Andreas "Andy" Hug (7 September 1964 – 24 August 2000) was a
Swiss karateka and
kickboxer who competed in the
heavyweight division. Considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all time, Hug was renowned for his ability to execute numerous
kick
A kick is a physical Strike (attack), strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee (strike), ...
ing techniques rarely seen in high-level competition. Although he was usually smaller than his opponents, standing at and being barely a heavyweight, weighing around in his prime, he made up for his lack of size with his tremendous athleticism and speed. A
southpaw, his trademark kicks included the
axe kick
A kick is a physical strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This type of att ...
and the "Hug Tornado", a low
spinning heel kick
A kick is a physical Strike (attack), strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee (strike), ...
targeting his opponents' thighs.
Raised in
Wohlen, Aargau
Wohlen is a municipality in the district of Bremgarten in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.
History
The earliest known settlements in Wohlen date from the late Hallstatt era (600-500 BC). This settlement left two clusters of burial moun ...
, Hug was a keen
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
in his youth but gave up the sport to pursue
Kyokushin
is a style of karate originating in Japan. It is a style of stand-up fighting and is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline, and hard training.
Kyokushin Kaikan is the martial arts organization founded in 1964 by Korean-Jap ...
karate which he began practicing at ten years old. Beginning his
full contact karate
Full contact karate is any format of karate where competitors spar (also called Kumite) full-contact and allow a knockout as winning criterion.
History
Full contact karate competition comes in several different formats developed for the art of k ...
career in the 80
kg/176
lb middleweight division, he rose to prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s by winning numerous regional tournaments around Europe and made the transition to heavyweight in 1984. That same year, he competed in the Kyokushin World Open, knockdown karate's most prestigious competition, for the first time and made it to the fourth round where he was eliminated by
Shokei Matsui
,Habersetzer, G., & Habersetzer, R. (2004): ''Encyclopédie technique, historique, biographique et culturelle des arts martiaux de l'Extrême-Orient'' (p. 455). Paris: Amphora. () . Returning to Europe, he won his first major title in the form of the 3rd European Championships in 1985 before entering World Open again in 1987. He became the first non-Japanese fighter to make it to the final of the competition but again lost to Shokei Matsui. Another European Championships win would follow in 1989 and he fought in his third and final World Open in 1991, losing a controversial bout to
Francisco Filho in the third round.
Having become a popular fighter in
Japan due to his technical diversity, spectacular aesthetics, tactics and strength, Andy Hug made the switch from Kyokushinkaikan to
Seidokaikan
is a traditional full contact karate derived from Kyokushin by Kazuyoshi Ishii. Seidokaikan organized the first professional full contact karate tournament named the Karate World Cup. The Karate World Cup had special extension rounds; if the j ...
in 1992, completing the step from being an amateur to becoming a professional fighter and star in Japan. After winning the 1992 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup, beating
Taiei Kin
Kin Taiei ( ko, 김태영, Hanja: ; born July 8, 1970) is a Korean-Japanese light heavyweight karateka, kickboxer and mixed martial artist competing in K-1 and DREAM. He's also a karate instructor and a trainer for professional fighters. His n ...
in the final, and finishing as runner-up to
Masaaki Satake
is a Japanese former heavyweight karateka, kickboxer, professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is one of the pioneering heavyweight fighters in K-1, having been a member of Kazuyoshi Ishii's Seidokaikan school.
...
in the 1993 edition, Hug then transitioned to
K-1 kickboxing, scoring a first round
knockout of Ryuji Murakami in his professional debut at ''
K-1 Andy's Glove'' in November 1993. After a breakout win over
K-1 Grand Prix '93
''K-1 Grand Prix '93'' was a martial arts event held by the K-1 organization on April 30, 1993, at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. It was the inaugural K-1 World Grand Prix, featuring an eight-man tournament fought under K-1 rule ...
Champion
Branko Cikatić
Branko Cikatić (4 October 1954 – 22 March 2020) was a Croatian heavyweight kickboxer, the first Croatian-born fighter to achieve international success. He was the first K-1 World Grand Prix Champion. The tournament was held on April 30, 1993 ...
in March 1994, Hug entered the
K-1 Grand Prix '94
This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a kickboxing promotion based in Hong Kong. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993 at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
2023 events
2022 events
2021 events ...
a month later as one of the tournament favourites but was upset by
Patrick Smith via first round stoppage in the quarter-finals. Undeterred, Hug continued to improve his skills for the kickboxing ring and rebounded by winning the Universal Kickboxing Federation (UKF) World Super Heavyweight Championship in December 1994 when he knocked out Rob van Esdonk. He suffered another setback at the
K-1 Grand Prix '95 Qualifying Round when he was stopped by
Mike Bernardo
Michael Shawn Bernardo (28 July 1969 – 14 February 2012) was a South African kickboxer and boxer from Cape Town. Bernardo was known as Beru-chan in Japan, where he has taken part in K-1 World GPs since 1994. He holds notable wins ove ...
but he would have his revenge the following year at the
K-1 Grand Prix '96 when he won the tournament by finishing Bernardo with the "Hug Tornado" in the final. He continued to be one of K-1's top contenders in the following years, reaching the final of the
K-1 World Grand Prix
K-1 World Grand Prix, also known as the K-1 World GP, is an elimination kickboxing tournament that has been held annually since 1993 by the K-1 organization. Each year, K-1 holds various 16-men, 8-match grand prix style tournaments throughout the ...
twice more (in
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
and
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...
) and becoming a three-time
world champion
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
by taking the
WMTC and
WKA titles under
Muay Thai rules.
In early August 2000, Hug started feeling unwell in Switzerland. On August 17, while training in Japan, he was given a diagnosis of acute
leukemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...
