IFL’s First Semi Finals is in the Books: Silverbacks and Pitbulls Victorious
By: Christopher Roche: In addition to the action in the ring, I will always remember the International Fight League’s (IFL) inaugural semifinal event for two reasons. First, the event fell on my wife’s birthday (and she did not mind my attending the event) and second, once I broke out my notes and papers in the arena, I suddenly became an IFL expert in the eyes of the spectators around me. I did not mention to them that this was the first MMA event I ever attended, as I normally cover boxing.
Since my press pass got me as far as row 24, in section 109, which is one of the furthest rows from the action, I could tell that the lower section of the Meadowlands Arena was mostly full. The question was: who filled the arena? Judging by the spectators around me, many of the fans were not very knowledgeable about the IFL or fighting in general. I heard people talking more about Mike Tyson than Ben Rothwell, and when Chris Horodecki was shown on the jumbotron during the Bart Palaszewski vs. Harris Sarmiento match, people kept asking me, “Why are they showing that guy?” When I explained that Horodecki is the undefeated regular for the Anacondas, my credentials as the “expert” were sealed in the minds of those sitting next to and in front of me. Little did they know that I just learned about Horodecki a few weeks prior.
The evening started with four preliminary bouts, and I made sure to arrive early, so I could experience the essence of an IFL event from start to finish. The preliminary bouts were exciting, but the star of those events was Tiger Schulmann’s Karate (TSK). TSK athletes were entered in two of the four matches, and in one of those matches, TSK’s Lyman Good defeated IFL regular Mike Dolce. What made TSK steal the early show, however, was not that they split their exhibition matches, but rather the amazing show of support for their athletes. Many of the fans wore black shirts with “TSK” emblazoned on them, and it seemed as if they had at least one entire section to themselves. The ring announcer welcomed the TSK fans into the arena, and the TSK athletes got the loudest ovation of the evening, with the possible exception of New York Pitbulls’ coach Renzo Gracie.
The evening transitioned from preliminaries to the main event very nicely, as the Quad Cities Silverbacks (no. 4 seed) and the Los Angels Anacondas (no. 1 seed) squared off first. The Silverbacks, who are coached by Pat Miletich, nearly swept the Anacondas, and after the first three matches, they were up 3-0 and secured their spot in the finals. The Silverbacks only defeat in the five matches came in the middleweight division, when Benji Radach knocked out Silverbacks replacement Gerald Harris in the fourth match. While Radach’s knockout was impressive, the knockout of the night came in the fifth match when heavyweight Ben Rothwell dropped a charging Krzysztof Soszynski with a counter right hand to the head at :13 of the first round. That was one of the fastest knockouts I have ever seen, in any fight, including the schoolyard.
Those five matches were diverse and exciting, and the best match was the lightweight bout between Palaszewski and Sarmiento. Sarmiento is a kickboxer from Hawaii, and it was clear he wanted to keep the bout moving on his feet. The first round featured a lot of back and forth action from the standup position. Sarmiento showcased lightning quick feet, but as the rounds wore on, Palaszewski took the fight to the ground where Sarmiento did not appear comfortable. Palaszewski eventually submitted Sarmiento, who despite losing proved to be a viable replacement for Horodecki. It will be interesting to see how Palaszewski does in his grand prix match with Horodecki down the road.
The transition from the first main event to the second seemed to take a long time, and many of the novice fight fans around me began to grumble. However, being a boxing writer, I knew that with the quick knockout that Rothwell achieved, coupled with a couple of the other bouts ending early, there had to be a delay. Fighters need to enter the ring warm, and if they are rushed into the ring cold, they could risk serious injury, and the Tokyo Sabres (no. 3 seed) and New York Pitbulls (no. 2 seed) needed an appropriate amount of time to get ready. The IFL did a good job filling the time with promotional giveaways and sponsor plugs, and the jumbotron allowed for a very touching advertisement from the USO.
When the second event started, it was clear whom the fans came to see. The New York Pitbulls, coached by Gracie, were the main attraction. Several sections of the arena were a sea of red, which showcased the Pitbulls’ colors. The first match did not disappoint the faithful, as Dan Miller took down and retired Dave Phillips into unconsciousness with a front guillotine choke at 1:30 of the first round.
The second match featured the fierce knee attack of Bryan Vetell, who was the Pitbulls’ heavyweight entry. Vetell pushed Wayne Cole of the Sabres against the ropes for much of the bout, and he wore out the smaller Cole. Vetell’s vicious knee attack could be felt all the way from my seat, and Vetell took a unanimous decision. The Pitbulls spot in the finals was secured after they went up 3-0, and just like the first semi-final, the suspense ended early as to which team would advance. The last two bouts went the distance, and while the Sabres won the last two, they were already eliminated from the championship.
Overall, the atmosphere was exciting, and the IFL pulled out all of the stops in making New Jersey’s Meadowlands Arena an attractive venue. The Meadowlands is a lame duck arena as the Devils and the Nets are already slated to move out, and it remains to be seen what will happen to the venerable venue. If the IFL returns to the tri-state area next year for their semi-finals or better yet the finals, a match at Madison Square Garden would be a welcomed improvement, although the Garden is very tough to get. Based on my observations, a good portion of the crowd came from New York, and many suits were in attendance, which means that people ventured from New York City after work.
In comparing the IFL to a boxing match, I noted several similarities. First, there were ring girls. That is always a welcomed site for the fans. Second, the IFL uses a ring, a bell to start and end the rounds and a hammer tap for the 10-second warnings. Third, the lighting, scaffolding and banner placements are similar, so the IFL actually has the look and feel of a major boxing match.
What is different, however, is the introduction of the athletes by the ring announcer. In boxing, an athlete is always introduced with his name, nickname, title, hometown, record and number of KO’s. The IFL does not follow that uniform approach, as they sometimes introduced the athletes’ IFL record, sometimes the overall MMA record or sometimes no record. Further, the athletes’ hometowns often were not mentioned, at least not to my recollection. The IFL was dealing with many replacement fighters last night, however, and that may have added to the lack of information being relayed by the ring announcer.
The other main difference from boxing, besides the fighting styles, is the IFL used two jumbotrons to showcase the action. That proved necessary, because once the athletes hit the ground, it was very difficult to see the intricacies of the action especially if you were seated far away. I found myself watching the jumbotron for a decent portion of the night.
Despite any minor quibbles, the IFL’s thorough preparation paid off and the show was very successful, and I am looking for an even better show next year.
For complete results of last night’s action, please visit www.ifl.tv.
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Posted August 3rd, 2007 l 71 views
