The Lord of the Rings, a two-day celebration marking Gladiators Promotions’ 30th anniversary, took place at the Montekristo Estate in Ħal Farruġ a few weeks ago on Friday, July 19, and Saturday, July 20. It concluded with resounding success.
As expected, the two-day extravaganza at MonteKristo delivered a spectacular spectacle, showcasing thrilling fights, the return of renowned boxers, battles for championship belts, and highly anticipated rematches between legendary fighters.
Spread across two days, a sizeable audience bore witness to 37 sensational bouts. The lineup included Olympic-style amateur boxing, Muay Thai, Mixed Martial Arts, professional boxing, Kickboxing, and Kickboxing under K1 regulations.
The World Boxing Council Muaythai (WBC Muaythai), the Malta Boxing Federation (MBF), the Malta Kickboxing Association (MKBA), and the Malta Boxing Association (MBA) joined forces to support Gladiators Promotions and oversee the respective disciplines throughout this extraordinary event. It featured six combat disciplines competing under one roof.
Unfortunately, due to the Microsoft bug that occurred over the weekend, four matches, including the WBC Muay Thai title belt bout between Luigi Merenda from Team Satori Italy and Adam Laamouz from Team Noel Malta, had to be cancelled. Nevertheless, the event proceeded as planned and delighted the enthusiastic crowd. Featuring an impressive lineup of competitors, the event showcased the highly anticipated return boxing match between legendary boxer Brandon Borg Bogon and Seamus Devlin from Team UK.
The match consisted of four rounds lasting three minutes each. In a remarkable display of skill, the Maltese boxer emerged victorious, marking a successful comeback in his professional career. In another thrilling contest under K1 Kickboxing rules, local fighter Jesred Piscopo from Team Noel faced off against Badr Ghazy from the Golden Fighter Sicily. The three-round fight lasted three minutes per round, and Piscopo delivered an outstanding performance throughout. With sheer determination and hard work, he emerged as the winner, earning himself the Gladiator’s title belt.
Danzell Azzopardi, representing the New Kickboxing Club, and Skyler Bezzina from Team Noel Club, two young and promising fighters, emerged triumphant in a 3-rounds x 2 minutes match against their opponents. Their adversaries were Italian fighter Giancarlo Feliciano from Team Satori. This victory marked the first time for the Maltese kickboxers to secure the Gladiator title belt under K1 Kickboxing regulations. Displaying exceptional performance, both fighters excelled in all three rounds, with the judges anonymously declaring them as winners.
On Friday night, local heavyweight Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) contender Aleandor Schembri Manicaro engaged in a 3-rounds x 3 minutes bout against Aris Koutsodimos from Team Draculino Greece. The Maltese MMA fighter began the opening round with great intensity and continued to enhance his performance throughout the second and third rounds, ultimately leading to his victory in the fight.
The two-day event of Gladiator was incredibly thrilling, with the national title match for Boxing Super Middle Weight taking place as the final event. The rematch featured Christian Schembri Coqqos from Team Fort Fitness Malta facing off against Elton Azzopardi from Team Vikings Malta.
With a split crowd backing each fighter throughout the exhilarating 10-round match, which lasted 3 minutes per round, spectators witnessed a fiercely contested and closely fought battle between the two Maltese boxers. Nonetheless, Elton Azzopardi emerged as the victor from the blue corner, displaying an impeccable performance over the entire duration of the 10 rounds.
As this incredible event came to a close, the Gladiators Promoters expressed their gratitude to the local audience who attended both days and continued to support their fighters throughout the event. Lastly, they extended congratulations to all the fighters who participated in the event and those who emerged victorious.