. He died, aged 35, a week later in Tokyo, the day after it was made public that he was in a coma. Hug's sudden death shocked the martial arts world. His legacy remains as a true legend in kickboxing and knockdown karate, as well as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of both sports. Hug was the highest paid kickboxer in the world at one point and his matches in his native Switzerland, where he posted a perfect 6–0 record, drew a larger television audience than the tennis matches of
Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis (, sk, Martina Hingisová; 30 September 1980) is a Swiss former professional tennis player. Hingis is the first Swiss player, male or female, to win a major title and attain a world No. 1 ranking. She spent a total of 209 weeks a ...
and the games of the
Swiss national football team
The Switzerland national football team (german: Schweizer Fussballnationalmannschaft, it, Nazionale di calcio della Svizzera, french: Équipe nationale suisse de football, rm, Squadra naziunala da ballape da la Svizra) represents Switzerland ...
. In addition to his in-ring accomplishments, he was also known for his articulation, humility and strong work ethic.
Hug was ranked at #79 on ''
The Top 100 Historical Persons in Japan'', a television program aired on
Nippon Television on May 7, 2006 which featured the results of a survey that asked
Japanese people
The are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Japanese archipelago."人類学上は,旧石器時代あるいは縄文時代以来,現在の北海道〜沖縄諸島(南西諸島)に住んだ集団を祖先にもつ人々。" () Jap ...
to choose their favorite great person from history.
Early life
Andreas Hug was born in
Zürich
, neighboring_municipalities = Adliswil, Dübendorf, Fällanden, Kilchberg, Maur, Oberengstringen, Opfikon, Regensdorf, Rümlang, Schlieren, Stallikon, Uitikon, Urdorf, Wallisellen, Zollikon
, twintowns = Kunming, San Francisco
Zürich ...
, Switzerland on 7 September 1964. His father, Arthur, was a Swiss of French and Swiss descent and was a
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, Armoured Cavalry Arm, cavalry, Military engineering, engineers, Airborne forces, airborne troops. It was created ...
naire. He died in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
under mysterious circumstances without ever seeing his son. Hug's mother, Madelaine Hug-Baumann, was German. She was forced to pursue gainful employment. Unable to care for Andy, she immediately put him up for
adoption and he spent the first three years of his life in an
orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or ab ...
until his care was taken over by his grandparents along with his brother, Charly, and sister, Fabienne. His grandmother, Fridy, and grandfather, Herrmann Baumann, a
bricklayer, raised them in
Wohlen in the
Canton of
Aargau.
Hug began playing
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
competitively at the age of six and went on to represent the
Switzerland national under-16 football team
The Switzerland national under-16 football team is the national under-16 football team of Switzerland and is controlled by the Swiss Football Association.
History
The team acted as the feeder team of Switzerland national under-17 football t ...
. However, his home situation also made him a target for
bullying and at ten years old, he started practising
Kyokushinkai karate at Wohlen karate school under Werner Schenker despite strong opposition from his grandfather initially. His grandmother saw the boy's passion for the art and eventually convinced the grandfather to relent. By thirteen, he began to show promise as a karateka by winning numerous beginners' karate tournaments and his grandparents eventually forced him to decide between pursuing football and karate, since they were no longer in a position to pay for both. He chose karate and at fifteen won the 1979 Swiss Oyama Cup, a national Kyokushin competition. Although
full contact karate
Full contact karate is any format of karate where competitors spar (also called Kumite) full-contact and allow a knockout as winning criterion.
History
Full contact karate competition comes in several different formats developed for the art of k ...
tournaments carried with them a minimum age of twenty, he showed so much potential as one of the country's biggest prospects that the Swiss Karate Federation allowed the teenaged prodigy to compete nonetheless.
Following his breakout performance in the Oyama Cup, Hug earned himself a place on the Swiss national Kyokushin team and then became the co-founder of a
dojo in
Bremgarten aged seventeen. He completed his
butchery
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesale food establishm ...
apprenticeship in 1984 and took a job in Wohlen's main wholesale butchery. However, his need for time off work regularly to compete in tournaments and occasional injuries which hindered his work performance meant that a shadow was cast over his working relationship and he was released from his contract by mutual agreement in 1986.
Career
Kyokushin career (1977–1991)
After winning a number of beginners' karate competitions, Andy Hug was selected to represent the Wohlen Karate School during the National Team Championships in November 1977. His breakthrough performance came at the Swiss national Oyama Cup in 1979 at the age of fifteen when he defeated several opponents much older than himself to take the tournament crown. In 1981, Hug had an upsurge in competition as he was part of the Swiss team that defeated the Dutch in the finals to win the 4 Countries Team Tournament and recorded his first international success by taking a bronze medal at the 5th Dutch Kyokushin Championships in the 80
kg/176
lb middleweight division in
Weert
Weert (; li, Wieërt ) is a municipality and city in the southeastern Netherlands located in the western part of the province of Limburg. It lies on the Eindhoven–Maastricht railway line, and is also astride the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal.
Pop ...
,
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
as he lost out to Koen Scharrenberg in the semi-finals. He also won the Swiss Oyama Cup for a second time that year, beating Heinz Muntweiler in the final, before further establishing himself as the country's top Kyokushin fighter by winning the 1982 Swiss Championships at middleweight. After reaching the round of sixteen in both the 2nd European Championships and the 6th Dutch Open, being eliminated by Jean-Pierre Louisset and Kenneth Felter respectively, Hug closed out the year by being crowned champion at the 1st Ibusz Oyama Cup in
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
where he defeated Mark Niedziokka in the final.
Hug again made it to the last sixteen at the 7th Dutch Open in 1983 and in 1984, he moved up to the heavyweight class with instant success, winning the Swiss nationals. In January 1984, he competed in the 3rd edition of the Kyokushin World Open, knockdown karate's most prestigious competition held once every four years. Andy was able to battle his way through and reached the final sixteen but lost to
Shokei Matsui
,Habersetzer, G., & Habersetzer, R. (2004): ''Encyclopédie technique, historique, biographique et culturelle des arts martiaux de l'Extrême-Orient'' (p. 455). Paris: Amphora. () on points. 1985 was another successful year for Hug as he won the Ibusz Oyama Cup for the second time and the Swiss nationals for the third time before taking his most notable prize to date when he
outpoint
Outpoint is a term frequently used in boxing to describe a situation in which one boxer is awarded more points than his or her opponent by the judges, but does not knock out that opponent.
