[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki41\/steve-shepherd-wikipedia\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki41\/steve-shepherd-wikipedia\/","headline":"Steve Shepherd – Wikipedia","name":"Steve Shepherd – Wikipedia","description":"before-content-x4 Steve Shepherd was a five-time world kickboxing champion and a top pioneer kickboxing promoter in the state of Florida.[1]","datePublished":"2014-03-05","dateModified":"2014-03-05","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki41\/author\/lordneo\/#Person","name":"lordneo","url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki41\/author\/lordneo\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9645c498c9701c88b89b8537773dd7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9645c498c9701c88b89b8537773dd7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Enzyklop\u00e4die","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/a\/a4\/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg\/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png","url":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/a\/a4\/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg\/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png","height":"12","width":"23"},"url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki41\/steve-shepherd-wikipedia\/","wordCount":9951,"articleBody":"     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});before-content-x4Steve Shepherd was a five-time world kickboxing champion and a top pioneer kickboxing promoter in the state of Florida.[1] He defeated eight world champions from five weight divisions, four of them during their championship reigns. He also decisioned future world champions Don Wilson, Ted Pryor, Dale “Apollo” Cook and Bob “Thunder” Thurman.[2]       (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});after-content-x4Promoting events between 1977\u20131999, Shepherd was the first kickboxing world champion who was also a major event promoter.[1] In the 1970s, he helped make South Florida a capital for the then new sport. Promoting principally out of West Palm Beach Auditorium, he was the first kickboxer to draw over $1 million in live gate receipts. He further proved that the sport could be financially viable through regular live events at the same venue.[3]Biography[edit]Shepherd was born on October 10, 1950 in New York City, New York. He later moved to Lake Worth and West Palm Beach, Florida.[4] Steve passed away on May 12th 2021 due to injuries sustained in an accident in November 2020.       (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});after-content-x4He studied karate with Mark Herman and Paul Anselmo, earning his black belt in Shotokan-Goju karate, before turning to the pro-kickboxing ring in early 1975.[4]Shepherd opened his own karate school in West Palm Beach and also began promoting kickboxing matches. He maintained both ventures throughout his world championship career. After retiring from the ring, he trained, managed and promoted over 200 state, golden gloves national and world champions; both amateur and professional. He also ran Shepherd’s Boxing & Kickboxing Center for over 25 years which became a favorite South Florida training facility for a multitude of popular champions: Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Bill \u201cSuperfoot\u201d Wallace, Oscar De La Hoya, Zab Judah, Michael Moorer, Kassim Ouma and others.[5][6]In 1979, he founded Ringstar Promotions for his live event business (1979-1999), Ringstar Products for his kickboxing equipment and, in 2009, ArmorFit for his mixed martial arts equipment business.[5][6]Fight career[edit]Early on, Shepherd scored wins over Florida cult legends Gator Garland, Bill Clarke, Harold “Nature Boy” Roth (a.k.a. Harold Diamond), and Joe Marciano.[4]       (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});after-content-x4He first courted national attention in 1978 when he defeated Bob Ryan for the PKA version of the welterweight world championship (at 157 pounds).[7] Six months later, in a bout broadcast over CBS-TV, he lost the title in a split decision to Earnest Hart, Jr. He rebounded in 1979, defeating Chris Gallegos for the WKA middleweight world title (at 160 pounds), and then became the first champion to unify the sport’s two major crowns with a sixth-round knockout of Hart to regain the PKA welterweight world title.[2][4][8] He was retroactively recognized as the undisputed STAR ratings world champion upon its founding in 1980.[1][7]In 1981, after double sanctioning his rubber match title defense against Hart, the PKA exercised its legal right to remove Shepherd as its champion owing to a dispute over broadcasting rights.[1][9]  A few months later, Earnest Hart won Shepherd’s involuntarily vacated title; Hart was the same contender Shepherd had just knocked out for a second time.[2][7]In November 1981, Shepherd challenged PKA heavyweight world champion Demetrius “Oaktree” Edwards in an effort to embarrass the sanctioning body for having stripped his title. On the eve of that bout, the PKA withdrew its sanction for a heavyweight title defense.[1] Nevertheless, while only a middleweight, Shepherd outpointed heavyweight Edwards in a 10-round non-title match in West Palm Beach, Florida,[7][10] a feat that made him the first middleweight kickboxer ever ranked number-one in the heavyweight division. He was also recognized as \u201cFighter of the Year\u201d by Official Karate magazine’s 1982 Kickboxing Hall of Fame.