NAAFS "Full Contact Kickboxing 3"

Euclid, Ohio
Euclid Sports Plant

While Team GriffonRawl has made a name for itself in the MMA world, Dan Rawling originally started the academy as a Muay Thai studio. On April 26, 2008, four memebers of GriffonRawl showcased the team's roots at the third edition of NAAFS Full Contact Kickboxing. What follows is a recap of GriffonRawl warriors Adam Sadny (170lbs), Aaron Veverka (155lbs), Anton Jackson (265lbs), and Mark Fredebaugh (155lbs).Mark Fredebaugh was first up for the team taking on Eric Rex of Jungle Fight Team. Eric took the action to Mark early and throughout round one, with Mark showing good counter attacks and excellent defenses. Mark weathered the initial storm, closed the distance to clinch and land solid straight and round knees. Rounds two and three showed the payoff of excellent conditioning as Eric seemed to fade as each round continued. Mark took this opportunity to land hand combinations and solid right leg kicks to the body and legs of Eric. All judges scored the bout 29-28 in favor of Mark, giving him a unanimous decision in his first outing.Anton Jackson took on the hard hitting Brandon "McNasty" Briggs of Rising Dragon. Anton came out hard throwing several beautiful left hooks and wicked high kicks that found thier mark. Both men were throwing hard and showed excellent counter attacks throughout round one. Rounds two and three showcased Anton's stamina and power, where Brandon was dropped in the final two rounds and was forced to take a "standing 8" count. Smelling blood after each, Anton came in looking to finish but was unable to stop the tough Briggs. When the dust settled, all three judges scored the contest 30-27, giving Anton his first victory to bring his record to 1-0-1.Aaron "Juice" Veverka was the first of the featured bouts taking on John "Mongoose" Myers of Instigator Fight Team in a rematch from years ago. Action for all three rounds went back and forth with Juice throwing several front kicks to the face that found their mark. Myers was more content to throw heavy hands and fight in tight. He was able to drop Juice to a knee in round two, causing a standing 8 count. Overall it appeared Juice landed more strikes, while Myers landed heavier shots. Both men showed great class throughout the bout, repeatedly touching gloves. When the dust settled, John Myers was awarded a split decision victory. John declared he'd be turning pro in MMA and Kickboxing...best of luck to John, who's a class act.In the nights main event, Adam Sadny took on the very experienced Elonzo "Hollywood" Harvey of Rising Dragon. Clearly aware of Adam's power, Elonzo kept away and then quickly closed the distance throwing fast combinations, then backing out. Adam returned the action and round one was an all out war. At the end of round one, Elonzo hit a solid right that clearly had Adam rocked and as the round ended, the referee was giving Adam a standing 8 count. Showing great drive, Adam shook off the cobwebs and came out to fight in rounds two and three. Adam appeared to be looking for his vicious leg kicks, but Elonzo kept closing the distance and appeared to do his homework. Rounds two and three were back and forth with each laying it all in the ring. The crowd came to it's feet in round three as both men were trading hard blows. Elonzo scored a unanimous decision and both applauded the other, showing great class by both.Overall it was an exciting night of action at the Euclid Sports Plant. One can only hope the NAAFS continues to hold these events and congratulations to all that competed on Saturday night.Written by:John StrmacComplete Results:Main Event - 170 lbs - Elonzo “Hollywood” Harvey 6-0 (Rising Dragon) over Adam Sadny 2-1 (Team GriffonRawl) by Unanimous Decision155 lbs - John “Mongoose” Myers 4-1 (Team Instigator) over Aaron “Juice” Veverka 6-6-1 (Team GriffonRawl) by Split Decision185 lbs - Nick “The Savage” Duell 2-1 (Jungle Fight Team) over Scott Alfer 1-2 (Powerkick Academy) by Split Decision265 lbs - John Hawk 1-0 (Jungle Fight Team) over Mike Revercomb 0-1 (Independent) by TKO @ 1:03 of Rd 1170 lbs - Scott Burr 1-0 (Fight Gym MMA) over Joe Johnston 0-2 (Rising Dragon) TKO @ 1:55 of Rd 3265 lbs - Anton Jackson 1-1 (Team GriffonRawl) over Brandon “McNasty” Briggs 0-1 (Rising Dragon) by Unanimous Decision155 lbs - Mark Fredebaugh 1-0 (Team Griffonrawl) over Eric Rex 0-1 (Jungle Fight Team) by Unanimous Decision155 lbs - Dan Doverspike 2-0 (Jungle Fight Team) over Alex Berdine 0-1 (Team AirGadfly) by TKO @ 1:38 of Rd 2160 lbs - Aaron Burkett 0-0 (Jungle Fight Team) over Justin Clark 0-1 (Team AirGadfly) by TKO @1:38 of Rd 3

