Turf Wars - Official Magazine of the World Combat League - Issue 1

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WINTER 2008

IN THIS ISSUE 6. COMBAT ZONE The Oklahoma Destroyers help Tulsa thaw out… Felice Herrig gets a reality check… the WCL puts on a free show for the troops in San Antonio.

8. EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND The future is unlimited for the L.A. Stars’ talented and charismatic Raymond Daniels.

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PLUS: Five other hot young fighters to look out for.

12. STANDING 8 COUNT Trevor Griffin is the man behind the mic.

13. THE GIRL’S A KNOCKOUT The New York Clash’s Jennifer Santiago looks to break down stereotypes about female fighters.

16. PARTING SHOT A look ahead to what awaits WCL fans in the second half of the season.

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AND IT ’S ALL FUN IL GAMES UNT

At a recent WCL photo shoot, Gia Wilson of the New York Clash shows off her Matrix-like aerial skills as a stunned Jesse Lawrence of the Oklahoma Destroyers looks on.

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RINGSIDE

THE

SECOND SEASON

OF THE WCL ON VERSUS BEGINS

W

elcome to our inaugural issue of Turf Wars, the official magazine of the World Combat League. We’re excited to bring this insiders view of our teams and athletes to you. We want this publication to become a great companion to your viewing experience when watching the WCL on VERSUS. We’re very excited by the WCL’s growth. Our television ratings continue to surpass industry predictions; attendance at our live events is up in every market; and the level of competition has never been better.

If you are new to the league, the WCL’s brand of mixed martial arts is called Combat Martial Arts. It’s all stand-up, so there is no "ground-andpound." Plus our fighters wear regulation boxing gloves, weighing between eight and 10 ounces— not the four-ounce gloves used by our competition. Each of our bouts are limited to a single three-minute round.

These may seem like minor differences, but they are tremendously important when it comes to the safety of fighters. We believe we can create a fast-paced, aggressive and exciting league, without jeopardizing the long-term health of these incredibly skilled athletes and reducing our sport to a street brawl.

While we want a clean and safe league, that doesn’t mean we want to sacrifice action and thrills. Our bouts feature a 33-percent knockout rate—by far the highest percentage of KOs in any contact sport. Also fighters are penalized for pas-

sivity. Combine this with our short bouts, and each WCL showdown literally unfolds like a highlight film.

The WCL has been a 30-year dream of mine. I have always believed that the combat martial arts, if presented correctly, could be a major, top five, professional sport. Our goal with the World Combat League is to bring together the world’s most skilled martial arts experts by region and to provide sports fans with an unmatched level of fighting action in every second of each round of every team contest. When you combine this unprecedented level of action with the thrill of cheering for your favorite team and following their progress throughout an entire league season, along with the family friendly environment we have created, it’s pretty hard to resist.

We know the fight fan has many entertainment options. The marketplace is crowded, and as someone who has made promoting martial arts my life’s work, that’s a great feeling. But I hope you’ll tune into VERSUS and give the WCL a shot—remember Sunday nights at 7 p.m. ET. And if you have a chance to come out to one of our live events, please do. You won’t regret it.

Thanks again for supporting the WCL. We’ll talk to you again in the next issue of Turf Wars.

Sincerely,

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE WORLD COMBAT LEAGUE FOUNDER/CHAIRMAN Chuck Norris PRESIDENT/ EXECUTIVE EDITOR Damien Di Ciolli DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Lamar Green MANAGING EDITOR Tony Fay EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Tommy Messano, Chad Range, Mark Thompson, Eric Lindberg, Jim Tolbert COPY EDITOR Diana Coronado DESIGN Cathy Hutzler DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Peter Robbins FIGHTER RELATIONS Shelly Di Ciolli, Ashley Ucker, Michael Smoot TELEVISION PRODUCTION Chris Brown, Justin Fuqua

PUBLISHED BY THE WORLD COMBAT LEAGUE P. O. Box 702508 Dallas, Texas 75370-2508

Chuck Norris

214.276.6900 www.worldcombatleague.com

TO ADVERTISE Eric Lindberg 214.276.6900

GROUP TICKET INFO Jim Tolbert 214.498.3557 Copyright © 2008 World Combat League.

