the Monday - Thursday, 5:00 p.m. Kickboxing class brings the total amount of available class hours up to 72 per month that a student may attend - an increase of 16 more than the current 56.

The Noon, Monday thru Thursday, adult class schedule will remain unchanged. The gym is closed on Friday and Sunday.

A revised Class Schedule will be published prior to the start of the new year. Click HERE to see the current Class Schedule.

Friday, November 28, 2003 • Level Testing Pics Published: Click HERE to see all of the students who participated in the Thursday and Saturday, November 20th and 22nd Duke RUOFUS Gym Level Testing sessions.

Twenty-three students got in the ring with Duke and went head-to-head with the Champ. The next Level Testing session is planned for Saturday, December 13, 2003. For more information, please or contact at (414) 319-1151.

In addition, a new Level Testing "portal page" has been created that links to all past Level Testing session pages. A link is now provided on each Level Testing page to the portal. This page can be found HERE, as well.

Wednesday, November 26, 2003 • Thank You, Thank You: Now everyone knows that all Duke RUOFUS Gym members are part of a special and unique active family. As such, special thanks and appreciation are in order for a few members of this group who went out of their way this holiday season to make all members lives a little happier.

In no particular order, Ana Sanchez recently brought in a ton of tamales from her family's grocery store, La Hacienda. They were excellent and lasted, well they didn't last, they were devoured quite quickly as a matter of fact. Hey, after a two hour workout, what's better than some fresh, handmade tamales to get the ol' motor running again? Thank you again Ana.

Ceva Katz makes, and continues to bring in, these cute, little homemade banana breads that are absolutely fantastic, moist and full of of tasty banana chunks. For banana bread lovers only! Thank you again Ceva.

Carissa Carrasquillo's chocolate chip cookies blew doors off of Mrs. Field's and all other brands combined. Hands down, these cookies rocked! Very thoughtful AND very tasty. Thank you again Carissa.

And finally, what can we say about Marv Cohen. Without prompt or mention, Marv offered to purchase "something nice" for the gym that might enhance member's workouts. Duke suggested that maybe the gym could use a few more heavyduty Thai belly pads, since that was something he was incorporating into the advanced students workouts more and more.

Well folks, today 4 brand new Fairtex belly pads arrived and have already been put to good use - all compliments of Marv. Like we said, what can you say about Marv Cohen beside, thank you very much for your kindness, generosity and friendship.

Thank you once again Ana, Ceva, Carissa and Marv from everyone at the Duke RUOFUS Gym. Your generous nature is what keeps this family solid and running strong.

In other news, Duke RUOFUS was a featured guest at Milwaukee's Kosciuszko Middle School today. He appeared as part of the school's KozyFest Cultural Celebration and presented a demonstration and history of Muaythai to a packed auditorium.

Duke RUOFUS Gym fighters Jonathan Costello and Joe Nicols put on an excellent display of pad work featuring flying Muaythai kicks, knees, elbows and punches. Jon and Joe also put on an exhibition match that the audience judged. Jon gained the edge it seemed when Duke changed his nickname from "Pee Wee" to "P Widdy." Thank you to gym member and Kosciuszko Principle Cheryl Clancy for arranging the presentation.

Tuesday, November 25, 2003 • Take Timeout For Turkey, Then It's Back To The Gym: The Duke RUOFUS Gym will be closed Thursday, November 27th for Thanksgiving. The facility will reopen Saturday, November 29th as usual at 9:30 a.m.

Monday, November 24, 2003 • Level Testing Proving To Be Very Popular: Twenty-three students participated in Duke RUOFUS Gym's second Level Testing session in as many months - 18 earned Level 1 status and 5 earned Level 2 status in either Kickboxing or Boxing.

The Level Testing took place over 2 days, Thursday, November 20th and Saturday, November 22, 2003. Duke RUOFUS administrated the level tests and in the process, held pads for over 84 level testing rounds! Kudos to Kyle Monreal for being the only student to off-balance the champ.

The next Level Testing session is planned for Saturday, December 13, 2003 beginning at 12:00 p.m. Please see Scott Joffe to register.

Tuesday, November 11, 2003 • Next Level Testing Sessions Extended to Two Days: Due to an overwhelming response, the Duke RUOFUS Gym's next Kickboxing & Boxing Level 1 & 2 Testing sessions will take place Thursday and Saturday, November 20 & 22, 2003.

To date, 25 students are signed up for the second Level Testing in as many months. Eighteen students participated in the first Level Testing session on Saturday, October 18th. Click HERE to see photos of the students who took part on October 18th.

