Local Hero 31/7, Perth...a LeonMcS review.

Well its nearly two days later and finally I've had a chance to have a look back and cast my eye over the show. I'll be fair and judge it like I would any card I watch but to lay all my cards on the table now, I was involved with filming the whole shebang and helping out with some other odd jobs. Here goes...

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I initially got involved a few weeks ago when Mark de Mori asked if I'd be interested in filming the whole event. I jumped at the chance as I've always wanted to do that and also help out with a promotion. J.ustin Footit (the promoter) was agreeable and after thinking about how good my camera is (good, but not great) the idea came to me that if I was to get better gear their might be the chance to sell to Sky Channel. A quick phone call to Mat Brooks and he gave me the rundown of what we'd need to provide, 2 cameras, editing, lighting etc so with that on board I made another phone call to someone with better quality gear who was happy to film.

Was also asked by J.ustin if I knew anyone who wanted to do the ring announcing, knowing just the guy I gave Kegsy a call and he was happy to come on board.

Hey, how easy is this promoting gig?

Over the next few weeks towards the event phones are running hot, details are ironed out. Mat Brooks must be getting sick of the sound of my voice as I check and double check the quality of the film we'll need.

One of the Kiwi boys suddenly is on the verge of pulling out and Mark says I might be making my heavyweight debut. Luckily I'm (just) under the limit but decide if worst comes to worst I can easily start training and take on a few deep pan meatlovers pizzas every night in the lead up to the bout.

Take some film of Marks prep, some sparring with assorted fighters (see previous training thread for pics). Luckily I'm a bit removed from the engine room of the promotion so I'm not putting up with all the hassles faced by the fighters and promoter.

Of course it would be a promotion without one major crisis just before the event. This happens late Tuesday night when we find out the operators want an extra amount on each ticket and without going into details the venue is changed the next day, which luckily turns out to be in our favour. The original venue can only hold 400 but its apparant that theres going to be more...many more.

Advertising is helped by the special appearance of 'local celebrity' Mark de Mori at a advance screening of 'Public Enemies' for a local radio station which involves a quick pre movie interview and a giveaway of a pair of gloves Mark used in his last fight. A radio interview follows on Thursday night during their sports talkback program which doesn't hurt either.

Thursday night we have the weigh in and I'm there to film it all. All goes swimmingly, one fighter has to do some quick work after failing to make the correct weight. I get home and check my footage and to my horror, it hasn't worked out. I've made an amatuer error (which I'm not going to share here) but the end result is we have no film and therefore no ability to grab pics from my film, to post of the weigh in. Luckily we had someone else there taking snaps so late Thursday night he comes around and we're able to get the weights and pics up of 6 of the 8 fighters. Finally get to bed at 1am ready for the big day.

6am, up off to work for half a day. Finish at one and off to the venue to give a hand. Get there just before two and walk in to an instant crisis, the ring is half set up but is found to be in the wrong place and needs to be moved. Its an eight man job and luckily we have six so much huffing and puffing later we manage to move it the required metre and a half. Crisis averted its onto the next drama, 600 seats to set up. This is done by J.ustin and myself and takes a few hours and we hastily make rows and aisles suddenly converting ourselves into candidates for the next home renovation show as we argue leg room and aisle space. Finish that job close to six and we're totally spent but can't stop now. J.ustins off finalising details while I sit down to write some details of the fighters for the ring announcer who is a late substitute for Kegsy whos coming off a bad illness during the week which saw him hospitalised. Finish my write ups and its down to stick a couple of fliers on the door so people wandering past know we're here.

6.30PM doors open and the crowd starts to trickle in. No seating plan so its first in first served, of course the ringside seats go fast. Our professional cameraman arrives just before seven and gives me a quick rundown of my new toy for the night, much better than my little model. Just after seven with nearly all seats full I head out for last gasper and amazed at the continuing procession of cars pulling up and dropping off patrons and groups coming down the road from the pub clutching tickets. We're going to close to a house full so now hopefully the show will go smoothly.

Back upstairs I run into Ben K whos here to judge and timekeep and unfortunately we've neglected to put his and some other officials on the door list. Say g'day to Ben and have a quick chat and get him to add the other required names.

7.30PM Our new announcer tells everyone we're five minutes away from starting which is a shock as we're not scheduled to start until 8. Go down and tell him and have one quick last run through of my notes, I'm worried he won't get Talemairas name right so pronounce it for him. Go back to my filming position and its a sea of people and its then I notice the bars are selling stubbies. I pray theres no dodgy calls or it could get ugly.

