THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 22, 1994 TAG: 9407210190
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 108 lines
Since Curtis Bush lost his third International Sport Karate world title a couple of years ago, the fight game has become somewhat frustrating.
Bush has fought in both kickboxing and conventional boxing matches and has suffered from injuries and bad timing.
Several weeks ago in Corsica, France, the trend continued.
Bush suffered from foul tactics thrown out by his opponent while trying to gain his fourth world kickboxing title.
The fight was called in the third round and declared a technical draw after he and opponent Santu Andarelli collided and suffered cut heads. Bush required six stitches.
But that wasn't the bad part.
In a fight where leg kicks were allowed as long as they weren't to the knee, Andarelli hit Bush in the knee twice in the first round - forcing the referee to deduct two points. The official then warned Andarelli - and informed Bush - that one more kick to the knee would result in a disqualification.
``In the second round, he kicked me in the knee again,'' Bush said. ``The ref just asked me if I could continue and never stopped the fight.
``I don't think (Andarelli) was doing it on purpose, because he told me after the fight that he didn't think he could beat me and that's why he went to the leg. He was just scared and wasn't very good at kicking the legs and got my knees.
``It's a shame. I was in the best shape I've been in in a long time and I was focused. I had him sucking wind in the second with body shots, and then the head butt.''
Bush entered the fight ranked second in the welterweight division with a 38-7-2 record that includes 28 knockouts and three world titles.
Andarelli retired from the sport after the fight.
Bush shifts back to regular boxing next Thursday at Club Rogue's when he faces Kevin Hall of Virginia Beach.
Bush is 10-3-1 with nine KOs and is the current United States Boxing Association's Southern Champion. He is also the International Boxing Federation's top-ranked international rankings welterweight. Hall is 8-1.
The 10-rounder is part of a double main event. The second fight features Tom Dailing of Virginia Beach against Jimmy Williams of Fort Bragg, N.C., in a 12-round Pan American heavyweight challenge.
Dailing is 5-0 and a former Golden Gloves fighter with 200 amateur fights. Williams is 18-2.
Several other bouts and amateur kickboxing matches are scheduled for the card.
Tickets are $10 general admission and $20 ringside.
For information, call Mary's Restaurant at 428-1355, Karate International at 486-5348 or Blackhawk Karate and Kickboxing at 548-9550.
Former Salem High student athletic trainer Joe Maggiore has been presented with a $1,000 scholarship from Virginia Beach Orthopaedic Associates.
Maggiore competed against eight other Beach high school senior student athletic trainers for the award. He logged more than 1,500 hours working under the watchful eye of athletic trainer Cindy Midkiff. Maggiore is Midkiff's fourth student to win the award.
Virginia Beach Orthopaedic Associates will also present $200 to the Salem athletic student trainer program.
The Virginia Beach Sports Club is facing tough times.
According to club vice president George Mohelski, member participation is down to an all-time low. Of about 180 members, only 60 or fewer show up at weekly guest speaker luncheons - one of the club's biggest fundraisers.
``If things don't change for us soon, we might see an end to the club,'' Mohelski said. ``Many of our members are older gentlemen, and I know this sounds bad, but the ratio of members dying to new members coming in is 2-1.''
The club uses the $7 luncheon fee to support its high school scholarship program. Last year, the club gave scholarships of $1,500 to 14 Virginia Beach graduating seniors.
``Our club is dying out and we need an influx of new members - younger members - to bring some life back into it,'' Mohelski said. ``We can hold on for a couple of years at this rate, but that's not what we want. But we can see down the road, that if things don't change, we won't be able to make it work.''
Club membership dues are $25 a year and luncheons are $7. The club also holds its annual awards jamboree, golf outings, picnics and other functions.
Anyone interested in joining the club can call Mohelski at 436-2384 days or 468-3613 evenings.
The Hammerhead's Bar and Grill flag football team recently made it to the semifinals of the American Flag and Touch Football League Spring National Invitational at Princess Anne Park.
The team - formerly of the Portsmouth Flag Football League - went 3-1 and defeated the No. 3-ranked team in the nation in its opener.
A pair of Virginia Beach karate students recently placed fourth in their respective divisions of the National AAU karate championships in Chicago.
Samantha Crayle, 10, competed in the 9-10 intermediate division, while Lorraine Adkins, 11, competed in the 11-12 advanced division.
Both are state AAU champions and take Tang So Do lessons at Chuck Norris Karate Studios.
Crayle will compete in the Junior Olympics in Cocoa Beach, Fla.., next month.
Former Cox High field hockey standout Heather Hoehlein has been named to the College Field Hockey Coaches Association's national academic squad.
The rising junior at James Madison University holds a 3.7 grade point average. MEMO: Got an interesting sports-related story to tell. If so, call The Beacon
at 490-7228 and let us know about it, or write to The Beacon, Sports
Department, 4565 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach, Va., 23462. The
fax number is 490-7235. ILLUSTRATION: Staff file photo, by CHARLIE MEADS
After suffering through an unfulfilling draw in a kickboxing bout in
France, Curtis Bush returns to the regular boxing ring July 28 at
Rogue's.
by CNB