Dennis Alexio

Dennis Alexio
Born	Dennis Raymond Alexio March 12, 1959 (1959-03-12) (age 52) Vacaville, California, U.S.
Other names	Kaheke, The Menace, The Portuguese Man o' War, The Terminator
Nationality	American
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight	203 lb (92 kg; 14.5 st)
Division	Light Heavyweight Cruiserweight Heavyweight
Reach	72.5 in (184 cm)
Style	Kickboxing
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Team	Kalakaua Gym
Trainer	Al Lagardo Harold "Nature Boy" Roth
Years active	19 (1980-1999)
Professional boxing record
Total	8
Wins	7
By knockout	5
Losses	1
By knockout	1
Draws	0
Kickboxing record
Total	73
Wins	70
By knockout	65
Losses	2
By knockout	1
Draws	1
Other information
Boxing record from Boxrec

Dennis Raymond Alexio (born March 12, 1959 in Vacaville, California) is an American former kickboxer. He was world champion as a light heavyweight and cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight where, for a short time, he became the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion. He held titles for all the major kickboxing associations (PKA, IKF, ISKA, KICK and WKA), and was known for his good boxing skills and powerful spinning back kick to the mid-section. He was never knocked out in his career.

However, he competed almost exclusively under American kickboxing rules and was criticized for rarely facing top-level competition. Critics believe he faced world-class opponents on only three occasions (Don "The Dragon" Wilson in 1984, and Branko Cikatić and Stan Longinidis in 1992), none of whom he was able to beat.

Kickboxing career

Early life and career

Alexio was born and raised in Vacaville, California and was a standout athlete in his youth, excelling in American football and baseball. In an interview with Inside Karate magazine, he claimed to have turned down an offer to play baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers.^[1] He began his martial arts training in Kajukenbo before moving on to kickboxing.

The first defeat of his career came on March 29, 1984 when he lost a decision to Don "The Dragon" Wilson in a light heavyweight bout in Wilson's home state of Florida. The fight was for the inaugural WKA full-contact super light-heavyweight (-83.2 kg) world title, and was televised on NBC's Sports World. Alexio disputed the result, however, calling it a "hometown decision" and demanding a rematch.^[2] A second bout between the pair would never come to fruition, however, as Alexio soon moved up in weight to compete as a cruiserweight and heavyweight.

Before moving up in weight class, Alexio was still able to become world champion at light heavyweight, beating Rob Salazar for the PKA World Light Heavyweight Championship in his hometown of Vacaville on September 14, 1984. By June 1987, Alexio's record consisted of 35 wins and 1 loss, and he held the KICK World Heavyweight Championship as well as the ISKA World Cruiserweight Championship.

He defended his KICK Heavyweight belt and also won the vacant ISKA Heavyweight title against Jeff Hollins on June 20, 1987 in Inglewood, California.^[3] Less than a month later, on July 7, Alexio won a 12-round decision over Larry McFadden to retain his ISKA World Cruiserweight Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 1988, Alexio began being trained by Florida kickboxer turned actor Harold Diamond (aka Harold "Nature Boy" Roth). He eventually re-located to Honolulu, Hawaii and moved up to heavyweight permanently. He fought twenty times at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, winning all twenty by knockout.

On August 6, 1990 in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Alexio faced Canadian taekwondo fighter Darrell Henegan in a heavyweight unification fight with Alexio's ISKA and KICK titles, and Henegan's FFKA title on the line. Alexio won via technical knockout after the referee stopped the fight towards the end of the fifth round.^[4]

Alexio vs. Cikatić

Main article: Dennis Alexio vs. Branko Cikatić

On March 16, 1992, Alexio faced his toughest opponent to date when he met Croatian Muay Thai fighter Branko Cikatić in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although Alexio still held the ISKA, KICK and FFKA Heavyweight World tiltes, and Cikatić was the WKA/IKBF World Cruiserweight Champion, the only title on the line was the vacant WMAC Heavyweight Championship.

The rules of the bout were disputed between both fighters right up to the day of the fight. Alexio, who had competed exclusively under American kickboxing rules, wanted both fighters to wear foot pads and low kicks to be illegal. Cikatić, a Muay Thai fighter, wanted low kicks as well as the Thai clinch to be allowed. In the end, low kicks were allowed and Alexio wore foot pads, and knees and the clinch were banned. The duration of the fight was set at eight, three-minute rounds.^[5]

The first two rounds were close, with Alexio utilising better boxing skills but Cikatić using his powerful low kicks to his advantage. Cikatić was deducted a point in the second round for kneeing Alexio in the clinch. The fight then ended in confusion in the third round when a stoppage was called as Alexio's right foot pad came off. Referee Pat Burleson decided to continue the fight without retrieving the foot pad as it had fallen out of the ring. However, before the fight was re-started Alexio hit Cikatić with two left hooks and then kicked him as he fell to the floor. The fight was stopped there and, as it had gone less that half of the set eight rounds, was ruled a technical draw.^[6]

Alexio vs. Longinidis

Main article: Dennis Alexio vs. Stan Longinidis

Following this, Alexio went on to collect four straight wins before agreeing to fight Australian Stan Longinidis, an up-and-coming fighter who had been calling him out for some time.^[7] One of the most highly-anticipated fights in the sport's history at the time, and a bad-blooded affair, the bout took place in Longinidis' hometown of Melbourne, Victoria on December 6, 1992 with the vacant ISKA (Oriental rules) Heavyweight Championship of the World up for grabs.

