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Monyelle claims fifth title belt
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| Submitted photo> Champion Chad Monyelle, middle, posed in the ring in Florida with Devin Smith and Lisa Wells. |
By Jim Franz
Daily News staff writer
Kickboxer joins elite fraternity in Florida
Craig Monyelle has created a monster.
He couldn't be happier.
The former amateur and professional kickboxing champion has trained his 17-year-old son, Chad, since he was barely old enough to walk, much less kick somebody in the ribs.
Today, he's the trainer of a five-time amateur champion. Over the weekend, the Beloit Memorial senior added his second Junior Muay Thai title in the International Kickboxing Federation's World Classic at the Marriott World Center in Orlando, Fla.
“With Chad, I tried to create my own worst nightmare,” he said. “I think I succeeded. I hated to face the guy who had as much power as I had, plus a lot more skill. Now that's Chad.”
One of three kickboxing Monyelle siblings following his father into the ring, Chad Monyelle competed in the 15-16 age division in the Featherweight (120-130) class in Florida and became one of only three kickboxers to ever hold as many as five amateur titles. His father had three.
Monyelle was a little disappointed he couldn't go for the “triple crown” in Florida by competing in the International Rules division. He had already won three belts in full contact kickboxing (2000, 2004, 2005) and the first of his two Muay Thai titles last year. The other competitors in International Rules moved to other divisions due to Monyelle's experience, leaving him no choice but to move back to Muay Thai.
“The only way he could fight in International Rules was as an adult,” his trainer/father Craig said. “In hindsight, I wish I would have let him. But as a trainer and father, I thought he was better off on the safe side. After watching him win those two bouts, I think he is ready to move.”
Chad Monyelle won both of his bouts convincingly. In the prelims, he knocked out Robert Steger of Orlando in 1:18 of round three. In the title bout, he defeated Seth Grabinsky of Calgary by technical knockout in 1:21 of the first round.
“The first guy he knocked down with a straight right hand,” Craig Monyelle said. “The second, he caught him in the mouth with a push kick, then hit him with a cross. He has learned how to hit opponents on the chin. That's a skill he had to work at. He was letting guys fight with him he shouldn't have. The biggest thing he was missing was hitting guys on the button. I think he has found out how to do that.”
Chad said he wasn't necessarily looking for the knockout.
“I didn't really go out with that intention,” he said. “I wanted to keep everything at my pace, go out and do what I do and make it work. The knockout is a whole vision and timing thing. I have to hit him in the right spot with the right technique. A lot of it is opening your opponent up to that blow.”
Confidence is never a problem for Monyelle.
“I've fought guys with a lot more fights than me and I've fought guys who were 0-0,” he said. “The biggest thing I try to remember is that I have to fight my fight. It doesn't matter about his size or his record or how he looked warming up. I keep my mind focused on my fight.”
With his fifth title belt secured, Monyelle will put the fight game on the backburner and go back to being a member of the Beloit Memorial varsity soccer team.
€ With Monyelle's title, National Tae Kwon Do and Kickboxing of South Beloit became the only martial arts school in the country to have a belt in the three major tournaments: the KICK/WAKO tournament in Chicago and the Thai Boxing Association Tournament in Iowa.
National's other two competitors in Florida, mother-son combination Lisa Wells and Devin Smith, fell short of title belts. Wells lost her preliminary bout to eventual Women's Bantamweight champ Stacy Chung by a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) and Smith settled for second in the Junior Lightweight (130-140) division of Muay Thai when he lost by unanimous decision to Taylor Krahl of Coral Springs, Fla. (30-27, 30-26, 30-26).
Next up for Chad Monyelle will be competing in a card Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Edwards Arena inside the Telfer Park Sports and Activity Center. Monyelle will face a rematch with Scott Swade in an U.S. Muay Thai championship bout. Swade is the only fighter to beat Monyelle in the past two years.
Former Hononegah champion wrestler Brad Lynde, a mixed martial arts fighter, is also on the card.