Final run through with the camera and our pro goes to ringside so he can film from the nuetral corner, I originally wanted to film there but realise we'll be using that footage most so its probably a better idea to send him there.

Just after 8 our first fight is on, Pieter Cronje vs Oscar Talemaira. Our ring announcer trips all over Oscars name and by the end of the fight I reckon I've heard about six different variations of it. Cronje doesn't fare any better, with him pronouncing the j. Oh well.

Its about a minute into the round when I realise the expertise I have with my little camera is not transferring at all to the pro gear I'm using. What I thought I could handle is quickly becoming a struggle. I'm panning too slow to keep up, fearful of getting them out of frame which I'm doing anyway. I feel a bit deflated realising something that I thought I was good at is turning out to something I'm not so good at. What is like to wake up and realise you're not as good as you thought? I guess its something kronky has to deal with every day.

Oscar goes down in the first but gamely gets up. Twice more in the fourth and finally for the last time in the fifth and its waved off. I'd like to be more descriptive of the fights but honestly I was concentrating so hard with that bloody camera that of all the fights from that night I can only remember a few seconds here and there. I'm watching the night through a black and white viewfinder so my best seat in the house is in reality a bit of a let down. Ah well, I'm living the dream.

Andrew Green vs Jeff Stutt is next and its a pretty willing affair going the whole 4 rounds. Stutt definitely came to fight and ends up with a split bottom lip.

Fight of the night is probably Clint Hosking vs Manu Emery, Clint unloads everything but a game Manu absorbs and answers back where he can, he was never going to win it but was never going to give up as well. A brave effort and the crowd appreciates it.

Main Event, De Mori vs Karusa. Having watched Mark in sparring I'm aware of the gameplan but a few in the crowd want a 30 second KO. Mark gets some rounds in and the big man Karusa is game, but in the fifth with Kev tiring Mark unloads some wicked combinations and Karusa goes down in his own corner and can't beat the count.

EPILOGUE

I'm backstage getting the Kiwi boys addresses so I can send them copies of the dvd of the night when its ready. My favourite moment of the night is about occur.

I approach the 157 kilo Kevin Karusa and ask him if he wants a copy of the night on dvd

"Yes Sir"

I'm a bit taken aback with his politeness and explain it may take a few weeks.

"Thats ok Sir, I'd appreciate that very much Sir."

Big Kevs just won a new fan.

I'm happy that everyones come through ok, the Kiwi boys came to give it a go and I hope we left them with as much of a good impression as they did on me, hopefully will run into them in the future.

Of course I have to be honest and say theres a few things that could be improved for the next card on the 13th of Sep. I wasn't aware of it until after the show but I found out a lot of people were having trouble hearing the post fight interviews and introductions. From my vantage point it was great but the feedback I recieved from a few people tells me different.

Also, and I think after this the ring announcers union is going to blacklist me, our r.a did muck up a few names and had a tendency to talk abit during the fight which I'm not a fan of. I've talked to a few others and theres seems to be a 50/50 split where some people like it and some, like me, hate it so I'll just qualify that statement as being my personal opinion. Maybe I'm just thinking of my mate Kegsy.

But all in all, for a first promotion, J.ustin Footit did a bloody good job. Of course theres areas to improve and like any first time things were done on the run but I was amazed at the size of the crowd and stoked that there was no trouble.

I make it home just after midnight are my arms are dead weights, my calfs feel like they're about to explode and I settle back for a beer or 3. Crash around two am yet wake up around 6.30am, and am surprised to see I've had an email from Mark at 4am (he couldn't sleep) and later a text from J.ustin at 7am (couldn't sleep either). Knackered but amped...looking forward to the next one.

Leon(how many more chairs?)McS

 

Close hmmm, but not quite...I'll just say its 20 years since I've made that mistake and hopefully its more than 20 until the next time.

 

Things that didn't make the final cut of this piece.

The three forum members who sent me texts on the night demanding 'upskirt'. Hang your heads in shame, I'm a profess-ah, an amatuer who was concentrating on the task at hand. And besides, its impossible when your in a raised position.

An unidentified poster who shall remain nameless (First initial P, second hil Austin whos texting about a certain person shows a very unhealthy, yet understandable interest in.

My 7:45pm phone call to Flamengo which probably sounded like a hysterical Ned Flanders to him down the other end (Diddly...iddly...)

My unanswered text to Kegsy...mysterious no show of the night).

 

Thats not it Sai and I think your right, this will probably turn into an unofficial contest over the next few days.

Bugger.