THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 11, 1995 TAG: 9501110072
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Long : 137 lines
IT WAS BILLED AS ``The Brawl at the Beach'' and the fans got nothing less than promised.
Friday's world championship kickboxing match between local favorite Curtis Bush and Frenchman Abdel Issad at the Pavilion was arguably the best battle ever witnessed by area fight fans.
Unfortunately for the hometown crowd, three-time world champion Bush came up short in his attempt at an International Sport Karate Association-record fourth belt.
But for eight of the scheduled 12 rounds, he and Issad went at each other like two roosters in a hen house.
There was no feeling-out process, no dancing around avoiding the opponent, no rope-a-dope. It was just get-down-to-business punching and kicking.
In the end, the younger Issad proved to be the evening's better combatant - capturing the ISKA's vacant super welterweight belt.
After he stopped the contest halfway through the eighth round, referee Al Rothenberg said, ``I don't think those two could have put anything more into this fight.''
Bush was cut badly over the right eye in the first round, but responded with a spinning bottom fist punch that floored Issad and left him dazed and confused.
Surprisingly, Issad shook off the effects of the blow.
``Few do,'' Bush said after the contest, shaking his head in disbelief.
As the fight progressed, Bush was cut under the left eye and bled from the nose and mouth. Issad also suffered a bad cut over an eye - making the fight a bloody, pier one brawl.
Both needed stitches later that evening.
After hurting Issad in the sixth, Bush himself was hurt in the seventh. But Bush managed a rally late in the round to keep it going.
The eighth, however, was all Issad's. The 23-year-old Algerian native hurt Bush badly with some wicked combinations and kicks. Bush was literally out on his feet when Rothenberg stepped in.
Many in the crowd of just more than 2,000 spectators were visibly upset, especially Bush followers from his Karate International studio.
When it was over, Bush approached the side of the ring where fiancee Bette Bolivar and her family were sitting.
He hung his head over the side and reached out for her hand, his face still bleeding badly.
Bolivar's father, Teddy, had worked the corner with Tony Ornelas, George Kelly and Dr. John Chappell while mother Virginia watched with her daughter.
Bush and Bolivar - who plan to marry in March - said they would discuss Bush's future in kickboxing after they went home.
But there was little doubt that Bush would give it one more shot.
``I met with Abdel Sunday before he went back to France and he and his manager want to give me a rematch,'' Bush said. ``I took him a copy of the video of the fight so that his friends and family could see it.
``He's a very nice kid and a great fighter.''
Bush said he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't give it another try.
``If I don't do it, I'll always wonder,'' he said. ``If I do it and win, I'll know it was meant to be. If I lose, it will be time to get out of kickboxing.''
Issad had considerable respect for his older opponent.
When the 23-year-old began kickboxing, Bush was one of those fighters he tried to emulate. Both the sport and Bush are popular in France.
``He is a great fighter,'' Issad said through an interpreter. ``His spinning bottom fists cause me very much problems, but I think my kicks and rights gave him problems also.
``It would be an honor to fight him again in my country, and I think the people would appreciate being able to see a fight as good as this one. Right now, I am happy to be the champion. Tomorrow, I'm sure I will be hurting just as much as he will be.''
Bush took several days off this week to heal his wounds and reflect on the evening.
His eyes were badly bruised and his arm was in a soft cast - the result of hitting his opponent's hard head and blocking his vicious round kicks. His nose was broken, and his face was swollen.
But his mood was good.
``I'm sad that I lost, but I'm not sad, because I know I gave it 100 percent,'' he said. ``I think we showed people what the sport is all about and I think they saw a better fight than anything they'd ever see on HBO. It was just a great, great fight between two great fighters.'' MEMO: WTKR happy with its 1st broadcast of local fight
WTKR aired the world championship kickboxing battle live, marking
Channel 3's first venture into broadcasting local fights.
Fight night was part of WTKR's trend toward local sports television.
``And I think it went pretty well, all things considered,'' general
manager Chris Pike said. ``It was a good night.
``I mean, like everyone else, I would have liked to have seen a
different outcome to the fight. It's a shame. Curtis is such a nice guy
and he wanted this so badly.''
WTKR's venture into the fight broadcasting business was a first-class
affair, with four cameras to cover the action and a top-notch production
crew handling the 9 to 11 p.m. broadcast.
On TV, it was no different than USA Network's Tuesday Night Fights.
``We're happy with the whole experience,'' Pike said. ``We'll add
everything up and take a look at how we can do things differently or
better and see about doing something else in the future.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Curtis Bush lands against Abdel Issad...
Curtis Bush, right, lands a kick to the midsection of Abdel Issad,
but the 23-year-old Algerian who lives in France shook off Bush's
best shots.
ABOVE: Curtis Bush bows in defeat as referee Al Rothenberg signals
victory for Abdel Issad in the International Sport Karate
Association super welterweight bout. BELOW: Bush feels his broken
nose in the dressing room.
Fight fans had a lot of action to cheer about, but in the end, many
in the crowd of just more than 2,000 spectators were visibly upset,
especially Bush followers from his Karate International studio.
Staff photos D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Bush blocks a kick by Issad. Afterward, his arm was in a soft cast -
the result of hitting his opponent's hard head and blocking his
vicious round kicks.
RIGHT: Referee Al Rothenberg watches as Issad lands a kick to Bush's
head. Moments later, he stopped the fight in the eighth.
ABOVE: Bush is led away from the ring by his fiance, Bette Bolivar,
whose father, Teddy, had worked Bush's corner. After the fight, Bush
hung his head over the side and reached out for her hand, his face
still bleeding badly.
Photo by CECELIA JOLLEY
LEFT: Issad, who gave Bush a congratulatory hug, said that when he
began kickboxing, Bush was one of those fighters he tried to
emulate.
by CNB