[2]Previously, in early 1981, Shepherd knocked out Albuquerque’s John Moncayo in the first round. However, in 1982 an improperly dieted and badly dehydrated Shepherd lost his title in Las Vegas over nationally syndicated TV to that same John Moncayo. Moncayo TKOed Shepherd with an overhand right that broke Shepherd’s jaw.[10][11] Moncayo also prevailed in the rubber match when Shepherd again sustained a broken jaw.[12]One year later, in 1983, Shepherd moved up in weight to capture the WKA super middleweight world title from Japan’s Yasuo Tabata in a close split decision.[2] Shortly afterward, he was diagnosed with a ruptured disk in his neck that most probably occurred during his extraordinary battle against heavyweight champion Demetrius Edwards. The disk had pinched a nerve and shortened the reach of his right arm. He would never again possess the hefty punching power that had made him a champion. He announced his retirement from active kickboxing in 1987, though he made periodic return appearances until 1999,[1][10] and has scheduled a fight for March 2019.[13]In a 1987 retirement interview, Shepherd told South Florida’s Sun-Sentinel newspaper that his biggest fight purse was $45,000.00 and his smallest was $150.00.[10]Professional kickboxing record[edit]Below is the documented professional ring record of Steve Shepherd from the S.T.A.R. ratings website. Shepherd fought 56 fights from February 1975 to June 1999. Of those fights, 50 were wins (27 knockouts), 5 were losses, and 1 was a no-contest. Shepherd dominated as a kickboxing World Champion in 10 bouts over 4 weight divisions for 4 sanctioning organizations. As a middleweight, he also defeated one heavyweight world champion in a non-title bout.[1]Kickboxing Record50 wins (27 (T)KOs, 22 decisions), 5 losses, 1 no contestsDateResultOpponentEvent\/VenueLocationMethodRoundTimeRecord1999-06-18Win Don SteadmanI.S.K.A. event at National Guard ArmoryWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADecision550-5-11998-11Win Tom BentleyI.S.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADecision649-5-11994-09-24Loss Francis FarleyI.S.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USATKO7bell48-5-1 I.S.K.A. full-contact-rules light middleweight world title bout1993-06-19Win Francisco CampeonI.S.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USAKO448-4-1 I.S.K.A. full-contact-rules light middleweight world championship elimination1990-07-14Win Kevin GrucaI.S.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USAKO347-4-11988-07-30Loss Robert HarrisI.S.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADisqualification72:0046-4-1 I.S.K.A. full-contact-rules light middleweight world championship elimination; Shepherd disqualified for minimum kick infraction1987-12-11Win Kevin GrucaIndependent event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADecision646-3-11987-10-21Win William KnorrW.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADecision545-3-11988-08-07Win Alan WatsonW.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADecision544-3-11984-10-20NC Larry McFaddenW.K.A. event at Palm Beach Junior College AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USANo Contest443-3-1 The W.K.A. transmuted this outcome to no-contest1983-10-22Win Yasuo TabataW.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADecision (Split)1141-3-0 Wins W.K.A. international-rules super middleweight world title; Shepherd vacates title upon first retirement in January 19841983-08-19Win Jerry JensonW.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USAKO242-3-01983-07-08Win Joe MarcianoW.K.A. event at Diplomat HotelHollywood-by-the-Sea, Florida, USAKO241-3-01982-11-06Loss John MoncayoW.K.C. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADecision1140-3-0 World Karate Council international-rules middleweight world title bout1982-06-26Loss John MoncayoW.K.A. event at Sands HotelLas Vegas, Nevada, USATKO940-2-0 W.K.A. international-rules middleweight world title1982-02-20Win Daryl CrokerW.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USAKO440-1-0 Retains W.K.A. international-rules middleweight world title1981-11-19Win Demetrius EdwardsW.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADecision (Split)439-1-0 W.K.A. middleweight champion vs P.K.A. heavyweight champion non-title bout1981-10-10Win Frank KnightW.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USAKO538-1-01981-07-25Win Dave HedgecockW.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USATKO337-1-0 Retains W.K.A. international-rules middleweight world title1981-05-02Win Bob ThurmanW.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADecision836-1-01981-04-22Win Frank MedinaIndependent event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADecision635-1-0 kickboxing versus boxing mix-match1981-02-03Win John MoncayoW.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USAKO134-1-01981-01-19Win Greg SmithW.K.A. event at Brassy’s NightclubCocoa Beach, Florida, USATKO633-1-01980-11-07Win Earnest Hart, Jr.P.K.A. & W.