Notes
Boxing terminology
Kickboxing terminology
{ ...
ed Klaus Rex in the final to win the 3rd edition of the European Championships in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
in December of that year.
At the 11th British Open in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in 1986, he was eliminated at the semi-final round by
Michael Thompson. They would then rematch at the same stage of the 4th European Kyokushin Championships in
Katowice,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
in May 1987 with the Englishman again coming out on top and forcing Hug to relinquish his title as European champion. Andy Hug returned to the World Open in November 1987 and made history by becoming the first ''
gaijin
is a Japanese word for foreigners and non-Japanese citizens in Japan, specifically being applied to foreigners of non-Japanese ethnicity and those from the Japanese diaspora who are not Japanese citizens. The word is composed of two kanji: and ...
'' to reach the final of the tournament, booking his place with a judges' decision win over
Akira Masuda
Akira may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Akira'' (franchise), a Japanese cyberpunk franchise
** ''Akira'' (manga), a 1980s cyberpunk manga by Katsuhiro Otomo
** ''Akira'' (1988 film), an anime film adaptation of the manga
** ''Akira'' (vide ...
in the semis. There, he again faced Shokei Matsui and lost to his Japanese foe by decision once again.
With his status as an elite Kyokushin fighter secured, Hug began to compete more sparingly over the next few years. He won the 1st Sursee Cup in 1988, defeating
Kenji Midori in the final, and became a two-time European champion in 1989 when he beat Michael Thompson to win the 5th European Championships in Budapest.
After an uneventful year in 1990, Andy Hug returned to the spotlight in '91 when he reached the final of the 6th European Championships in Budapest only to lose to Michael Thompson once more. The 5th World Championships also took place that year at the
Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts ...
in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
, Japan. In his third fight, Andy came up against
Francisco Filho. At the end of the round, as the bell rang, Filho landed a ''
mawashi geri
can be translated as "spin kick", although it is also sometimes referred to as a roundhouse kick. It is a kick used in Japanese martial arts.
Technique
Mawashi geri may be executed from a variety of stances, and there are several methods of prop ...
'' on the side of Hug's head which left him unconscious on the floor. Despite protest from the Swiss camp, it was later confirmed that Filho's kick had indeed struck after the bell rang, but he had started his move before the time was up and Filho was declared the winner.
Switch to Seidokaikan and entry into K-1 (1992–1993)
Having been fighting in Japan with success for a number of years, Hug became extremely popular in the country. The fans were impressed by his technical diversity, spectacular aesthetics, tactics and strength. In 1992, he made the switch from Kyokushinkaikan to
Seidokaikan
is a traditional full contact karate derived from Kyokushin by Kazuyoshi Ishii. Seidokaikan organized the first professional full contact karate tournament named the Karate World Cup. The Karate World Cup had special extension rounds; if the j ...
, completing the step from being an amateur to becoming a professional fighter and star in Japan. He debuted as a Seidokaikan karate fighter on July 30, 1992, defeating Toshiyuki Yanagisawa on points at the ''Seidokaikan Kakutogi Olympics II''. He then competed in and won the 1992 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup on October 2, 1992, overcoming
Taiei Kin
Kin Taiei ( ko, 김태영, Hanja: ; born July 8, 1970) is a Korean-Japanese light heavyweight karateka, kickboxer and mixed martial artist competing in K-1 and DREAM. He's also a karate instructor and a trainer for professional fighters. His n ...
in the final. On April 30, 1993, Hug fought in
K-1 for the first time, albeit under Seidokaikan rules, in a rematch with
Nobuaki Kakuda
is a retired karateka and kickboxer.
Early life
After attending university, Kakuda opened a karate dojo in Kobe but was forced to shut it down after two years. He subsequently worked as a dishwasher, ramen chef, and construction worker. At age ...
at the ''
K-1 Grand Prix '93
''K-1 Grand Prix '93'' was a martial arts event held by the K-1 organization on April 30, 1993, at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. It was the inaugural K-1 World Grand Prix, featuring an eight-man tournament fought under K-1 rule ...
''. The pair previously met at the second round of the 1992 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup with Hug winning by ''
ippon
is the highest score a fighter can achieve in a Japanese martial arts ''ippon-wazari'' contest, usually kendo, judo, karate or jujitsu.
In Judo
In Judo, an ippon may be scored for a throw, a pin, a choke or a jointlock.
For throws, the four ...
'' and the Swiss repeated his performance by stopping Kakuda with a
knee strike
A knee strike (commonly referred to simply as a knee) is a strike with the knee, either with the kneecap or the surrounding area. Kneeing is a disallowed practice in many combat sports, especially to the head of a downed opponent. Styles such a ...
from the
Thai clinch in round two.
Facing another of his previous opponents from the 1992 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup, he beat Minoru Fujita by decision at ''
K-1 Sanctuary III'' on June 25, 1993. Undefeated as a Seidokaikan fighter, Hug entered the
K-1 Illusion 1993 Karate World Cup
This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a kickboxing promotion based in Hong Kong. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993 at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
2023 events
2022 events
2021 events ...
on October 2, 1993, defeating Yoshinori Arata,
Changpuek Kiatsongrit
Changpuek nglish: White ElephantKiatsongrit ( th, ช้างเผือก เกียรติทรงฤทธิ์; born October 13, 1966) is a Thai former Muay Thai fighter. He is credited as being one of the first Muay Thai fighters ...
and Toshiyuki Atokawa on his way to the final where he met
Masaaki Satake
is a Japanese former heavyweight karateka, kickboxer, professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is one of the pioneering heavyweight fighters in K-1, having been a member of Kazuyoshi Ishii's Seidokaikan school.
...
. After four overtime rounds, the bout went to sudden death where Hug lost in a ''
tameshiwari
Breaking is a martial arts technique that is used in competition, demonstration and testing. Breaking is an action where a martial artist uses a striking surface to break one or more objects using the skills honed in their art form. The striking ...
'' contest.
