Curtis Bush (born June 27, 1967 ) 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 in 1967 and in 1977, at the age of nine, began practicing tang soo do, eventually earning his black belt after five years. He took up kickboxing at seventeen. ^[1]

Career

Bush began competing as an amateur kickboxer in 1979 and amassed a record of 15–2 with 11 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. ^[1]

His professional kickboxing debut came on June 11, 1983, in Memphis, Tennessee when he knocked out the previously undefeated Jackie "Hollywood" Dixon 8–0 (5 KO's) in round two of a bout televised nationally on ESPN. He soon became the #9 ranked light welterweight by the PKA when he knocked out the PKA #5 world contender Ken Comer with a fifth round roundhouse kick to the head in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. ^[1]

His professional boxing debut came on February 16, 1984. Bush knocked out Charles Carter in the second round in Virginia Beach, VA. He was picked by Muhammad Ali in 1984 to box on his Champion Sports Pro Boxing Team in the Cayman Islands. Ali had watched Bush in a kickboxing match on ESPN in which he had knocked out George Morrisey with head kick in the sixth round. Bush won his boxing fight by a fourth-round knockout, which gave him a record of 3–0 with 3 KOs as a professional boxer. Bush signed a six-fight contract with Ali's lawyer, Richard Hirschfeld, to box in the Caribbean with a final bout in London, England, for a minor title. However, the company folded soon after Bush's Cayman Islands fight because of stock fraud. In 2005, captured fugitive Richard Hirschfeld committed suicide. ^[2]

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. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]} 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. ^[7] Those two wins pushed Bush to #2 in the ISKA world ratings after the demise of the PKA. He 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. ^[8]

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. ^{[9] [10] [11]} 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. ^[1]

Bush then became a world champion for the second time in 1990 with a fourth-round KO of #1 WKKO world middleweight contender Bubba "Blackhawk" Walters. Curtis won the WKKO World Middleweight (-73 kg/160 lb) Championship. ^[1]

1991 saw Bush fight in the kickboxing hotbed of Amsterdam, Netherlands for the first time where he faced local fighter Marlon Boldewijn. He was stunned and given a standing eight count in round three before losing on points. ^{[12] [13]} 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, outpointing Toussaint Andarelli. Bush and Andarelli would later rematch but fought to a no contest. ^[1]

Having boxed occasionally since 1984, Bush won his first title in the sport on February 3, 1994, by defeating Lynn Jackson via technical knockout in round ten in Virginia Beach for the USBA Southern Light Middleweight (-69.9 kg/154 lb) belt. This earned him the spot as the IBF #1 Intercontinental contender. ^[1] Returning to kickboxing, he became a four time world champion when he won a unanimous twelve-round decision over Tom Montgomery in Brighton, England, to be crowned the ISKA World Super Welterweight (-69.5 kg/153.2 lb) Full Contact Champion, setting up a unification fight with Roberto Fatica at the Dundonald International Ice Bowl in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1996. With both Bush's ISKA super welterweight title and Fatica's WKA super welterweight (-70 kg/154.3 lb) strap on the line, Bush stopped the Italian in round eight to become the undisputed world champion. ^{[14] [15] [16]}

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. ^{[17] [18]} 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. ^{[19] [20] [21]} 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. ^[22]

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. ^[23]

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. ^[24] 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'.

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 Behavior Therapist . ^[1]

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 record
12 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
For the NBA World Middleweight (-72.64 kg/160 lb) Championship.
1998-04-16	Loss	Elvis Alexander		Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA	TKO	9		12-4-2
For the NBA World Middleweight (-72.64 kg/160 lb) Championship.
1997-10-02	Win	Kevin Hall		Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA	Decision	12	3:00	12-3-2
Wins the USBA Southern Middleweight (-72.64 kg/160 lb) Championship.
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
Wins the USBA Southern Light Middleweight (-69.9 kg/154 lb) Championship.
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

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
For the IKF World Middleweight (-75 kg/165 lb) Full Contact Championship.
1997-00-00	Win	Melvin Murray		Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Decision (majority)	10	2:00
Wins the ISKA North American Super Welterweight (-69.5 kg/153 lb) Full Contact Championship.
1997-05-00	Loss	Mark Weller		Cambridge, England	TKO (punches)	8
Loses the ISKA World Welterweight (-66.8 kg/147 lb) Full Contact Championship.
1996-00-00	Win	Roberto Fatica	Dundonald International Ice Bowl	Belfast, Northern Ireland	TKO (left cross)	8	1:44
Retains the ISKA World Super Welterweight (-69.5 kg/153 lb) Full Contact Championship and wins the WKA World Super Welterweight (-70 kg/154 lb) Full Contact Championship.
0000-00-00	Win	Tom Montgomery		Brighton, England	Decision	12	2:00
Wins the ISKA World Super Welterweight (-69.5 kg/153 lb) Full Contact Championship.
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
Retains the ISKA World Welterweight (-66.8 kg/147 lb) Full Contact Championship.
0000-00-00	Win	Piotr Falender		Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA	KO	7
Wins the ISKA World Welterweight (-66.8 kg/147 lb) Full Contact Championship.
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	-
Wins the WKKO World Middleweight (-73 kg/160 lb) Championship.
1990-00-00	Win	Emmanuel Essissima		Paris, France	Decision (split)	12	2:00
Wins the ISKA World Light Middleweight (-72.3 kg/159 lb) Full Contact Championship.
1989-00-00	Win	Chuck Cypress	ESPN Championship Karate	Portland, Maine, USA	TKO (corner stoppage)	4	0:23
Wins the FFKA United States Light Welterweight (-67 kg/147 lb) Championship.
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
Wins the ISKA North American Welterweight (-66.8 kg/147 lb) Full Contact Championship.
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
Wins the ISKA Southeast Welterweight (-66.8 kg/147 lb) Full Contact Championship.
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
Wins the Amateur Virginia Super Welterweight (-70 kg/154 lb) Championship.
1981-00-00	Win	Darnell Studavent		Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA	Decision	3
Wins the Amateur Virginia Welterweight (-67 kg/147 lb) Championship.

References

External links

• Curtis Bush at IMDb