Evening Level Testing sessions are planned for Thursday (7:30 - 9:00 p.m.) and Friday (7:00 - 9:00 p.m.) November 20th and 21st, while an afternoon session (12:00 - 4:00 p.m.) is planned for Saturday, November 22nd.

Please contact via or call (414) 319-1151 to sign-up for the next Duke RUOFUS Gym Kickboxing & Boxing Level Testing sessions on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, November 20th, 21st and 22nd.

Tuesday, October 28, 2003 • Costello Represents While Dauck Suffers Heartbreaking 1st Loss: Two members of Duke RUOFUS Gym's ("DRG") competition team participated in the Gladiators Kickboxing event on Saturday, October 25th in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The show was produced by K-1 Milwaukee Champion Giuseppe DeNatale and Dave Horvath's Canadian Kickboxing & Muaythai Centre.

With Head Coach Duke RUOFUS working their corner and in front of a crowd numbering over 1,000, Jonathan "Pee Wee" Costello (1-0) pictured at left, and "Battlin'" Ben Dauck (16-1) pictured at right, both took on tough Canadian counterparts. Costello squared off against Winnipeg's gritty Serge Rachon, while Dauck faced a determined Larry "Razor" Sharpe of Pine Falls, Manitoba.

Costello earned a 3 round Unanimous Decision victory working behind an in-your-face, never let up style that combined accurate boxing combinations with fierce Muaythai style kicks and knees. Dauck wasn't as fortunate, however.

Sharpe, who later said it was out of respect for his opponent's ability and undefeated record, immediately jumped on Dauck and let 'em rip. Using left and right hooks, straight punches, uppercuts and the kitchen sink, Sharpe almost had Dauck on the canvas 4 times in the 1st minute. While Dauck was able to rise and seemed ready for more, the referee didn't agree and stopped the bout at 1:10 of the 1st round, giving Sharpe the victory and more importantly, the I.S.K.A. North American Oriental Rules Super Middleweight Title that went along with it. A February 2004 rematch is in the works. We'll keep you posted.

DRG's Scott Joffe was the Head ISKA Representative and Chief Official in attendance at the event.

Saturday, October 18, 2003 • Level Testing Smashing Success: When the smoke cleared and the dust settled on a beautiful October Saturday afternoon, Duke RUOFUS finally had time to relax for a moment and reflect on a job well done - not by him though, but by a very impressive group of Duke RUOFUS Gym students.

Having just held pads for 19 hard charging, eager participants - a marathon 4 hour pad session - Duke had just completed the gym's first ever Kickboxing & Boxing Level 1 Testing. A session fueled by the great effort, tenacious attitude and warrior spirit that all of the students brought along with them into the ring. Needless to say, the energy level was sky high as each went toe-to-toe for 3 rounds with the 4-Time World Champ, who just kept going and going and . . .

Each student received a Certificate of Martial Arts Achievement and kudos from Duke on a job extremely well done. Click HERE to see all of the students who participated.

Special thanks to Coaches Ben Dauck, Scott Cushman and Joe Nicols for their help in making the day flow smoothly. Scott Joffe coordinated the event and was ring announcer & head cheerleader.

Monthly Level Testing Sessions are planned. Please check Duke RUOFUS Gym News often for dates and more details.

Monday, October 13, 2003 • Gym Closed Oct. 25th: The Duke RUOFUS Gym will be closed Saturday, October 25th due to Jonathan Costello and Ben Dauck fighting for the ISKA North American Super Middleweight Championship in Canada. The facility will reopen as usual on Monday, October 27th at 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, October 9, 2003 • Pad Testing a Hit: Seventeen students have signed up to date for the first of many spirited "Pad Testing" sessions to be conducted by Duke RUOFUS for qualified kickboxing and boxing students.

Saturday, October 18th marks the beginning of these (sure to be) exciting "live" sparring sessions with the 4-Time World Heavyweight Champ. Students get to give it their all in 3, 5 or 10 rounds of full on, rock 'em sock 'em style pad work with Duke, complete with coaching, cornermen, critique of their performance and certificate of achievement.

Contact Scott Joffe at 414-319-1151 to sign up for Kickboxing and Boxing Pad Testing at the Duke RUOFUS Gym. A few spaces remain for the next session, October 18th. Testing fees apply.

Wednesday, October 8, 2003 • USA Boxing Certification: Four members of the Duke RUOFUS Gym family just complete USA Boxing's certification program held recently in Milwaukee. The course was conducted by Candy Lopez, USA Boxing's Chief Official from San Jose, CA.

