Jeffrey "Duke" Roufus, owner of Roufusports in Milwaukee, where Dennis Munson Jr. trained, said Wednesday he backs the officials who worked the fight for him that night. Credit: Gary Porter

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Jeffrey "Duke" Roufus said Wednesday that kickboxer Dennis Munson Jr. just looked like an exhausted fighter during his fatal bout last March, and Roufus backed the officials who worked the fight for him that night.

Munson, 24, collapsed and died after fight officials failed to intervene, despite what experts said were obvious signs of distress in the fight at the Eagles Club, according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation. Munson fought for Roufus' company, Roufusport, which also was promoter of the unregulated event.

Munson's medical care was hampered by a dispute over treatment, hang-ups getting out of the building, confusion over the transport and the decision to take him to Aurora Sinai Medical Center instead of a Level One trauma center. Munson died of head trauma.

Roufus, who has not returned numerous calls and messages from the Journal Sentinel, spoke at a media event for Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Anthony Pettis' upcoming title defense. A Journal Sentinel reporter attended the event.

Roufus said he was not in Munson's corner during the fight but was in back warming up other fighters. Roufus recalled those working the fight thought Munson looked tired. Video of the fight was obtained from police by the Journal Sentinel. It has since circulated widely on the Internet.

"The hard thing is if you look at the video and you didn't know the outcome, you see an exhausted guy. And watching the video and knowing what happens changes your perspective on that," Roufus said. "Unless I was in the corner and actually working with Dennis, I can't comment on it. I just can't. All I know is I'm heartbroken over the whole thing."

After the fight, Roufusport submitted two videos of the bout to Milwaukee police. The high-definition version, which police used to write their report, is missing a half-minute right before Munson fell to the mat.

A low-definition version shows the entire fight. In the missing time, Scott Cushman — the cornerman — pushed up a slumping Munson, slapped him and held him up by the neck and face.

Al Wichgers, the referee, signaled for help. The ringside doctor, Carlos Feliciano, was looking at his cellphone. The timekeeper tapped on the doctor's shoulder to get his attention.

Assistant District Attorney Mark Williams said it appeared to him that a portion of the high-definition version was "spliced out." Williams declined to issue criminal charges in the case, but has pressed police for an answer about the missing segment in the video.

Initially, detectives did not think the missing segment was an effort to dupe them, but they are now investigating at the prosecutor's direction. Their decision came two days after the Journal Sentinel's investigation.

Noel Arteaga, who films events for Roufusport, told the Journal Sentinel in July that he operated two cameras that night — one digital and one film — and didn't turn either off at any point.

Arteaga said he gave both videos to Roufus' partner Scott Joffe and doesn't know why anything would be missing. Joffe has said he couldn't explain the missing time, but said there was no coverup.

On Wednesday, Roufus said Arteaga turns off his high-definition camera between fights and told detectives that this week. Arteaga did not return calls and messages Wednesday.

City officials also are investigating the actions of Curtis Ambulance, which was hired by Roufus to work the fight. Curtis did not file a required event plan with the city, waited 15 minutes before calling for more skilled fire department paramedics to treat Munson, waved off those paramedics when they did arrive and took Munson to a hospital not equipped to treat him, instead of the trauma center.

Curtis officials have said they acted on the direction of the ringside doctor and followed protocol. The emergency medical director said they violated policy.

State law change?

On Wednesday, Roufus backed the officials running the fight for him — Cushman, Feliciano and Wichgers — with whom he has deep ties. He said it is difficult to find doctors who will work at events. Feliciano, who works out at Roufusport, has a degree in emergency medicine and is medical director of the NuMale Medical Center testosterone and anti-aging clinic.

Roufus said Wichgers and Cushman are both skilled and experienced.

Kickboxing is not regulated in Wisconsin but the similar sport of mixed martial arts is sanctioned. Because kickboxing is not regulated, state officials say they cannot investigate Munson's death, even though Cushman, Wichgers, Feliciano and Roufus are all licensed to work MMA fights.

Two legislators said they are considering changing state law to regulate kickboxing, in light of the Munson fight.

The event where Munson died included some safeguards in Wisconsin's MMA law, but was missing elements. The state commissioner and his inspectors, who oversee the fights, were not there. Munson and the other fighters did not receive full physicals by a doctor in the weeks before the fight. And the weigh-in for Munson's fight was held the day of the event, giving fighters only hours to replenish water weight lost to get into a lighter fighting class. In the regulated sports, the state requires weigh-ins be done the day before the fight, saying it is safer for fighters.

Joffe has said Roufusport supports the state regulating kickboxing, but also stressed he thinks sufficient safeguards were in place the night of Munson's death.

Roufus said he wants state law changed, too. Roufus, a former world champion kickboxer, also revealed he is reassembling his kickboxing team. Following Munson's death, the team was disbanded. Joffe said the decision was because kickboxing does not make as much money as mixed martial arts.

Reporter Gary D'Amato contributed to this report.

To read the entire Death in the Ring investigation, go to www.jsonline.com/kickboxdeath/

Roufusport did not allow Journal Sentinel reporter John Diedrich to attend Wednesday's news conference, but did allow another reporter, Gary D'Amato, and two photojournalists from the organization to attend, along with television crews. D'Amato interviewed Roufus for this article.

Roufus and Joffe later said Diedrich was not allowed to attend because he was not on the UFC's credential list. However, UFC spokeswoman Maura Welp said Roufusport officials decided who could attend.