Shamrock Redemption Recap

The Stratford Inn in Fenton Missouri was the place to be February 4th if you were a fan of Local MMA. Shamrock Productions brought us a show that kept us on the edge of our seats the entire night… that was if we could stay in them at all.The night began filled with excitement as several hundred fans packed there way in to the Stratford Inn ballroom for a sold out show that was sure to entertain. The room was loud and at every table you could hear fans and family talking about who they thought was going to win and why. The card featured a number of evenly matched bouts between fighters that have proven themselves to be top shelf among their peers on the local stage and every fan, trainer, fighter, and even the writers couldn’t wait to see this night unfold. Though there were a number of very technical fights what stood out most Saturday was the heavy handed knockouts and high flying kicks. If you came expecting to see fast and powerful knockouts then you did not leave disappointed!

Nate Dieckmann v Derek Dressell

Though the undercard featured a number of fights that didn’t disappoint,  the bout that stood out the most early on to me was the fight between South Side’s Nate Dieckmann and Derek Dressell. Coming into this fight I was very familiar with Nate Dieckmann and his heavy hands, last year I was able to see him walk away with TKO/RSC’s in the first round against both Jason Davis and Doug Bellew. Dieckmann was someone I was very excited to see fight again to judge his talent and see what he had in him on a larger stage, and we certainly got that opportunity on this card as he stepped into the cage with Derek Dressell who was coming off of a win in December on the Shamrock card also scoring a TKO against Jeremy Wayne in the 2nd round.

The Fight began with the two tapping gloves and if you blinked at that moment I feel bad for you, because you would have missed the entire fight. Immediately following the start of the bout Dieckmann came in with a sharp left jab that landed right on the chin of his opponent Derek Dressell stunning him, he immediately followed it up with a thundering right that sent Dressell to the ground securing a TKO win for Dieckmann. The crowd immediately exploded with cheers for Nate as his South Side Fight Club teammates and coaches flooded the cage with him to celebrate. With  quick one-two combo Nate Dieckmann not only secured another victory but earned himself a large number of new fans who are excited to see how his career unfolds.

Jake Martin v Rickey Bolin

This matchup was one that I was looking forward to anxiously for weeks. Jake Martin is a competitor that I have watched from the very beginning of his career. coming into this matchup he was an undefeated 4-0 with impressive victories over tough local competitors like JP McLeod, Aaron Whatley, Mike Bryant, and recent local standout and his current teammate Daniel Baynton. Martin has proven that he is able to not only overpower you and force a submission but also that he can strike with the best of them as he proved against both Bryant and Baynton. Rickey Bolin is a dangerous local competitor that is known for being able to win a fight a number of different ways, he has won via TKO, had a number of successful submissions and coming into this bout was coming off of a three round unanimous decision victory over a tough Scott Ettling.

Though this was a fight I anticipated to be a war between two titans, what unfolded couldn’t have been farther from it. Bolin controlled the fight the entire first round and secured a victory by RNCearly in the second round winning him the belt he had his eyes on for over a year. Martin showed flashes of the talent we know he has within but for the majority of the about appeared to be either overpowered or overwhelmed by the large crowd and tough opponent. After the fight Bolin took the anouncer’s mic and asked if the crowd thought he should go pro. With this victory he is now 8-4 with a Shamrock Championship and is certainly a rising star in the St. Louis MMA scene. When asked about the fight the newly crowned Shamrock 155 champ said “The fight with Martin went as I had planed. I figured it wasnt gonna take long for him to start grappling, but he wore out fast which let me slow him down with my strikes and eventually after some ground and pound he gave up his neck and I finshed the fight with vertually no damage . big shout out to all the friends and family that come out and support me and my team Finneys Hit Squad!”

Bo Kunz v Marc Godecker

I cant think of a more even and thrilling matchup for an MMA fan to see on a main card than a matchup between a heavy handed solid striker and a strong dominant wrestler and we had just that in this matchup. Bo “Bad News” Kunz is a local amateur that is known for his heavy handed haymakers and one of the best strikers in the state, his record is riddled with some of Missouri’s toughest fighter and is currently on a win streak that is creating quite the buzz. Godecker is a fighter that is known for walking around with the physique of an actor from the Starz hit TV show Spartacus, and for being one of the best solid wrestlers around.When the cage door closed and the two stood toe to toe there wasnt an eye in the house that wasn’t fixed on the center of the cage.

The first round was a power struggle with both landing strikes as they circled and looked for an opportunity to control the other, Godecker who is known for being a solid wrestler had two takedown attempts blocked and even found himself taken to the mat by Kunz who was able to capitalize by landing a few thundering blows to his opponent before the round ended clearly in his favor. In the second round Godecker was able to show flashes of greatness controlling Kunz for over half of the round nearly securing a submission twice before the round ended this time in Godeckers favor. The third round came with plenty of effort from both of these fighters, Kunz was able to land many heavy strikes again, but Godecker was able to hold him off until the end of the round and we went to the judges. Kunz scored the win.When asked what’s next Kunz shared “My focus is on  becoming a well rounded fighter. To all the 205ers that arr protecting your ammy records and not fighting tough opponents, your amany record doesn’t mean crap when you go pro. I plan on fighting and improving my game as I look to go pro next year.”

Kain Royer v Chris Heatherly

To say that the atmosphere leading into this bout was electric may be the largest understatement in the history of local events. Of the  800 in attendance it sounded like 3,000 were yelling for Royer and the other 3,000 were screaming for Heatherly. As each competitor made it into the cage the mood in the venue became increasingly excited and it seemed at one point as if the room was about to explode because it couldn’t hold the pressure.

Royer is a known strong brawler and a guy you don’t want to clinch with, he has the ability to control a fight and wear you down before making you wish you’d never stepped in the cage with him. Heatherly is a known explosive fighter with the ability to end a fight at any given moment, he holds a record that would turn the head of most professionals and turning heads is exactly what Chris was intent on doing in this bout. As the first round began the two warriors touched gloves and then the unbelievable happened, Heatherly twisted pack and threw a kick with wis right leg that landed his shin directly on the face of Royer and out went the lights. Heatherly secured a TKO and one of the most impressive local victories I’ve ever witnessed. There is no question about this kid, he is a rising star on the local scene.

Overall this event was a complete success, Shamrock Promotions continues its storied tradition of putting on fantastic events for the STL fans, and this fan was especially grateful to be a part of another evening of the greatest sport in our country. If you are a local MMA fan make sure to head out to these local venues and show your support for all of our local athletes!

 

 

 

Photo Courtesy of Sports Feast Photographer Adam Merseal

2 Comments

1. 

   misty tuttle

   February 14, 2012 at 8:02 PM

   YAAA Ricky…. My first time there. The fights was just how described.. AMAZING!! my favorite fight was against Ricky Bolin and Jake Martin. You go Ricky!! went just as I wanted. Ur a good kid and u deserve to go far . Going pro sounds real nice for u.

   Reply
   • 

     theBard

     February 15, 2012 at 12:18 AM

     It was a great night of fights, and Rickey certainly did well! I look forward to seeing him fight again! Thanks for the read and comment

     Reply