Duke RUOFUS and Scott Joffe earned their Level 2 USA Boxing Coach's Certification, Cheryl Clancy earned her Level 1 USA Boxing Coach's and Level 2 Official's Certification and Scott Cushman earned his Level 1 USA Boxing Coach's Certification. Certification has to be obtained every two years to participate in official USA Boxing sanctioned events.

Friday, October 3, 2003 • Test your skills: Three, Five & Ten Round (Master Level) Kickboxing and Boxing Level Tests are now available at the Duke RUOFUS Gym. See how well you do against 4-Time World Heavyweight Champ Duke RUOFUS as you go 1-on-1 in "live" pad sparring sessions, complete with coaching and cornermen assistance. Certificates of Achievement will be presented, as well as a detailed critique of your performance.

The first Duke RUOFUS Gym Pad Testing Session will be Saturday, October 18th at 12:00 p.m. Please contact at (414) 319-1151 to register. Space is limited.

(Thursday, October 2, 2003) K-1 USA Release: In the wake of the Mike Tyson signing, K-1’s most widely publicized acquisition to date, another top 10 boxing contender in Francois “The White Buffalo” Botha, will join the ranks of “The New Fighting Sport”and will make his K-1 rules fighting debut in Osaka, Japan’s K-1 “Final Elimination” event on October 11th. Botha will face world Muay Thai kickboxing champion, Jerome LeBanner during the Osaka seven fight card that will be televised live on United States Pay-Per-View television.

The Botha signing came shortly after the 35-year-old boxer initiated a verbal confrontation with K-1 megastar Bob “The Beast” Sapp following Sapp’s first-round victory over fellow former NFL player Stephan Gamlin during the Sunday, September 21st K-1 “Survival 2003” card in Yokohama, Japan where Botha was on-hand as a spectator and guest of the K-1 organization. The exchange between Sapp and Botha, which turned into a shoving match, bore likeness to the showdown that unfolded between Tyson and Sapp on August 15th immediately after Sapp’s victory at K-1 “Battle At The Bellagio” in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Rated number 10 by The World Boxing Organization (WBO), Botha of Witbank, South Africa is also a former International Boxing Federation (IBF) World Heavyweight champion who boasts a professional boxing record of 44-4-2 (28 KO’s). The four losses on Botha’s record came at the hands of Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko, Michael Moorer, and Mike Tyson, all of whom have been heavyweight champions.

Botha’s October 11th opponent, Jerome LeBanner, is recognized as one of the most accomplished and brightest fighters in the history of K-1. Twice, in 1995 and last year, he reached the championship round of the K-1 World Grand Prix Finals, the eight-man single-elimination tournament staged on the first Sunday of every December in Tokyo, Japan’s 70,000-capacity Tokyo Dome. LeBanner is also the reigning International Sport Karate Association (ISKA) World Super Heavyweight Muay Thai kickboxing champion.

K-1 is a martial arts combat sport that derives its name from its inclusion of a wide array of martial arts disciplines, including Karate, Kung-Fu, and Kickboxing (“K”), and its intent to determine one champion in one ring (“1”). After being staged for the first time in Japan in 1993 under the direction of founder Master Kazuyoshi Ishii, it later evolved into the country’s most popular sport and achieved popular culture status there as its athletes turned into larger-than-life celebrities.

Tuesday, September 23, 2003 • Duke RUOFUS & Ad Cetera Sports Score an Assist at March of Dimes "Breakfast With the Champions!"

On Friday morning, September 19th, 4-Time World Kickboxing Champion Duke RUOFUS appeared with many of Sports' greatest champions (with ties to Wisconsin) at a celebrity breakfast fundraiser at Champps Americana Restaurant on South 74th Street in Greenfield, Wisconsin.

The well attended event was sponsored by WTMJ Radio 620 AM and Hosted by WTMJ Radio Personality Bill Michaels. Duke appeared along with a host of Wisconsin stars including, Brewers great Larry Hisle, Packer legend Bob Long, former Marquette Head Coach Hank Raymonds, Brewer hurler Doug Henry, triathlete Heather Gollnick, Badger and Eagles lineman Joe Panos, Baseball All-Star Sal Bando, Olympian Brent Emery, NHL and Admirals favorite Gino Cavallini, Milwaukee Braves star shortstop Johnny Logan, World Champion Gymnast Chellsie Memmel and Milwaukee Wave Championship Coach Keith Tozer.

Scott Joffe of Ad Cetera Sports donated the popular autographed photos of current Green Bay Packer stars Ahman Green, Donald Driver and William Henderson, along with a 3 Month Membership to the Duke RUOFUS Kickboxing & Boxing Gym.

