By Nate Wren

I recently had the honor of interviewing a United States Army Veteran and Mixed Martial Arts Legend, Shannon “The Cannon” Ritch. He’s the most active fighter in the world, having fought all over the world, notably in Brazil, Burma, Canada, China, England, Holland, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Thailand and all over the United States.

When Shannon made his debut in MMA, it was called NHB No Holds Barred. He made his debut in a Mexican bull fighting arena called Plaza Del Toro in Nogales, Mexico. Since then, he’s been featured in ESPN Magazine, Rolling Stone, and many other big magazines.

He has 128 professional MMA wins, and a record of 25-3 in bare knuckle boxing, with all 25 wins knockout. He stands with 36-7 records in Muay Thai and kickboxing fights. He’s won eight world titles and twenty-eight belts in big promotions.

Other wins and titles include:

• IFC- Middleweight World title
• King of the Cage- Middleweight World title
• Gladiator Challenge- Heavyweight World title
• Showdown- Middleweight World title
• AFC Russia – Middleweight World title
• Rage in Cage- World Title
• IHR- First ever Native American World title
• Hermosillo Mexico – Middleweight World title
• Three Time Bad Boy- Middleweight World Champion

Despite these wins, Shannon hasn’t let any of his success go to his head or change him like most athletes do. He’s given much to his community as well as so many others. He’s touched many lives along the way, and through public speaking he’s inspired many children and teens to follow and pursue their dreams and brought attention to serious issues like bullying and cancer. He once stepped up on very short notice when many fighters wouldn’t answer the challenge and he fought former UFC Champion Evan Tanner to help pay for the treatments of a child with cancer. He’s always making appearances in the cities he’s fighting in and inspiring others to never give up and to fight for the things they believe in.

Shannon owns his own Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school called Cannon Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He coaches and mentors a great group of kids that makes up one of the best teams in the state of Arizona. His star pupil, 15-year-old Jessie “The Beast” McCurry has been winning world titles and beating grown women who have more experience than her. She’s already being compared to a young Rhonda Rousey, and many writers predict that she’ll be a force to be reckoned with in the world of MMA under Shannon’s guidance.

Shannon will be fighting the always entertaining MMA and Muay Thai veteran, Omar “Rocky” Molina from Mexico. They’ll be fighting on Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships on Saturday February 2ndat Estadio de Béisbol Beto Ávila in Cancun, Mexico for the Bareknuckle Fighting Championships International Super-Fight Title.

Omar is one of the most entertaining fighters I’ve seen out of Mexico; he’s a tough guy with a lot of heart.

Omar is trained by John Stricker, and he himself owns, runs, and trains out of Rock Solid Combat Club in Ensenada, Mexico. He trains aspiring fighters and at-risk youth, loves his team and the people, and makes a positive impact in his community. Omar is going to fight for the kids in the neighborhood his city and country. He might not have as many fights or has fought as many legends as Shannon “The Cannon” Ritch, but come fight night, you better believe he’s going to give it everything he has and he’s going to try to shock the world and attempt to beat this great champion.

I interviewed Omar Molina and here is what he had to say.

Nate: Who is training you for this fight?

Omar: I’m currently working with John Stricker. Golden Gloves competitor from St. Louis Missouri. Met him here in Ensenada. Both he and his daughter train out if my gym. When I was offered the fight, I knew that I wanted to get John involved. As the fight draws closer, he has taken over my training camp. I’m very pleased with my progress.

Nate: who and what are you fighting for?

 Omar: Fighting Shannon is something I never thought of. His level and accolades are far above my humble pay scale. Yet, in this format of bareknuckle boxing, I believe that I have the advantage. Despite his experience and extensive record, I believe and can prove it if I must, that I have more rounds of boxing than he has. Thus, my reasoning behind accepting the fight.

Nate: what is your motivation to win this fight?

Omar:  My motivation (what), is to use this platform of PPV and against a living legend Shannon “the Cannon” Ritch, will obviously bring notoriety to my gym and the system I’ve developed over the years. Not a modified version of my coaches teaching, those are kept to the truest form possible. It’s the way I teach. I’m not necessarily looking to build fighters. I’m training more “TEACHERS.” If one of my students can translate and transmit a technique, a defense or even the correct way to perform a basic exercise like push-up, to another less experienced person that means he or she actually understands the technical side of the discipline. Unfortunately, many “MMA” gyms and/or coaches take advantage of their students’ God given talent or physical proficiency by taking credit that the individual in question is good or maybe even great because of what the “trainer” did. When it’s usually that the student is a gifted athlete. That’s why I stick to individual sports and the only time I’ll “mix” them is of the individual will be competing. 

