W.A.K.O. World Championships 1985 (London)
Encyclopedia
W.A.K.O. World Championships 1985 London were the joint fifth world kickboxing
championships hosted by the W.A.K.O.
organization arranged by British karate
master Joe Johal – who had been made W.A.K.O. president earlier that year. The organization was facing some turmoil at the time with it splitting into two separate factions due to political differences which meant there were two separate world championships being held - with a event in Budapest
that very same weekend. These political differences would, however, be resolved the following year and the organization would come back together. It was the second world championships to be held in the city of London
and third overall (the Europeans had been held in 1980, the worlds in 1983).
The event was open to amateur
men, and for the first time ever, women were allowed to compete (as they would in Budapest event also). The men had three categories, Full-Contact, Semi-Contact and the newly introduced Musical Forms (which had been unofficially part of the W.A.K.O. World Championships 1981
). In contrast, the women had just the one category; Semi-Contact. Each country had one competitor per weight division in men's Full-Contact and Semi-Contact, although some competitors in the men's events competed in two different categories, while the women's Semi-Contact and men's Musical Forms categories were allowed more than one participant per country due to limited numbers. By the end of the championships, the top nation were West Germany
, narrowly shading the USA
by virtue of an extra silver, with host nation Great Britain
behind in third. The event was held at the Wembley Centre
in London, England, UK
on Saturday, 2 November 1985.
to over 91 kg/+200.2 lbs
, with the two heaviest divisions being similar to the 1983 world championships and slightly heavier than the last Europeans. All bouts were fought under Full-Contact
rules with more detail on the rules being provided at the W.A.K.O. website - although be aware that the rules may have changed slightly since 1985. Notable winners included regular winner Ferdinand Mack who moved up to the 75 kg division to win his sixth gold at a W.A.K.O. championships (world and European) and future boxing world champion Troy Dorsey
who would also win gold at the same event in the Semi-Contact category. At the end of the championships West Germany
was the comfortable leader in Full-Contact winning an impressive six golds, one silver and one bronze.
to over 84 kg/+184.8 lbs
. The most notable winner was future boxing world champion Troy Dorsey
who also won a gold medal in Full-Contact at the same event. The USA
was the top nation in men's Semi-Contact winning four golds and two bronze medals.
Also, for the first time ever women were allowed to compete at a W.A.K.O. championships. The only category on offer was Semi-Contact with just four weight divisions ranging from 50 kg/110 lbs
to over 60 kg/132 lbs
. Due to the somewhat smaller amount of nations competing some nations were allowed more than one competitor per weight division. By the end of the championships West Germany
was the strongest nation in women's Semi-Contact beating off a spirited show by Scotland
by winning two golds and one silver medal.
John Chung adding a gold to the unofficial one he won in Milan and his second at the London event (he won a bronze in the -69 kg Semi-Contact category as well).
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
championships hosted by the W.A.K.O.
World Association of Kickboxing Organizations
The World Association of Kickboxing Organisations is one the international organization of kickboxing, and the governing body of Amateur kickboxing sport certified by SportAccord...
organization arranged by British karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
master Joe Johal – who had been made W.A.K.O. president earlier that year. The organization was facing some turmoil at the time with it splitting into two separate factions due to political differences which meant there were two separate world championships being held - with a event in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
that very same weekend. These political differences would, however, be resolved the following year and the organization would come back together. It was the second world championships to be held in the city of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and third overall (the Europeans had been held in 1980, the worlds in 1983).
The event was open to amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
men, and for the first time ever, women were allowed to compete (as they would in Budapest event also). The men had three categories, Full-Contact, Semi-Contact and the newly introduced Musical Forms (which had been unofficially part of the W.A.K.O. World Championships 1981
W.A.K.O. World Championships 1981
W.A.K.O. World Championships 1981 were the third world kickboxing championships hosted by W.A.K.O. and were organized by Italian Ennio Falsoni. It was the second time that W.A.K.O. had held a championships in Italy and heralded the beginning of the organizations having its world championships...
). In contrast, the women had just the one category; Semi-Contact. Each country had one competitor per weight division in men's Full-Contact and Semi-Contact, although some competitors in the men's events competed in two different categories, while the women's Semi-Contact and men's Musical Forms categories were allowed more than one participant per country due to limited numbers. By the end of the championships, the top nation were West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, narrowly shading the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by virtue of an extra silver, with host nation Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
behind in third. The event was held at the Wembley Centre
Wembley Conference Centre
Wembley Conference Centre was a conference centre near Wembley Stadium, Wembley, in London, England.-History:Opened in 1977, it was the first purpose built Conference Centre in the UK. Events included conferences, corporate hospitality, annual general meetings, banquets and sports events including...
in London, England, UK
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on Saturday, 2 November 1985.
Men's Full-Contact Kickboxing
In the men's Full-Contact category there were ten weight classes ranging from 54 kg/118.8 lbsPound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
to over 91 kg/+200.2 lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
, with the two heaviest divisions being similar to the 1983 world championships and slightly heavier than the last Europeans. All bouts were fought under Full-Contact
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
rules with more detail on the rules being provided at the W.A.K.O. website - although be aware that the rules may have changed slightly since 1985. Notable winners included regular winner Ferdinand Mack who moved up to the 75 kg division to win his sixth gold at a W.A.K.O. championships (world and European) and future boxing world champion Troy Dorsey
Troy Dorsey
Troy Glenn Dorsey is a former professional boxer and martial arts fighter. He is the only man in history to hold world titles in both karate and boxing.-Martial arts career:...
who would also win gold at the same event in the Semi-Contact category. At the end of the championships West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
was the comfortable leader in Full-Contact winning an impressive six golds, one silver and one bronze.