Tuesday, September 16, 2003 • Glad to see you back! Fall is here and we're starting to see many people who we haven't seen in a while popping back into the Duke RUOFUS Gym. No need to mention names, it's just great to see you all back in class and having fun.

If you haven't been in for a while and were thinking of stopping in, give a call at 414-319-1151 and he'll be happy to go over the current schedule and rates with you so you can get started asap.

Tuesday, September 2, 2003 • The Duke RUOFUS Gym and Ad Cetera Sports just wrapped up another spectacular Heavyweight Gladiators Professional Kickboxing Series show (see article here), this time appearing as featured entertainment at Riders Ranch, the Official Campground and Entertainment venue for Harley-Davidson's 100th Anniversary Celebration.

The event was held at the beautiful Waukesha County Expo Center Arena and featured 8 outstanding professional bouts. The Duke RUOFUS Gym's Ben Dauck appeared on the show, notching another victory with an impressive 1st round KO at 2:22. Giuseppe "The Godfather" DeNatale, who trained at the Duke RUOFUS Gym in preparation for his match, was victorious as well, stopping a powerful Dan "The Lizard" Lucas at 2:06 of the 1st round and earning the I.S.K.A. North American Heavyweight Title in the process.

Special thanks go out to all of the great participants and volunteers who made this show one many people have called "the best entertainment they saw at any of the Harley 100th events."

Heavyweight Gladiators Professional Kickboxing Series
“RUMBLE AT THE RANCH”
Special Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Celebration Show

August 29, 2003
Riders Ranch at the Waukesha County Expo Center Arena, Waukesha, WI.

Duke RUOFUS, Matchmaker

Giuseppe “The Godfather” DeNatale Defeats Dan “The Lizard” Lucas Earning the I.S.K.A. North American Oriental Rules Heavyweight Title!

(Tuesday, September 2, 2003) Riders Ranch, Waukesha, WI - Ad Cetera Sports, promoters of the Heavyweight Gladiators Professional Kickboxing Series, once again demonstrated their leadership role in the global kickboxing community. Not only did “Rumble at the Ranch” offer up eight professional I.S.K.A. Oriental Rules Kickboxing matches, highlighted by a North American title bout and a female top contender’s match, but additionally, this show was featured as part of Harley-Davidson’s 100th Anniversary Celebration, helping to raise the public’s awareness and positive image of professional kickboxing yet another step!

“Rumble at the Ranch” opened with a couple of 160 pounders going the distance in a technical, hard fought battle that started the show off with a bang. Robert “The Razor Blade” Blake of Fort Wayne, Indiana’s Archangel Boxing Club took the unanimous decision over Bart “Bartimus” Palaszewski of Crystal Lake, Illinois.

In an action packed slugfest resulting in a split-decision, John “The Punisher” Kaszuba went at it tooth and nail with the very popular Canadian fighter “Smokin” Joe Zcyhowka of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada’s Canadian Kickboxing and Muaythai Centre. This was the kind of bout that fans of the sport live for. Both fighters showed great skill, spirit, determination and real grit. When the smoke cleared and the scores were tallied, the victory went to “The Punisher” John Kaszuba of Mady's Karate, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

In the 3rd bout of the evening, “Barbaric” Eric Snyder proved no match for Milwaukee’s “Battling” Ben Dauck, fighting out of the Duke RUOFUS Gym. After suffering three knockdowns in the very first round, Snyder showed a lot of spirit and the will to continue, but ace referee Al Wichgers called an end to the contest at 2:22 of the first round, giving Ben Dauck another KO victory.

Winnipeg’s Donovan South looked lean and well prepared as he entered the ring for a super cruiserweight match vs. Team Tompkins’ Nick “The Italian Stallion” Rondinelli. The Stallion (looking like he was carved out of stone) started the opener punching effectively with both hands. At about a minute into the round, South began getting off first with front kicks followed by precise punching combinations. Just as it looked like South might turn the tide, Rondinelli blasted him with a devastating three-punch combination that put him down and out for the count. London, Ontario’s Nick Rondinelli earned the KO victory at 2:03 of the first round.

In a short, but exciting light middleweight match-up, Eric “The Hammer” Haycraft from Louisville, Kentucky took on Chicago’s Mark Streator. The first round was all Haycraft, controlling the action with excellent timing, movement, low kicks and quick hand combinations. Eric had the totally focused, yet relaxed demeanor that you try to train all of your fighters to acquire. And then it happened!