All rights are reserved. Reproduction without the permission of Turf Wars magazine is forbidden.

Printed in the USA.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY COVER: LAYNE MURDOCH PAGES 1, 2-3: LAYNE MURDOCH (2), THIS PAGE: PETER ROBBINS (2); PAGE 6: LAYNE MURDOCH; PAGE 7: JOHN STARKS/DAILY HERALD (HERRIG), PETER ROBBINS (2), PAGES 8-11: PETER ROBBINS (4); PAGE 12: MITCH MARMORSTEIN; PAGE 13: LAYNE MURDOCH; PAGE 14: PETER ROBBINS (2); PAGE 15: LAYNE MURDOCH (TAYLOR), PETER ROBBINS; PAGE 16: LAYNE MURDOCH (ENGEL), PETER ROBBINS

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NEWS & NOTES FROM AROUND THE WCL

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ONE FANS FOR THE

The Dec. 14 WCL event in Tulsa was more than a mere homecoming for the Oklahoma Destroyers and their Head Coach, Tulsa-resident Dale “Apollo” Cook.

With the fights coming on the heals of the worst ice storm to hit the city in more than a quarter century, Cook felt an obligation to put on a big show for the 3,000 fans who crowded the Tulsa Convention Center.

“This is my hometown,” said Cook, prior to the matches. “For the World Combat League to come here is a big deal for us. But we’ve had a major emergency with the greatest power outage in Oklahoma history happening less than a week before the fights. It’s now up to us to go out there and give them (the fans) something to cheer about.”

The Destroyers came through for the home crowd. With his team down for the first time all night, Oklahoma’s Jesse Lawrence (right), the self proclaimed “Mr. Clutch” earned his nickname. Denver’s London Pray was dazed early in the round via a Lawrence left hand. When his opponent was out on his feet, Lawrence closed the deal with a big right hand.

“We brought the heat back to Tulsa.” said Lawrence with a smile.

The KO helped deliver a 136-110 Oklahoma win over Denver and sent the crowd home with a smile.

The WCL returns to Tulsa on Feb. 23.

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UPCOMING LIVE EVENTS WHERE: Tulsa Expo Pavillion TIME: 3 p.m., 8 p.m.* WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 23 TICKET INFO: Exposquare.com * Note: There will be two events held in Tulsa

this day. The 3 p.m. bill features Eastern Conference teams, while the 8 p.m. event is a Western Conference match-up.

WHERE: St. Louis (Family Arena) TIME: 8 p.m.** WHEN: Friday, March 28 TICKET INFO: Metrotix.com **Eastern Conference playoffs

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COMBAT ZONE THEY SAID IT

“

This style of fighting is different. There’s kickboxing involved, but it’s almost like a bloodsport. It’s three minutes full out. It’s almost like a streetfight in the ring. We just go at each other with everything. We don’t spend a lot of time setting up punches or knee strikes. We throw these things as fast as we can. It’s very interesting to watch.

REALITY CHICK When Felice Herrig of the St. Louis Enforcers makes her debut on the VERSUS telecast of WCL matches later this season, it won’t be the first time in front of the cameras for this resident of Bufallo Grove, Ill. Herrig appeared on the Oxygen Network’s reality series “Fight Girls” which aired last summer. On the show, Herrig lived with nine other girls in Las Vegas and traveled to Thailand to compete with Muay Thai fighters.

“Fight Girls was awesome,” she says. “It helped me get a lot of recognition and helped me get more fights.”

GI’S TURN OUT The Jan. 18 WCL event in San Antonio was actually a double header—a 3 p.m.

Eastern Conference tilt followed by an 8 p.m. Western Conference show. What made the double-dip even more unique was that the first show was free and open to military personnel only. Approximately 2,500 troops turned out, representing Fort Hood, Fort Sam Houston, Lackland and Randolph Air Bases and Brooke Army Medical Hospital.

“We were blown away by the offer,” said Tonia White, regional director of development for the USO, who handled ticket distribution. “Chuck Norris has been an amazing supporter of the military. This was something very special for the troops.”

