WCL TALK

admin · Site Admin Joined: 01 Dec 2006 Posts: 89

In regard to the protest lodged by Philadelphia Fire Coach Ray Thompson concerning his contention that the injury sustained by Stephen Thompson in his match vs. Raymond Daniels was caused by a foul; The WCL commission has found enough merit in the protest to warrant sending it to an independent hearing board for resolution. This board will be comprised of;

Colorado State Athletic Commission Director: Mr. Josef Mason

Retired Professional Fighter, Veteran Trainer and Texas Athletic Commission Representative: Mr. Rudy Vazquez

Retired Full Contact Karate Champion, Veteran Trainer and Founder of Tiger Schulmann’s martial arts school system: Mr. Danny Schulmann

The WCL is confident that this independent protest hearing board will resolve this issue with full consideration, and in the truest spirit of integrity and fair play.

jmm1 · Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 9:04 am Post subject:

Admin, do you mean for one answer to say "No, fight results should be ruled final and not subjected to review."?

Mark Martin · Joined: 22 Jan 2007 Posts: 33

Good pick up jmm. As it is written it seems contradictory. Probably just a typo.

Given that the WCL Commission has found merit in the protest those who criticized Ray Thompson for filing the protest are proved wrong, at the least, to the merit of filing the protest. I wonder why the WCL Commission couldn't make a decision.

It's interesting that people on the board are being asked this question. It seemed not too long ago they were critical of "expert" opinions.

bigj · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 253

or to blow off thompson wouldn't be pc....If I were in their shoes I would do the same thing they owe it the thompsons to treat them with respect and honor their request, after all they've done for the WCL.. an independant panel keeps them from appearing to taking sides. to have the protest wihout merit would just embarass RT, not happening. The tape speaks for itself. I was there at ringside . I would have brought the rules commitee together and do a retro rule if it doesn't go 5 innings, lets say 1 min then it's a no contest after one min score the fight...and not piss anybody off.

bye the way it doesn't and won't mean anybody is wrong, they have a different opinion. just as, had it gone the other way, I'm sure you guys are going to believe that ray has some ancient martial arts training that allows him moving backwards with his left hand cripple his opponent.

jmm1 that's the way I took it.

admin · Site Admin Joined: 01 Dec 2006 Posts: 89

Thanks for the catch.

Mark Martin · Joined: 22 Jan 2007 Posts: 33

The same pc spin can be given for Daniel's. They might rather have an independent commission point out the foul than seem like they're taking sides. You were ringside and saw no merit in a protest. You've heavily criticized Ray Thompson for filing a protest. You can try and downplay their sending it to a commission but it looks like your ringside view may not have been the best view and your opinion of the merit of a protest was wrong. I was also there and I believe there was a foul. So go ahead, attack me.

I'll post again when we see what the independent commission says.

bigj · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 253

ok I think that the loss means more to you guys than the injury and this is bs. I was at ringside RT was over the top verbally. What megan posted on the other post was very close to what he was going off on the event..

I absolutely think the protest is without merit. I think Ray thompson needs to be repremanded for his conduct at ringside.

if they side with thompson I' will think they're nuts.

but nothing changes the fact like the fossum from the IKF acknowledges Ray was ahead and we all know on this side that night Ray was about to light him up. he knew he could hit him at will and had just seen WB best attack.

yes it does bother "us", even though we understand it, that it is given any merit. nothing is going to change our reality that anything that ray did had nothing to do with stephens injury foul or no foul...

jmm1 · Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 4:41 pm Post subject:

Mark, Guy just cleared up the WCL's view on our expert opinions in the thread that is named after you (I believe on page 8). Long story short, this message board is a place to post our opinions and debate, even though we may or may not be experts.

Also, this is not the first time that Ray Thompson has been "over the top" at ringside. He was one outburst from being ejected at the Dallas event. I have to give him a pass in Austin as I have no idea how I would react if my son was injured severely, but as for the Dallas event, the martial arts are about class and respect for your opponent and people in general. Ray's behavior in Dallas and on the IKF board after the accident was not classy, period. I do not know him personally, but he is certainly not a figure that is easy to root for. As for the protest, I would not have submitted one. What good can come of it? It is terrible that a great fighter was injured, but he will be back... The protest was not good for the league, accidents happen...we should let them go and live to fight again, focusing on the good things about the sport and not sifting through interpretations of the rules.

bigj · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 253

lol watch the dec come back there was a foul but they can't determine wether or not it had anything to do with the injury... protest denied.. and piss everybody off. and set the stage for a rematch...:)

jean-luc · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 66

I don't care that much about the "loss" because, as I already said, to "lose" a fight in such a way is the least dishonourable form of "defeat" you can imagine. But I think that leaving the result of the fight as it stands would be unfair. However, I care much more about the injury : Stephen's surgeon told him that his injury was among the 5% worst he had ever seen in his whole career and that he had the impression that a bomb had exploded inside his knee.

jean-luc · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 66

In different posts about the incident that caused Stephen's Thompson injury, I made a comparison with an incident that happened during the fight between Peyton Russell and Ryan Madigan at the first event of the WCL in Dallas, TX in September 2005.

A video of this incident is visible on the site of Versus http://www.versus.com/series/. Click on WCL and then on "Bloody head shot". Peyton Russell was disqualified although the foul was clearly unintentional.

By the way, Stephen's first victory that night is also visible on that site : it's the icon "Back flip KO".

bigj · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 253

we are beating a dead horse ..you whole theory is based upon the head being a prat of the body...The rule refers to the torso... the hands and feet are a part of the body according to your interpretation.

jean-luc · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 66

We'll see what the three experts panel will say.

bigj · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 253

The Sport Martial Arts review is the best I 've seen and the most accurate.

jmm1 · Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 2:51 pm Post subject:

I agree.