Wreckroom Fight Series "Mansfield Mayhem 5"

Mansfield, Ohio
Richland County Fairgrounds

On March 22, 2008, Wreckroom Athletics held it’s fifth installment of “Mansfield Mayhem” in Mansfield, Ohio. Three GriffonRawl warriors entered the cage this night. For the second fight in a row, Kevin Doyle was unable to compete due to an opponent backing out. Look for Kevin to be in action in the very near future. What follows is a recap of Paul Keeney (135lbs), AJ Carl (155lbs) and Brian McCroskey (170lbs).Paul Keeney had the daunting task of making his MMA debut and being the first fight of the night, taking on Jullian Blanchard at 135lbs. Round one went well for Paul as he and Jullian traded heavy blows for the weight class. Early into round two, Jullian hit a solid right cross that sent Paul to the canvass. Thinking he won the fight Jullian turned around only to realize Paul’s warrior spirit had not thrown in the towel and as Paul was standing up, Jullian hit another solid shot that caused the referee to call a stop to the contest. Look for Paul, who’s tough as nails to be back soon!AJ Carl was pitted against Brian Smiley at 155lbs. Truly a 145lb fighter, AJ made the jump to taken on an experienced Smiley. Most of the posts on PKW were in favor of Smiley racking up another victory. AJ scored a quick takedown and began his ground and pound, but Smiley was able to stay safe in his guard and hit a deep arm lock. AJ remained calm, saving his arm from submission, and hit a series of devastating knees to the body that clearly caused damage as Smiley released the submission. AJ moved to a better position and began unloading, forcing the referee to call a stoppage in the first round. This fight improved AJ to 3-1 and he is on a three fight win streak.Brian McCroskey, fresh off his first MMA victory at Caged Combat II took on a very tough Marcus Turner at 170lbs. Brian seemed to be more comfortable in the cage than his first two matches and looked good in all aspects of the fight. He threw crisp hands and his ground game looked vastly improved, showing hard work does pay off. Brian executed a nice game plan but was unable to finish the tough Turner in regulation. The judges agreed Brian was the superior man in the cage rendering a unanimous decision in his favor, for his second MMA victory.Written by:John M. StrmacComplete Results:Preliminary BoutsHvwt - Nick Jones over Wade Roberts170lb - A.J. Winger over Brandon Mays155lb - A.J. Carl over Brian Smiley 1st Rd TKO205lb - Doug Bowling over Dave Howard135lb - Julian Blanchard over Paul Keeney185lb - Silas Maynard over Randy Adams170lb - Brian Mcroskey over Marcus Turner205lb - Hank Webb over Dan WinesHvwt - Brian Lewis over Andrew Johnson155lb - J.P. Jaranowski over Matt HatfieldMain EventWRFS 145lb TITLE FightMike Nesto over Bo Coleman 1st Rd rear naked choke

NAAFS "Midwest Combat Challenge 4"

