Apex Championship Fighting Card Takes Hits: Fighters Rally To Save Sunday Night Debut
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Apex Championship Fighting Card Takes Hits: Fighters Rally To Save Sunday Night Debut Report by Loretta Hunt Photographs by Keith Mills Apex Championship Fighting matchmaker Alex Capporicci has not had any easy time in the last week. Excluding the requisite last-minute injuries, common on the majority of fight cards heading into their final stretch before showtime, Apex organizers have also had to contend with, of all things, the succession of hurricanes currently pounding Florida’s shores.
Mother Nature’s wrath will keep Inferno Muay Thai fighters Crafton Wallace and Stu Hasselmeyer from making the trip north to face proposed opponents Fritz Paul and Brent Beauparlant. Paul was rematched with UFC vet Steve Berger this morning, who lost his own scheduled opponent Jay Jack to incomplete medical papers. The two were to have fought at 175 pounds, but Berger will now meet Paul at middleweight. "It’s stressful," admits Berger of his last-minute assignment. "Obviously the guy’s gonna be bigger and stronger and every guy’s a tough guy in this game. But, it’s one of those things where I’ve traveled all this way and I need a dance partner. I’m confident though. I trained for this." Also a victim to injury was "big show" luminary Dennis Hallman, who was to have faced Miletich Martial Arts rep Tony Fryklund in one of the featured bouts. Some fighters might be hesitant to take a last-minute opportunity against the seasoned heavy hitter Fryklund, but Team Chaos member Chris Myers has risen to the task on just five days notice. Although only 2-3 in pro action, underdog Myers believes he will be able to catch his 10-3 adversary for the upset.
Team Quest up-and-comer Matt Horwich steps up to the plate on one week’s notice as well. Bouncing off his win last week at Sportfight 5 (where the light-heavyweight took the bout on a record-breaking fifteen minutes notice!), the unflappable 4-1-1 Horwich will meet 5-2 Jerome LeBanner student Antony Rea. Giving up the most weight to his foe tomorrow night, 6’6", 200-pound local fighter Ricardeau Francois will lock horns with 6’8", 250-pound Hammer House prot posted by Full Contact Fighter @ 8:00 pm
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