QUOTE
WHEN Abo Henry was fighting on the club circuit, the going rate was $49 a fight. Entirely legal, but it didn't pay a lot.
"That's why I had to start jumping counters," he said.
That was not so legal.
Regardless, Graham "Abo" Henry has paid his debt, as they say, and after 13 trouble-free years he finds himself, in a way, back where it all began.
Henry and partner Nathan Swadling are about to launch X-Treme Fight Club.
It is a new form of fighting, as close to a street fight as they could get. The rules were sanctioned by the NSW Combat Sports Authority two weeks ago and next week they will meet with Main Event over plans for their first pay-per-view promotion.
It'll be 10 good heavyweights fighting through on a knockout basis, with $50,000 to the winner at the end of the night.
"This is what people want," Abo said. "It's like the old schoolyard days, when you said 'Come on, let's go'.
"If I could have done something like this when I was 25, 30, I would have been in it in a flash."
Neddy Smith still holds the title as Sydney's best street fighter, a fair achievement when you consider the pedigree. Abo never saw him knocked off his feet.
But Abo held him to an honourable draw when Smith landed four early one night after their relationship soured.
Abo was too busy trying to pull the shiv from his pants to defend himself properly.
Moments later Abo claimed the honourable draw when he returned with a shotgun and Smith fled.
He knows a thing or two about how to settle a fight.
X-Treme Fight Club is almost as basic.
The rules are designed to attract the fans of mixed martial arts who can't quite get into two fighters going to ground to wrestle.
"There's no kicking, no elbows and no knees," Swadling said.
When the fighters go to ground - and they are encouraged to slam their opponents - the referee will stand them up so they can go again.
No wrestling to slow the action. No intricate grappling that the untrained can't understand.
Some weeks back a handful of fighters got together at a gym and whaled away under the new rules, asking afterwards where they sign up.
X-Treme Fight Club's rules were sanctioned on Wednesday under the guise of modified Thai boxing.
While the planned heavyweight fight will be fought under an amateur licence, "they can still give prizemoney away" said the NSW Combat Sports Authority's Craig Waller.
It features five divisions: heavyweight (100kg+), cruiserweight (100kg), light-heavyweight (90kg), middleweight (80kg) and lightweight (70kg). They plan to fill the eight-man card with three boxers and three mixed martial artists.
The hope is that boxers such as Kali Meehan and John Hopoate will be enticed by the $50,000 prizemoney.
MMA star Lucas Browne came out of the trial looking for a start.
Perhaps best of all are their plans for the final two punchers in the eight- man field.
They are looking for some of Sydney's meanest, the kind of blokes who want a chance at $50,000 for something they normally do for eight bucks an hour.
"We want to attract a heap of street fighters," Swadling said.
Every doorman in the city has an open invitation to trial for the remaining two spots.
For those who like a little blood in their coffee, you'd pay just to see that.
"That's why I had to start jumping counters," he said.
That was not so legal.
Regardless, Graham "Abo" Henry has paid his debt, as they say, and after 13 trouble-free years he finds himself, in a way, back where it all began.
Henry and partner Nathan Swadling are about to launch X-Treme Fight Club.
It is a new form of fighting, as close to a street fight as they could get. The rules were sanctioned by the NSW Combat Sports Authority two weeks ago and next week they will meet with Main Event over plans for their first pay-per-view promotion.
It'll be 10 good heavyweights fighting through on a knockout basis, with $50,000 to the winner at the end of the night.
"This is what people want," Abo said. "It's like the old schoolyard days, when you said 'Come on, let's go'.
"If I could have done something like this when I was 25, 30, I would have been in it in a flash."
Neddy Smith still holds the title as Sydney's best street fighter, a fair achievement when you consider the pedigree. Abo never saw him knocked off his feet.
But Abo held him to an honourable draw when Smith landed four early one night after their relationship soured.
Abo was too busy trying to pull the shiv from his pants to defend himself properly.
Moments later Abo claimed the honourable draw when he returned with a shotgun and Smith fled.
He knows a thing or two about how to settle a fight.
X-Treme Fight Club is almost as basic.
The rules are designed to attract the fans of mixed martial arts who can't quite get into two fighters going to ground to wrestle.
"There's no kicking, no elbows and no knees," Swadling said.
When the fighters go to ground - and they are encouraged to slam their opponents - the referee will stand them up so they can go again.
No wrestling to slow the action. No intricate grappling that the untrained can't understand.
Some weeks back a handful of fighters got together at a gym and whaled away under the new rules, asking afterwards where they sign up.
X-Treme Fight Club's rules were sanctioned on Wednesday under the guise of modified Thai boxing.
While the planned heavyweight fight will be fought under an amateur licence, "they can still give prizemoney away" said the NSW Combat Sports Authority's Craig Waller.
It features five divisions: heavyweight (100kg+), cruiserweight (100kg), light-heavyweight (90kg), middleweight (80kg) and lightweight (70kg). They plan to fill the eight-man card with three boxers and three mixed martial artists.
The hope is that boxers such as Kali Meehan and John Hopoate will be enticed by the $50,000 prizemoney.
MMA star Lucas Browne came out of the trial looking for a start.
Perhaps best of all are their plans for the final two punchers in the eight- man field.
They are looking for some of Sydney's meanest, the kind of blokes who want a chance at $50,000 for something they normally do for eight bucks an hour.
"We want to attract a heap of street fighters," Swadling said.
Every doorman in the city has an open invitation to trial for the remaining two spots.
For those who like a little blood in their coffee, you'd pay just to see that.
I like the idea of this. No wrestling, no kneeing, no elbowing just a bloody toughman contest.
Thoughts?
