What: Toughman Hawaii Kickboxing ADVERTISING What: Toughman Hawaii When: 6 p.m. Saturday Where: Hilo Civic Main event: Donald Gonzales vs. Van Oscar Penovaroff for the interim 140-pound lightweight title Key bouts: Ashton “One Whack Medivac” Castro vs. Paul “The Animal”
Kickboxing
What: Toughman Hawaii
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Hilo Civic
Main event: Donald Gonzales vs. Van Oscar Penovaroff for the interim 140-pound lightweight title
Key bouts: Ashton “One Whack Medivac” Castro vs. Paul “The Animal” Norman, Ikaika “Scar Face” Martin vs. Micah Abreu-Laybon, Conrado Martin vs. Deejay Caseria
Tickets: $20 presale at CD Wizard and Big Island Surf; for ring-side seats, call 960-4341
By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
There will be fireworks at the Toughman Hawaii kickboxing gala, which is the legalized venue for old adversaries to settle scores from long ago.
As promoter Wally Carvalho well knows there’s nothing like an old-fashioned grudge match to draw attention to his latest production, the Toughman welterweight tournament, pretty much an appetizer for the main event, a hoedown featuring Puna’s Donald Gonzales against Kona’s Van Oscar Penovaroff for the interim 140-pound lightweight title. (Waianae’s Jon Barnard holds the belt but is currently rehabbing from knee surgery.)
Penovaroff’s last fight in Hilo was a mixed martial arts bout last month for Triple Threat Fights, a new promotion. Penovaroff lost to Maui’s Eddie Perrells by decision for the pro 145-pound featherweight title. The much shorter Perrells was 6 for 6 on takedowns, and spent most of the 15 minutes punching Penovaroff on the head from a mount position.
Carvalho expects a different fight, noting two important factors: island pride and no takedowns, which are not allowed in kickboxing. And as Carvalho tells it, there’s bad history between the two.
“This fight was supposed to happen three years ago in Kona,” he said. “But there was a disagreement that was verbally agreed to by Donald boy for the X-1 World Events lightweight title. There was a full house in Kona and he didn’t step into the cage. Sonny Westbrook, the promoter, threw him out of the building and his family was asked to leave.
“This whole thing has been festering and the building of disrespect. What was supposed to happen will happen. There will be fireworks on this Fourth of July weekend, guaranteed. They’ll rumble in the house and Penovaroff won’t play turtle like the last show. It’s a fight to be the best stand-up lightweight.”
In the last Toughman in May, Gonzales defeated Conrado Martin by decision, going full blast in the third and final round, trading haymakers until the bell. Gonzales survived several clean shots to the head and rib cage, displaying a tough chin.
Meanwhile, Martin, who also gave as good as he got, will slide down a weight to battle Deejay Caseria for the vacant 130-pound junior lightweight title.
“Deejay is from Waianae and he’s a bad son of a b——. I like to bring in tough guys to light up the card, no tomato can fights,” Carvalho said in his best Dana White impersonation. “I want to bring in guys who want to come and fight. Most of the talented junior lightweights are from Oahu. Prior to Donald boy, Conrado was undefeated with six wins in a row.
“I’ve got other tough guys, too, from here, Kaeo Meyers is from Honokaa and Dillon Fillekes is from Kona. He’s a welterweight (160 pounds) and a very tough kid. He trains at Average Joes with Don Kawabata. He’s a sensei kickboxer and at the top of the food chain in kickboxing. His whole life he gives back to the kids. He’s 50 years old and is talking about fighting in the next Toughman.”
There’s another grudge match that has Carvalho salivating. It’s between Ashton Castro and Paul Norman, who’s 6 feet 5 with long limbs and lives up to his “Animal” nickname as a fighter.
Last October at the Just Scrap fight, Norman caught Castro in an arm-bar and got the tap out for the 185-pound middleweight title.
“The Paul Norman and Ashton Castro fight will be a huge one,” Carvalho said. “After Norman took him down and beat him, Ashton has won seven fights and wants revenge. It’ll be a good fight and will draw a lot of attention.
“At first, Paul said, ‘I fought him and already beat him. That would be going backwards to fight him again.’ Ashton said, ‘He can’t take me to the ground (in kickboxing) and I’m going to kick his ass.’ That finally got Paul to do it. It should bring a good crowd.”
As Carvalho knows, there’s nothing like a grudge match to produce a little animosity and ignite fireworks. It’s basically the equivalent of keying someone’s new car. Come Saturday, it’s on.
“This is a grudge match between Ashton and Norman,” the Toughman carnival barker said. “Van and Donald is a supreme grudge match. They’re going to bring it to see who’s the best on the island.”
