Friday, July 10, 1998

Despite ban,
brawl will go on

Super Brawl exhibition
returns to Hawaii, tests law
against high-risk ring combat

By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

One year after it became a law in Hawaii, the ban on high-risk ring combat is getting its first major test.

Promoter T. Jay Thompson, who staged Super Brawls I-IV and then took his show to Guam and Iowa after Gov. Cayetano signed the ban, has booked another exhibition of the same name at the Blaisdell Arena for Aug. 4.

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, charged with enforcement of the law, has declined to block the show, being staged by Extreme Sports Productions.

The penalties for violating the ban on matches: a $10,000 fine and revocation of the promoter's right to do business in Hawaii for three years.

Sharon On Leng, the department's Complaints and Enforcement officer, said she was told that it was not legally advisable to stand in Thompson's way because there is no way to determine if, at this time, he is violating the law.

But On Leng said Thompson is required to provide her department with an "unedited" videotape of the event.

Thompson's press release highlighted a quote from On Leng in which she states: "In short, we cannot conclude with a satisfactory degree of proof and in advance of the event that it would violate the law."

Sen. Rosalyn Baker (D-West Maui, Molokai, Lanai), who authored the ban and held a hearing on the subject last year, said she's confident Commerce and Consumer Affairs will scrutinize Thompson's event.

"If he breaks the law, he has to be dealt with," she said.

On Leng said Thompson led her department to believe that his exhibition will be within the law.

Baker's bill, signed by Cayetano in June 1997, also ended monthly prize-purse bare-knuckle brawls at Gussie L'amours on Nimitz Highway.

A woman who answered the phone at the nightclub last night said there are no plans to reinstate the fights.

Tom Moffatt staged the "Ultimate Explosion" in April 1997 at Blaisdell.

"We are obviously pleased with this outcome," Thompson said. "We have contended all along that this is a relatively safe sport."

Thompson said the ban on "no rules combat," "X-treme," and "Ultimate Fighting" doesn't apply to his contests, which he refers to as "pankration."

He said that pankration is a martial art dating back to the 33rd Olympiad in ancient Greece.

Thompson's release said the Hawaii ban, "clearly states that a 'legitimate martial arts contest' would not fall under this law."

A dwindling number of states still permit the combat, which resembles street brawling. Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), who boxed at Annapolis, has been a vocal opponent of the exhibitions, urging governors across the nation to support legislation instituting bans.

Jay R. Palmer, the Super Brawl I and II lightweight champion, is scheduled to compete in next month's Super Brawl. In the commercial videotape of Super Brawl I at Blaisdell, he is seen stomping on the head of a downed opponent.

In a postfight interview with Thompson in the same videotape, Palmer says, "I tried to put him in an awkward position -- tried to break his jaw, his nose or something."

But Thompson said changes have been made in fight rules to prohibit stomping or kicking the head of a downed opponent.

Also illegal, according to Thompson: head butts, groin hits, strikes to the head with an elbow, throwing an opponent on his head or neck or out of the ring, shots to the throat, hair pulling, biting and poking or gouging the eyes.

The Hawaii law prohibits blows which place the opponent at an unreasonably high risk of bodily injury.

Henry Lee, Hawaii State Boxing Commission chairman, said last year before Baker's Commerce, Consumer Protection and Information Technology committee that high-risk combat should be made a criminal offense. But he said the boxing commission wanted no part in enforcing such a law.

Mike Machado, the commission's executive officer, said last night he had no comment on the resurfacing of Super Brawl in Hawaii.