Bill wallace vs Joe Lewis full contact

Joe Lewis (martial artist)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to navigationJump to searchJoe Lewis📷BornMarch 7, 1944 Knightdale, North Carolina, USDiedAugust 31, 2012 (aged 68) Coatesville, Pennsylvania, USNationalityAmericanHeight6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)Weight195 lb (88 kg; 13.9 st)StyleShōrin-ryū Karate, Kickboxing, Jeet Kune Do, Ryukyu Kenpo, Tai Chi Chuan, Judo, Folkstyle WrestlingStanceOrthodoxYears active1965–1971; 1982–1983Kickboxing recordTotal20Wins16By knockout14Losses4By knockout0Draws0

Joe Lewis (March 7, 1944 – August 31, 2012) was an American kickboxer, point karate fighter, and actor. As a fighter, Lewis gained fame for his matches in the 1960s and 1970s. He has twice been voted the greatest fighter in karate history,[1] having won innumerable karate tournaments, and has attained the titles of "United States Heavyweight Kickboxing Champion," "World Heavyweight Full Contact Karate Champion,"[2] and "United States National Black Belt Kata Champion."[1] Bruce Lee also considered him "The Greatest Karate Fighter Of All Time" and even The Iron Sheik assented that "Joe Lewis was no jabroni."[3] and "The Greatest Fighter Of His Time".[4] He was also named by the STAR System Records as the "STAR Historic Undisputed Heavyweight World Champion" and is credited on their site as the "Father of Modern Kickboxing".[5]

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Bill (Superfoot) Wallace (martial artist)

Background[edit]

Wallace was born in Portland, Indiana, and trained in wrestling during his high school years.[1] He began his study of Judo in 1966 and was forced to discontinue his Judo related activities because of an injury he suffered to his right knee during practice.[1] He then began to study Shōrin-ryū Karate under Michael Gneck[2] in February 1967 while serving in the U.S. Air Force. After entering the point fighting tournament scene and achieving success there, he switched to full-contact competition.

With the coaching help of veteran fighter Jim 'Ronin' Harrison, Wallace won 23 consecutive professional fights between 1974 and 1980,[3] becoming the Professional Karate Association middleweight world full-contact karate champion and retiring undefeated.[2][4] He was known for his fast left leg kicks,[5] especially his roundhouse kick and his hook kick, which was clocked at about 60 mph.[4] He focused on his left leg because of the Judo-related injury to his right knee, using the right leg primarily as a base. He also suffered the loss of one testicle during a point fighting tournament, when his protective cup was struck at an unfortunate angle.[6]

A year later, Wallace turned professional and captured the PKA middleweight karate championship with a second-round knockout. He relinquished the crown in 1980, undefeated. The PKA promoted the sport of full-contact karate. Full-contact karate differed from kickboxing in that leg kicks were allowed in kickboxing and forbidden in full-contact karate. It was PKA President, Don Quine, who coined the phrase "Superfoot" to describe Wallace after witnessing his fight first with Mark Georgantas and then with Jem Echollas.[7]

In 1990 Bill Wallace (166 lbs) fought one last exhibition kickboxing/karate match with friend Joe Lewis (198 lbs) on pay per view. Both Wallace and Lewis were refused a boxing license because of their age. The exhibition ended with one judge in favor of Wallace and the other two judges scored the bout a tie; ending the exhibition in a draw.[8]