Well, with so much talent now reportedly unavailable to K-1 Rising, it wont hurt the card to book such men as “The Punisher”.
Andy Howson is a scrappy little pitbull of a Muay Thai boxer, from the Leeds (north England) hotbed of Bad Company Gym; Howson being one of several world champions from the gym including Liam Harrison, Jordan Watson, James France and Imran Kahn. But none have fought so long, or in as many title fights as Mr Howson (51-7 win/loss) and he’s set for more in 2012.
First up, the ISKA, WMC (Muay Thai Against Drugs) and ICO world bantamweight champion will lose his K-1 virginity in a bout for the ISKA K-1 World 55kg title belt against Japanese fighter and title incumbent Nobuchika Terado, who won the belt with a win over Howson’s fellow Englishman Kieran McAskill, mostly due to leg kicks. That should be fun – the brawl-happy Howson will be forced into fighting at his usual high pace, perhaps even moreso with clinching and elbows removed, and in Terado he comes up against an opponent who is equally happy to sling the heat rocks and throw down.
Then, come what may – with or without another ISKA world title – Howson will get his rematch with Romie Adanza in K-1 Rising: Los Angeles, in September. Howson already fought Adanza on American soil, and what transpired was an outrageous robbery that had Dick Turpin rolling in his grave.
“Yeah I thought I won that fight,” Howson admits. “The switch to K-1 rules I’m not happy about, as he’s already got a K-1 style with good boxing and kicks, and I’m a traditional Thai fighter, but I’ll set the record straight”.
Howson just defeated fellow world champion and UK Muay Thai legend Damien Trainor for the third time in what is now their quadrilogy. After his K-1 sojourn, will that epic rivalry resume?
“No. I’m 3-1 now, it was an honour to fight one of the UK’s Muay Thai idols, but we’re done now”.
Howson (51-7) vs. Adanza
The Punisher is always entertaining, always scrappy, and always tough. Look for him to take part in some classic super-bantamweight wars should K-1 Rising institute a full time 55kg (122lbs) division complete with tournaments, a la 63kg, 70kg and open-weight (the World Grand Prix itself).
So, as a fight fan, a K-1 fan and a Leeds lad hailing from the same city in north England, I look forward to the Asian company bringing the Punisher over for some K-1 fights, and I wonder what other talent they are looking to scout from Leeds and England. Signing exciting fighters can only herald a new age and new page of glory in K-1′s storied history.
Twitter @DanielFletcher