Men's Full-Contact Kickboxing Medals Table
| -54 kg | Gabriel Damm  |
John Evans | No Bronze medallist recorded |
| -57 kg | Troy Dorsey Troy Dorsey Troy Glenn Dorsey is a former professional boxer and martial arts fighter. He is the only man in history to hold world titles in both karate and boxing.-Martial arts career:...  |
Jurgen Jakob |
No Bronze medallist recorded |
| -60 kg | Michael Kuhr |
Gerry Kidd | No Bronze medallist recorded |
| -63.5 kg | Tommy Williams |
L. Paerickios  |
No Bronze medallist recorded |
| -67 kg | Chris McNeesh | A. Trimble  |
Leroy Taylor |
| -71 kg | Daniel Bodo |
Brian Dorsey |
Roland Gut  Pablo Delgado  |
| -75 kg | Ferdinand Mack |
Eddie Butcher |
No Bronze medallist recorded |
| -81 kg | Ray McCallum |
Mario Montrasio  |
Alexander Zoetl |
| -91 kg | Alois Hoffman |
John Graden |
No Bronze medallist recorded |
| +91 kg | Martin Roetzer |
Jim Graden |
No Bronze medallist |
Semi-Contact Kickboxing
Semi-Contact differed from Full-Contact in that fighters were won by points given due to technique, skill and speed, with physical force limited - more information on Semi-Contact can be found on the W.A.K.O. website, although the rules will have changed since 1985. There were also less divisions in men's Semi-Contact with slightly different weight classes ranging from 57 kg/125.4 lbsPound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
to over 84 kg/+184.8 lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
. The most notable winner was future boxing world champion Troy Dorsey
Troy Dorsey
Troy Glenn Dorsey is a former professional boxer and martial arts fighter. He is the only man in history to hold world titles in both karate and boxing.-Martial arts career:...
who also won a gold medal in Full-Contact at the same event. The USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was the top nation in men's Semi-Contact winning four golds and two bronze medals.
Also, for the first time ever women were allowed to compete at a W.A.K.O. championships. The only category on offer was Semi-Contact with just four weight divisions ranging from 50 kg/110 lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
to over 60 kg/132 lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
. Due to the somewhat smaller amount of nations competing some nations were allowed more than one competitor per weight division. By the end of the championships West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
was the strongest nation in women's Semi-Contact beating off a spirited show by Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
by winning two golds and one silver medal.
Men's Semi-Contact Kickboxing Medals Table
| -57 kg | Troy Dorsey Troy Dorsey Troy Glenn Dorsey is a former professional boxer and martial arts fighter. He is the only man in history to hold world titles in both karate and boxing.-Martial arts career:... |
Harold Roegner |
David Gee |
| -63 kg | Rod Sergiew  |
Walter Lange |
Tommy Williams Desi Murphy |
| -69 kg | Walter Reiner |
Jackson White |
John Chung Ian Ferguson |
| -74 kg | John Lonstreet |
George McKenzie | George Canning Luzzi |
| -79 kg | John French | Robert Jung |
Ray McCallum Baltramy |
| -84 kg | Rudy Smedley |
Alfie Lewis | M. Mladen  Steve Brindley |
| +84 kg | Steve Anderson |
Jeff Singh  |
Peter Hainke Jaime Cochrale |
Women's Semi-Contact Kickboxing Medals Table
| -50 kg | Chris Ganzmann |
L. Pavli | Hamilton Hall |
| -55 kg | Gerda Mack |
Hilliard |
Jean Klink |
| -60 kg | June Morson |
Ute Bernhard |
Yvonne Alladice |
| +60 kg | Linda Denley |
D. Kelly | Rascall Hynes |
Men's Musical Forms
Musical Forms made its first official appearance at a W.A.K.O. event (it had been held unofficially in Milan four years previously). Musical Forms is a non-physical competition which sees the contestants fighting against imaginary foes using Martial Arts techniques. Unlike the other categories on offer in London there were no weight classes. More information on Musical Forms can be accessed on the W.A.K.O. website, although be aware that the rules may have changed since 1985. Musical Forms in London was open to men only and by the end of the championships, there was only one recorded winner with the US'sUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
John Chung adding a gold to the unofficial one he won in Milan and his second at the London event (he won a bronze in the -69 kg Semi-Contact category as well).
Men's Musical Forms Medals Table
| Men's Musical Forms | John Chung |
No Silver Medallist | No Bronze Medallist |
Overall Medals Standing (Top 5)
| Ranking | Country | Gold  |
Silver  |
Bronze  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Germany West Germany West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990.... |
9 | 5 | 2 |
| 2 | USA United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
9 | 4 | 3 |
| 3 | Great Britain Great Britain Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles... |
2 | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
2 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... |
0 | 1 | 6 |
See also
- List of WAKO Amateur World Championships
- List of WAKO Amateur European Championships
- List of male kickboxers
- List of female kickboxers
- List of kickboxing organizations