Akron, Ohio
Chapparell's Community Center

The NAAFS treated MMA fans to an exciting night of action on Saturday night at the sold out Chapparell's Community Center in Akron, Ohio. Team GriffonRawl sent three veterans into action and what follows is a recap of each team member.Tom Lutz was pitted against Mark Strickland of Kombat MMA at 205lbs for his NAAFS debut. Tom looked excellent on his feet to start the first round, landing two beautiful combinations before Mark shot in for a takedown. Two times, Tom had Mark in a triangle choke but Mark was able to escape and moved to the mount position where he unleashed a wicked ground and pound attack. Tom escaped a choke to end a crazy round one. Both men were cut and bleeding and the fans knew these two were the real deal. Mark scored a takedown early in round two, where the G&P continued before the refereee was forced to stop the contest at 1:19 of the second round. Tom handled himself with class and will no doubt be back soon, better than ever.John Strmac was up against Edison "Puerto Rican Thunder" Martinez in a rematch from their November contest at 145lbs. John was able to score takedowns in all three rounds and executed ground and pound the entire fight, but could never finish the super tough Martinez as he kept tying up John and manuevering to rarely take a clean shot. John ended the final minute of round three in the mount position. After three rounds, all judges scorecards read 30-27 in favor of Strmac, giving him his fourth win in a row. (This portion written by Jason Dent.)Finally up for the team was Dominic "The Ironman" McGhee, taking on Joey "The Hitman" Holt from Gym City Gladiators at 155lbs. Joey and Dominic stood toe to toe for three exciting rounds, in what many deemed to be the fight of the night. The two appeared to forget it was an MMA fight and were happy to put on a kickboxing exhibition. Everytime one appeared to catch the other with a good hand combination, the other came right back and executed a combination of his own. Throw in wicked leg kicks, multiply that by three rounds and there's your fight. Both men laid it all on the line showing excellent striking and even better chin's. Announcer Jake Dingman summed up the fight by saying "Every time Holt hit McGhee he smiled, and everytime McGhee hit Holt he smiled." When the dust settled, a split decision in favor of Holt was rendered from the judges scorecards.Technically of Team Playland, Dan "Daredevil" Jones supplemented training at GriffonRawl. Taken from the NAAFS website, here is the NAAFS recap: "Dan “Daredevil” Jones (5-0/Team Playland) defeated Jason Davis (3-2/Pain Headquarters) at 0:29 into the first round after a Technical Knockout when the ref stopped the fight. The two touched gloves and Jason took an immediate swing with his right, which appeared to me to be a blatant cheap shot. Dan landed a quick punch, which busted Jason open badly. This was the shortest bloodbath I’ve ever seen. Dan totally dominated."The energy in the arena was electric and it was clear the fighters drew from it. Congratulations to all those that competed. On a personal note, I was able to meet a lot of fighters and enjoyed the "BS" sessions backstage.Written by:John M. StrmacComplete Results:Kris Morin (1-1/Team Air Gadfly) defeated James Fenske (1-1/Underground MMA) at 1:47, Rd 1Brad Muns (1-0/Underground MMA) defeated Mike Conner (0-2/Pain Headquarters) at 1:23 Rd 1 via Guillotine ChokeSean Hefflemen (2-2/East Coast Martial Arts) defeated Derrick Nothum (0-1/Team Air-Gadfly) at 2:30 RD 2 via Triangle ChokeMarvin Williams (2-0/Rising Dragon MMA) defeated Ric Ady (0-1/Team Instigator) via a Split Decision Josh Lang (2-0/Western New York MMA) defeated Fadi Nader (1-1/Kombat MMA) via a Unanimous DecisionKearn Nedd (1-1/Kombat MMA) defeated Brad Stanton (0-1/East Coast Martial Arts) at 1:30 Rd 2 via Technical Knockout Aaron “The Hamburglar” Bartow (2-0/Team Instigator) defeated Brandon “Birdman” Bailey (0-2/Independent) at 1:49 into the first round via tapout from strikesMax Gretch (2-1/Kombat MMA) defeated Garrett Matheron (1-2/Team Air-Gadfly) at 1:38 Rd 2 via Technical Knockout Mark Strickland (2-1/Kombat MMA) defeated Tom Lutz (2-1/GriffonRawl) via Technical Knockout at 1:19 Rd 2Chris Bradley (2-2/Team Instigator) defeated Dan Gale (2-2/Pain Headquarters) at 1:43 into the second round via armbarJohn Strmac (4-2/GriffonRawl) defeated Edison “Puerto Rican Thunder” Martinez (3-4-1/Lorain, Ohio) via unanimous decisionChase Martin (2-0/Team Instigator) defeated Paris Boyd (2-4/Underground MMA) at 2:41 Rd 2 via a rear-naked chokeJoey “Hit-Man” Holt (4-1/Gym City Gladiators) defeated Dominic “Iron Man” McGee (2-4/GriffonRawl) via a split decisionMatt “Light Breeze” Rosborough (2-2/Western New York MMA) defeated Anthony “Hurricane” Hayes (4-3/Gym City Gladiators) at 2:10 Rd 2 via triangle chokeRuss Halsey (3-1/Pain Headquarters) defeated Jacob Mitchell (1-3/Salem, Ohio) at 1:41 Rd 1 via Technical KnockoutJohn Hawk (3-0/Jungle Fight Team) defeated Richard Wadell (4-3/Higher Power) at 2:24 Rd 1 via Technical KnockoutDan “Daredevil” Jones (5-0/Team Playland) defeated Jason Davis (3-2/Pain Headquarters) at 0:29 Rd 1 via Technical Knockout Nick “The Savage” Duell (9-2-1/Jungle Fight Team) defeated Mickey Hughes (3-2/Team Bloody Buddy) at 2:23 Rd 1 via an armbar

