Duke Roufus, internationally known kick boxing champion, staged his first amateur show last weekend and felt it was "fairly" successful. From the comments of some connected with the sport, the event was more than "fairly’ successful. It was a great time, said one long time coach and he noted that the boxers had a good experience, too. Roufus has been promoting kick boxing shows here for a number of years and knows his way around the promotion jungles.

Roufus made it clear long before the event was held that he wanted to do things differently and not change for the sake of change, but so that the people competing, the basic foundation of any show, he noted, would have fun, enjoy their matches and go home with a good feeling. Roufus wants as many as can to return for other shows. He also said in an interview after the recent amateur program that he was pinning a lot of his hopes for a successful promotion career now that he has retired from the kick boxing ring, revolve around having more women’s bouts. In this latest show he had planned four women’s bouts out of 16. One was dropped when a boxer failed to show up. In the future, Roufus said, he is going to search for more women and give them a feature position in coming amateur shows.

The boxers last weekend enjoyed hearing music and the lights as they were announced for their walk to the ring – on the order of a professional program. There were ring card girls for every bout and a top notch announcer kept the crowd informed about what was going on. Among innovations Roufus is featuring plenty of food for the boxers. A generous spread was laid out at the Rave on W. Wisconsin avenue after the weigh ins. It was catered by Joey Buona’s restaurant at S. Water and E. Clybourn streets. After the show Roufus staged a party at Miss nKatie’s Diner on W. St. Paul avenue. Trophies were top grade and Roufus was able to have Title Boxing Equipment and TKO Boxing furnish new gloves for the bouts. Each athlete had a new pairs of gloves laced on his hands. The gloves will remain with Roufus and only used for amateur programs he runs, maybe two or three times a year. The ring was fitted with new ropes covered in soft plastic to protect the boxers from ropes burns and scratches.

Roufus has informed the midwestern boxing community that he plans another amateur show for March 22, 2003. Originally planned to be a pro/am event, Roufus said he wanted to go slowly and develop his promotional skills in the amateur boxing area so will concentrate on straight amateur events first before he takes on the more ambitious pro/am events. He wants to see more five-round matches, though, and will work to get amateur competitors for that caliber of competition.

A departure from normal amateur boxing practice saw pre matching of bouts where pairings were established before the day of the Rumble in the Rave, as the show was called.  There were four women’s bouts planned but one was scratched when a boxer failed to show. Some minor shifting of opponents was done and the crowd of more than 500 saw three solid performances by female boxers. A total of 16 bouts was originally planned but a couple of other contestants didn’t make it so the total number of matches at the first Rumble in the Rave was 13 including a five-round state light heavyweight title match.

Naquana Smalls of Peshtigo Boxing Club, and 2002 Women’s U.S. champion at 132 pounds, turned in a better than average performance taking a decision over Lois Theobald of Lake of Hills Boxing Club outside Chicago. The crowd was pleased with this next-to-last bout of the night -- the semi feature. Roufus called Smalls an exciting boxer.  Young Cassie Biones of United Community Center in Milwaukee, had the crowd cheering as  she showed exceptional skills in the 112-pound class forcing a stoppage by the referee in the third
round over Melissa Savage of Chippewa Falls Boxing Club. Those two opened the show for the women’s side of things.

The two flyweights were followed in the next match up by two better-than-average female boxers: Krysta Savage of Chippewa Falls, and Amanda Krier of the Gust Gym. Edgar, Wisc., who boxed at 147 pounds with Savage gaining a stoppage by the ref in the first round. Rachel Thomas of the Ace Boxing Club in Milwaukee, had been slated to box Savage but when she failed to show Savage was rematched.

In the feature bout of the evening the state light heavyweight title went to Joe Davis of Club’s Gym in Janesville, Wisc., who won on points over five two-minute rounds, a distance approved by USA Boxing, which controls amateur boxing in this country. He earned the win over Paul Tillery of Waukegan, in a hard fought match that was a top drawer wind up to the show. Roufus said he wanted to hold more five-round matches at future events as he looked ahead to March 22, 2003, when he plans to hold Rumble in the Rave II.