World Kickboxing Network

The World Kickboxing Network (WKN) is a professional Kickboxing organization and is one of the sports largest governing bodies in the world.

History

WKN was created in late 1994 as a subsidiary of International Sport Karate Association (ISKA) to capture new markets, as ISKA's operations were concentrated in the North American market. But the predominantly American administration of ISKA considered WKN as a threat to its authority. The organizations split in late 1998. Ever since WKN operates as an independent organization.^[2][3] While in late 90's begin of 2000's the other federations competed with each other,^[4] the WKN has developed kickboxing on the territories where it practically did not exist.^[5][6] As a result WKN grew, and is active on five continents.^[7][8]

Facts

On September 19, 1998 WKN went in history as the first organization to promote the world championship in Muay Thai at the same event as the boxing world championship. Jérôme Le Banner vs. Espedito Da Silva for the WKN super heavyweight world title in Muay Thai featured in the undercard of Evander Holyfield vs. Vaughn Bean for the WBA and IBF heavyweight titles at Georgia Dome in Atlanta, USA.^{[9][10][11][12][13]}

On October 22, 2004 WKN made history in kickboxing by promoting the first ever world championship bout in Romania.^[14] Samir Mohamed vs. Alexander Kozachenko for WKN super lightweight world title^[15] headlined the Eurosport and Pro TV televised event Local Kombat 10 in the city of Brăila. The Local Kombat^[16][17] project evaluated into the Superkombat Fighting Championship, with its winners to date competing for the WKN belts.^{[18][19][20][21][22]}

On March 15, 2003 WKN made history by promoting the first ever Kickboxing event as well as the world championship bout in Nigeria. Habib Bakir vs. Fernando Loureiro for the WKN lightweight world title headlined the event that took place in the city of Lagos.^[23][24]

Styles

WKN sanctions the championship bouts of the following styles.^[25]

• Full Contact
• Kickboxing (Low Kick)
• Oriental
• Muay Thai

Weight Classes

WKN uses the following weight divisions.

Champions

Poland's Cezary Podraza is the first in WKN history world champion. He defeated England's Mark Waters in Katowice.^[26][27] Some of the notable champions are Samir Mohamed,^[28] Tyrone Spong,^[29] Jerome Le Banner,^[30][31] Batu Khasikov, Nathan Corbett, John Wayne Parr, Artem Levin, Riyadh Al-Azzawi,^[32] Jorge Cali,^[33] Vladimir Mineev, Andrei Kulebin, Yohan Lidon, Xhavit Bajrami, Dmitry Shakuta, Alexander Ustinov, Daniel Ghiță, Cătălin Moroșanu, Lucian Danilencu, Ionuț Atodiresei, Amancio Paraschiv, Ionuț Iftimoaie, Nicolas Wamba, Siniša Kovačić, Ekaterina Vandaryeva.,^[34] Ondřej Hutník

• Current WKN World champions
• Current WKN European champions

Simply The Best (TV Series)

Simply The Best^[35] - is the worlds series of international kickboxing events, broadcast by SFR Sport 5^[36][37] (formerly Kombat Sport^[38]).

Season I

• Ep 1 - November 23, 2014: Simply The Best 1 Charleroi: Gozdzicki vs Dongsu Kim - Intercontinental title^[39][40]
• Ep 2 - December 19, 2014: Simply The Best 2 Caseros: Bosch vs Benacci - World title^[41]
• Ep 3 - March 29, 2015 - Simply The Best 3 Budapest: Gabor vs Renna - Intercontinental title^[42]
• Ep 4 - May 24, 2015: Simply The Best 4 Prague: Vondracek vs Wamba - Intercontinental title^[43]
• Ep 5 - June 5, 2015: Simply The Best 5 Caseros: Bosch vs Dussan - International title^[44]
• Ep 6 - October 3, 2015 - Simply The Best 6 Poprad: Hadzima vs Hyeong Lee - Intercontinental title^[45][46]
• Ep 7 - October 9, 2015 - Simply The Best 7 Caseros: Bosch vs Benacci II - International title^[47]
• Ep 8 - October 17, 2015 - Simply The Best 8 Borlange: Chorr vs Maertens - European title^[48][49]
• Ep 9 - November 22, 2015 - Simply The Best 9 Farciennes: Saidane vs Araneda - Intercontinental title^[50]

Season II

• Ep 10 - April 15, 2016 - Simply The Best 10 Prague: Wamba vs Hutnik - Intercontinental title^[51][52]
• Ep 11 - October 1, 2016 - Simply The Best 11 Poprad: Idranyi vs Kohout - European title^[53]
• Ep 12 - November 20, 2016 - Simply The Best 12 Farciennes: Bellahmar vs Vakakis - International title^[54]
• Ep 13 - December 3, 2016 - Simply The Best 13 Nowa Sol: Makowski vs Canu - World title^[55][56]

Season III

• Ep 14 - April 29, 2017 - Simply The Best 14 Prague: Hutnik vs Opacic - International challenge^[57]

Girl Power Kickboxing (TV Series)

IBHOF referee Steve Smoger receives a special WKN belt during the Bigger's Better Boxing event on Friday April 10, 2017 in Frankfurt, Germany live on Eurosport.

Girl Power ^[58] is a series of women's kickboxing tournaments produced by the World Kickboxing Network and the Bigger's Better Boxing^[59]. The contest is a one-night eight-woman single elimination tournament in a featherweight class with international competitors battling out for the WKN belt.

• Girl Power 1 Liepaja - the organization presented the pilot on Pay-Per-View with Dailymotion on November 14, 2014.^[60] The event marked the date when the IBHOF referee Steve Smoger made his debut as a referee in kickboxing.^[61]

Season I

• Girl Power 2 Stara Zagora - the series made a debut live on SFR Sport 5 on February 10, 2017 with Mallaury Kalachnikoff of France winning the contest.^[62][63]

• Girl Power 3 Sunny Beach - the series returned to Bulgaria with the third episode held on June 23, 2017 live on SFR.^[64][65][66]

• Girl Power 4 - the series is expected on Friday October 13, 2017 live on SFR Sport 5.The city accommodating the event have not yet been announced.^[67]

WKN and IVC

WKN and its president Stephane Cabrera^[68] represent the International Vale Tudo Championship in Europe, being the pioneer to promote MMA bouts on the continent. The WKN held IVC events in Finland, Spain, Czech Republic, Bosnia and Serbia.^[69][70][71]

On August 20, 2016 WKN brings IVC back to the international scene by promoting Micheletti Vs. Ortiz for the WKN super cruiserweight world title in the main event of IVC 15 in Sorocaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil.^{[72][73][74][75][76][77]}

Sources

Books and articles

• (in French) "A History of Full Contact Karate
• "A History of Kickboxing" – Mikes Miles
• "A History of kickboxing" – « black-belt »
• (in French) Delmas Alain, Callière Jean-Roger, Histoire du Kick-boxing, FKBDA, France, 1998
• (in French) Delmas Alain, Définition du Kick-boxing, FKBDA, France, 1999
• Miles Mikes, site An interview with Joe Lewis, 1998

References

External links

• World Kickboxing Network (WKN) Official Website
• World Kickboxing Network on Facebook
  
• World Kickboxing Network on Twitter
  
• World Kickboxing Network on Instagram
  
• World Kickboxing Network on IMDb
• Kickboxing series Simply The Best
• Girl Power - Fight Like a Girl