Following the tournament, Hug began his transition from full contact karate to
kickboxing and, already a part of K-1's roster, made his debut against Ryuji Murakami at ''
K-1 Andy's Glove'' on November 15, 1993. He won by first round
knockout, dropping Murakami with a body kick early before finishing him off with a right
hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
soon after. In a non-tournament attraction at the ''
K-2 Grand Prix '93
This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a kickboxing promotion based in Hong Kong. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993 at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
2023 events
2022 events
2021 events ...
'' on December 19, 1993, Hug faced Eric Albert and hurt the Frenchman seconds after the opening bell when he rushed out and landed his trademark
axe kick
A kick is a physical strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This type of att ...
on his face. After a prolonged beating and a spinning back kick knockdown, Hug was able to put Albert away with a series of punches late in round two. In just his third outing in the kickboxing ring, he took a considerable step up in class as he faced off with the reigning
K-1 World Grand Prix
K-1 World Grand Prix, also known as the K-1 World GP, is an elimination kickboxing tournament that has been held annually since 1993 by the K-1 organization. Each year, K-1 holds various 16-men, 8-match grand prix style tournaments throughout the ...
champion
Branko Cikatić
Branko Cikatić (4 October 1954 – 22 March 2020) was a Croatian heavyweight kickboxer, the first Croatian-born fighter to achieve international success. He was the first K-1 World Grand Prix Champion. The tournament was held on April 30, 1993 ...
at ''
K-1 Challenge'' on March 3, 1994. Struggling early due to his lack of
boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...
prowess, Hug received a
standing eight count from referee Genshu Igari in round one after being rocked by an
uppercut
The uppercut (formerly known as the undercut; sometimes also referred to as the ''upper'') is a punch used in boxing that travels along a vertical line at the opponent's chin or solar plexus. It is, along with the cross, one of the two main pun ...
from Cikatić. Hug, however, came into his own as the fight went on, utilizing his kicking game to better effect and boxing from the inside, even forcing a count of his own on the Croatian before winning a
unanimous decision
A unanimous decision (UD) is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and other sports involving striking and submission in which all three judges agree on which fighte ...
after five rounds.
Struggles at the World Grand Prix (1994–1995)
With the win over Branko Cikatić, Andy Hug proved himself to be competent kickboxer and was entered into his first K-1 World Grand Prix, fighting at the ''
K-1 Grand Prix '94
This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a kickboxing promotion based in Hong Kong. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993 at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
2023 events
2022 events
2021 events ...
'' on April 30, 1994, where he faced
Patrick Smith in the quarter-finals. Hug struggled with Smith's aggression and punch-heavy style, suffering three knockdowns in nineteen seconds and losing by
technical knockout
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving strikin ...
. Some pundits, most notoriously
Dave Meltzer
David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...
, have expressed their belief that Hug's loss was a
fight fixed in order to increase Smith's popularity.
Hug had problems with his
gumshield
A mouthguard is a protective device for the mouth that covers the teeth and gums to prevent and reduce injury to the teeth, arches, lips and gums. An effective mouthguard is like a crash helmet for teeth and jaws. It also prevents the jaws com ...
as his
molars didn't clamp down on it properly and he was instead pinching it with his
incisor
Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, wher ...
s. In time, however, the K-1 doctors discovered the dental problems and fitted him with a mouthpiece that would provide standard protection. The rematch between Andy Hug and Pat Smith took place at ''
K-1 Revenge'' on September 18, 1994, and the American again opened with an axe kick just as he done in the first fight. This time, however, Hug countered with the "Hug Tornado", sweeping Smith to the canvas. As the fight went on, Hug weathered Smith's aggressive start and completed his revenge when he knocked him unconscious with a knee at the 0:56 mark of round one. In a kickboxing match at the 1994 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup on October 2, 1994, he scored a third round
liver kick knockout of
Duke Roufus
Jeffrey Ryan "Duke" Roufus (born February 19, 1970) is an American former kickboxer and head coach of the Roufusport based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. He is a well-known striking coach in North America.
Career
Duke Roufus started t ...
before closing out the year by winning the UKF World Super Heavyweight Championship with a spectacular fourth-round KO win against Rob van Esdonk at ''
K-1 Legend'' on December 10, 1994.
On March 3, 1995, Hug entered the 1995 Grand Prix at
the round of sixteen qualifier where his rivalry with
Mike Bernardo
Michael Shawn Bernardo (28 July 1969 – 14 February 2012) was a South African kickboxer and boxer from Cape Town. Bernardo was known as Beru-chan in Japan, where he has taken part in K-1 World GPs since 1994. He holds notable wins ove ...
began. Both fighters traded heavy shots with Bernardo seemingly getting the better until Hug dropped him with a high kick towards the end of the first round. The South African boxer continued to pile on the pressure, however, and in the third, knocked Hug down with a left hook shortly followed by a standing eight count. Finally, he forced Hug into a corner and delivered a relentless beating on the Swiss karateka until referee Nobuaki Kakuda finally stopped the bout after a prolonged barrage of unanswered punches. Hug had a quick turnaround, as he was back in the ring on May 4, 1995, scoring a forty-five second knockout over Peter Kramer in a ''
K-1 World Grand Prix 1995'' non-tournament affair. On June 10, 1995, Hug made the first defence of his UKF title against Dennis Lane at ''
K-1 Fight Night
This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a kickboxing promotion based in Hong Kong. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993 at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
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'' in
Zurich, the first K-1 event held in Switzerland. In a rather one-sided fight, Andy Hug knocked Lane down twice in the first two rounds before the American quit on his stool.
Hug would then lose in his next two outings, firstly to
Ernesto Hoost
Ernesto Frits Hoost (born 11 July 1965) is a Dutch retired kickboxer. A four-time K-1 World Champion, Hoost is considered to be one of the greatest kickboxers of all time. Debuting in 1993 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 1993, where he came just on ...
by
majority decision
A majority decision (MD) is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking. In a majority decision, two of the three judges agree on whi ...
at the ''
K-3 Grand Prix '95
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'' on July 16, 1995, and then Mike Bernardo by KO in a rematch at ''
K-1 Revenge II'' on September 3, 1995. The fight was even going into the latter stages of round two when Bernardo landed a right hook which sent Hug to the canvas. He was able to make it back to his feet but was clearly on wobbly legs and the referee in charge, Genshu Igari, stopped him from taking any more damage than was necessary.