With only seconds left in the first round, Streator executed a picture-perfect spinning backfist that scored squarely on Haycraft’s temple. Eric went down hard and everyone in the arena immediately knew that he wouldn’t be getting up before referee Wichger’s ten-count expired. Congratulations to Mark Streator for reversing what looked to be a long, hard night for himself. And kudos goes to “The Hammer” and his corner for accepting the setback with class and even humor. After the show, I mentioned to Eric that I had glanced away for a second and didn’t see the spinning backfist. Without missing a beat, he smiled and said, “Neither did I!”

Milwaukee’s Horace “The Real Deal” Craft and Illinois based Shidokan fighter John Leblanc went five strategic rounds ending in a unanimous decision victory for Craft. Horace scored consistently with his jab and Leblanc seemed content to wait for the one big opening that never appeared.

The Semi-Main Event featured “TNT” vs. “The Crusher” (sounds like a monster movie!). This bout matched two of the best, new professional female kickboxers in North America - Atlanta based fighter Trisha Hill, trained by Richard Trammell and Kelly Leo vs. Keri Crothers from Stan Peteric’s gym in Victoria, B.C., Canada.

Crothers entered the ring with size and reach as her advantage, while Hill had the edge in fight experience. As one might anticipate, the opening round saw Trisha Hill dominate on the inside with Keri Crothers trying with moderate success to use her long legs and punching reach to an advantage on the outside.

In the second round, Crothers initiated each clash with a front leg front kick followed by jabs and crosses in a desperate attempt to keep the fight at a distance. Hill showed remarkable defense, great footwork and excellent timing as she consistently advanced inside Crother’s guard, delivering straight right bombs to the head.

In round three, Hill continued to deftly get inside with her right, adding a sharp left hook and finishing with a strong kick. About midway through the round, Trisha blasted Carrie with a clean spinning hook kick to the head that brought the already excited fans to their feet. The fourth round proved more of the same, with Hill also delivering a sharp side kick to “Crushers” body that brought referee Wichgers in for a standing eight count.

Just as it looked like Crothers was through, she dug down deep and showed true Muaythai style warrior determination, choosing to continue and displaying some effective kicking of her own as the round ended. Showing more tremendous spirit and desire, Crothers came out for the fifth and final round more aggressive than ever. She managed to back Trisha up often and steadfastly took Hill’s counter punches until the final bell sounded. Trisha and Team Trammell took the unanimous decision back to Atlanta, while Keri “Crusher” Crothers and her corner had every reason to hold their heads high after an excellent effort in front of a very appreciative, cheering crowd.

The Main Event: Five rounds of Oriental Rules Kickboxing for the I.S.K.A. North American Heavyweight Crown! Both fighters looked very fit and ready with Rochester, New York’s Dan “The Lizard” Lucas weighing in at 206 lbs. and Winnipeg’s Giuseppe “The Godfather” DeNatale weighing a lean 205.

When the opening bell sounded, “The Godfather” moved across the ring and quickly attached with a barrage of low kicks. Lucas checked the kicks skillfully and fired his potent right hand over the top hitting DeNatale flush on the face. Giuseppe took only a single step back and set for his next attack. Lucas got off first, advancing with a jab-cross combination that once again scored cleanly. DeNatale took it well and fired back with both hands. At only a minute into the bout, the fight appeared to be fiercely competitive with both camps having a strong idea of what they need to do in order to win.

DeNatale launched yet another assault on “The Lizards” legs that accidentally resulted in a hard groin shot. As Lucas was given time to recover, I couldn’t help but think back to the two groin shots that Giuseppe had endured in his last year’s classic match-up with Kurt Hasley in Milwaukee.

When the action resumed, Lucas again got off first with his powerful jab-cross combination. DeNatale followed with a combination that drove Dan to the ropes. Once inside, Giuseppe went to work masterfully with both hands to the body and head, and vicious knee strikes up the middle. Lucas retreated to his corner with DeNatale in hot pursuit.

Again the Godfather worked hard with hands and knees on the inside, forcing Lucas to crouch in defense. As Lucas stood back up, Giuseppe fired an awesome, high roundhouse kick that caught Lucas perfectly right behind the head. He went straight down on all fours as world-class referee Al Wichgers sent DeNatale to the neutral corner.

Wichgers counted to ten and it was all over as the "Soprano's" theme blasted and wild cheering from an excited and very appreciative Harley crowd roared on. At 2:06 of the first round Giuseppe “The Godfather” DeNatale earned the KO victory and the North American Heavyweight Crown.

Like Harley-Davidson’s Millennium Anniversary celebration, Kickboxing fans may have to wait another 100 years to see anything like this spectacular event again.

