The Professional Karate Association (PKA) was originally a martial arts sanctioning organization, now transformed into a martial arts promotion company. Through the 1970s, the PKA was the major professional kickboxing organization in the United States and in Europe, featuring such fighters as Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, Joe Lewis, Benny "the Jet" Urquidez, Howard Jackson, Isaias Dunenas, Dennis "the Terminator" Alexio, Bad Brad Hefton, Jerry Rhome, Tom Hall, The Iceman Jean Yves Theriault, Rick "the Jet" Roufus, Rodney Batman Batiste, Bob Thunder Thurman, John Longstreet, Larry Carnahan, Gordon Franks, Jerry Trimble and Jeff Smith.
The Professional Karate Association was formed in 1974 by Don and Judy Quine in association with Mike Anderson. It was launched with the initial world championships in 1974 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, and was telecast on ABC's Wide World of Entertainment. The winners of the initial championship were Joe Lewis (heavyweight), Jeff Smith (light heavyweight), Bill "Superfoot" Wallace (middleweight), and Isiasis Duenas (lightweight). Additionally, Vernon Mason (also called Vernon "Thunder Kick Mason") would become US PKA's first bantamweight champion after knocking out Sonny Onowa.
Joe Corley joined the PKA in 1977 and organized the committees that would control the sport of full contact karate for the next 9 years. The PKA went on to have a long term relationship with ESPN that lasted until the 1986, while also airing a series of fights on CBS under the watch of CBS Sports VP Barry Frank and on NBC via Sean McManus. The PKA was by far the most visible sanctioning body for what became better known as kickboxing in the United States, in 1982 sanctioning 43% of events worldwide. and producing more than 1,000 hours of television content.
The PKA signed many fighters to exclusive contracts in order to build its brand in the sport, just as most other sports organizations sign athletes to exclusive contracts. Some fighters chose to go to other competing organizations, but the PKA was by far the most well known, as were its fighters. The PKA sanctioned fights exclusively with what has become known as "full contact rules" which permit kicks only above the waist as opposed to the "international rules" advocated by other organizations. In 1989 Joe Corley gained the rights to PKA in an out of court settlement ending a 3 year dispute with his PKA partners. The PKA has since operated as a promotion company. The PKA hosted fights with SHOWTIME through the 90's and held its first pay per view event with SHOWTIME featuring Jean Yves Theriault vs Rick Roufus, Dennis Alexio vs Dick Kimber and Paul Vizzio vs Juan Torres. In the new millennium PKA has hosted fights at the Battle of Atlanta and is organizing a new era of action to bring the right kind of recognition the fight world is now ready to bestow on the next generation of kickboxing superstars.
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