Men, women, children, pros, novices…they are all the same to me. So, basically… acknowledgement and recognition in our system and to pay homage to my coaches.

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships is put on by brilliant fight promoter, David Feldman, who has been in the fight game his whole life. His father was once a great Middleweight boxer with a 20-3 record with 17 wins by knockout. As a trainer, he trained 7 world champions. He is the younger brother of former undefeated Middleweight Pro Boxer with a 9-0 record and celebrity boxing promoter Damon Feldman. David also boxed professionally for a time and had a 5-1 record before he became a promoter.

David has worked with some of boxing’s and MMA’s greats during his many years as a fight promoter and has put on 3 of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen in Bare Knuckle Boxing. His first show, BKFC 1, had Tony “Kryptonite” Lopez Vs. Joey Beltran in what had to be one of the greatest and most exciting bareknuckle fights I’d ever seen. Blood covered all over both warriors and neither of them backed up an inch. It was ten minutes of fury!

One of the fastest and most devastating knockouts I’d seen was when undefeated professional boxer, Sam Shewmaker, knocked out former Bellator Season Five Tournament Champion Eric Prindle in seventeen seconds of the first round with Shewmaker landed a devastating overhand right to Prindle’s head, knocking him to the canvas. Prindle was out cold.

Former IBA World Cruiserweight Champion and currently undefeated bareknuckle boxer Bobby Gunn made short work of professional boxer former WBO and WBC Latino Heavyweight Champion Ireneu Beato Costa Junior, who had a 19-9 record with 17 wins by knockout. Gunn knocking Beato out forty-one seconds into round one.

BKFC 2 had the first ever women’s bareknuckle fighter, former UFC Fighter Bec Rawlings Vs. Britain Hart. In an exciting five round fight, Rawlings scored a knockdown on the tough Hart. Bec Rawlings won a very close split decision. Former UFC Fighter Kendall Grove defeated Bruce Abramski by unanimous decision, and former UFC Fighter Chris Lytle knocked out Drew Lipton in the first round.

BKFC 3 had six knockouts. Former UFC Fighter Joe Riggs defeated Brock Weaver by unanimous decision; professional boxer Mike Bissett, who currently holds the USA Mississippi State Heavyweight Title knocked out former UFC Fighter and former Gladiator Challenge Heavyweight Champion Aaron Brink in the first round.

This upcoming Bareknuckle Fighting Championships is the fourth show they bring. Some of the best fighters in the world from boxing, Muay Thai, kick boxing, and MMA will be put in a ring and will fight with bare knuckles just to see who really is the toughest in the world. The wrists are taped so they don’t break, but the knuckles stay bare.

They’ve had undefeated bareknuckle legend, former IBA World Cruiserweight Champion Bobby “The Celtic Warrior” Gunn, who has a 74-0 record.

Other notable fighters include:

• Former UFC fighter Bec Rawlings, currently undefeated in Bareknuckle Boxing 2-0.
• Former UFC Fighter and former WEC World Middleweight Champion Joe Riggs.
• Former UFC Fighter and The Ultimate Fighter Season Three Tournament Winner Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove.
• Former UFC Fighter Johnny Bedford.
• Former UFC Fighter Joey Beltran.
• Former Pride FC Fighter Charles Bennett.
• Former UFC Fighter Aaron Brink.
• Former UFC Fighter Leandro De Silva. 
• Former Bellator Fighter Diego Garijo.
• MMA Legend Tony “Kryptonite” Lopez. 
• Former UFC Fighter Chris Lytle.
• Former Bellator Fighter Nick Mamalis.
• Former UFC World Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez. 
• Former UFC World Welterweight Champion Johnny Hendricks. 
• MMA Legend and Former Pride FC Fighter Shannon Ritch.
• Former UFC Fighter and Legacy Fighting Championships Featherweight Champion Leonard Garcia.
• Former UFC Fighter Erick Montano.
• International Muay Thai Champion Jose Ruelas who has won many big Muay Thai titles around the world.
• Former Bellator Fighter, the always entertaining, JC Llamas. 

 

With these last three epic bareknuckle boxing shows, I look forward to seeing what this brilliant promoter, David Feldman, does with this fourth show: Team USA Vs. Team Mexico. I’m sure it will be one great show with some amazing fights.

You can get more information at www.bareknuckle.tv

Written By Nate Wren  Jan 16th 2019

natewren@rocketmail.com

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