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USAKO732-1-0 Retains P.K.A. full-contact-rules welterweight and W.K.A. middleweight world titles; first double-sanctioned bout in history; P.K.A. welterweight world title vacated by sanction in January 19811980-FallWin Javier (surname unreported)Independent eventMiami, Florida, USATKO131-1-01980-FallWin Frank WilliamsIndependent eventMiami, Florida, USAKO230-1-01980-FallWin Julio RodriquezIndependent eventMiami, Florida, USATKO10:3029-1-0 Three professional champion versus amateur bouts at one event1980-07-26Win Arthur O\u2019LaughlinP.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USAKO61:3228-1-0 Retains P.K.A. full-contact-rules welterweight world title1980-05-17Win Mike BrennanP.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USATKO1227-1-0 Retains P.K.A. full-contact-rules welterweight world title1980-02-08Win Gary BakerP.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USATKO226-1-01979-10-19Win Earnest Hart, Jr.P.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USAKO61:5825-1-0 Wins P.K.A. full-contact-rules welterweight world title; first champion to unify P.K.A. and W.K.A. world titles; wins historic recognition as S.T.A.R. world middleweight world champion1979-05-26Win Chris GallegosW.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADecision924-1-0 Wins W.K.A. international-rules middleweight world title1979-03-07Win Dale CookIndependent event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADecision923-1-01979-01-13Win Benny FernandezP.K.A. eventBradenton, Florida, USAKO222-1-01978-11-30Win Earnest Hart, Jr.P.K.A. eventAtlanta, Georgia, USADecision1221-1-0 P.K.A. full-contact-rules welterweight world title bout1978-10-20Win Pete MancheeP.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USAKO421-0-01978-07-22Win Bob RyanP.K.A. event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADecision920-0-0 Wins P.K.A. full-contact-rules welterweight world title 1978Win Jesse BrandtIndependent eventStuart, Florida, USADecision519-0-01978-04-15Win Rick HerranzP.K.A. event at Palm Beach Junior College AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USAKO218-0-01977-12Win Bobby SullivanIndependent eventMiami, Florida, USADecision717-0-01977-11-15Win Jesse BrandtIndependent event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USAKO116-0-01977Win Gator GarlandIndependent eventMiami, Florida, USADecision615-0-01977-09-10Win Bill KnoblockP.K.A. eventMiami, Florida, USADecision514-0-01977-07-16Win Ted PryorIndependent event at West Palm Beach AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADecision (Split)713-0-01977-05-07Win James SiscoIndependent eventFt. Lauderdale, Florida, USAKO512-0-01977-04Win Dennis BlackIndependent event at Palm Beach Junior College AuditoriumWest Palm Beach, Florida, USADecision511-0-01977-03Win Harold Roth (Harold Diamond)Independent event at Mr. America ContestFt. Lauderdale, Florida, USAKO210-0-01976Win Benny FernandezIndependent eventMiami, Florida, USAKO19-0-01976-09-11Win Bill ClarkeP.K.A. eventTampa, Florida, USADecision78-0-0 Wins P.K.A. full-contact-rules middleweight South East regional title 1976Win Julio RodriguezIndependent eventMiami, Florida, USAKO37-0-01976-08-14Win Napoleon DavisP.K.A. eventTampa, Florida, USAKO36-0-01976-08-07Win Dave DeanP.K.A. & S.E.P.K.C. eventTampa, Florida, USADecision55-0-01976-07-31Win Rex AbernathyP.K.A. eventTampa, Florida, USADecision54-0-01976-05-28Win Gary FelderP.K.A. eventTampa, Florida, USADecision53-0-01975-11Win Don WilsonIndependent eventMiami, Florida, USADecision32-0-01975-02Win Harold RothIndependent eventTampa, Florida, USATKO31-0-0Legend: \u00a0\u00a0Win  \u00a0\u00a0Loss  \u00a0\u00a0Draw\/No contest  \u00a0\u00a0Notes ^ a b c d e f g “STAR System Authenticated Kickboxing Record: Steve Shepherd (7 May 2012)”. Starsystemkickboxing.net. Retrieved 3 October 2012.^ a b c d e Maslak, Paul (May 1986). \u201cOK\u2019s Kickboxing Report: Tribute to a Great Champion \u2013 Steve Shepherd\u201d, Official Karate magazine, Charlton Publications, Inc., New York City, NY, USA, pp. 40-41, 62.^ Sallah, Michael (Oct. 30, 1982). Palm Beach Daily News newspaper, Cox Enterprises, Palm Beach, FL, USA, p. 1, 4 SATURDAY.^ a b c d Barden, Renardo (March 1980). \u201cThe Comeback, Come-Down Knockabout Road to Double Champ,\u201d Karate Illustrated magazine, Rainbow Publications, Inc., Burbank, CA, USA, p. 14.^ a b IKF Kickboxing website. Retrieved 3 October 2012.^ a b “About Steve Shepherd” and “About ArmorFit”, ArmorFit website, ArmorFit.com. Retrieved 18 October 2012.^ a b c d Corcoran, John (1994). The Martial Arts Sourcebook, Perennial Books, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, New York, Chapter 8.^ Corcoran, John and Farkas, Emil (1983). Martial Arts: Traditions, History, People, Gallery Books, W.H. Smith Publishers, Inc., New York, pp. 280-287.^ Marlow, Chris (Nov. 1981). “The WKA: The First Worldwide Sanctioning Body for Full-Contact Karate,” Karate Monthly, Clay Communitactions Group, Inc., Hollywood, CA, USA, p. 66.^ a b c d Camillone, Jude (Jan. 20, 1987). “Shepherd Announces Retirement from Kickboxing”, Sun-Sentinel newspaper, Tribune Company, Ft. Lauderdale, p. 5 PALM BEACH PLUS^ Marlow, Chris (November 1982). \u201cUpset of the Decade\u201d, Karate Illustrated magazine, Rainbow Publications, Inc., Burbank, CA., USA, p. 70.^ Carr, Janis (Nov. 8, 1982). \u201cShepherd Beaten into Retirement\u201d, The Palm Beach Post, Cox Enterprises, Inc., West Palm Beach, FL, USA, p. D8 SPORTS.^ Associated Press, “Mugger attacks senior who was a kickboxing champ, loses TKO”, San Francisco Chronicle, January 7, 2019.     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