Six seconds into the fight, Longinidis hit Alexio with a left low kick, causing Alexio's fibula and tibia to break. Officially, the fight lasted just fifteen seconds and Longinidis was named the winner via technical knockout.^[8][9]

Alexio and his manager, Bob Wall, disputed the fight and claimed that the fracture was caused by twisting his leg on a depression in the ring floor.^[10] A rematch between Longinidis and Alexio was discussed but a promoter with enough money was never secured.^[11][12]

Later career

Alexio recovered from his broken leg and made his comeback on January 22, 1994 in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where he defeated Englishman Mark Russell via technical knockout in the second round.^[13] During the mid-1990s, Alexio began to face growing criticism of his opponents, with Rick Roufus and Maurice Smith claiming that he was avoiding them and other high-level heavyweights.^[14]

His first significant fight since his comeback came on March 26, 1994 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada when he defeated Dick Kimber by second-round TKO to win the PKC World Heavyweight Championship.^[15]

On May 31, 1997, Alexio won the vacant IKF World Heavyweight Championship when he defeated Barrington Patterson of England by TKO at the end of the fifth round in Honolulu, Hawaii.^[16] His first defense of this title was on November 21, 1997 when he defeated Jeff Gibson. In May 1998 in Sacramento, California, he defeated France's Achille Roger by TKO in round five round to defend his title for a second time.^[17] His title was retired by the IKF on November 24, 2003. The IKF organization had been trying to contact Alexio since June 2003, to discuss what his future plans for the sport were, such as a title defense or a retirement of his title. However, they never received any return phone call.^[18]

His last ever fight came on December 18, 1999 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, where he knocked out Welshman Gordon Minors to win the WAKO World Heavyweight Championship.^[19][20]

Personal life

Alexio starred alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme in the 1989 film Kickboxer.^[21]

Alexio was charged with two counts of bank fraud in addition to failing to pay child support on July 1, 2003.^[22] On December 20, 2005, a federal magistrate ordered that he be detained and returned to California.^[23]

On June 12, 2007, Alexio was arrested at his home in Aiea, Hawaii for failing to appear as a witness before a federal grand jury and on a outstanding federal warrant issued in San Francisco for bank fraud. A federal judge in West Virginia had issued a warrant for his arrest on April 20 when he failed to appear as summoned to testify in a fraud case.^[24][25]

Titles

• Fight Factory Karate Association
  • FFKA World Heavyweight Championship (full-contact)

• International Kickboxing Federation
  • IKF World Heavyweight Championship (full-contact)

• International Sport Karate Association
  • ISKA World Cruiserweight Championship (full-contact)
  • ISKA World Heavyweight Championship (full-contact)

• Karate International Council of Kickboxing
  • KICK World Heavyweight Championship (full-contact)

• Professional Karate Association
  • PKA World Light Heavyweight Championship (full-contact)

• Professional Kickboxing Council
  • PKC World Heavyweight Championship (full-contact)

• World Association of Kickboxing Organizations
  • WAKO World Heavyweight Championship (full-contact)