”

— DAVID “INSTANT PAIN” TAYLOR OF THE OKLAHOMA DESTROYERS

Season 2 of the WCL on VERSUS hits the airwaves in February with a bang Get your popcorn ready, and cozy up in front of that brand new plasma on Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. ET, because that’s when the brand new season of the World Combat League hits the airwaves on the VERSUS network. After a stellar first year, which saw the fledgling league’s ratings far outperform the most optimistic projections, the league will slide into the coveted Sunday night 7 p.m. slot.

“We’re really pretty thrilled,” said Damien Di Ciolli, WCL president. “VERSUS has been a fantastic partner, and the opportunity to air Sundays in primetime, really shows their confidence in our property.

Our second season has really been exciting and we think that will translate to our shows.”

By limiting the bouts to three minutes, every show is guaranteed 10-12 fights. VERSUS will package the season into 20 one-hour shows, which will also be distributed internationally. Right now, WCL bouts can be seen in over 100 countries around the world.

“You can catch the fights just about anywhere in the world,” says Matthew Ody, a consultant hired by the league to oversee foreign distribution. “The league has become an amazing success overseas—particularly in the Middle

East and Asia. It’s also very popular in India.”

In addition to televising the fight shows, the WCL and VERSUS are also launching a 30-minute magazine show, Turf Wars, which will take viewers behind the scenes with the fighters and coaches. That show is expected to premiere later in the spring.

“We feel our television deal is one of the best in the sport,” says Di Ciolli. “It’s a complete partnership with VERSUS in every sense. And that’s what we want in every aspect of our business—good partners.”

WHAT: World Combat League WHERE: The VERSUS television network (check your local listings for channel number) WHEN: Every Sunday night at 7 p.m. ET beginning Feb. 10. Check your local listings for additional showings.

MORE INFO: worldcombatleague.com or versus.com

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The LA Stars have high hopes this postseason, and the man they call The Real Deal is a big reason why By Tommy Messano Another night, another victory for Raymond Daniels, the 28-year-old whirlwind L.A. Stars fans have come to know as The Real Deal.

On this night, the near capacity crowd at San Antonio’s Freeman Coliseum is witnessing Daniels unbridled ring bravado for the first time. Ring announcer Trevor Griffin does his best to brace the nearly 4,000 fans—but some things must be witnessed to be believed.

Daniels starts the night undefeated for his WCL career, sporting a perfect 10-0 mark. That record

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will run to 12-0 in short order as the Stars notch a convincing win over the Texas Dragons.

Daniels’ WCL dominance has been unmatched since his league debut nearly two years ago. Prior to signing with the Stars, Daniels had dominated the sport karate circuit for so long that he felt starved for new challenges. Unlike sport karate, where participants are bogged down with heavy padding and head gear, the WCL offered Daniels his first foray into a full contact combat sport. He delighted in the challenge.

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On March 3, 2006 under the bright lights of Las Vegas, Daniels made his WCL debut against Ronnie Copeland. Copeland, a kickboxing vet, quickly became You Tube fodder after a kick from Daniels connected to the side of his skull. A WCL star was born.

Daniels got his start on the mats of martial arts schools in the 1980s. He became instantly fascinated by the culture of martial arts. “I started pretty young,” he says. “My father started me in martial arts and martial arts have been a way of life for me. I always idolized my dad, Frank. He was a very big influence in my life. He’s why I’m where I am.”

Until recently, martial arts was not Daniels’ full time occupation. His day job was as a Long Beach police officer. In what Daniels calls “verbal judo,” martial arts helped him hone his verbal skills, which helped him diffuse tense situations in the field. With his career in the ring blossoming now, Daniels has retired from the police force to pursue his life long dream.

“This is what I’ve been training for my entire life,” he says.

Keeping Daniels grounded is a 10-year-old son.

Being a single father (his wife passed tragically shortly after the birth of their son) has forced Daniels to mature quickly outside of the ring.

When not spending time with his “little guy,” Daniels gives back to his community the best way

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he knows how: by teaching martial arts the same way he was taught as a youth. “I love giving back to kids; the community is what martial arts is all about.”

The scary part for the rest of the league is that now Daniels has more time to focus on his training. A strict regime leading up to a fight preps Daniels for the WCL’s sprint style rules. What may

be even more important than a fighter’s cardio is his mental state going into a fight. At this moment, Daniels’ confidence is at an all time high. When your record is perfect, that attitude is understandable.