Tim Payne Promotions "Caged Combat III"

Highland Heights, Ohio
Team Energenics Training Facility

Tim Payne held his third promotion of "Caged Combat" on Saturday night with another packed house in attendance. Team GriffonRawl, a go-to camp for Tim, was set to send nine men into action until Kevin Doyle and Reggie Parks' opponents cancelled thier bouts. What follows is a recap of the seven team members who represented Team GriffonRawl.First up was Miguel Defina against an experienced Luke Wilder. Miguel quickly took the fight to the ground where he looked impressive. Miguel moved from side position to full mount and unleashed a few solid strikes before Luke spun to escape. But Miguel was lying in wait and spread out his opponent flat on his stomach where a barrage of strikes forced Luke to tap at 1:35 of the very first round.Landon Kladoust made his MMA debut at 185lbs in impressive fashion, taking on Chris Hayes. Landon withstood an early flurry of strikes, countering with some of his own. Forcing his opponent against the fence, Landon took the fight to the ground where he eventually passed the half-guard and was able to tie up both of Chris' arms in a reverse crucifix. Landon was able to strike cleanly from the top position and forced Chris to tap to the strikes towards the end of round one.Miles King was pitted against the experienced and aggressive Josh Miller at 205lbs. Miles looked to stand early but Josh moved in for the takedown early and often. Josh looked to end the fight early with his ground and pound tactics, but Miles kept recovering his guard and defending himself from side body position, the back mount and inside the guard while Josh was landing solid shots. Rounds two and three went much the same as round one with Miles showing tremendous heart, tenacity and a never-say-die attitude. Josh was awarded a unanimous decision after three hard fought rounds.At 170lbs Brian McCroskey was looking to avenge his first loss against Keith VanDyke. Brian and Keith exchanged a few punches before Brian was able to move the action up against the cage, weathering a vicious hook that split his skin just to the side of his left eye. Showing improved ground work, Brian held side position before advancing to the mount where kept solid position while unloading on his opponent, forcing the referee to call at stop to the action at 2:43 seconds of round one.Jim Payne was pitted against Austin White at 185lbs. Austin showed his game plan early by shooting in and looking to unleash his ground and pound. Jim defended well from the guard, but was pressed against the cage. The referee stood them up, and again Austin scored a takedown. Jim defended the initial takedowns in round two and executed a beautiful hip toss to dominate position, where he trapped Austin's arm and unloaded a series of rights. Austin eventually scrambled out where he was able to secure the back of Jim and sunk in a deep rear naked choke that caused a stop at 2:17 of round two. An all out back and forth war that was bloody as they come, both men treated the crowd to an excellent contest.Tony Groys made his debut under the GriffonRawl flag against Corey Frantz at 155lbs. Tony came out intense and looked incredibly crisp landing solid upper cuts, hooks and straight rights. Corey scored a takedown where Tony recovered his guard and found himself being picked up for a slam when he released the guard and got the fight standing. Tony stalled a few takedown attempts and weathered two hard over-hand rights by Corey. Tony set up a right straight, left hook combo that hit right on the button knocking out Corey at 1:24 of the very first round.In the main event, Chuck Schilling battled Carl Kettle at 155lbs. Chuck scored an early takedown in round one where he held dominate position for most of the first round landing solid knees from side body position and good punches from different angles. Chuck appeared to be well on his way to victory in round two from the mount before Carl escaped and set up a nice arm bar attempt that had Chuck in trouble for about 15 seconds. He escaped to dominate position scoring with strikes as the round ended. The final round showed Carl's tremendous heart as he got taken down by Chuck but reversed positions to score strikes and appeared to have Chuck in trouble with a guillotine choke. After three exciting rounds, Chuck was awarded a split-decision victory.Everyone knows how hard and how ready Reggie and Kevin were and it's a shame they weren't able to compete. The team sent first timers and veterans into action and came away with a solid night, finishing 5-2, but more importantly gained a tremendous amount of experience as Team GriffonRawl continues to be one heck of a busy gym.Written by:John StrmacComplete Results:155: Kris Morin over Justin Taylor by Triangle; 1:19 Rd 2145: Ron Counter over Elijah Wallace by Choke; 1:11 Rd 1170: Miguel Defina over Luke Wilder by Tapout/Strikes; 1:35 Rd 1145: Lyle Sansoucie over Dustin Vitrano by RNC; 0:59 Rd 1145: Doug Hodges over Logan Cooper by Unanimous Decision185: Landon Kladoust over Chris Hayes by Tapout/Strikes; 2:33 Rd 1205: Josh Miller over Miles King by Unanimous Decision155: Ryan Victory over John Combest by TKO170: Brian McCroskey over Keith Van Dyke by TKO; 2:43 Rd 1185: Austin White over Jim Payne by RNC; 2:17 Rd 2155: Tony Groys over Corey Frantz by KO; 1:24 Rd 1145: Ivan Copenhaver over Jerrel Hamby by TKO; 1:15 Rd 1155: Chuck Schilling over Carl Kettle by Split Decision