Sitting on a less-than-spectacular 8–4 record and having lost in his previous two matches, Hug was struggling with
depression and felt at odds with the sport, questioning whether or not he had it in him to continue at the elite level. He persisted, however, after a rejuvenating unanimous decision win over
Jérôme Le Banner at ''
K-1 Hercules'' on December 9, 1995, and went into the 1996 campaign in good form.
Winning the K-1 World Grand Prix Championship (1996)
![Andy hug](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Andy_hug.jpg)
Kicking off the most successful year of his career, Andy Hug demolished an overmatched
Bart Vale
Bart Vale (born May 4, 1957) is an American former kickboxer, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He is known for his "old school" American martial arts look, consisting of a mustache, mullet and American flag trunks.
Career
Bart V ...
at the ''
K-1 Grand Prix '96 Opening Battle'' on March 3, 1996, to qualify for the ''
K-1 Grand Prix '96'' which was held two months later on May 6. After making short work of Duane van der Merwe with a KO inside forty seconds at the tournament's quarter-final stage, awaiting Hug was Ernesto Hoost in the semis and the pair had an epic battle considered to be one of the greatest matches in
K-1's history. A back-and-forth fight in which Hoost delivered punishing
low kick
A low kick (also known as a leg kick) is a kick in which the attacker uses their leg to strike the opponent's lower body (thigh or calf) with the shinbone or foot. This type of kick, under different names, is utilized in numerous full-contact ma ...
s throughout and both fighters traded heavily in
the clinch, the judges ruled it a
split draw
A split draw is an outcome in several full-contact combat sports, including boxing, mixed martial arts, and other sports involving striking. In a split draw, one of the three judges scores the contest in favor of one fighter, another judge scores i ...
after the regulation three rounds and so it went to an extension round to decide the winner only for it again to be scored a
majority draw
A majority draw is an outcome in several full-contact combat sports, including boxing, mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referre ...
. Finally, after five grueling rounds, Hug was ruled the victor by
split decision. In the final, he went up against Mike Bernardo, the South African power puncher who had knocked him out twice previously. It was not to be three-in-a-row for Bernardo, however, as a combination of fatigue and Hug's low kicks began to wear him down in the second round. Bernardo went down from a
roundhouse kick
A roundhouse kick (also known as round kick or turning kick) is a kick in which the practitioner lifts the knee while turning the supporting foot and body in a semicircular motion, extending the leg striking with the lower part of the shin and/ ...
to his left thigh but got back to his feet only for Hug to deliver one of the most spectacular stoppages of the 1990s, landing the "Hug Tornado" on Bernardo's already-injured left leg to put him away and clinch the coveted K-1 World Grand Prix Championship.
Hug returned to Zurich to face
Muay Thai stylist Sadau Kiatsongrit in his second and last defence of the UKF super heavyweight title at ''
K-1 Fight Night II
This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a kickboxing promotion based in Hong Kong. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993 at Korakuen Hall, Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
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'' on June 2, 1996, dispatching the Thai with a right hook at the end of round two after flooring him moments earlier. At September 1's ''
K-1 Revenge '96'', Hug fought the first of his own six Muay Thai matches, challenging
Stan Longinidis
Stan "The Man" Longinidis (born 25 June 1965) is an Australian retired heavyweight kickboxer and 8-time world kickboxing champion. Born in Melbourne of Greek ethnicity, Longinidis is one of the few fighters to win world titles in four differ ...
for his
WMTC World Super Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Championship. They exchanged heavy strikes in a close first round but Hug then went out and severely outgunned Longinidis in the second, knocking his Australian opponent down with a high kick before viciously finishing the job with a left
cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...
after he beat the count.
At ''
K-1 Star Wars '96'' on October 18, 1996, Andy Hug beat Masaaki Satake by unanimous decision in a rather lackluster rematch of the 1993 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup final to win his third title in the span on five months, the
WKA World Super Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Muay Thai strap. He finished out the year a perfect 8–0 with another unanimous decision win, this time over fellow karateka
Musashi at ''
K-1 Hercules '96'' on December 8, 1996.
Twice consecutive Grand Prix runner-up (1997–1998)
Andy Hug's eight fight win streak was brought to an end by then-two-time K-1 Grand Prix champion
Peter Aerts
Peter Aerts (born 25 October 1970) is a Dutch semi-retired kickboxer. Known for his devastating high kicks, which earned him the nickname "The Dutch Lumberjack", he is widely considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all time ...
in the first of their four meetings at ''
K-1 Kings '97'' on March 16, 1997. Soundly beaten inside the opening stanza, he was hurt by Aerts' right hand a number of times before being put away with a combination of an uppercut and a knee. He then fought to a five-round split draw with
Sam Greco
Salvatore "Sam" Greco (born 3 May 1967) is an Australian retired full contact karateka, heavyweight K-1 kickboxer, mixed martial artist. He was the 1994 Karate World Cup champion and holds notable kickboxing victories over Branko Cikatic, ...
at ''
K-1 Braves '97'' on April 29, 1997, before having his fourth and final battle with Mike Bernardo in his first WKA world super heavyweight title defence on June 7, 1997, at ''
K-1 Fight Night '97'' in Zurich. Bernardo registered a knockdown of Hug with a powerful left hook at the end of round two but it was not enough as Hug took the unanimous decision in the only fight of their 2–2 series to go the distance.
On July 20, 1997, at ''
K-1 Dream '97'', Andy Hug met Francisco Filho in a rematch almost six years in the making; Filho had KO'd Hug at the third round of the 5th Kyokushin World Open back in 1991. The fight started tense and cagey, with little to no action for the majority of round one until Filho, making his debut under kickboxing rules, landed the decisive strike, a perfectly timed counter right hook, which sent Hug crashing to the canvas in a state of unconsciousness at the 2:37 mark.
