Rumble surprises Parson +Photos

Wanganui's Pete Parson trades kicks with Dannevirke's Moe Hussain in the main event of the River City Rumble on Saturday night. Photo/Bevan Conley

No fight is over until its over, which Wanganui's karate champion Pete Parson learned in his kickboxing debut after a knock-down, drag-out victory over Dannevirke's Moe Hussain in a thrilling main event of the River City Rumble on Saturday night.

The multiple time national titleholder appeared to have the three round modified Muay Thai rules bout under control after he dropped Hussain with combination punches in the first two rounds at War Memorial Hall.

However, rather than using his height and reach advantage to keep the distance with knees and kicks, Parson tried to leap into close quarters and a game Hussain was able to connect with wild overhand rights and roundhouse swings.

Parson got dropped after three big shots late in Round 2 and rose for the eight-count, then traded heavy blows with Hussain till the bell.

Technique took a back seat to toughness in the final round as both men took turns blasting the other and ended up muscling into the corners.

Parson getting the knockdown in Round 1, with the both men dropping the other in the second, was enough to give him the unaminous points decision.

"I think I might [have another]. A good feeling, I enjoyed it," Parson said afterwards.

"It's quite a different ball game."

He credited Hussain, who had been forced to cover up under his early barrages, for having a hard head and taking a lot of punishment.

With fellow national karate champion Richard Hood in his corner, Parson said the advice for the final round was "just empty the tank ETT."

Parson started with high knee shots followed by jabs in the corner, getting the referee's warning after a Hussain slip.

The visitor was on total defence by covering up, then grabbing Parson's leg and pushing him away.

A straight shot through the gloves dropped Hussain in the corner, but he survived the round, also getting a breather when his mouthguard came out.

The barrage continued early in the second round as a Parson one-two combination saw Hussain's legs go from underneath him, shortly before getting another break from losing his mouthpiece again.

But the big man was not done as he started throwing non-stop bombs at Parson, who ducked into a heavy shot and two followup blows later found himself on the canvas, to the shock of the around 500-strong crowd.

Parson's mouthguard then also vacated the scene for a quick break, before he fought back at the bell.

Hussain started the final round with leg kicks to open up more punches, before Parson had him covering up again with a series of straight jabs, forcing him to go for the hold.

The two continued in that vein till the final bell.

In another entertaining fight, Wanganui's Brian Alderton left nothing for the judges as he chased after Upper Hutt's Shane Johnson and caught up with him in Round 2, dropping Johnson multiple times with a knee and then his signature bombs.

Alderton had to walk through Johnson's knee strikes and a beautiful sidekick early in Round 1 to close the distance, but said afterwards it was "nothing I couldn't cope with".

"The crowd hearing the cheers gives me a lot more energy."

Johnson leaned back in the ropes to try to avoid Alderton's hammering, but he could not keep him off for long put down first by a knee strike for the eight-count, then crumbling again under repeated punches coming left and right before the referee waved it off.

Photo Gallery

Image 1 of 26: River City Rumble 2014 at Wanganui Memorial Hall,