Kempo Chris
11-07-2003, 10:20 AM
Ludwig Back In Action At November 18th K-1 World Max
By Michael Afromowitz
muaythaimes@aol.com
[October 26, 2003] When Duane “Bang” Ludwig made his K-1 Japan debut last year during the inaugural World Max Grand Prix tournament, he was still a project in the midst of being completed and one that lacked the experience of competing in a country the plays host to the elite of martial arts fighting. Approaching the close of 2003, the 25-year-old has since matured into a seasoned, world-class fighting machine, who has been tested and who has survived and triumphed even in the most compromising situations in the ring. With the past behind him and his career continuing to blossom, Ludwig stands prepared for his matchup with Japanese native Toshio Matsumoto during the November 18th installment of K-1’s 160-pound limit circuit.
On July 5th, Ludwig reached the semifinal round of the 2nd annual K-1 World Max eight-man, single-elimination tournament at The Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. During the opening tournament round, the Denver, Colorado native stopped Japan’s Kozo Takeda only 46 seconds into the second round of their meeting. In the following tournament round, though, Ludwig was placed on the defensive by the event’s defending champion, Dutch kickboxing star Albert Kraus. While he stayed alive throughout the first two rounds, the American was dropped and counted out at 1:33 of the final scheduled round.
Ludwig’s showing in Japan this summer represented a marked improvement over that of the previous year when the thrill of making it to Japan was short-lived for the American prospect. After he earned a berth in the long-awaited, first-ever K-1 Max tournament in Japan by winning a four-man qualifying tournament in Denver, Ludwig was matched up with Masato, Japan’s pride and joy whose outstanding 32-3 record only partly describes how much of a dominant force he is . Masato gave his less-experienced opponent a rude awakening to the competitive reality of the fight game overseas before gaining a unanimous decision victory.
Back home, Ludwig has been recognized as, pound-for-pound, one of the most dangerous strikers in combat sports. And rightfully so. Two years ago, the tenacious fighter began stockpiling victory after victory in both mixed martial arts and kickboxing where he has since amassed records of 11-2 (8 KO’s) and 34-2 (22 KO’s), respectively. While climbing the ranks, Ludwig also caught the attention of mixed martial arts legend Bas Rutten, who quickly adopted the American as his protégé.
http://www.k-1usa.net/images/news/large/102603.gif
By Michael Afromowitz
muaythaimes@aol.com
[October 26, 2003] When Duane “Bang” Ludwig made his K-1 Japan debut last year during the inaugural World Max Grand Prix tournament, he was still a project in the midst of being completed and one that lacked the experience of competing in a country the plays host to the elite of martial arts fighting. Approaching the close of 2003, the 25-year-old has since matured into a seasoned, world-class fighting machine, who has been tested and who has survived and triumphed even in the most compromising situations in the ring. With the past behind him and his career continuing to blossom, Ludwig stands prepared for his matchup with Japanese native Toshio Matsumoto during the November 18th installment of K-1’s 160-pound limit circuit.
On July 5th, Ludwig reached the semifinal round of the 2nd annual K-1 World Max eight-man, single-elimination tournament at The Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. During the opening tournament round, the Denver, Colorado native stopped Japan’s Kozo Takeda only 46 seconds into the second round of their meeting. In the following tournament round, though, Ludwig was placed on the defensive by the event’s defending champion, Dutch kickboxing star Albert Kraus. While he stayed alive throughout the first two rounds, the American was dropped and counted out at 1:33 of the final scheduled round.
Ludwig’s showing in Japan this summer represented a marked improvement over that of the previous year when the thrill of making it to Japan was short-lived for the American prospect. After he earned a berth in the long-awaited, first-ever K-1 Max tournament in Japan by winning a four-man qualifying tournament in Denver, Ludwig was matched up with Masato, Japan’s pride and joy whose outstanding 32-3 record only partly describes how much of a dominant force he is . Masato gave his less-experienced opponent a rude awakening to the competitive reality of the fight game overseas before gaining a unanimous decision victory.
Back home, Ludwig has been recognized as, pound-for-pound, one of the most dangerous strikers in combat sports. And rightfully so. Two years ago, the tenacious fighter began stockpiling victory after victory in both mixed martial arts and kickboxing where he has since amassed records of 11-2 (8 KO’s) and 34-2 (22 KO’s), respectively. While climbing the ranks, Ludwig also caught the attention of mixed martial arts legend Bas Rutten, who quickly adopted the American as his protégé.
http://www.k-1usa.net/images/news/large/102603.gif