Wednesday, August 20, 2003 • K-1 fighter Giuseppe "The Godfather" DeNatale of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is back in Milwaukee, training with Duke RUOFUS in preparation for his Friday, August 29th bout against Dan "The Lizard" Lucas of Rochester, N.Y. Both are vying for the I.S.K.A. North American Heavyweight Title on the Riders Ranch Heavyweight Gladiators Professional Kickboxing Series "Rumble at the Ranch" all pro card celebrating Harley-Davidson's 100th Anniversary. The show starts at 8:00 p.m. at the Waukesha County Expo Center Arena. Great seats are still available by calling (414) 967-7767.

Monday, August 18, 2003 • Congratulations to Cheryl Clancy, Marija Markos Mack, Charmaine Tweet, Kyle Weickhardt and Rick Winter who just returned from the Master Toddy's/Duke RUOFUS Fighter's Training Camp and K-1 World Semi-Finals vacation in Las Vegas. PHOTO

The week long camp was a learning experience none will ever forget, topped off by all attending the K-1 "Battle at the Bellagio," a K-1 show that proved to be one of the best ever and won by Holland's exciting Remy Bonjasky who narrowly beat Vancouver's Michael McDonald.

In addition, Rick Winter, along with fellow Milwaukeean Sal D'Amato, were chosen by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to be K-1 judges. Rick and Sal are longtime judges at all Heavyweight Gladiators Professional Kickboxing Series events held in Milwaukee.

Heavyweight Gladiators referee Al Wichgers of Oak Creek, who has acted as a K-1 judge in the past, was chosen to be a referee on the Battle at the Bellagio show, as well. Last, but not least, our own Duke RUOFUS once again was the color commentator for the Pay-per-view broadcast and Scott Joffe was the Assistant K-1 Rules Director. Great job everyone!

Wednesday, July 30, 2003 • Do you or someone you know need convenient car, bike or trailer parking in Downtown Milwaukee during the Harley 100th Reunion Celebration? If so, contact Duke RUOFUS at 414-319-1151 to get set up with as much prime space as you need.

Thursday, July 17, 2003 • Tickets are now on sale for the special Friday, August 29th Riders Ranch Heavyweight Gladiators Professional Kickboxing Series "Rumble at the Ranch" all pro card celebrating Harley-Davidson's 100th Anniversary. The card features 8 pro fights, including the ISKA North American Heavyweight Championship and a special Female Gladiators showdown.

Riders Ranch, located at the Waukesha County Expo Center Fairgrounds, 1000 Northview Road, is the Exclusive Campground and Entertainment Venue for Mega Housing Management, Harley-Davidson's Official Housing Bureau.

Tickets may be ordered in the Duke RUOFUS Gym section by calling Scott Joffe at 414-967-7767 and include admission ($15.00 value) into the Riders Ranch Festival Grounds, featuring a free pre-show concert by Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad and Monte Perlin, Arnold's stunt double in Terminator 3, and his gravity defying "Globe of Death" extreme motorcycle stunt show, the Harley-Davidson Multi Million Dollar Blowout Barn Sale sponsored by Hal's and Suburban Harley-Davidson, a massive vendor's area, plus much, much more. This is one show you do not want to miss!!!

Thursday, July 3, 2003 • Thailand in Las Vegas: Five Duke RUOFUS Gym students have registered for the August 10th - 16th Master Toddy's/Duke RUOFUS Fighter's Training Camp and K-1 World Semi-Finals vacation in Las Vegas.

They are Cheryl Clancy, Marija Markos Mack, Charmaine Tweet, Kyle Weickhardt and Rick Winter. The trip includes: airfare, 30 hours of intense Thai style fighter training - including stamina and strength building exercises, lodging including 2 nights at the Mirage Resort & Casino and ticket to the Friday, August 15th K-1 at the Bellagio Resort & Casino. The deadline for registration is Friday, July 11th.

For Pricing or additional information, please contact Scott Joffe at (414) 319-1151.

Friday, June 27, 2003 • It's An Honor: Kudos to Duke RUOFUS Gym student Nathan Campos, 12, who was recently named to his school's Honor Roll. It's no wonder though as Nathan is always willing to lend a hand around the gym and, being the quick study that he is, did an excellent job assisting Heavyweight Gladiators Pro Kickboxing Series promoter Scott Joffe on the recent June 21st show in the Rave Eagles Grand Ballroom.

• Even though the on-sale date for tickets to the special Riders Ranch Heavyweight Gladiators "King of the Ranch" show is still a few weeks away (July 7th), Duke RUOFUS Gym students can reserve tickets in advance by calling 414.967.7767 starting today. Special student sections have been set aside for the "all professional card" that is part of the week long schedule of events celebrating Harley-Davidson's 100th Anniversary.