IFBL "Fight Night 11"

Niles, Ohio
5x5 Training Facility

While the team had a large number of fighters in Highland Heights, GriffonRawl was represented by three men at IFBL Fight Night 11. Donny Walker, Brennen Sanders and Dominic McGhee each represented the team. What follows is a recap of the three men who represented Team GriffonRawl.Dominic "The Ironman" McGhee took on Michael Cardona at 155lbs. Dominic looked excellent in all areas and lived up to the name "Ironman" showing fantastic cardio in a fast paced match. The action went back and forth and Dominic appeared confident he'd won the decision after three intense rounds. However, the judges saw differently and scored a unanimous decision in favor of Cardona.Brennen Sanders was next up for the team, facing Corey Ruthsatz at 145lbs. Brennen started off well and was performing well, until he found himself inside a triangle choke. Brennen tried to fight off the submission but it was too deep and was forced to tap at 2:42 of the first round.In the main event of the evening, Donny "Eagle Eye" Walker faced WEC veteran and submission specialist Cub Swanson. Donny was given little chance by many leading up to the contest. Donny proved he belonged among the elite at 145lbs taking the action right to Cub, showing crisp had combinations. Cub was able to get the action to the ground in rounds one and two, where he was unable to finish several submission attempts including a deep triangle that Donny was able to escape from. Donny found himself defending an arm bar in round three when cub swithced tactics and was able to land a deep scissor choke that forced Donny to submit at 1:24 of the final round. Immediately afterwards and in radio interviews week's later, Cub had nothing but praise for Donny stating he was a very tough competitor and belongs in the upper tier of the 145lb class.Written by:John M. StrmacComplete Results:IFBL WORLD FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE FIGHTROC CASTRICONE defeated JASON MIKNUK (Triangle) in 1:31 RD 5IFBL WORLD LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHTMITCH WHITESEL defeated JOSH GRIGGS (TKO medical stoppage) in :35 RD 3PRO BOUTS:CUB SWANSON defeated DONNY WALKER (Scissor Choke) in 1:24 RD 3SEAN LOEFFLER defeated BOBBY MARTINEZ (Armbar) in 3:11 RD 1AMATEUR BOUTS:JEFF HOLMES defeated JOSH MCBRIDE (TKO) in 1:25 RD 1MIKE NESTO defeated BO COLEMAN (RNC) in :46 RD 1JARRED ZARLINGO defeated ART LUDWICK (TO Strikes) in 1:29 RD 1FELIX CATHELINE defeated JARED CARLE (TKO) 1:30 RD 1JOHN OPFAR defeated DAVIS ORACIO (TKO) 2:20 RD 1COREY RUTHSATZ defeated BRENNEN SANDERS (Triangle) 2:42 RD 1SETH COLE defeated JOSH HANSEN (GUI) 1:36 RD 1JUSTIN HEAD defeated DAMON RELIGA by Unanimous DecisionTONY ABBATE defeated BRIAN MCCOY (GUI) 1:57 RD 3JASON LISS defeated JOHN WHITTEN (TKO) 2:07 RD 1MICHAEL CARDONA defeated DOMINIC MCGHEE by Unanimous DecisionTODD AMBROSIA defeated FRANK COSTELLO (TKO) 1:27 RD 1JAY MORRIS defeated LUKE BURDETTE by Unanimous DecisionJOHN ARNETTE defeated SCOTT ALFER by Unanimous Decision