Kickboxing record

Kickboxing record

70 wins (65 KO's), 2 losses, 1 draw Result Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes Win Gordon Minors KO 01999-12-18 December 18, 1999 Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Wins WAKO World Heavyweight Championship (full-contact). Win Anthony Elmore KO 01999-05-08 May 8, 1999 12 Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Win Achille Roger TKO 01998-05 May 1998 5 Sacramento, California, USA Defends IKF World Heavyweight Championship (full-contact). Win Jeff Gibson 01997-11-21 November 21, 1997 Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Defends IKF World Heavyweight Championship (full-contact). Win Barrington Patterson TKO 01997-05-31 May 31, 1997 5 Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Wins IKF World Heavyweight Championship (full-contact). Win Larry Cureton KO (spinning back kick) 01996-11-02 November 2, 1996 2 Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Win Masaaki Miyamoto TKO 01996-08-17 August 17, 1996 6 Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Win Stuart Green KO 01995-07-01 July 1, 1995 6 Honolulu, Hawaii, USA No contest Sérgio Batarelli No contest (injury) 01994-11-01 November 1, 1994 1 3:00 Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Win Dick Kimber TKO (punches and kick) KarateMania VIII 01994-03-26 March 26, 1994 2 2:26 Montreal, Québec, Canada Wins PKC World Heavyweight Championship (full-contact). Win Mark Russell TKO KarateMania 01994-01-22 January 22, 1994 2 1:40 Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA Loss Stan Longinidis TKO (Left Low Kick) 01992-12-06 December 6, 1992 1 0:15 Melbourne, Australia For vacant ISKA World Heavyweight Championship (Oriental rules). Draw Branko Cikatić Technical draw World Martial Arts Challenge 01992-03-16 March 16, 1992 3 1:25 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA For vacant WMAC World Heavyweight Championship (international rules). The bout was called a technical draw after Alexio hit Cikatić during a stoppage. Win David Coradini 01991-12-20 December 20, 1991 Pirae, Tahiti Win Darrell Henegan TKO (referee stoppage) 01990-08-06 August 6, 1990 5 2:52 Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA Defends the ISKA and KICK World Heavyweight Championships, and wins the FFKA World Heavyweight Championship (full-contact). Win Larry McFadden Decision 01987-07-07 July 7, 1987 12 Atlanta, Georgia, USA Defends the ISKA World Cruiserweight Championship (full-contact). Win Jeff Hollins Decision 01987-06-20 June 20, 1987 11 Inglewood, California, USA Defends the KICK World Heavyweight Championship, and wins the vacant ISKA World Heavyweight Championship (full-contact). Win Lowell Nash KO 01986-08-16 August 16, 1986 4 Denver, Colorado, USA Win Rob Salazar Decision 01984-09-14 September 14, 1984 12 Vacaville, California, USA Wins PKA World Light Heavyweight Championship (full-contact) Loss Don Wilson Decision 01984-03-29 March 29, 1984 12 2:00 Hollywood, Florida, USA For WKA and STAR World Super Light Heavyweight (-83.2 kg) World Championships (full-contact). Win Bill Norman KO 01980-09-06 September 6, 1980 2 Stockton, California, USA Win Reggie Eaton KO 01980-06-30 June 30, 1980 3 Stockton, California, USA Professional debut. Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest

Boxing record

Boxing record

7 wins (5 KO's), 1 loss Result Opponent Method Venue Date Round Time Location Notes Win Kevin Smith KO Hereford House 01985-11-02 November 2, 1985 2 - Sacramento, California, USA Win Tim Jones Decision 01985-06-18 June 18, 1985 6 3:00 Sacramento, California, USA Win Bernard Clark TKO Hereford House 01985-04-06 April 6, 1985 4 - Sacramento, California, USA Loss Mike Randle TKO 01985-02-08 February 8, 1985 8 - Napa, California, USA Win Tommy Tellery DQ 01984-11-02 November 2, 1984 2 - Napa, California, USA Win Tony Willingham KO 01984-07-13 July 13, 1984 4 - Napa, California, USA Win Philip Rosas KO 01984-06-12 June 12, 1984 2 - Sacramento, California, USA Win Darrell Singleton KO 01984-02-22 February 22, 1984 3 - Santa Rosa, California, USA Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest

Notes

1. ^ page 27, Inside Karate
2. ^ DENNIS ALEXIO & THE LAST BASTION OF A TEENAGE MEMORY By Michael Schiavello
3. ^ Alexio Defends World Kickboxing Title
4. ^ Dennis Alexio vs. Darrell Henegan
5. ^ Ringside at the WMAC by Bill Wallace
6. ^ Puzzled by Alexio-Cikatic bout
7. ^ Interview with Stan The Man Longinidis (December 2000)
8. ^ This sport's really kicking on
9. ^ Alexio breaks leg, loses kickboxing title
10. ^ Alexio, Wall dispute loss
11. ^ Rematch set for Longinidis, Alexio
12. ^ Longinidis' title 'in dispute' says ISKA
13. ^ 1994 IKF news
14. ^ Alexio Dominates Elmore
15. ^ Alexio Looks Sharp at KarateMania VIII
16. ^ ALEXIO CAPTURES IKF WORLD HEAVWEIGHT TITLE
17. ^ Hawaii Sports News
18. ^ Past IKF Champions: Dennis Alexio
19. ^ Alexio returning to Blaisdell to tangle with 'Welsh Warrior'
20. ^ Minors hopes to be a major threat to Alexio's crown
21. ^ Willman, Chris (September 11, 1989). "'Kickboxer' Takes a Giant Step Backwards". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1989-09-11/entertainment/ca-1390_1_van-damme. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
22. ^ Bail denied for former kickboxer Alexio
23. ^ Ex-champ kickboxer ordered to California
24. ^ Alexio jailed for defying Virginia subpoena
25. ^ Feds arrest ex-kickboxing champ Alexio

References

• Inside Karate Magazine, page 27: DENNIS ALEXIO by Mike Sullivan.

Persondata
Name	Alexio, Dennis
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 12, 1959
Place of birth	Vacaville, California, United States
Date of death
Place of death