Craig Kikta

Name: Craig Kikta
Alias: Kid
Hometown: Youngstown, Ohio, USA
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 170cm
Reach: 173cm
Pro Boxer: Record

From WAIL! Sep 1995 http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/box995.htm

SPOTLIGHT ON CRAIG "KID" KIKTA by Louis Schiavoni, contributed by Eric Orwell ([email protected])

Nineteen-year-old Craig Kikta, 11-0 with 6 knockouts, is coming off an eight round decision over experienced Johnny "Young Guns" Gottchling of Bay City, Michigan.

Kikta, who is managed by Attorney Louis Schiavoni of Youngstown and trained by Jack Loew of Youngstown, says that he is currently fighting for the people of Youngstown, Ohio and General Motors, where his father is employed. He is extremely proud of his hometown and hopes to put Youngstown back in the national limelight, as Ray Mancini did several years ago when he won the World Lightweight Championship.

Fans should also know that Craig, as an amateur fighter, sparred regularly with former I.B.F. Lightweight Champion, Harry Arroyo. After several months of sparring with Arroyo, Craig seemed destined to turn pro and head for a world title.

Kikta also sparred regularly with former Lightweight Champion, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, when Mancini was preparing to fight Greg Haugen. As a result of sparring and work, Ray has rewarded Craig by helping to promote him. Mancini says that "our fighting styles are quite similar and that he fights with the same intensity which I fought with several years ago."

In his 11 professional bouts to date, Craig has shown exceptional speed, as well as knockout power. As an amateur, Craig had an impressive record of 26-4. A 1994 graduate of Austintown Fitch High School, he began fighting as an amateur in 1991. He won the 147-pound Junior Olympic Championship in 1991 and 1992. In 1993, he was the Youngstown and Cleveland Golden Gloves Champion in the 147 pound division. The following year he won the 139 pound title in the Youngstown Golden Gloves Championships and took runner-up honors at the Ohio State Fair. Craig's professional record follows:

Jeremy Brown, Ashtabula, OH KO-1 John Wyatt, Las Vegas, NV Dec-4 Dave Brown, Cleveland, OH KO-2 Jeff Graffius, Pittsburgh, PA Dec-6 Larry Gue, Huntington, WV KO-2 Keith Windsor, Lexington, KY KO-2 Lamont Johnson, Phoenix, AZ KO-2 Vinnie Ponzi, Las Vegas, NV Dec-4 Damian Sutton, Omaha, NE KO-5 John Gottchling, Bay City, MI Dec-8