WIPU Kings of the ring

World Independent Promoters Union
Presents Annual award ceremony
GOLDEN BELT - KING OF THE RING 2008
(for the first time world Oscar in combat sports !!!)

Indenpendent world award for the best fighter and promoter in professional combat sport:

PROFESSIONAL BOXING RULES:
BEST FIGHTER		BEST PROMOTER
MANNY PACQUIAO (PHI), WBC world champion For winning by TKO against one of the most famous and best boxers in the world – Oscar De La Hoya ( USA ) in the biggest boxing fight this year		This year the award will go to two big promoters as they did two exceptional shows in 2008: - K-2 (USA / UKR), run by Klitchko brothers In association with RTL TV (GER) did excellent and unique production for the great return of Vitaly Klitchko in a fight for WBC world title against Samuel Peter (NIG); - GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS (USA), run by Oscar De La Hoya They did again one of the biggest boxing event ever in the history with boxing fight between two super champions ( the fight was for super title awarded by RING magazine in USA !), Manny Pacquiao (PHI) and Oscar De La Hoya ( USA ) which was absolute blockbuster this year !

FULL MUAYTHAI RULES:
BEST FIGHTER		BEST PROMOTER
YODSAENKLAI FAIRTEX (THAI), For sure the best full muaythai fighter in the world who won all the most important fights, titles (WBC MT & WMC) and tournaments (Contender Asia ....) and as a crown at the end of this year, in an 8 man tournament he won in the finals by KO another big champion Lumsongkram Chuwattana !		CONTENDER ASIA run by Mark Burnett Productions & Imagine Omnimedia This year was very difficult to choose the best among very tough competitions of great full muaythai shows around the world, just to mention some: Milton Felter & Slamm in Holland, Dennis Warner in Jamaica & USA, Master Ip & I-1 in Hong Kong, Dan Green & Muaythai Legends in GB, Josh Sexton & Evolution in Australia, Songchai Ratanasuban & S-1 in Thailand, Samy Kebchi in Africa ....

INTERNATIONAL MUAYTHAI RULES:

BEST FIGHTER

BEST PROMOTER

TYRONE SPONG (NL)
For sure one of the most atractive and best fighter in the world who won prestigeous titles of KOTR / OPBU / IT’S SHOWTIME and all his opponents this year and who has been always among the best in the world from 76 kg till 95 kg which is his actual weight.

GEORGIJ PETROSIAN (ARM / ITA)
The biggest talent and for sure upcoming big super star in muaythai & K-1 Max. This year absolute invincible where he won against some big internationaly know stars.

IT’s SHOWTIME (NL)
run by Simon Rutz

Thanks to K-1 but also to his super fights & tournaments in muaythai as well as super big show in Amsterdam Arena, has become one of the best and biggest promoter in the world.

K-1 & K-1 MAX RULES:

BEST FIGHTER

BEST PROMOTER

MASATO (JPN)
K-1 Max WGP champion For sure one of the biggest stars comming from Japan who fought excellent this year in K-1 Max WGP tournaments and won all his opponents.

FEG (JPN)

For sure, together with UFC in MMA, the biggest promotional company with great show production and system of K-1, K-1 Max & Dream tournaments around the world

SHOOTBOXING RULES:

BEST FIGHTER

BEST PROMOTER

ANDY SOUWER (NL)

Big K-1 Max super star who won again 8 man WGP tournament under shootboxing rules.

SBA JAPAN

Great show with top shootboxing champions comming around the world with big K-1 Max and shootboxing super star Andy Souwer.

ORIENTAL KICK RULES:

BEST FIGHTER

BEST PROMOTER

MIKE ZAMBIDIS (GRE)

Big K-1 Max super star who is invicible under oriental kick rules and who has succesfuly defended his KOTR super title this year.

TONIA FOUSEKI (GRE)

Very succesful manager & promoter of Mike Zambidis and who has organised great show in Athens this year.

MMA RULES:

BEST FIGHTER

BEST PROMOTER

FEDOR EMELIANENKO (RUS)

For couple of years for sure the biggest ever champion under MMA rules

UFC (USA)

For sure the biggest and best promotional company today in the world, specialised for cage fighting and who has left the borders of USA in order to conquere the rest of the world.

THE BIGGEST RESULT:
IN PRO BOXING	IN ORIENTAL PRO BOXING	IN MMA
EVANDER HOLYFIELD (USA) One of the biggest heavyweight champions of all times and for long time retired, after his comeback has made great fight against actual WBA world champion Nikolai Valuev (RUS) and by many deserved to win that fight !	PETER AERTS & ALISTAR OVEREEM (NL) The biggest upset in K-1 this year after great win of Peter Aerts over Semy Schilt. Alistar Overeem has won by 1st round hard KO under K-1 rules over big favourit and K-1 world champion Badr Hari !	MELVIN MANHOEF (NL) For great win by 1st round hard KO over more then 20 kg heavier and absolute favourit under Dream rules – Mark Hunt (NZ)

LIFE TIME ACHIVEMENT:
IN PRO BOXING	IN ORIENTAL PRO BOXING	IN MMA
DON KING (USA) For sure the biggest promoter in boxing of all times who has become trade mark of high level boxing and who has become a real ambasador of pro boxing where ever he comes.	ERNESTO HOOST (NL) in K-1 For sure one of the best ever fighter under muaythai & K-1 rules who is the only one who has won K-1 WGP title four times. RAMON DEKKERS (NL) in muaythai The only foreign fighter who has reach high reputation and admiration in Thai rings thanks to his great fights and victories against top muaythai champions.	PAT MILETICH (USA) One of the legends and biggest ever champions of UFC and succesful coach who has produced some big UFC champions. Today, he is still very active and again winning in the cage.

SPECIAL ACHIVEMENTS:
PRO BOXING DEVELOPMENT CONTRIBUTION		ORIENTAL PRO BOXING DEVELOPMENT CONTRIBUTION
JOSE SULAIMAN (MEX), WBC President Carismatic leader of most famous boxing organisation WBC and who has brought a lot of historic improvements into professional boxing		Mr. KAZUYOSHI ISHII (JPN) Creator and great visioner behind the biggest and most succesful fighting system – K-1 / K-1 Max & MMA Dream. Gen. KOVID BHAKDIBHUMI (THAI) WBC vice President who has oppened historic step for muaythai becoming official sector of WBC boxing organisation. Gen. CHETTA THANAJARO (THAI) WMC President who has, together with great help of General Secretary Stephan Fox, sanctioned the biggest and most famous reality show in the world CONTENDER ASIA in muaythai which helped a lot in promoting traditional full muaythai sport around the globe. Mr. WILIBALD PALATIN (A) WBC boxing member of Board of Governors & OPBU President who followed WBC initiative regarding muaythai and who is behind first pure professional organisation in Oriental Pro Boxing under most important fighting sports comming from Orient (Asia), working closely with pro boxing organisations and promoters with great results in 1 year and a half of it’s creation.

MMA DEVELOPMENT CONTRIBUTION
UFC (USA) Thanks to great shows and media exposure across USA have helped big expansion of MMA all over the world

MEDIA CONTRIBUTION
EUROSPORT Satelite sport channel covering all Europe who has helped a lot in promoting fighting sports thru their regular special shows under the name FIGHT CLUB.