Sonny Marchette Wrestling Seminar

Mentor, Ohio
GriffonRawl MMA Academy

On Sunday afternoon, Sonny and John Marchette treated Team GriffonRawl to a three hour wrestling seminar. Sonny is a two-time State and national wrestling champion and spent years at the Olympic Training Facility before coming back home to Ohio where he spent time as a coach and currently competes at the professional level in MMA.The seminar included extensive and detailed instruction on several takedowns to dominate position, positioning on the ground, reversals and takedown defense. The seminar covered the above positions for both pure grappling and full contact MMA and covered work in open areas as well as against the cage wall.All told it was an extensive seminar and everyone learned a great deal. Wrestling instructor, Chuck Schilling summed up his experience by stating, " I get pumped up when I learn different ways of hitting moves that I've been hitting for 10+ years." Team GriffonRawl would like to extend a hearty "thank you" to both Sonny and John for an excellent day of training and we look forward to another seminar in the future!

Junior Adult Boxing Program starts at GR

Mentor, Ohio
GriffonRawl MMA Academy

On Monday, February 4, 2008, GriffonRawl held its first class with the inagural "Junior Adult Boxing" program. Classes are geared towards the younger athlete not quite ready for adult competition. Beginners and those with experience are welcomed to attend. The minimum age to attend is eight years old.This is just another example of the ever expanding GriffonRawl academy. Classes will be held Monday's and Wednesday's from 7:30-8:30pm and Saturday's from 10:00-11:00am.Joe Lapaglia brings a wealth of experience to lead these classes. Having competed in Golden Gloves Boxing and numerous kickboxing tournaments, combined with coaching the Ledgemont Boxing Club and being a high-school teacher, Joe is an ideal instructor for the young adult looking to learn the sweet science, improve his/her standup and get an excellent workout. We look forward to having another "group" join the GriffonRawl team.

Team Training Day at GR Academy

Mentor, Ohio
GriffonRawl MMA Academy

A team challenge? Well, not quite…On Sunday, January 27, 2008 Team Griffon-Rawl hosted an open gym with members of Team DNA, Wreckroom Athletics and Team Playland in attendance. The day started a little awkward with guys stretching and keeping to their roots until a few started rolling. The purpose of the day quickly took hold as fighters from different teams partnered with each other for free rolling and frequently changed partners. Egos were checked at the door and everyone grappled hard but with control. Eventually fighters turned their attention to the boxing ring for Muay Thai sparring rounds and finally to the cage for controlled MMA sparring. It was great to see guys who’ve faced each other in the cage and members from “rival” camps helping the other prepare for their next fight, sharing techniques and offering strategies. Dan Swift and Donny Walker come immediately to mind. It was fun to watch champions roll around (Paul Compton & Cody Stevens), professionals spar (Jason Dent & Dominic Qurazzo) and the established help the up and comers (Joe Lewis & Tom Lutz).All told, it was a great day of training with new and old friends coming together. Thanks to all who attended from Team DNA (Dan Swift), Wreckroom Athletics (Matt Trukovich, Cody Stevens, Joe Lewis, Mitch Whitesel, Seth Cole, Brian Lewis), Team Playland (Dominic Qurazzo, Dan Jones) and Team Griffon-Rawl (Jason Dent, Donny Walker, Jeff Starr, Tony Groys, Jim Payne, Dan Farnsworth, John Strmac, Tom Lutz, Paul Compton, Adam Sadny, Kevin Doyle, Nick Kilian, Jordan Smith, Chuck Schilling, Matt Hopkins, Dominic McGhee, Chad Mullins, Miguel Defina). If anyone was forgotten, our apologies…there was a lot of fighters present.We hope to see everyone again soon and best of luck to those competing in the future.Written by:John StrmacPictures by:Tim Payne