With a record of 1-2-1 that year, he entered the Grand Prix in relatively poor form but qualified for the final eight nonetheless with a win over
Pierre Guénette at ''
K-1 Grand Prix '97 1st Round'' on September 7, 1997, putting away the Canadian
taekwondo
''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...
exponent with three knockdowns inside the first round. The
round of eight went down on November 9 and saw the rubber match between Andy Hug and Masaaki Satake in the quarter-finals go just fifteen seconds as the Swiss dispatched his Japanese foe with a high kick. In the semis, Hug drew Peter Aerts and avenged his loss to the Dutchman eight months prior with a unanimous judges' decision victory. Having fought his way through to the final, he then lost to Ernesto Hoost by unanimous decision in the third of their four matches.
He rebounded with a unanimous decision victory over
Curtis Schuster
Curtis Schuster (born December 9, 1968) is an American former Thai boxer. He was a two-time world champion in kickboxing and Muay Thai. Schuster's last fight was in 1998 at the ''K-1 World GP 1998'' in Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas.
Career
Schuster ...
on April 9, 1998, at ''
K-1 Kings '98
This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a kickboxing promotion based in Hong Kong. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993 at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
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'' and then had his third meeting with Peter Aerts in Zurich on June 6, 1998, at ''
K-1 Fight Night '98''. With his WKA World Super Heavyweight Muay Thai Championship on the line, Hug outfought Aerts over the five rounds to take a unanimous decision and make the second defence of his belt. On August 7, 1998, at the ''
K-1 USA Grand Prix '98'', K-1's first venture into the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, he dismantled Mike LaBree inside the first round, forcing him into a corner before stopping him with a flurry of punches immediately followed by a thudding low kick.
The 1998 Grand Prix began on September 27 with the round of sixteen at the ''
K-1 World Grand Prix '98 Opening Round
This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a kickboxing promotion based in Hong Kong. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993 at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
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'' where Hug faced off with Mark Russell, one of the few opponents in his career who he had a size advantage over. He scored a knockdown over England's Russell in the latter part of round one and finished the job in two with a second consecutive leg kick stoppage. In a tune-up fight ahead of the Grand Prix finals, Hug KO'd Masaaki Miyamoto with a
spinning backfist moments after dropping him with the same technique at ''
K-1 Japan '98 Kamikaze'' on October 28, 1998.
At the ''
K-1 Grand Prix '98 Final Round'' on December 13, 1998, he TKO'd
Ray Sefo
Ray Sefo (born 15 February 1971) is a New Zealand fight promoter and retired kickboxer, boxer, and mixed martial artist of Samoan descent. He was the K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 Runner Up, is a six-time Muay Thai World Champion, and was an eigh ...
in the second round of their quarter-final match, knocking the New Zealander down twice with aggressive boxing combinations and forcing referee Nobuaki Kakuda to stop the fight, before securing a majority decision against Sam Greco in the semis, a rematch of their draw a year earlier. There was also some controversy in the fight as both men continued to fight after the bell rung at the end of round two, with Greco knocking Hug to the canvas with a right hand. The tournament final saw Andy Hug draw Peter Aerts once again and in their fourth and final match against one another, Aerts emerged victorious via head kick knockout in the first round.
Later career and coaching (1999–2000)
1999 was the most successful year for K-1 since its inception. Record numbers of spectators were recorded for all tournaments. Around this time, Hug also turned his hand to training other competitors at his facility in
Lucerne, Switzerland, bringing through the next generation of Swiss heavyweights in
Xhavit Bajrami
Xhavit Bajrami (born October 30, 1975) is an Albanian-Swiss former kickboxer who competed in the heavyweight division. A Seido karate practitioner and Andy Hug student, Bajrami built up an undefeated record domestically before he was recruited b ...
,
Björn Bregy and
Petar Majstorović as well as foreign talent such as
Michael McDonald.
He began 1999 in devastating fashion, knocking out
Tsuyoshi Nakasako
Tsuyoshi Nakasako ( ja, 中迫剛; born January 29, 1974) is a Japanese retired heavyweight kickboxer who competed in K-1. During his ten-year career from 1998 until 2008, he fought a variety of K-1 champions including Ernesto Hoost, Peter Aer ...
with a second round
spinning heel kick
A kick is a physical Strike (attack), strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee (strike), ...
at ''
K-1 Rising Sun '99
This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a kickboxing promotion based in Hong Kong. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993 at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
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'' on February 3 and scoring a second TKO over Ray Sefo in their rematch at ''
K-1 Revenge '99'' on April 25 when the New Zealander's corner pulled their fighter out at the end of round four due to damage sustained. During that fourth round, Sefo was down for over four minutes and was seen by ringside physicians after sustaining a
low blow before suffering two knockdowns, one from a low kick and the other a barrage of unanswered strikes. Hug then registered back-to-back unanimous decision victories over
Stefan Leko
Stefan Leko (born June 3, 1974) is a German heavyweight kickboxer. He is the current WKA Super-Heavyweight world champion in kickboxing, and former Muay Thai world heavyweight champion and Kickboxing world super-heavyweight champion, WMTA, WKN, ...
, in his third defence of the WKA strap at ''
K-1 Fight Night '99'' on June 5, and
Maurice Smith, at ''
K-1 Spirits '99'' on August 22. Continuing his winning streak into the 1999 K-1 World Grand Prix, he floored
Hiromi Amada
Hiromi Amada ( ja, 天田 ヒロミ; born May 10, 1973) is a retired Japanese heavyweight kickboxer and boxer from Gunma, Japan. A staple in the K-1 heavyweight division from 1999 to 2007, the company considered him one of its most ...
twice with low kicks then finished him with a spinning heel kick in round one at the ''
K-1 World Grand Prix '99 Opening Round'' on October 5. In the quarter-finals of the ''
K-1 Grand Prix '99 Final Round'', which was held on December 5, Hug met Ernesto Hoost for the fourth and last time. As early as the first round, Hug exacerbated a pre-existing groin injury. This handicap was so severe that it forced him to abandon a large part of his arsenal in his kicking game, and he dropped a unanimous decision.
