Amerant Bank Arena has been a busy place all week. On Tuesday, the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers raised their 2024-25 Stanley Cup banner. The team proceeded to earn a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Two nights later, the Cats earned a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. On Friday, the combatants from BKFC Ice Wars will take to the Stanley Cup champ’s ice for an event dubbed “Bare Knuckle Brawls”. The card features 10 bouts in different weight categories. There is also a women’s match.
The event airs live at 7:00 p.m EDT (link embedded at the end of the article). Longtime NHL player, broadcaster and Hockey Hockey Stove part-owner Chris Therien is the play-by-play announcer. This is a departure from the norm for Therien. Bundy has 20 years of color commentary experience with hockey and past Ice Wars incarnations but Ice Wars 3 marks his play-by-play debut.
Ice Wars Main Event: Nick Laporte vs. Lafferière
Headlining the Sunrise card is match featuring one of BKFCIW’s breakout stars to date: 6-foot-5 former minor league hockey enforcer Nick Laporte (North Bay, Ontario). On October 1, he will battle Nordik Fight Club’s Sébastien Lafferière (Lasalle, Quebec) in the main event.
Laporte knocked out Matt Dunn in the first round on June 14 at the Battle of the Border card in Michigan. Meanwhile, Lafferiere will be making
his debut under the promotion’s banner. Laferriere played major junior hockey in the QMJHL during the 2000s. Since then, he’s had a long minor league and semi-pro hockey career primarily in Quebec’s infamously rough LNAH. A left winger in hockey, Lafferiere is used to fighting opponents of varying sizes. He’s giving up height (6-foot-2 vs. 6-foot-5), reach to Laporte. At age 38, he’s also three years older.
Laporte, who has made guest appearances on Shoresy (as rival Charlottetown Reds captain “Gorgeous” Gord Gallant), is a supremely conditioned athlete. He scored an impressive victory in his BKFCIW debut. Meanwhile, Laporte’s brother Will is 2-0-0 thus far in Ice Wars.
Rosa vs. Krasowski
The co-main event on October 10 is a middleweight bout. Former UFC standout Charles “Boston Strong” Rosa (Boston, MA) faces off against current British Columbia semi-pro hockey player Reid Krasowski (Wawota Flyers). A diehard Boston Bruins fan, Rosa played collegiate hockey at Johnson & Wales University.
Meanwhile, during his MMA/UFC career, Rosa compiled a professional 19-8 record in a 12-year career. A martial arts enthusiast, he took up boxing and then made the transition to MMA. Rosa’s father, uncle and grandfather were all professional bothers. In MMA, Rosa posted an 11-2 amateur record. As a pro, he collected 11 wins by tap-out among his 19 wins. He only lost one fight by knockout and none by submission (seven were by judges’ decision).
Krasowski, 27, originally hails from Yorkton, Saskatchewan. He played hockey this past season for the Wawota Flyers. He’s the underdog heading into the Rosa fight. However, Rosa faces two major adjustments from his MMA style to Ice Wars. First and foremost, he loses his ability to execute takedowns and submission holds. Those aren’t allowed in Ice Wars. Secondly. Krasowski is younger and has competed on hockey skates much more recently than his better-known opponent.
Alley Train vs. Big Snake
On the undercard, there’s a heavyweight clash between MMA combatant Corey “Alley Train” Allen (Shelburne, VT) and First Nations fan favorite junior/minor league/semipro tough guy Catlin Big Snake (Siksika, Alberta). Big Snake packs a serious wallop when his 6-foot-5, 275-pound frame connects with a punch. He also has more extensive Ice Wars experience, dating back multiple years.
Ice Wars Women’s Match: Barry vs. Ruley
Fighting in the first-ever BKFC Ice Wars women’s bout, professional boxer Christina ‘The Tiger’ Barry faces off against women’s hockey veteran Valerie Ruley (Evanston, IL), who played high school and HPHL hockey. Meanwhile, her brother Zach Ruley is a former U.S. collegiate hockey player.