The card is a fundraiser for the Beloit Youth Hockey Association. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Reserved tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Call (815) 389-8501 for details.
Craig Monyelle has created a monster.
He couldn't be happier.
The former amateur and professional kickboxing champion has trained his 17-year-old son, Chad, since he was barely old enough to walk, much less kick somebody in the ribs.
Today, he's the trainer of a five-time amateur champion. Over the weekend, the Beloit Memorial senior added his second Junior Muay Thai title in the International Kickboxing Federation's World Classic at the Marriott World Center in Orlando, Fla.
“With Chad, I tried to create my own worst nightmare,” he said. “I think I succeeded. I hated to face the guy who had as much power as I had, plus a lot more skill. Now that's Chad.”
One of three kickboxing Monyelle siblings following his father into the ring, Chad Monyelle competed in the 15-16 age division in the Featherweight (120-130) class in Florida and became one of only three kickboxers to ever hold as many as five amateur titles. His father had three.
Monyelle was a little disappointed he couldn't go for the “triple crown” in Florida by competing in the International Rules division. He had already won three belts in full contact kickboxing (2000, 2004, 2005) and the first of his two Muay Thai titles last year. The other competitors in International Rules moved to other divisions due to Monyelle's experience, leaving him no choice but to move back to Muay Thai.
“The only way he could fight in International Rules was as an adult,” his trainer/father Craig said. “In hindsight, I wish I would have let him. But as a trainer and father, I thought he was better off on the safe side. After watching him win those two bouts, I think he is ready to move.”
Chad Monyelle won both of his bouts convincingly. In the prelims, he knocked out Robert Steger of Orlando in 1:18 of round three. In the title bout, he defeated Seth Grabinsky of Calgary by technical knockout in 1:21 of the first round.
“The first guy he knocked down with a straight right hand,” Craig Monyelle said. “The second, he caught him in the mouth with a push kick, then hit him with a cross. He has learned how to hit opponents on the chin. That's a skill he had to work at. He was letting guys fight with him he shouldn't have. The biggest thing he was missing was hitting guys on the button. I think he has found out how to do that.”
Chad said he wasn't necessarily looking for the knockout.
“I didn't really go out with that intention,” he said. “I wanted to keep everything at my pace, go out and do what I do and make it work. The knockout is a whole vision and timing thing. I have to hit him in the right spot with the right technique. A lot of it is opening your opponent up to that blow.”
Confidence is never a problem for Monyelle.
“I've fought guys with a lot more fights than me and I've fought guys who were 0-0,” he said. “The biggest thing I try to remember is that I have to fight my fight. It doesn't matter about his size or his record or how he looked warming up. I keep my mind focused on my fight.”
With his fifth title belt secured, Monyelle will put the fight game on the backburner and go back to being a member of the Beloit Memorial varsity soccer team.
€ With Monyelle's title, National Tae Kwon Do and Kickboxing of South Beloit became the only martial arts school in the country to have a belt in the three major tournaments: the KICK/WAKO tournament in Chicago and the Thai Boxing Association Tournament in Iowa.
National's other two competitors in Florida, mother-son combination Lisa Wells and Devin Smith, fell short of title belts. Wells lost her preliminary bout to eventual Women's Bantamweight champ Stacy Chung by a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) and Smith settled for second in the Junior Lightweight (130-140) division of Muay Thai when he lost by unanimous decision to Taylor Krahl of Coral Springs, Fla. (30-27, 30-26, 30-26).
Next up for Chad Monyelle will be competing in a card Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Edwards Arena inside the Telfer Park Sports and Activity Center. Monyelle will face a rematch with Scott Swade in an U.S. Muay Thai championship bout. Swade is the only fighter to beat Monyelle in the past two years.
Former Hononegah champion wrestler Brad Lynde, a mixed martial arts fighter, is also on the card.
The card is a fundraiser for the Beloit Youth Hockey Association. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Reserved tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Call (815) 389-8501 for details.
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