Hug went 4–0 in 2000, the year of his death. He took a majority decision in his rematch with Musashi at ''
K-1 Burning 2000'' on March 19 and a unanimous decision against
Glaube Feitosa
Glaube Araújo Feitosa (born April 9, 1973) is a Brazilian former kickboxer and a kyokushin full contact karate practitioner who was competing in K-1. In 2005, Feitosa won K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Las Vegas tournament and was a K-1 World G ...
after a back-and-forth war at ''
K-1 The Millennium'' on April 23. In his Swiss retirement fight (his last fight in Switzerland) as well as his fourth and last WKA title defence, Hug defeated
Mirko Cro Cop
Mirko Filipović (; born 10 September 1974), better known by his ring name Mirko Cro Cop, is a retired Croatian professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer and amateur boxer. He is mostly known for his time in Pride Fighting Championships. Cr ...
at ''
K-1 Fight Night 2000'' on June 3. Cro Cop put him under pressure with his boxing at numerous times, but Hug stayed active with his kicks and did enough to take the unanimous decision.
In what would prove to be his final match, Andy Hug scored a quick knockout over
Nobu Hayashi
Nobu Hayashi ( ja, 林伸樹; born April 27, 1978) is a professional Japanese Heavyweight karateka and kickboxer. He is a two-time K-1 Japan tournament runner-up and holds notable wins over Ben Edwards, Sander Thonhauser and Faisal Zakaria. Hay ...
at ''
K-1 Spirits 2000'' on July 7, 2000, sending his Japanese opponent to the canvas twice inside the first round. He was planning a retirement match and a move into acting in the near future at the time of his death.
Personal life
Andy met his wife Ilona Hug (born July 4, 1964) in summer 1987 while she was working as a fitness trainer and model and the couple married in
Inwil
Inwil is a municipality in the district of Hochdorf in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland.
History
Inwil is first mentioned in 1145 as ''Ingenwilare''.
Geography
Inwil has an area of . Of this area, 70.8% is used for agricultural purposes, w ...
on August 28, 1993. Their son, Seya, was born at Lucerne's Klinik Saint Anna on November 19, 1994. Around 1996, it became a struggle for Andy to see his family regularly due to his commitments in Japan and he encouraged Ilona to fulfill her desire to study art and design. Ilona and Seya moved to the United States where she attended the
Santa Monica College of Design, Art and Architecture for two years before returning to Switzerland upon completion of her studies.
During the late 1990s, Hug was frequently rumored in the Japanese media to be romantically involved with model and actress
Norika Fujiwara
is a Japanese beauty queen, model and actress. She became Miss Nippon in 1992 and was an exclusive model for CanCam magazine. She has appeared in various commercials and TV series and a number of films in Japan.
Biography Career
Fujiwara was ...
.
Death
Andy Hug was in Switzerland in early August 2000 when he suffered more than thirty-nine attacks of high
fever
Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a temperature above the normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature set point. There is not a single agreed-upon upper limit for normal temperature with sources using val ...
and heavy
nosebleed
A nosebleed, also known as epistaxis, is bleeding from the nose. Blood can flow down into the stomach, and cause nausea and vomiting. In more severe cases, blood may come out of both nostrils. Rarely, bleeding may be so significant that low bl ...
ing. He visited a hospital for medical tests and examination but doctors found no sign of illness. Despite the advice of the doctors and his manager Rene Ernst, Hug travelled to Japan on 14 August to train ahead of his planned participation in the ''
K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 in Fukuoka''. On 15 August, his Swiss personal physician found a swollen
tumor
A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...
on the left side of Hug's neck and declared it
malignant
Malignancy () is the tendency of a medical condition to become progressively worse.
Malignancy is most familiar as a characterization of cancer. A ''malignant'' tumor contrasts with a non-cancerous ''benign'' tumor in that a malignancy is not s ...
. He was rushed to the
Nippon Medical School
is a private university in Sendagi (), Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
History
In 1876, Tai Hasegawa () established a medical school in Tokyo. At that time, the Japanese government and the Ministry of Education only permitted one medical school: the Un ...
hospital in
Bunkyo, Tokyo on 19 August after suffering more feverish attacks. The doctors diagnosed
leukemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...
and began
chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs ( chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemothe ...
immediately. They also warned Hug that due to heart and circulation problems he had suffered for a while, the chemotherapy treatment might in fact adversely affect his condition. The doctors' warnings proved true when, after starting chemotherapy, Hug suffered
hemorrhaging of the brain and inflammation of the lungs (
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...
) combined with extreme fever. His body showed all the signs of acute leukemia: purple spots, digestion pipe bleeding, eyeball bleeding, urinary tract bleeding and genital bleeding.
On the morning of 21 August, Seidokaikan and K-1 founder
Kazuyoshi Ishii
is a Japanese master of Seidokaikan karate and founder of the K-1 fighting circuit, a widely televised international martial arts competition combining Muay Thai, karate, sanshou, taekwondo, kenpo, boxing, and kickboxing.Maylam, J. (2001)K-1 h ...
visited Hug at the hospital and Hug told him that if he should die soon, he would like to die in Japan. Andy was reportedly in good condition on 22 August, watching television, eating without help and speaking to Ilona on the telephone. That day, he also released the following statement:
His condition worsened on 23 August as he had difficulty breathing in the morning and by afternoon had fallen into a
coma and was placed on a
life support system. While in the coma, his heart stopped three times but the doctors were able to regain his pulse. When his heart stopped a fourth time on 24 August, the doctors decided against reviving him and let him pass away. He was pronounced dead at 4:21 pm on 24 August 2000, two weeks short of his thirty-sixth birthday.
Reporting of Hug's death was broadcast live on Japanese news channels
Fuji Television
JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network S ...
,
Japan News Network
The , or JNN, is a Japanese commercial television network run by TBS Television. The network's responsibility includes the syndication of national television news bulletins to its regional affiliates, and news exchange between the stations. Its ...
,
NHK World
NHK World-Japan (formerly and also known simply as NHK World) is the international arm of the Japanese state-controlled public broadcaster NHK. Its services are aimed at the overseas market, similar to those offered by other national public-ser ...
and
TV Asahi
JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Comp ...
