Curtis Bush

Curtis Bush (born June 27, 1962) is an American world champion kickboxer who competed in the welterweight, super-welterweight, light-middleweight and middleweight divisions. A tall Southpaw possessing dangerous spinning back kicks and spinning back fists, Bush competed entirely under full contact rules and was a two-time Virginia state champion as an amateur before turning professional in 1983. After knocking out Robert Visitacion to become the North American welterweight champion in 1987, he went on to win five world titles in four weight classes and retired from competition in 1999.

Early life Curtis Bush was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and in 1976, at the age of 13, began practicing tang soo do, earning his black belt after five years. He took up kickboxing at seventeen.

Career

Bush began competing as an amateur kickboxer in 1979 and amassed a record of 14–2 with 10 knockouts over the next four years before turning professional in 1983. The highlights of his amateur career include decision wins over Darnell Studavent for the Virginia Welterweight (-67 kg/147 lb) title and Alphonzo Claiborne for the Virginia Super Welterweight (-70 kg/154 lb) belt in 1981 and 1982, respectively.

In 1985, Bush fought four-time PKA world champion Cliff "Magic" Thomas in a non-title bout in Atlanta, Georgia and won the fight by unanimous decision over five rounds. The bout was televised on ESPN, and the win moved Bush to #4 in the PKA rankings. A month later, Bush knocked out Canadian welterweight champion Raynald Lamarre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Those two wins pushed Bush to #2 in the ISKA world ratings after the demise of the PKA. Bush fought #1 ISKA world contender Richard "Gator" in October 1986 for the vacant ISKA World welterweight championship. Bush had previously KO'd Hill in 1982 in Gainesville, FL in the first round of an ESPN televised bout. Richard Hill stopped Bush in the 9th round by TKO and became the first ISKA world welterweight champion. Bush became the ISKA #1 world welterweight contender after knocking out then current #1 contender Paul Biafore in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1987. Bush won with fifth-round knockout. That same year, he won the ISKA North American Welterweight (-66.8 kg/147.3 lb) Full Contact Championship over Robert Visitacion in Stateline, Nevada. He dominated his opponent throughout, scoring two early knockdowns before finishing him off with a liver punch in round two.

Two years later, in 1989, he won the FFKA United States light welterweight (-67 kg/147 lb) belt in Portland, Maine against Chuck Cypress. After forcing three standing eight counts on Cypress in rounds two and three, he continued to batter his opponent in the fourth and caused his corner to throw in the towel. Having outgrown the domestic circuit, Bush won his first world championship in 1990 against #3 ISKA world title contender Emmanuel Essissima in Paris, France, where he won a twelve-round split decision over the Cameroonian for the full contact ISKA light middleweight (-72.3 kg/159.4 lb) belt. Despite this setback, he was still granted a shot at his third world title and he knocked out Piotr Falender in round seven to take the ISKA's world welterweight title in his home town of Virginia Beach, Virginia. He defended this belt in Ajaccio, Corsica in 1992, Toussaint Andarelli. Bush and Toussaint Andarelli would later rematch but fought to a no contest.

He lost the ISKA super welterweight world title to Mark Weller when he was TKO'd in the eight round in Cambridge, England, in May 1997. He rebounded later in the year by taking the vacant ISKA North American crown in the same division with a controversial majority decision win over Melvin Murray in Toronto, Canada. Bush won his second USBA Boxing title when he won a twelve-round split decision over Kevin Hall 15-2(11 KOs) for the USBA Southern Middleweight Championship on October 2, 1997, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In his first attempt at the NBA World Middleweight (-72.64 kg/160 lb) boxing title, Bush was TKO'd in round nine by Elvis Alexander in Virginia Beach on April 16, 1998. He also lost a unanimous decision to Tom Kimber at the Mass Destruction pay-per-view in Lowell, Massachusetts in May 1999 in an IKF World Middleweight (-75 kg/165.3 lb) Full Contact title challenge.

Bush retired on June 30, 1999, aged thirty-seven, after being stopped in the ninth round by Elvis Alexander again for the NBA World title.

Acting Bush appeared with Bill "Superfoot" Wallace in five commercials for the Treco Powerstretch and SABBA in 1985. His first film role was as a deranged poacher in the 1988 Canadian film Dragon Hunt, filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Bush's character was killed by star Michael McNamara in a fight scene. Bush also had a small role as a member of the Foot gang in the films Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze in 1990 and 1991, respectively. In 1992, he starred in a locally produced UPN television series 464 Roadhouse, which was based on the film Roadhouse starring Patrick Swayze. Bush played Dillon and Swayze played Dalton. The series lasted four episodes before being cancelled. Bush also released a 60-minute training video, A Beginner's Guide To Professional Kickboxing, in 1992. Ringside Products and Asian World of Martial Arts distributed it. He played a terrorist in the film Major Payne, starring Damon Wayons, in 1995. He starred in the independent horror film Psycho Kickboxer, which premiered in 1997. In 2000, Bush was chosen to do the motion-capture and face scanning for the character "Cobra" in the Xbox video game Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon released in 2002. Bush continues to act and played an army sergeant in the ABC series LOST in 2006 and a naval officer in the 2012 film Battleship. In 2013, Bush auditioned and won a speaking role as Security Guard #3 in Season 3 of Hawaii Five O. Episode 3.23 "He welo 'oihana'. Bush then went on to appear in the new Magnum PI playing a police officer/detective for 5 years.

Personal life Bush was honored with "Curtis Bush Day" on April 27, 1995, by Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He currently lives in Oahu, Hawaii and works as a Registered Behavior Technician. .