NAAFS "Northcoast Showdown II"

Euclid, Ohio
Euclid Sports Plant

On Saturday, January 19, 2008 the NAAFS kicked off its 2008 promotion in Euclid, Ohio at the Euclid Sports Plant. Although the weather outside was snowy and the temperature well below freezing, inside the arena the action was hot and heavy from start to finish. Team Griffon-Rawl sent five veterans into action on Saturday. What follows is a recap of Griffon-Rawl participants.Jim Payne (2-0) led off the Griffon-Rawl charge, taking on a tough and well-rounded Mickey Hughes (2-1) from Team Bloody Buddy. After a brief exchange of hands, the two tied up with each looking for a takedown. Jim went in, but Mickey was able to reverse and land a hip toss that put Jim on his back with Mickey in side control. Jim stayed safe and calm, looking to improve his position. After jockeying for position against the cage, a scramble ensued and Mickey was able to sink in his hooks and looked for a rear naked choke. Jim defended well, but Mickey was able to sink his arm in the extra inch he needed, forcing Jim to tap near the end of round one. Look for Jim to be back better than ever very soon!John Strmac (2-2) was next up facing heavy handed Charles Cooper III (2-1) from Team Predator. John looked for the takedown early but was unable to keep position on the ground where Charles unleashed a flurry of strikes, landing hard right hands throughout most of the first round. Round two went better for John who was able to get a series of takedowns but had trouble advancing his position while Charles continued the ground and pound from different angles. John landed a solid leg kick followed by a takedown to the mount to begin round three. Charles tied him up and reversed position putting himself in the guard and as he attempted another hard right. John was able to get a triangle choke position and kept jockeying to tighten the hold. Charles picked him up and slammed him but it only sunk the choke in deeper. Charles continued to look for an escape but was forced to tap at 2:15 of the final round. (This portion written by Jason Dent.)Tony “The Killer” Wolf (3-1) recently teamed up with Griffon-Rawl to take on a very tough Joey “The Hitman” Holt (2-1) from Baileys MMA. Tony looked excellent on his feet taking the fight to Joey and getting the better of the standup, landing solid combinations. Seeing an opportunity, Tony shot in and landed a nice takedown but found himself deep inside a guillotine choke where Joey reared back and forced Tony to tap at 0:58 seconds through the first round. Everyone at Griffon-Rawl is happy Tony will be training here and look for him to keep improving in all areas.The final Griffon-Rawl amateur was Nick Killian (2-0), taking on Steve Zornes (2-0) from Team JAD. Steve closed in quick to take down Nick and the fight went quickly to a fight for position showcasing both men’s takedown skills and defenses. Steve again went in for a single leg where Nick landed a wicked upper cut that sent Steve’s eyes rolling into the back of his head. As Steve landed he gathered himself and attempted a leg lock, but Nick was landing too many precise shots from a dominate position, forcing the referee to call a stop to the contest at 1:27 of the very first round. Both fighters showed great class at the end of the contest. Look for both to rise in the NAAFS rankings.AJ Pulling (6-3) said good-bye to the amateur ranks and made his professional debut against “Truckin” Chad Trukovich (3-4) from Wreckroom Athletics. Both men were feeling each other out to start round one when AJ seized an opportunity to hit a nice takedown and move to a solid side position. Never one to relax, AJ moved quickly until he found Chad’s back and sunk in his hooks very deep where he could begin striking at