. Peter Aerts, who was at the Nippon Medical School hospital having treatment on his lower back at the time, broke down crying for over two hours when told of Hug's passing. When interviewed, he dedicated his performance in the forthcoming ''
K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 Final'' to Hug. An hour-long press conference attended by the five doctors who treated Hug, Kazuyoshi Ishii and Francisco Filho was also held at 8:45 pm that night.
[ ]Michael Schiavello
Michael Schiavello (born 10 April 1975) is an Australian sports commentator and journalist. He has commentated for AXS TV, K-1, Dream, Maximum Fighting Championship, King of the Cage, ONE Championship and '' The Contender Asia''. He has also w ...
, AXS TV
AXS TV is an American cable television channel. Majority-owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, it is devoted primarily to music-related programming (such as concert films, documentaries, and reality series involving musicians) and combat spor ...
(January 2011)
Hug's funeral was held on 27 August at
Zenpuku-ji
Zenpuku-ji (善福寺), also known as Azabu-san (麻布山), is a Jōdo Shinshū temple located in the Azabu district of Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the oldest Tokyo temples, after Asakusa.
History
Founded by Kūkai in 824, Zenpuku-ji was origi ...
in
Moto-Azabu
is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
The district is home to Zenpuku-ji, a Jōdo Shinshū temple also known as . The embassy of China in Tokyo, and former embassy of Manchuria before World War II, are located in this area.
Moto-Azabu borders N ...
, Tokyo where his body was cremated. Eight hundred guests including Kazuyoshi Ishii,
Hajime Kazumi
(born December 14, 1971) is a Japanese karateka. Born in Kanagawa prefecture, Kazumi is a karate fighter who played an active part in the full-contact karate tournaments hosted by Kyokushinkaikan from the early 1990s to the early 2000s.
He s ...
, Akira Masuda, Shokei Matsui, Kenji Midori and
Swiss President
The president of the Swiss Confederation, also known as the president of the Confederation or colloquially as the president of Switzerland, is the head of Switzerland's seven-member Federal Council (Switzerland), Federal Council, the country's ...
Adolf Ogi
Adolf Ogi (born 18 July 1942) is a Swiss politician from the village of Kandersteg in the Swiss Alps.
He was elected to the Swiss Federal Council on 9 December 1987, as member of the Swiss People's Party from the Canton of Berne. He handed over o ...
attended while more than twelve thousand mourners gathered outside. K-1 fighters Francisco Filho, Nobuaki Kakuda and
Nicholas Pettas
Nicholas Pettas (born January 23, 1973, in Mykonos) is a Greek- Danish karateka, former heavyweight kickboxer and actor, who fought out of Team Spirit AE in Tokyo, Japan. Pettas mainly competed in the promotion K-1 between 1998 and 2007, and wa ...
were among the
pall-bearer
A pallbearer is one of several participants who help carry the casket at a funeral. They may wear white gloves in order to prevent damaging the casket and to show respect to the deceased person.
Some traditions distinguish between the roles o ...
s. His ashes were deposited in the cemetery of the Hoshuin temple in
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...
.
Championships and awards
Karate
*4 Countries Team Tournament
**4 Countries Team Tournament Champion
*European Kyokushin Championships
**3rd European Kyokushin Championships Heavyweight Gold Medalist
**4th European Kyokushin Championships Heavyweight Bronze Medalist
**5th European Kyokushin Championships Heavyweight Gold Medalist
**6th European Kyokushin Championships Heavyweight Silver Medalist
*Ibusz Oyama Cup
**1st Ibusz Oyama Cup Middleweight Gold Medalist
**2nd Ibusz Oyama Cup Heavyweight Gold Medalist
*Kyokushin British Open
**11th Kyokushin British Open Bronze Medalist
*Kyokushin Dutch Open
**5th Kyokushin Dutch Open Middleweight Bronze Medalist
*Kyokushin Swiss Open
**1985 Kyokushin Swiss Open Gold Medalist
*Kyokushin World Open
**4th Kyokushin World Open Silver Medalist
*Seidokaikan Karate World Cup
**1992 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup Gold Medalist
**1993 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup Silver Medalist
*Sursee Cup
**1st Sursee Cup Gold Medalist
*Swiss Kyokushin Championships
**1982 Swiss Kyokushin Championships Middleweight Gold Medalist
**1984 Swiss Kyokushin Championships Heavyweight Gold Medalist
*Swiss Oyama Cup
**1979 Swiss Oyama Cup Gold Medalist
**1981 Swiss Oyama Cup Gold Medalist
Kickboxing
*''
Black Belt Magazine
''Black Belt'' is an American magazine covering martial arts and combat sports. The magazine is based in Valencia, California, and is one of the oldest titles dedicated to martial arts in the United States.
History and profile
The magazine w ...
''
**2001 Honorary Award
Black belt magazine Honorary Award
* K-1
** K-1 World Grand Prix 1996 Championship
** K-1 World Grand Prix 1997 Runner-up
** K-1 World Grand Prix 1998 Runner-up
*Universal Kickboxing Federation
**UKF World Super Heavyweight Championship (One time)
**Two successful title defences
*World Kickboxing Association
The World Kickboxing Association (WKA) also known as World Kickboxing and Karate Association, is one of the oldest and the largest amateur and professional sanctioning body for kickboxing and Karate.
History
In 1976, the WKA was founded by Ho ...
**WKA World Super Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Muay Thai Championship (One time)
**Four successful title defences
* World Muay Thai Council
**WMTC World Super Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Championship (One time)
Karate record
''Legend'':
Kickboxing record
''Legend'':
External links
*
*
Official K-1 profile
K-1Sport profile
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hug, Andy
1964 births
2000 deaths
Swiss male kickboxers
Heavyweight kickboxers
Swiss male karateka
Kyokushin kaikan practitioners
Seidokaikan practitioners
Sportspeople from Zürich
People from Bremgarten District
Swiss-German people
Swiss people of French descent
Swiss people of German descent
Swiss butchers
Deaths from leukemia
Deaths from cancer in Japan