How hard is it to win the CKO #1 rank? (Spoiler)

[CentralKickboxing.Org]

Click here. (http://www.centralkickboxing.org/majesty.htm)

The above link will take you to the page that outlines every fight for the #1 rank. Some tough guys have held the rank. Some lucky guys have too.

Jerome beat Hong Man Choi for the #1 CKO rank. /spoiler.
Choi like Sapp, Mori and Smith was not given his due for taking the rank which is unfortunate.

Jerome who has been called the uncrowned champion often enough and The Best K-1 Fighter to Never Win the Grand Prix (http://www.centralkickboxing.org/Articles/bestk1fightertoneverwinthegp.htm) has now won the CKO #1 rank.

Below is his journey from 1997 to 2006. Keep in mind that the #1 rank is traced as far back as 1993 while the top 10 was complied from 2000.



1997/11/09 Ernesto Hoost [NED] defeated Jerome LeBanner [FRA] by KO-1
This fight was for the #1 rank. Hoost had taken it earlier in the year from Mike Bernardo. Unfortunately for Jerome, it was a tournament quarter final which at the time had a 5-count instead of a 10-count. Jerome took the knockdown and got up quickly, but not quickly enough. The following year the rule changed to give all fighters a 10-count.

2000
(=2=) The first Top 10 list was based on the 2000 Grand Prix system. Jerome didn�ft participate in the tournament and neither did Mike Bernardo. Hoost won the Grand Prix and was the reigning CKO #1 rank. This made it relatively easy to flesh out the rest of the Top 10. Jerome was give #2 for defeating Ernesto in the final of the Osaka tournament earlier that year.

Jerome defended the #2 rank
2001/04/29 Jerome LeBanner defeated Pavel Majer by KO-1
2001/06/24 Jerome LeBanner defeated Stefan Leko by DEC-5
2001/08/19 Jerome LeBanner defeated Marc deWit by KO-2

(=7=) In the quarter final of the 2001 K-1 Grand Prix, Jerome lost the #2 rank to Mark Hunt and fell to #7
2001/12/08 Mark Hunt defeated Jerome LeBanner by KO-2

(=8=) When Mirko Filipovic defeated Mark Hunt for the #2 rank, Hunt fell to #7 and Jerome was forced to slide to #8.
Jerome defended the #8 rank
2002/03/03 Jerome LeBanner defeated Hiromi Amada by KO-1

(=7=) Jerome�fs rematch against Mark Hunt was for Hunt�fs #7 rank. Jerome won and took the rank. Hunt fell to #12.
Jerome LeBanner defeated Mark Hunt by TKO-2

(=8=) When Bob Sapp defeated Ernesto Hoost to claim the #1 rank, Hoost fell to #6 and Jerome was forced to slide down a rank to #8.
2002/10/05 Bob Sapp defeated Ernesto Hoost by TKO-1

Jerome defended #8
2002/10/05 Jerome LeBanner defeated Gary Goodridge by KO-1
2002/12/07 Jerome LeBanner defeated Akio Mori by KO-2
[NOTE: Jerome had the option of challenging Bob Sapp for the #1 rank or defending the #8 rank against Akio Mori. He chose Mori.]

(=7=) On 2002/12/31 #3 ranked Francisco Filho finished the year inactive and took a 5 rank penalty. Jerome slide up a rank to take #7.

Jerome defended the #7 rank
2003/06/14 Jerome LeBanner defeated Vitali Ahramenko by KO-2
2003/09/21 Jerome LeBanner defeated Osborne Machima by KO-2

(=6=) On 2003/10/11 Bob Sapp was disqualified [vs. Remy Bonjaski]. The CKO DQ rule gives a 5 rank penalty to the loser but doesn�ft give the rank to the winner. This created a vacancy that allowed Jerome to slide up to #6.

(=5=) On 2003/12/31 #3 ranked Errol Parris finished the year inactive and took a 5 rank penalty. Jerome slide up a rank to take #5.

Jerome defended #5
2004/07/17 Jerome LeBanner defeated Terence Reasby by KO-1

(=10=) In the K-1 eliminations, Jerome fought Frans Botha and couldn�ft continue into the overtime round. He therefore fell from #5 to #10.
2004/9/25 Francois Botha defeated Jerome LeBanner by TKO-3

(=11=) On 2004/12/04, Remy Bonjasky defeated Ernesto Hoost by DEC-4 to claim the #3 rank. This result forced Jerome to slide down one rank to #11.

