Kaikohe's Team Alpha - Nathan Dick (aka Hooch Mun), Oceania Cup Masters' Division title holder, super cruiserweight world champion Dhcamad Armstrong, and Tai Tokerau champion Kurt Lakisoe. Photo / Debbie Beadle
Kaikohe's Team Alpha - Nathan Dick (aka Hooch Mun), Oceania Cup Masters' Division title holder, super cruiserweight world champion Dhcamad Armstrong, and Tai Tokerau champion Kurt Lakisoe. Photo / Debbie Beadle
Four members of Team Alpha, a group of local kick boxers who train daily at the Mill Gym in Kaikohe, took the ring at the YMCA Stadium in Auckland last month, and returned home with a world title - thanks in large part to Covid-19.
Promotor Vahid Unesi applied tothe World Kickboxing Network(WKN), mainly based in Europe, in 2018 to have the title fight brought to New Zealand, but was declined. Thanks to Covid-19, and relative safety from the pandemic in New Zealand, he was successful the second time, albeit at a cost of 15,000 Euro.
The beneficiary of that was Dhcamad Armstrong, who won the world super cruiser wight title on points in a five-round bout against Tongan Lapa Halangahu. He hopes to defend his title next year, in a country to be chosen by WKN. The win also gives him the chance of competing in Glory Kick Boxing, the biggest event of its kind in the world.
Kurt Lakisoe began Team Alpha's run earlier in November by winning the Tai Tokerau title at a four-man tournament in Kaikohe, winning his first bout with a knock-out and the second on points.
Meanwhile Nathan Dick (Hooch Mun) won the Masters' Division Oceania Cup Title in Auckland with a TKO against David Carlile just one minute and 44 seconds into the first round. According to the WKN website, both fighters traded leg kicks before Hooch landed a heavy blow. Carlile responded with a right hand but Hooch pressured him with an aggressive combo, then sent him stumbling against the ropes with a powerful right hand, leading to an 8 count. He finished the fight moments later, sending his opponent crashing to the canvas with a heavy uppercut.
The main bout of the night, Armstrong vs Halangahu, went the distance, ending in a split decision in favour of Armstrong.
The fighters' opposing styles were immediately apparent, according to the website, Dhcamad dancing around the outside, stopping momentarily to throw punches, while Lapa did his best to pin him against the ropes. Plenty of heavy blows and kicks were landed by both, however, Dhcamad sparing no effort to end the bout in the final round, opening with punches and kicks to Lapa's body and head, bloodying the Tongan's nose. Both strove to finish the round strongly in the last minute but few blows landed.