The WCL could not ask for a better ambassador. Daniels is young, good looking and intelligent.

With the league gearing up for its second season playoffs, Daniels is genuinely excited about being the sport’s pound for pound top fighter.

“The WCL allows its athletes to come out and showcase all their abilities. Where lots of different sports limit what you are able to do.” says Daniels.

“The WCL allows aspects of other combat sports to come and fight. It reminds me of the old Gladiators getting in that round circle; it’s just you and him.”

WORTH WATCHING IN 2008

Think Raymond Daniels is fun to watch? Check out these five WCL fighters because when it comes to pure entertainment value, they're worth the price of admission.

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MUNAH

HOLLAND-QUERIDO NEW JERSEY TIGERS 128 LBS.

Holland is a scrappy fighter with the habit of making a run in the final minutes of a fight.

After her upset win over WCL women’s division queen Jennifer Santiago, Holland went on to KO Jennifer Han in the 2nd event of the WCL season.

CRAIG

OXLEY

MIAMI FORCE 147 LBS. Oxley scored an early season upset with a knockout of Tim Connors, which is no easy task. He's a Jiu Jitsui fighter with a powerful right hand. Proving the Connors win wasn't a fluke, Oxley went 2-0 in his last WCL event.

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ABOUT DANIELS

WCL FIGHT RECORDS: 12 WINS, 0 LOSS DATE 1/18/08 1/18/08 12/14/07 12/14/07 10/19/07 10/19/07 1/20/07 1/20/07 9/22/06 9/22/06 3/3/06 3/3/06

RESULT Win Win Win Win Win Win Win Win Win Win Win Win

HEIGHT: 6-2 WEIGHT: 178 AGE: 27 FIGHTING STYLE: Karate HOMETOWN: Long Beach, CA BORN: Sun Valley, CA

OPPONENT Blake Lirette – Denver Blake Lirette - Denver Damion Caldwell - Texas Antione McRae – Texas No Fighter - Oklahoma Ryan Madigan - Oklahoma Damion Caldwell - Philadelphia Stephen Thompson - Philadelphia Lawrence Baker - Texas Lawrence Baker - Texas Ronnie Copeland - Las Vegas Andreas Spang - Las Vegas

METHOD

SCORE

KO Decision KO KO Disqualified Decision KO TKO (injury) Decision Decision KO Decision

16 - 0 15 - 8 15 - 0 15 - 0 15 - 0 18 - 6 15 - 0 15 - 0 15 - 8 15 - 8 15 - 0 15 - 7

“I’ll continue fighting until I feel my time has come,” he says. “My goal is to be the greatest fighter of all time. Each fight I go out and try to show everybody that I’m better than the person that gets in the ring with me and any man who steps in front of me.”

“My confidence comes way before I ever get in that ring. My confidence comes from my training. The hours of running, swimming, cross training. All the things I do prior to getting in the ring give me my confidence.”

“All I know is that if I was going to fight me, I probably wouldn’t show up that night.”

Tommy Messano is a freelance writer who covers MMA.

EDDIE

DAVID

BURRIS

TAYLOR

Burris may be the monster the WCL heavy weight division has been looking for. At 4-0 with 3 KO’s who would want to argue with those results or his 6-4 235 frame?

Taylor is the only back-up on the list, but he could be starting for many other WCL squads. Stepping up for an injured teammate, Taylor moved up a weight class and was able to pull off two wins for his team. The second half win was a vicious KO of Texas’ Sherif Ghaly.

DENVER FURY 235 LBS.

FERNANDO

CALLEROS

ST. LOUIS ENFORCERS 164 LBS.

OKLAHOMA DESTROYERS 164 LBS.

—Tommy Messano

Calleros, a kick boxing veteran, makes his St. Louis team that much stronger. He dominated the last WCL event scoring a KO in the first half and a decisive win in the second.

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TREVOR GRIFFIN, WCL RING ANNOUNCER How did you get into the whole MMA scene?

I was working with Jesse Finney, the coach of the St. Louis Enforcers, many years ago putting on shows around the St. Louis area. I was working security on the events.

Our ring announcer had a heart attack one night and obviously wasn’t available for the event. Jesse handed me the mic and said, “Go to work.” I haven’t stopped doing it since.