The Main Events will feature Giuseppe "The Godfather" DeNatale taking on Dan "The Lizard" Lucas for the ISKA North American Heavyweight Title and the first ever pro women's bout in Wisconsin pitting Keri "Crusher" Crothers against Trisha Hill.

Wednesday, June 25, 2003 • Academic Success: Congratulations go out to Duke RUOFUS Gym students Mason Neuman, 8, and Kyle Weickhardt, 17, who finished the school year on a high note.

Mason brought home a "straight A" report card in the final quarter, improving steadily throughout the year in 4 of 6 categories. Kyle, fresh off his first amateur Kickboxing victory on Saturday, June 21st, worked equally as hard and earned the "best report card of his life, " as he puts it (and, he was training for his match, as well!). Now that's something to be really proud of.

Good work Mason and Kyle on your awesome achievements. You showed us all what hard work and determination can bring.

(Monday, June 23, 2003) Milwaukee, WI - Pride and skill took center ring as action dominated the evening when Heavyweight Gladiators Professional Kickboxing returned to the Rave Eagles Grand Ballroom in Milwaukee (WI) on Saturday evening, June 21, 2003. The Ballroom provided a Coliseum like atmosphere as the modern day gladiators displayed combinations of damaging punches, piercing knees, spinning backfists and powerful kicks that throughout the evening proved devastating to many.

World class referee Al Wichgers was in charge of the action as he maintained the safety of the fighters and the integrity of the bouts with his usual enthusiasm and expertise. Jeff Nass, Cheryl Clancy, Sal D’Amato and Keith Cory officiated throughout the event.

A series of exhibition matches kicked off the action packed, 3 1/2 hour show. Mason “Freight Train” Newman, 8, and Katie “The Real Lady” Wallk, 9, proved to the crowd that even the smallest competitors can provide heavyweight entertainment as they demonstrated spinning back fists and a flurry of kicks and punch combinations. 4-Time World Kickboxing Champion Duke RUOFUS controlled center ring for this exhibition and allowed the crowd a glimpse of the style that makes him one of the most sought after trainers and instructors in the business.

Mark Cribb and Charmaine Tweet delivered the goods in an action packed three round co-ed exhibition. Tweet kept Cribb at the end of her long reach and used repeated jabs to set up her powerful right leg kicks, proving to the crowd that a woman’s place is in the ring.

Laura Valent paired up with Rebecca Mahin and amid a flurry of kicks, witnessed the skills that made Mahin the Woman’s National Amateur Kickboxing Champion last year.

In the final exhibition bout of the evening, Shawn Mahin got the action going with a series of jabs to the head of his opponent Tim Ottman. In round 2, Ottman came back with a vengeance, but suffered a knockdown early in the round. Mahin kept the pressure on with a series of left hooks and straight rights.

Welterweights Cory Martin and Serge Rochon were matched in the first scored bout of the evening. Rochon came on strong and rocked Martin with a well placed kick to the ribs. Martin was not deterred and stayed in the fight, but Rochon controlled the action and earned a unanimous decision from the judges.

Kyle Weickhardt and Casey “The Sandman” Johnson delivered some of the best action of the evening as they wowed the crowd with a display of grit and determination, not to mention some stunning kicks and punches. Expect to see more of them in the coming months.

It took a relentless Mike Herman only 54 seconds of Round 1 to put away his opponent, Josh “The Iron Man” Lee. Herman came on strong and there was no stopping him as he stalked Lee and got the job done in record time.

In the Light Heavyweight division, Tony Colletti in yellow “Have a Nice Day” trunks had just that as he kept up the pressure on his opponent Andy Kovac earning a win by split decision.

In the first pro bout on the card, “Smokin'” Joe Zychowka of Winnipeg, Canada displayed that winning Canadian style when the bout ended in a TKO due to retirement by his opponent Tomas Korcyl of Chicago at 2:16 of the third round.

In the second pro bout, Atlanta based kickboxer Marshall Berger dominated the action through 3 tough fought rounds against his opponent Simon Diouf of Chicago. Berger’s flurry of well placed kicks left Diouf defenseless. Diouf made a valiant effort to recover in round 3, but it was too little too late.

The Main Event of the evening proved to be anticlimactic as John “The Panther” James of Grand Rapids, Michigan scored a devastating knock out against Horace “The Real Deal” Craft of Milwaukee. Craft appeared fit and ready to go the distance, but a well placed kick by James sealed “The Deal,” only 20 seconds into Round I.