Jerome defended #11
2004/12/04 Jerome LeBanner defeated Hiromi Amada by KO-2
2005/04/30 Jerome LeBanner defeated Oliver Van Damme by KO-1
2005/05/27 Jerome LeBanner defeated Cyril Abidi by KO-5
2005/07/02 Jerome LeBanner defeated Dimitry Podgaisky by KO-1

(=12=) On 2005/09/23, Peter Aerts defeated Siala-Mou Siliga by KO-2 to claim the #2 rank. This forced Jerome to slide one rank to #12.

Jerome defended the #12 rank
2005/07/29 Jerome LeBanner defeated Gary Goodridge by KO-1

(=13=) On 2005/11/19, Sem Schilt defeated Ray Sefo by DEC-3 for the #3 rank. This forced Jerome to slide down one rank to #13.
On 2005/11/19, Jerome attempted to regain the #2 rank from Peter Aerts but lost by DEC-4.

(=12=) On 2005/12/31, #5 ranked Mirko Filipovic finished the year inactive and took a rank penalty. Jerome slide up a rank to take #12.
On 2006/05/13, Jerome attempted to take #4 rank from Remy Bonjasky but lost by DEC-3.

(=13=) On 2006/06/03, Hong Man Choi defeated Sem Schilt by DEC-3 for the #1 rank. This forced Jerome to slide down one rank to #13.

(=4=) On 2006/06/30, Jerome defeated Remy Bonjasky by APPEAL for the #4 rank.

(=1=) On 2006/09/30, Jerome defeated Hong Man Choi by DEC-4 for the #1 rank.

[BEEF]

All hail Jerome... ok flame away.. I am deckt out in JLB gear T-shirts , and a signed mma glove I won from BOOBS for the finals. Doesn't get better than haveing a world cup twice in one year. I hope france takes it the second time.

[BEEF]

I know both of us are glad for the change CKO...

[Mago]

Well, I've said this millions of time, :) but to answer your quesion, considering the only time the #1 rank was given to a fighter based solely on general career merit was when the ranking started (I believe it was Hoost "because he was the champion and was leading the circuit in dominating fashion"), it's my opinion that now the #1, being purely an abstract ranking spot like all others (it doesn't even have special rules that take it apart from "the rest", like winning the GP gives you automaticly the #1 spot for example), is as hard to get as any of the others, as the difficulty relies all on the fighter that holds it, there's no progressing mechanics with which the fighters need to fight and advance, it's direct swapping, so in theory LeBanner would have much harder times getting "lower" ranks fighting against the likes of Aerts, Schilt or Feitosa, than agaisnt Choi's #1 spot.

But, yeah I know, I won't break anyone's b***s, wether I agree with it or not, I'm also happy if Jerome gets more appreciation due simply to this fact, so it's all good to me, no compalins. :D

[CentralKickboxing.Org]

Hi Mago,
Everything you say is true.

[unicorn]

Anyhow I took such a relief of breathe when Choi's reign was over. Blessed be the maker (of CKO) and his ranking, blessed be his coming and his returning. (False quote from Dune, hahahahaha)

[CentralKickboxing.Org]

I don't need to sigh with relief anymore. Bob Sapp did so much to rankings in 2002.

[CentralKickboxing.Org]

...when the ranking started (I believe it was Hoost "because he was the champion and was leading the circuit in dominating fashion"),

Ooops! One error.

The #1 rank was from Branko in 1993.
When the CKO list (top ten, etc) started in 2000, Hoost was both the reigning K-1 champion and present CKO #1.
There was no evaluation of Hoost. There has never been a ranking via evaluation.

[Mago]

Sorry Felix. it must seem as if I'm working agianst you or something, but it's quite the opposite, I completely admire all the work you put here to make your own ranking system, specially because you are the ONLY one doing it in a serious, data-based way.

I'll keep waiting for that "more complex" system you were sketching, it will be interesting to see if it ever gets done, I think it would be a great evolution also.

PS: There MUST have been some kind of evaluation to place the fighters at their ranks in the very beginning. The top ten alone leaves a lot of questions, being the reigning champion isn't a requirement for being at the #1 spot, so that's what I said it was the only time the #1 was associated with being the rightful champion of K1.

[CentralKickboxing.Org]

The evaluation you speak of was not an evaluation of the fighters themselves but more an evaluation of what accomplishments were worth more in 2000. Originally, I was just going to get the top 8 from the GP itself but Jerome and Bernardo were absent. I therefore used the 3 qualifying tournaments. It was all mapped out on several pieces of paper (I wish I had kept them).

I do remember, for instance, that Aerts had a terrible year and didn't even make the top ten. I expected him to just beat a top ten fighter and claim a rank. It took him forever (Sept 2005 he beat Mo Siliga). Until then he was losing to guys like Botha or beating lower ranked fighters.