Favorite martial arts movie?

Unquestionably The Octagon, starring Mr. Norris.

Who’s the one WCL fighter you wouldn’t want to get in the ring with?

Just the one, huh? I'd have to say The Black Rage, Eddie Burris. You don’t earn that nickname by passing out roses.

What’s you favorite Chuck Norris fact?

Which team do you see going all the way in the WCL this year?

I’d have to say the St. Louis Enforcers—they’re the defending champs, and look tough again.

Bruce Lee or Mr. Miyagi?

Bruce Lee in a fight.

Miyagi if I need my car waxed.

Do you wince when you watch yourself on WCL bouts on VERSUS? I cry. No, I actually think it’s pretty cool.

What’s the best thing about being the WCL ring announcer?

I’d have to say, unlimited access to all the stars of the WCL—plus the suits aren’t bad, either.

When the Boogie Man goes to sleep, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

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New York Clash’s Jennifer Santiago is unstoppable—both in and out of the ring

By Judith Stiles

T

he warm and friendly Jennifer Santiago has the demeanor of a kindly doctor, certainly not of a fighter, who at the tender age of 12 was nicknamed “Killer” and was known for a right hook that knocked boys out cold in New York City’s amateur youth boxing circuit. With a charming and most mischievous smile she reminisces, “You know at that age you were automatically disqualified for a knockout. The boys were really scared of me.”

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The Girl’s a knockout Now, at age 24, this petite 5-2 powerhouse is a star in the World Combat League, where she has over 20 wins, including a remarkable 19-second knockout. Her laurels also include earning first place in the prestigious 2003 and 2004 Golden Gloves Championship. Stars such as Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali and Hector “Macho” Camacho captured Golden Gloves titles in this oldest and largest amateur boxing tournament, which was founded in 1927 but didn’t accept women for competition until 1995.

“In 2003 I faced Stella Nijhof, the 30year-old defending Golden Gloves champion, when I was very young,” Santiago recalls with a big smile. “I remember being very confident. I took it easy, and I didn’t make a big deal out of it before I went into the ring.”

She remembers zeroing in on how lefty Nijhof’s jab lagged. Her strategy was to counteract the slow jab, stay focused and concentrate on just winning and not getting hurt.

She just won. Today Santiago is a muchsought-after boxing instructor at the spacious

and sunny Printing House gym at 421 Hudson St. in New York’s Greenwich Village.

“Everyone wants to train with Jenny because she is a true professional with an upbeat personality and a lot of passion for what she does,” says Ralph Anastasio, general manager of the Printing House Club.

Santiago trains wide-eyed beginners and seasoned smart alecks who sometimes show up for the first session with an attitude when they see a woman trainer.

“With a guy like that, I simply whip him in practice, and then he will respect me because he discovers I am an expert at what I do,” she adds.

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ooking forward, Santiago is training herself and preparing for her next World Combat League bout as well as an appearance on a new reality show called “Million Dollar Lady.” Her regimen includes running 2-3 miles twice a week, jumping rope, doing pushups, situps, power stepping, general conditioning, bag work and sparring. During training, she is not a fanatic about her diet, although she eliminates coffee and sticks to salad, fresh fruit, brown rice, chicken and fish.

Santiago admits her secret weapon is a savory cup of chai tea from Out of The Kitchen, a favorite neighborhood eatery.

It has been said that behind every great man is a woman. Well, behind this great woman boxer is a man, her dad, Hector Santiago, who wholeheartedly encouraged her to pursue her love of mastering martial arts and boxing, ever since she was four years old. These days, Santiago Sr. joins his daughter, not for chai tea, but for vigorous workouts at the Printing House, and perhaps a few practice jabs on Bob, the rubber target dummy.

“I learned so very much from my father, who used to box himself,” says Santiago. “The advice he gave me that I pass along to young boxers starting out is: be disciplined, be determined, be consistent, but most of all be patient. Don’t expect everything to happen all at once, right here and right now. Be patient,” she says with a little wink, standing next to the omnipresent Bob, and just loud enough so the new boxers can hear this Golden Gloves advice.

This story is reprinted with permission of The Villager.

