Shane Chapman - Biography and Career

Biography and Career

Shane Chapman made his amateur kickboxing debut in 1995 aged 19, winning by TKO. Between 1995 and the latter half of 1997 he had a successful amateur career on the local circuit, winning 8 out of 9 fights and picking up the New Zealand North Island and South Pacific titles at super welterweight. On 18 September 1997 he made his professional Muay Thai debut defeating Norm Graham over 5 rounds at a domestic event in Auckland, New Zealand. In 1998 he won his first professional (and world) title by defeating a Chinese fighter to win the W.F.S.B. world title at light middleweight. He followed this up later in the year to claim his second world title in Hong Kong – this time it was the H.K.M.T.A. belt. Chapman was now a double world champion at just 19 years old.

By the turn of the millennium Chapman was facing stronger and stronger fighters from Thailand, Japan and Australia. Between the end of 1999 and throughout the majority of 2001, he went undefeated, winning 14 fights against opposition such as John Wayne Parr, Akeomi Nitta and Thai world champion Dejpayak Sasirapa, winning the Judgement Day 1 "Australasian Super 8” tournament, and the W.M.C. Asia-Pacific and I.S.S. Brute Force titles. His record ended on 15 August 2001 where he was stopped in the final of the Judgement 2 tournament by multiple Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion Daniel Dawson. At the end of 2001, Chapman made his K-1 MAX debut at the inaugural K-1 Oceania MAX 2001 tournament in Melbourne, Australia, with the prize being a place at the first ever K-1 MAX world final – an event for middleweight kickboxers (70 kg). Chapman won the tournament by defeating all three opponents via decision and booked his place in Tokyo as the Oceania regional winner. At the K-1 World MAX 2002 Chapman faced Albert Kraus in the quarter finals. After three rounds it was eventual champion Kraus who had his hand raised - beating Shane by a close but unanimous decision after three rounds.

Chapman returned to K-1 MAX at the K-1 Oceania MAX 2002 event but the reigning champion could only make the semi finals, losing to John Wayne Parr via knockout in a rematch of their 2000 bout which Shane had won. In 2003 he signed up with the newly created Austrian promotion SuperLeague and defeated Muay Thai champion Ole Laursen on his debut. Later that year he entered the second ever K-1 MAX New Zealand event, making the final but losing to Jordan Tai by a close split decision after three rounds. He lost his next couple of SuperLeague fights to Yoshihiro Sato and Kamal El Amrani but did manage to win his third world title – claiming the W.K.B.F. Muay Thai middleweight belt. He would also make his professional boxing debut that year and would have two matches (winning both) against local opposition.

After his defeat to El Amrani, Chapman went on another winning streak defeating nine opponents including victories against top level fighters such as Jean-Charles Skarbowsky, Arslan Magomedov and Ramazan Ramazanov. He also booked his place at the K-1 World MAX 2005 Open by winning his second K-1 MAX Oceania title in 2004. His winning streak ended at the elimination round in Tokyo, where he lost to rival and close friend John Wayne Parr in the last match of their trilogy of fights. With this defeat Shane would be unable to qualify for the K-1 World MAX final and would have his last bout with K-1, finishing 10 and 4 with the organization. By the end of 2005 he won his fourth world title by defeating legendary Thai Lamsongkram Chuwattana in Hong Kong to claim the H.K.M.T.A. Muay Thai middleweight belt.

In 2006, Chapman returned to SuperLeague defeating Petr Polak and dropping a close decision to multiple world champion Dmitry Shakuta. These would be his last fights with the SuperLeague organization (which folded later that year), finishing with a 2 and 4 record in a very competitive 76 kg division. During the second half of the year, Chapman won the S-1 Oceania tournament in what would be his last major kickboxing title. During 2007 he would have a number of kickboxing bouts, with notable draws against Cosmo Alexandre and Eugune Ekkelboom respectively but was becoming more and more focused on his pro boxing career. In 2008 he would have his first shot at a boxing title but came up short against Daniel McKinnon who retained his W.B.O. Oriental super middleweight belt after twelve rounds.