Ad Cetera Sports would like to thank the following sponsors for their tremendous support: Rain, Shepherd Express, Kinkos, Bell Ambulance, Teamsters Local 200, Kyle Monreal Painting, On the Border, McAdams Car Company, Ltd., Sunbusters, Fairtex Gloves, TKO Boxing, Dr. Phil Repetti, Jordan Chiropractic Clinic, Hampton Dental, Dr. Rick Winter, Attorney Marty Stein and Miss Katie’s Diner. Special thanks to Cory Schafer, President, I.S.K.A. for his loyal support of kickboxing and of events nationally and internationally.

The next Heavyweight Gladiators Professional Kickboxing Series event is Friday, August 29, 2003 celebrating 100 years of motorcycling heritage at the Riders Ranch Festival Grounds, Waukesha County Expo Center. This is an all pro card and features 8 bouts, including a special women's pro bout.Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 414-967-7767.

(Tuesday, June 10, 2003) Milwaukee, WI - Heavyweight Gladiators Professional Kickboxing Series returns to the Rave Eagles Grand Ballroom, Saturday, June 21 at 8:00 p.m. for another exciting night of awesome ringsports action. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. with the first undercard bout starting at 6:45 p.m.

The Main Event features Wisconsin's own Horace "The Real Deal" Craft vs. Grand Rapids, Michigan's John "The Panther" James, two fighters that have had their sights set on each other for some time - over 8 years ago to be exact. That was when the two last met in Chicago (IL) for a full-contact "exhibition match" that went beyond the bounds of an exhibition.

"It became very competitive quickly, even though it started out as an exhibition," said James, 32, who continues "we both took it very seriously. Right now though I am on the road to being the best fighter out there and he (Horace) is just another obstacle along the way. I'm looking to be the man that night. I'm looking to be the best."

The seemingly ageless Craft, 42, who is also a police officer in Cudahy (WI) shows no fear. "I'll fight anyone you put in front of me. I'm ready. Let's go," Craft commented when informed that James was the replacement for his originally scheduled Main Event opponent, Kurt Hasley of Signal Mountain (TN), who broke his toe training in Atlanta on May 31st and is out for a few months.

Other pro bouts on the card include Middleweight Gladiators "Smokin" Joe Zychowka of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada vs. Tomas Korcyl, originally of Warsaw, Poland now residing in Chicago and Super Middleweight Gladiators "Battling" Ben Dauck of Milwaukee vs "Barbaric" Erick Snyder of Arlington Heights (IL).

A total 9 total bouts are planned for the evening. Tickets are $50.00 for VIP Ringside Reserved, $30.00 for Ringside Reserved and $20.00 for Balcony Reserved. Tickets may be reserved by calling 414-967-7767.

EVENT SPONSORS: Rock 102.1FM Milwaukee, Shepherd Express, Kinko's, Rain Nightclub, Pitch's Miss Katie's Diner, Sunbusters, Teamsters Local 200, Bell Ambulance, Fairtex Gear, TKO Professional Equipment, Keg-A-Que Products, TailgateTime.com, Kyle Monreal Painting, Atty. Martin Stein, Dr. Rick Winter DDS, Dr. Phil Repetti/Jordan Chiropractic and Duke RUOFUS Boxing & Kickboxing Gym.

All Bouts sanctioned by the International Sport Kickboxing Association (ISKA), Gainsville, FL, Mr. Cory Schafer, President.

Title fights in all 5 of the "Kickboxing Gladiators" weight classes are planned.

Kickboxing Gladiators combines the concepts and action packed dynamics of Thailand's Lumpinee Stadium, UFC, & K-1 to create LEAGUE CHAMPIONS & Top 5 Rankings of Kickboxing Gladiators.

Any fighter that would like to become a contender please .

The Heavyweight Gladiators Professional Kickboxing Series has been a great stepping stone for fighters on their way up to K-1.

Carter Williams - 2003 K-1 USA Champion, 2002 K-1 Reserve Match & 2001 K-1 Semi-Final Undercard

Giuseppe DeNatale - 2002 & 2003 K-1 USA Participant & 2000 K-1 USA Super Fight

Duke RUOFUS - 1994 K-1 Revenge, 1994 K-1 World Cup, 1996 K-1 Semi-Finals, 2001 K-1 USA, 2001 K-1 Semi-Final & 2002 K-1 Semi-Final Reserve Match

Mark Miller - K-1 USA 2000 & 2001 Super Fight & 2001 K-1 Semi-Final Super Fight


ROBERT FERGUSON	(L-R) JAVON WALKER, ROBERT FERGUSON, SCOTT JOFFE & DONALD DRIVER	JAVON WALKER


Romulo	Zevallos

Women Acquit Selves Well at First "Rumble"