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They’re No Angels Munah Holland-Querido (shown in action in orange pants below) has never had a problem with people saying she fights like a girl. HollandQuerido can hit harder than most men you’ll ever meet. But she’s not the scrappy, pull-yourhair type of fighter. Holland-Querido, 33, has been practicing martial arts for 14 years. Recently, Holland-Querido has found a new way to use that training by competing in the WCL. “It’s an amazing thing to have that power and to feel the empowerment,” said HollandQuerido of the New Jersey Tigers. “It’s a great confidence lifter. It helps your self-esteem when you feel powerful.”

The women of the WCL fight fair but fight hard.

“These women fight with great technique,” said New Jersey’s Uriah Hall. “It’s beautiful.

You have to stand back and watch. There are not a lot of women in MMA matches. I had the opportunity to spar with (Holland-Querido).

She punches like she has bricks in her gloves.”

Still, the women of the WCL embrace their femininity. As Holland-Querido likes to say, she puts on her high heels one foot at a time.

“A lot of people think you can’t be girly, feminine and fight. I like to prove that you can,” said the St. Louis Enforcers’ Felice Herrig, 23, who also works in a salon and gets custom-made outfits for non-WCL competitions. “A lot of people think girls can’t fight and they aren’t as good as the men. But when I train, I try to be a good fighter, not a good fighter for a girl.”

—Greer Rose

KERI TAYLOR

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PARTING SHOT

THE

HALFWAY

POINT

The WCL season may be at midseason, but the best is yet to come By Chad Range Okay, so we’re at the halfway point of the WCL season, and story lines are starting to develop. Want to know how the rest of the season will progress? Here are some names to keep in mind: We start with the one they call the “Real Deal,” and if you claim it you better bring it, and he does. Raymond Daniels of the LA Stars boasts an undefeated record and some of the most entertaining knockouts in the league. Some say they hate his cockiness in the ring, it’s quite a show from his prefight ritual to his smiling and taunting during the fight. But hate it or love it, this is the type of fighter people want to see.

If you crave heavy weight knockouts look no further than the Texas Dragons Lawson “Meet Your Maker” Baker. He’s racked up an 80 percent knockout rate so far this season, and is getting set for an ultimate showdown with one of the most intimidating fighters in the league, the Denver Fury’s Eddie “The Black Rage” Burris.

The Oklahoma Destroyers may be the most underrated team in the league, but it isn’t because they don’t have any dynamic fighters. Thomas “Thunder Kick” Longacre has the look of a boy band member, but I wouldn’t say that to his face. He’s tough as nails. Jesse “The Body Rocka” Lawrence made it to the final cut with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks despite having a broken hand during his tryouts.

The Miami Force, who made it to the championship last year, have something for everyone, starting with the most dominate 195 pounder in Armin “The Arabian Prince” Mrkanovic. Craig “The Hammer” Oxley is the most underrated 147 pounder in the league.

He is looking to make a name for himself fighting in what is maybe the toughest weight class in the league.

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It’s not just the men that make this league special, the women of the WCL bring more than just sex appeal. These ladies are not only beautiful, but they are tough as well.

The New Jersey Tigers Munah Holland is capable of a knockout anytime she gets in the ring, but so is the New York Clash’s Jennifer Santiago. These ladies give a whole new meaning to “fight like a girl.”

Finally, the St Louis Enforcers bring back the league MVP in Timmy “The Irish Pride” Connors. He made his mark in the inaugural season by fighting his way through the 147 pound division, leading the Enforcers to the first ever WCL Championship. Winning is nothing new to these guys as they also have a current boxing champion in Kevin “The Hit Man” Engel.

Engel is one of the most marketable personalities in the league swinging a right hand that if it connects it’s one and done.

When the Enforcers won the championship last year they fought as the Houston Enforcers, and with the finals being in Austin, Tex. it made a big difference having the crowd behind the team according to the head coach Jesse Finney.

Now it’s up to you as the fans. Will you follow the personalities that come from diverse backgrounds and fighting styles, or will you lock onto a team that is molded from its head coach, and follows the lead of its toughest fighter?

The league has plenty to offer and we would love to hear what you have to say. Log on to worldcombatleague.com and let us know which team or fighter you want to see this year.

Chad Range co-hosts Turf Wars, the WCL magazine show, which airs on the VERSUS network.

KEVIN ENGEL

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