Born Andreas Hug September 7, 1964 Zurich,
Switzerland
Died August 24, 2000 (aged 35)
Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
Other names The Blue-Eyed Samurai
Iron Man (Tetsujin in Japanese)
Mr. K-1
Nationality Switzerland Swiss
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 97.7 kg (215 lb; 15.39 st)
Division Heavyweight
Kyokushin
Karate, Seidokakian Karate
Rank 5th degree black belt in Kyokushin
Andreas "Andy" Hug (September 7, 1964 – August 24, 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, along
with Peter Aerts, Remy Bonjasky, Ernesto Hoost and Semmy Schilt, Hug was
renowned for his ability to execute numerous kicking techniques rarely seen in
high level competition and although he was usually smaller than his opponents,
standing at 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) and weighing around 98.0 kg (216 lb; 15.43 st)
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 and the
"Hug Tornado", a low spinning heel kick targeting his opponents' thighs.
Raised in Wohlen, Aargau, Hug was a keen footballer in his youth but gave
up the sport to pursue Kyokushin karate which he began practicing at eleven
years old. Beginning his full contact karate 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. 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 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 in the final, and finishing as
runner-up to Masaaki Satake 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 Champion Branko Cikatić in March 1994, Hug entered the
K-1 Grand Prix '94 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 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 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 twice more (in 1997 and 1998)
and becoming a three-time world champion by taking the WMTC and WKA titles
under Muay Thai rules.
He was diagnosed with acute leukemia on August 17, 2000. On August 23, he
fell into a coma and his illness was made public. Twenty-two hours later, Hug
died following breathing difficulties due to multiple organ failure. He was
thirty-five years old.
Early life
Andreas Hug was born in Zurich, Switzerland on September 7, 1964. His
father, Arthur, was a French Foreign Legionnaire who died in Thailand under
mysterious circumstances without ever seeing his son, and his mother, Madelaine
Hug-Baumann, 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 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 competitively at the age of six and
went on to represent the Switzerland national under-16 football team. However,
his home situation also made him a target for bullying and at eleven 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 perusing 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 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 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, Netherlands
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,
Hungary 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 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 outpointed Klaus Rex in the final to win the 3rd edition of the European
Championships in Barcelona, Spain in December of that year.
At the 11th British Open in London, England 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 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 to reach the final of the
tournament, booking his place with a judges' decision win over Akira Masuda 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 in Tokyo, 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 on the side of Hug's head which left him unconscious 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 Seido 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, completing the step from
being an amateur to becoming a professional fighter and star in Japan. He
debuted as a Seido 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 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 at the
K-1 Grand Prix '93. The pair previously met at the second round of the 1992
Seido World Cup with Hug winning by ippon and the Swiss repeated his
performance by stopping Kakuda with a knee strike from the Thai clinch in round
two.
Facing another of his previous opponents from the '92 Seido World Cup, he
beat Minoru Fujita by decision at K-1 Sanctuary III on June 25, 1993.
Undefeated as a Seido fighter, Hug entered the K-1 Illusion 1993 Karate World
Cup on October 2, 1993, defeating Yoshinori Arata, Changpuek Kiatsongrit and
Toshiyuki Atokawa on his way to the final where he met Masaaki Satake. After
four overtime rounds, the bout went to sudden death where Hug lost in a
tameshiwari 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 soon after. In a non-tournament attraction at the K-2 Grand
Prix '93 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 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 champion Branko
Cikatić at K-1 Challenge on March 3, 1994. Struggling early due to his lack of
boxing prowess, Hug received a standing eight count from referee Genshu Igari
in round one after being rocked by an uppercut from Cikatić. Hug, however, came
in to 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 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 on April 30, 1994 where he faced Patrick Smith in the
quarter-finals. The match-up was disastrous for Hug who struggled with Smith's
aggression and punch-heavy style, suffering three knockdowns in nineteen
seconds and losing by technical knockout. Not only did Hug have novice boxing
defence during this time, he also had problems with his gumshield as his molars
didn't clamp down on it properly and he was instead pinching it with his
incisors. In time, however, the K-1 doctors discovered the dental problems and
fitted him with a mouthpiece that would provide standard protection.[12] 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 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 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 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 by
majority decision at the K-3 Grand Prix '95 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)
Kicking off the most successful year of his career, Andy Hug demolished an
overmatched Bart Vale 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 kicks throughout and both fighters traded heavily in the clinch,
the judges ruled it a split draw 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. 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 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 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
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
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 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 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 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 quadrilogy 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 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 on
April 9, 1998 at K-1 Kings '98 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 and 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 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 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, Björn Bregy and Petar Majstorović as well as foreign talent
such as Great Kusatsu and Michael McDonald.
He began 1999 in devastating fashion, knocking out Tsuyoshi Nakasako with a
second round spinning heel kick at K-1 Rising Sun '99 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, 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 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 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 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 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
passing.
Personal life
Andy met his wife Ilona Hug (born July 4, 1964 in Lucerne) in summer 1987
while she was working as a fitness trainer and model and the couple married in Inwil 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. Andy and Ilona
divorced in July 2000.
During the late 1990s, Hug was frequently rumored to be romantically
involved with model and actress Norika Fujiwara in the Japanese media.
Death and legacy
Having divorced his wife Ilona the month before, Andy Hug was in
Switzerland in early August 2000 when he suffered more than thirty-nine attacks
of high fever and heavy nosebleeding. 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 August 14 to
train ahead of his planned participation in the K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 in
Fukuoka. On August 15, his Swiss personal physician found a swollen tumor on
the left side of Hug’s neck and declared it malignant. He was rushed to the
Nippon Medical School hospital in Bunkyo, Tokyo on August 19 after suffering
more feverish attacks. The doctors diagnosed leukemia and began chemotherapy
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) combined with extreme fever. His body showed all the signs of
acute leukemia: purple spots, digestion pipe bleeding, eyeball bleeding,
urinary tract bleeding and genitals bleeding.
On the morning of August 21, Seidokaikan and K-1 founder Kazuyoshi Ishii
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 August 22,
watching television, eating without help and speaking to Ilona on the
telephone. That day, he also released the following statement:
“ "Dear Fans,
I think that you will be shocked when you hear in what state of health I
am. When the doctor told me about it, it was an enormous shock even for myself.
But I want to inform you about my state of health so that I can fight together
with you against this illness. This illness is the most severe opponent of all
my fights. But I will win. As if I would stand in the ring I will get power
from your cheers and beat this strong opponent. Unfortunately I will not be
able to fight at the tournament in October. I will fight against this illness
in Japan and one day I will appear again with you. Don't lose hope!
Greetings, Andy Hug" - The message Hug posted to his fans on the
internet on August 22, 2000 after learning of his illness.
”
His condition worsened on August 23 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
August 24, the doctors decided against reviving him and let him pass away. He
was pronounced dead at 4:21 pm on August 24, 2000, two weeks short of his thirty-sixth
birthday.
Reporting of Hug's death was broadcast live on Japanese news channels Fuji
Television, Japan News Network, NHK World and TV Asahi. 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.
Hug's funeral was held on August 27 in Kyoto where his body was cremated
and his ashes deposited in the cemetery of the Hoshuin temple. Eight hundred
guests including Kazuyoshi Ishii, Hajime Kazumi, Akira Masuda, Shokei Matsui,
Kenji Midori and Swiss President Adolf Ogi attended while more than twelve
thousand mourners gathered outside. K-1 fighters Francisco Filho, Nobuaki
Kakuda and Nicholas Pettas were among the pall-bearers.
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 and the games of
the Swiss national football team. In addition to his in-ring accomplishments,
he was also known for his articulation, humility and strong work ethic.
Championships and awards
Karate
4 Countries Team Tournament
4 Countries Team Tournament Champion Gold
European Kyokushin Championships
3rd European Kyokushin Championships Heavyweight Gold Medalist Gold
4th European Kyokushin Championships Heavyweight Bronze Medalist Bronze
5th European Kyokushin Championships Heavyweight Gold Medalist Gold
6th European Kyokushin Championships Heavyweight Silver Medalist Silver
Ibusz Oyama Cup
1st Ibusz Oyama Cup Middleweight Gold Medalist Gold
2nd Ibusz Oyama Cup Heavyweight Gold Medalist Gold
Kyokushin British Open
11th Kyokushin British Open Bronze Medalist Bronze
Kyokushin Dutch Open
5th Kyokushin Dutch Open Middleweight Bronze Medalist Bronze
Kyokushin Swiss Open
1985 Kyokushin Swiss Open Gold Medalist Gold
Kyokushin World Open
4th Kyokushin World Open Silver Medalist Silver
Seidokaikan Karate World Cup
1992 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup Gold Medalist Gold
1993 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup Silver Medalist Silver Sursee Cup
1st Sursee Cup Gold Medalist Gold
Swiss Kyokushin Championships
1982 Swiss Kyokushin Championships Middleweight Gold Medalist Gold
1984 Swiss Kyokushin Championships Heavyweight Gold Medalist Gold
Swiss Oyama Cup
1979 Swiss Oyama Cup Gold Medalist Gold
1981 Swiss Oyama Cup Gold Medalist Gold
Kickboxing
Black Belt Magazine
2001 Honorary Award
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
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
Kyokushin record
Date Result Opponent Event
1991-11-00 Loss Brazil Francisco Filho 5th Kyokushin World Open
1989-07-00 Loss England Michael Thompson 6th European Kyokushin Wins the 6th European Kyokushin Championships Heavyweight Silver Medal.
1989-00-00 Win Michael Thompson 5th European Kyokushin Wins the 5th European Kyokushin Championships Heavyweight Gold Medal.
1988-00-00 Win Japan Kenji Midori 1st Sursee Cup, Final Sursee, Switzerland
Wins the 1st Sursee Cup Gold Medal.
1987-11-00 Loss Japan Shokei Matsui 4th Kyokushin World Open, Final Tokyo, Japan Decision
Wins the 4th Kyokushin World Open Silver Medal.
1987-11-00 Win Japan Akira Masuda 4th Kyokushin World Open, Fifth Round Tokyo, Japan Decision
1987-11-00 Win Brazil Ademir da Costa 4th Kyokushin World Open, Fourth Round Tokyo, Japan Awase ippon
1987-11-00 Win Japan Yasuhiro Kuwashima 4th Kyokushin World Open, Third Round Tokyo, Japan Ippon
1987-11-00 Win Japan Masashi Kimoto 4th Kyokushin World Open, Second Round Tokyo, Japan Decision
1987-11-00 Win Germany Stefan Gopel 4th Kyokushin World Open, First Round Tokyo, Japan Ippon
1987-05-00 Loss England Michael Thompson 4th European Kyokushin Championships,
Semi Finals Katowice, Poland
1986-00-00 Loss England Michael Thompson 11th Kyokushin British Open, Semi Finals London, England
1985-12-00 Win Denmark Klaus Rex 3rd European Kyokushin Championships, Final Barcelona, Spain Decision
Wins the 3rd European Kyokushin Championships Heavyweight Gold Medal.
1985-04-00 Win Netherlands Michel Wedel 2nd Ibusz Oyama Cup, Final Budapest, Hungary
Wins the 2nd Ibusz Oyama Cup Heavyweight Gold Medal.
1985-00-00 Win Denmark Klaus Rex 1985 Kyokushin Swiss Open, Final Switzerland
Wins the 1985 Kyokushin Swiss Open Gold Medal.
1984-01-00 Loss Japan Shokei Matsui 3rd Kyokushin World Open, Fifth Round Tokyo, Japan Decision
1983-00-00 Loss Netherlands Flemming Jinzen 7th Kyokushin Dutch Open, Round of 16 Alkmaar, Netherlands
1983-06-00 Win Poland Mark Niedziokka 1st Ibusz Oyama Cup, Final Budapest, Hungary
Wins the 1st Ibusz Oyama Cup Middleweight Gold Medal.
1982-00-00 Loss Netherlands Kenneth Felter 6th Kyokushin Dutch Open, Round of 16 Netherlands
1982-00-00 Loss France Jean-Pierre Louisset 2nd European Kyokushin Championships,
Round of 16 London, England
1982-00-00 Win Switzerland Gabriel Marxer 1982 Swiss Kyokushin Championships,
Final Switzerland
Wins the 1982 Swiss Kyokushin Championships Middleweight Gold Medal.
1981-00-00 Win Switzerland Heinz Muntweiler 1981 Swiss Oyama Cup, Final Switzerland
Wins the 1981 Swiss Oyama Cup Gold Medal.
1981-00-00 Loss Netherlands Koen Scharrenberg 5th Kyokushin Dutch Open, Semi
Finals Weert, Netherlands
Seido record
12 wins (3 KOs), 1 loss, 0 draws[hide]
Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time Record
1995-10-08 Win England Michael Thompson 1995 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup Osaka, Japan Decision (unanimous) 5 3:00 12-1
1993-10-03 Loss Japan Masaaki Satake K-1 Illusion 1993 Karate World Cup Final Osaka, Japan Tameshiwari 5 3:00 11–1
For the 1993 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup Championship. After four overtime
rounds, the bout went to sudden death where Hug lost in a Tameshiwari contest.
1993-10-03 Win Japan Toshiyuki Atokawa K-1 Illusion 1993 Karate World Cup,
Semi Finals Osaka, Japan Decision 1 3:00 11–0
1993-10-02 Win Thailand Changpuek Kiatsongrit K-1 Illusion 1993 Karate World
Cup, Quarter Finals Osaka,
Japan Decision 1 3:00 10–0
1993-10-02 Win Japan Yoshinori Arata K-1 Illusion 1993 Karate World Cup, First
Round Osaka, Japan KO 1 9–0
1993-06-25 Win Japan Minoru Fujita K-1 Sanctuary III Osaka, Japan Decision 1 3:00 8–0
1993-04-30 Win Japan Nobuaki Kakuda K-1 Grand Prix '93 Tokyo, Japan KO
(left knee) 2 1:26 7–0
1992-10-04 Win Japan Taiei Kin 1992 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup, Final 6–0
Wins the 1992 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup Championship.
1992-10-03 Win Japan Shuji Suzuki 1992 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup,
Semi Finals KO
(Awase Ippon) 5–0
1992-10-02 Win Japan Minoru Fujita 1992 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup,
Quarter Finals Decision 1 3:00 4–0
1992-10-02 Win Japan Nobuaki Kakuda 1992 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup, Second
Round Ippon 3–0
1992-10-02 Win Japan Gozen Morita 1992 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup, First
Round Ippon 2–0
1992-07-30 Win Japan Toshiyuki Yanagisawa Seidokaikan Kakutogi Olympic II Tokyo, Japan Decision 5 1:00 1–0
Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes
Kickboxing record
Kickboxing record
37 wins (21 KOs), 9 losses, 1 draw
Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time Record
2000-07-07 Win Japan Nobu Hayashi K-1 Spirits 2000 Sendai, Japan KO (left
cross) 1 2:05 37–9–1
2000-06-03 Win Croatia Mirko Cro Cop K-1 Fight Night 2000 Zurich, Switzerland Decision
(unanimous) 5 3:00 36–9–1
Retains the WKA World Super Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Muay Thai
Championship.
2000-04-23 Win Brazil Glaube Feitosa K-1 The Millennium Osaka, Japan Decision
(unanimous) 5 3:00 35–9–1
2000-03-19 Win Japan Musashi K-1 Burning 2000 Yokohama,
Japan Decision (majority) 5 3:00 34–9–1
1999-12-05 Loss Netherlands Ernesto Hoost K-1 Grand Prix '99 Final Round, Quarter
Finals Tokyo, Japan Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00 33–9–1
1999-10-05 Win Japan Hiromi Amada K-1 World Grand Prix '99 Opening Round,
First Round Osaka, Japan TKO (right spinning heel kick) 1 1:51 33–8–1
1999-08-22 Win United States Maurice Smith K-1 Spirits '99 Tokyo, Japan Decision
(unanimous) 5 3:00 32–8–1
1999-06-05 Win Germany Stefan Leko K-1 Fight Night '99 Zurich, Switzerland Decision
(unanimous) 5 3:00 31–8–1
Retains the WKA World Super Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Muay Thai
Championship.
1999-04-25 Win New Zealand Ray Sefo K-1 Revenge '99 Yokohama, Japan TKO
(corner stoppage) 4 3:00 30–8–1
1999-02-03 Win Japan Tsuyoshi Nakasako K-1 Rising Sun '99 Tokyo, Japan KO (right spinning heel kick) 2 0:22 29–8–1
1998-12-13 Loss Netherlands Peter Aerts K-1 Grand Prix '98 Final Round,
Final Tokyo, Japan KO (left high kick) 1 1:10 28–8–1
For K-1 Grand Prix '98 Championship.
1998-12-13 Win Australia Sam Greco K-1 Grand Prix '98 Final Round, Semi
Finals Tokyo, Japan Decision (majority) 3 3:00 28–7–1
1998-12-13 Win New Zealand Ray Sefo K-1 Grand Prix '98 Final Round, Quarter Finals Tokyo, Japan TKO
(punches) 2 2:28 27–7–1
1998-10-28 Win Japan Masaaki Miyamoto K-1 Japan '98 Kamikaze Tokyo, Japan KO
(spinning backfist) 1 2:50 26–7–1
1998-09-27 Win England Mark Russell K-1 World Grand Prix '98 Opening Round,
First Round Osaka, Japan KO (left low kick) 2 3:07 25–7–1
1998-08-07 Win United States Mike LaBree K-1 USA Grand Prix '98 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA KO (right low kick) 1 2:11 24–7–1
1998-06-06 Win Netherlands Peter Aerts K-1 Fight Night '98 Zurich, Switzerland Decision (unanimous) 5 3:00 23–7–1
Retains the WKA World Super Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Muay Thai
Championship.
1998-04-09 Win United States Curtis Schuster K-1 Kings '98 Yokohama, Japan Decision
(unanimous) 5 3:00 22–7–1
1997-11-09 Loss Netherlands Ernesto Hoost K-1 Grand Prix '97 Final, Final Tokyo, Japan Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00 21–7–1
For the K-1 Grand Prix '97 Championship.
1997-11-09 Win Netherlands Peter Aerts K-1 Grand Prix '97 Final, Semi
Finals Tokyo, Japan Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00 21–6–1
1997-11-09 Win Japan Masaaki Satake K-1 Grand Prix '97 Final, Quarter Finals Tokyo, Japan KO
(left high kick) 1 0:15 20–6–1
1997-09-07 Win Canada Pierre Guénette K-1 Grand Prix '97 1st Round,
First Round Osaka, Japan KO (right hook) 1 1:49 19–6–1
1997-07-20 Loss Brazil Francisco Filho K-1 Dream '97 Nagoya, Japan KO (right
hook) 1 2:37 18–6–1
1997-06-07 Win South Africa Mike Bernardo K-1 Fight Night '97 Zurich, Switzerland Decision (unanimous) 5 3:00 18–5–1
Retains the WKA World Super Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Muay Thai
Championship.
1997-04-29 Draw Australia Sam Greco K-1 Braves '97 Fukuoka,
Japan Draw (split) 5 3:00 17–5–1
1997-03-16 Loss Netherlands Peter Aerts K-1 Kings '97 Yokohama, Japan KO (right uppercut and left knee) 1 1:55 17–5
1996-12-08 Win Japan Musashi K-1 Hercules '96 Nagoya,
Japan Decision (unanimous) 5 3:00 17–4
1996-10-18 Win Japan Masaaki Satake K-1 Star Wars '96 Yokohama, Japan Decision
(unanimous) 5 3:00 16–4
Wins the WKA World Super Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Muay Thai
Championship.
1996-09-01 Win Australia Stan Longinidis K-1 Revenge '96 Osaka, Japan KO (left cross) 2 2:00 15–4
Wins the WMTC World Super Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Championship.
1996-06-02 Win Thailand Sadau Kiatsongrit K-1 Fight Night II Zurich, Switzerland KO (right hook) 2 3:00 14–4
Retains the UKF World Super Heavyweight Championship.
1996-05-06 Win South Africa Mike Bernardo K-1 Grand Prix '96, Final Yokohama, Japan KO (left spinning heel kick to the
leg) 2 1:18 13–4
Wins the K-1 Grand Prix '96 Championship.
1996-05-06 Win Netherlands Ernesto Hoost K-1 Grand Prix '96, Semi Finals Yokohama, Japan 2nd extension round decision (split) 5 3:00 12–4
1996-05-06 Win South Africa Duane van der Merwe K-1 Grand Prix '96, Quarter Finals Yokohama, Japan KO (left hook) 1 0:40 11–4
1996-03-10 Win United States Bart Vale K-1 Grand Prix '96 Opening Battle, First Round Yokohama, Japan TKO (punches) 1 2:24 10–4
1995-12-09 Win France Jérôme Le Banner K-1 Hercules Nagoya, Japan Decision
(unanimous) 5 3:00 9–4
1995-09-03 Loss South Africa Mike Bernardo K-1 Revenge II Yokohama, Japan KO
(right hook) 2 2:43 8–4
1995-07-16 Loss Netherlands Ernesto Hoost K-3 Grand Prix '95 Nagoya, Japan Decision (majority) 3 3:00 8–3
1995-06-10 Win United States Dennis Lane K-1 Fight Night Zurich, Switzerland TKO
(corner stoppage) 2 3:00 8–2
Retains the UKF World Super Heavyweight Championship.
1995-05-04 Win Netherlands Peter Kramer K-1 World Grand Prix 1995 Tokyo, Japan KO (left overhand) 1 0:45 7–2
1995-03-03 Loss South Africa Mike Bernardo K-1 Grand Prix '95 Opening Battle, First
Round Tokyo, Japan TKO (punches) 3 2:39 6–2
1994-12-10 Win Netherlands Rob van Esdonk K-1 Legend Nagoya,
Japan KO (left hook) 4 0:55 6–1
Wins the UKF World Super Heavyweight Championship.
1994-10-02 Win United States Duke Roufus 1994 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup Japan KO
(left body kick) 3 2:17 5–1
1994-09-18 Win United States Patrick Smith K-1 Revenge Yokohama, Japan KO
(left knee) 1 0:56 4–1
1994-04-30 Loss United States Patrick Smith K-1 Grand Prix '94, Quarter Finals Tokyo, Japan KO (right uppercut) 1 0:19 3–1
1994-03-04 Win Croatia Branko Cikatić K-1 Challenge Tokyo,
Japan Decision (unanimous) 5 3:00 3–0
1993-12-19 Win France Eric Albert K-2 Grand Prix '93 Tokyo, Japan KO (punches) 2 2:08 2–0
1993-11-15 Win Japan Ryuji Murakami K-1 Andy's Glove Tokyo, Japan KO
(right hook) 1 2:10 1–0
Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes
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