will. He landed a number of solid shots forcing Chad to tap to strikes at 2:05 of the very first round. Overall Team Griffon-Rawl had a solid showing. The NAAFS, teamed with Sports Time Ohio television, is perhaps the biggest MMA shows in the Midwest. The team fared well to start 2008, posting a 3-2 record. Look for the return of the above fighters as well as more Griffon-Rawl warriors to enter NAAFS and other shows this year. Thanks for all who braved the weather and supported Team Griffon-Rawl!Written by:John StrmacComplete Results:Professional Results:205 lbs - John “The Bullet” Fields 5-2 (Team Instigator) over Jason “Freebird” Freeman 7-3 (Vander Fighting) by Tapout from Strikes @ :32 of Rd 1SHW - "The Irish Hitman" Bobby Favors 4-5 (Team Playland) over Justin "Give me your Lunch Money" Wade 6-3 (Team Truth) by TKO @ 2:07 of Rd 1140 lbs - Danny “Lil Thunder” Balon 11-4 (Team DNA) over “Small” Paul Martin 13-4 (Team Out Cold) by Rear Naked Choke @ 3:48 of Rd 2170 lbs - AJ Pulling 7-3 (Team GriffonRawl) over "Truckin" Chad Trukovich 3-5 (Wreckroom Athletics) by Verbal Submission from Strikes @ 2:05 of Rd 1Amateur:145 lbs - Mike Nesto 7-3 (Schrader's MMA) over Eric Noel 5-2 (Team Next Level) by Split Decision 145 lbs - John Strmac 3-2 (Team GriffonRawl) over Charles Cooper 2-2 (Team Predator) by Triangle Choke @ 2:15 of Rd 3185 lbs - Nick Kilian 3-0 (Team GriffonRawl) over Steve Zornes 2-1 (Team JAD) by TKO @ 1:27 of Rd 1185 lbs - Mickey Hughes 3-1 (Team Bloody Buddy) over Jim Payne 2-2 (Team GriffonRawl) by Rear Naked Choke @ 2:53 of Rd 1 155 lbs - Joey “The Hitman” Holt 3-1 (Baileys MMA) over Tony “The Killer” Wolf 3-2 (Team Griffonrawl) by Guillotine Choke @ :58 of Rd 1145 lbs - Anthony “The Hurricane” Hayes 4-2 (Next level) over Codean Roff 3-5 (Team KSD) by Unanimous Decision265 lbs - John Hawk 2-0 (Jungle Fight Team) over Jarred Carle 2-3 (Team Explosion) by Rear Naked Choke @ 1:08 of Rd 1185 lbs - Sean Paul Veilleux 1-0 (Jungle Fight Team) over "Heavy Hands" Chad Heilman 0-1 (Independent) by Arm Bar @ :58 of Rd 1145 lbs - Doug Kulbis 2-0 (Team JAD) over Jack “The Ripper” Mardis 2-2 (Team Constriction) by Unanimous Decision170 lbs - Scott Burr 3-2 (Team KSD) over Dan Cain 1-2 (Team Constriction) by TKO @ 1:56 of Rd 1145 lbs – Josh "Kiss of Death" Kissinger 1-0 (Instigator Fight team) over Jerry “The Bear” Barrick 1-3 (Vander Fighting) by Doctor Stoppage at the end of Rd 1265 lbs - "McNasty" Brandon Briggs 1-0 (Rising Dragon MMA) over Cody Rook 0-2 (Devil Dogs MMA) by Unanimous Decision

SCF "Playing for Keeps"

Elyria, Ohio
St. John Lutheran Gymnasium

On Friday, January 11, 2008 Superior Cage Fighting Promotions invaded Elyria, Ohio. Dave Osborne and Miles King were the two Griffon-Rawl warrior set to represent the team.Dave Osborne brought a heavy heart to the arena, yet was set and ready to go only to find out his opponent pulled a no-show when it came time to answer the bell, giving Dave a "walk through" victory. The Griffon-Rawl family sends their love and sympathy to Dave on the loss of his father.Miles King made his MMA debut at 205lbs taking on a very strong and intimidating Miguel Calderon. When the bell rang, Miles looked like a seasoned veteran stalking his opponent throughout the contest like a rabid dog. Miles smiled when he took a few leg kicks and prevented a takedown attempt with a solid sprawl. Miles landed beautiful combinations and kicks and hit a nasty upper-cut with Miguel against the cage. As Miguel hit the canvass Miles was on top of his prey unleashing a relentless ground and pound that forced the referee to call a stop to the contest. Miles got his first taste of action via a TKO victory in the very first round!Look for both Dave and Miles to be in action again soon!Written by:John Strmac