Championships and awards

Boxing United States Boxing Association USBA Southern Light Middleweight (-69.9 kg/154 lb) Championship USBA Southern Middleweight (-72 kg/160 lb) Championship

Kickboxing Virginia State Kickboxing Amateur Virginia Welterweight (-67 kg/147 lb) Championship Amateur Virginia Super Welterweight (-70 kg/154 lb) Championship Fight Factory Karate Association FFKA United States Light Welterweight (-67 kg/147 lb) Championship International Sport Karate Association ISKA Southeast Welterweight (-66.8 kg/147 lb) Full Contact Championship ISKA North American Welterweight (-66.8 kg/147 lb) Full Contact Championship ISKA North American Super Welterweight (-69.5 kg/153 lb) Full Contact Championship ISKA World Welterweight (-66.8 kg/147 lb) Full Contact Championship ISKA World Super Welterweight (-69.5 kg/153 lb) Full Contact Championship ISKA World Light Middleweight (-72.3 kg/159 lb) Full Contact Championship World Karate and Kickboxing Organization WKKO World Middleweight (-73 kg/160 lb) Championship World Kickboxing Association WKA World Super Welterweight (-70 kg/154 lb) Full Contact Championship

Boxing record Boxing record12 wins (10 KOs), 5 losses, 2 draws Date Result Opponent Venue Location Method Round Time Record 1999-06-30 Loss Elvis Alexander Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA TKO 9 12–5–2 1998-04-16 Loss Elvis Alexander Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA TKO 9 12–4–2 1997-10-02 Win Kevin Hall Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA Decision 12 3:00 12–3–2 1994-07-28 Draw Kevin Hall Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA Technical draw 1 11–3–2 1994-02-03 Win Lynn Jackson Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA TKO 10 11–3–1 1993-10-07 Draw Lynn Jackson Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA Draw 10–3–1 1992-11-09 Win Sherman Harris Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA TKO 6 10–3 1992-08-06 Win Bubba Walters Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA TKO 4 9–3 1992-01-30 Win Tony Rios Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA TKO 2 8–3 1991-11-21 Win Calvin Moody Virginia Beach, Virginia DQ 4 7–3 1989-11-11 Loss Dave Wyatt, Jr. Arthur Ashe Athletic Center Richmond, Virginia KO 1 6–3 1987-06-25 Win Len Robinson Nags Head, North Carolina KO 1 6–2 1987-03-05 Win Chuck Davis Virginia Beach, Virginia TKO 1 5–2 1986-01-22 Loss Kevin Vieldhouse Harrah's Atlantic City Atlantic City, New Jersey Decision (majority) 6 3:00 4–2 1985-07-20 Loss Mike Peoples Norfolk Scope Norfolk, Virginia, USA Decision (split) 6 3:00 4–1 1985-03-13 Win Tony Rios Norfolk Scope Norfolk, Virginia, USA TKO 5 2:08 4–0 Legend:

Kickboxing record Professional kickboxing record 42 wins (30 KOs), 10 losses, 2 draws, 2 no contests Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time 1999-05-00 Loss Tom Kimber Mass Destruction Lowell, Massachusetts, USA Decision (unanimous) 12 2:00 1997-00-00 Win Melvin Murray Toronto, Ontario, Canada Decision (majority) 10 2:00 1997-05-00 Loss Mark Weller Cambridge, England TKO (punches) 8 1996-00-00 Win Roberto Fatica Dundonald International Ice Bowl Belfast, Northern Ireland TKO (left cross) 8 1:44 0000-00-00 Win Tom Montgomery Brighton, England Decision 12 2:00 0000-00-00 NC Michel Louart Montreal, Quebec, Canada No contest 7 1994-00-00 NC Toussaint Andarelli Ajaccio, Corsica No contest 3 1992-00-00 Win Toussaint Andarelli Ajaccio, Corsica Decision 12 2:00 0000-00-00 Win Piotr Falender Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA KO 7 1991-00-00 Loss Marlon Boldewijn Amsterdam, Netherlands Decision (unanimous) 12 2:00 0000-00-00 Win Bubba Walters Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA KO 4 - 1990-00-00 Win Emmanuel Essissima Paris, France Decision (split) 12 2:00 1989-00-00 Win Chuck Cypress ESPN Championship Karate Portland, Maine, USA TKO (corner stoppage) 4 0:23 0000-00-00 Win Lafayette Lawson Rumble on the River New Orleans, Louisiana, USA KO 7 1987-00-00 Win Robert Visitacion Harrah's Lake Tahoe Stateline, Nevada, USA KO (left hook to the body) 2 1:22 0000-00-00 Loss Paul Biafore Decision 12 2:00 1987-00-00 Win Paul Biafore Toronto, Ontario, Canada KO 5 0000-00-00 Draw Paul Biafore Draw 10 2:00 0000-00-00 Win Alan Watson Paradise Island, Bahamas KO 3 1985-00-00 Win Raynald Lamarre Montreal, Quebec, Canada TKO (punches) 1985-00-00 Win Cliff Thomas PKA Karate Atlanta, Georgia, USA Decision (unanimous) 5 2:00 1984-00-00 Win George Morrisey United States KO (left high kick) 6 0000-00-00 Win Roy McKown United States KO 3 0000-00-00 Draw Jerry Trimble United States Draw 12 2:00 0000-00-00 Loss Richard Hill United States TKO 9 0000-00-00 Win Richard Hill United States KO 1 0000-00-00 Win Trevor Ambrose United States KO 2 1983-00-00 Win Ken Comer Gatineau, Quebec, Canada KO (high kick) 5 1983-06-11 Win Jackie Dixon Memphis, Tennessee, USA KO 2

Amateur kickboxing record 15 wins (11 KOs), 2 losses, 0 draws Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time 1982-00-00 Win Alphonzo Claiborne Chesapeake, Virginia, USA Decision 3 1981-00-00 Win Darnell Studavent Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA Decision 3 Legend: