Richard Stone made history on Saturday by becoming the first fighter to win consecutive Night of Champions International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) World Championship titles.
The historic victory took place at the International Sports Karate Association (ISKA) United States Open in Orlando, Florida.
Originally scheduled to compete in a clash and continuous sparring on Friday, Stone received a last-minute change of plans. On Thursday night, while still in Jamaica, Stone was informed by his sponsor, McKay Security, that he would instead be competing on the main stage for the Night of Champions on Saturday. This sudden change led to Stone swapping places with Nicholas Dusard for the televised US Open ITF title fight.
In a twist of fate, Stone faced Irishman Leard Xheladini, who had previously defeated him in the first round of last September’s World Championships in Finland. Dusard, initially set to replace Akino Lindsay — one of the 34 fighters stranded in Jamaica by Hurricane Beryl — stepped in as Stone’s coach for the crucial match.
A four-time US Open world champion
“I was trying to save the day then heard Stone was on his way. By the time he came in, he would have missed the US Open. We spoke over the phone and agreed I would do US Open and he fight Night of Champions,” Dusard explained.
Stone, who had previously defeated the United States Sheldon Spencer to win his first Night of Champions ITF title, is a four-time US Open world champion and a decorated ISKA fighter with seven Amateur Members Association (AMA) gold medals. Despite his impressive track record, many doubted his ability to overcome Xheladini, who had bested him 2-1 and gone on to win individual bronze and team gold in Finland.
“When I fought him at the ITF World Championships in Finland and lost, I was a bit flustered then. I wasn’t as focused. This time, I was focused and had my coach, Dusard, with me to keep me focused. This was like a fated rematch for me,” said an elated Stone, who won unanimously from all four judges.
A fight plan
Dusard and Stone meticulously developed a fight plan to neutralize Xheladini, who was the runner-up at this year’s ITF European Championship and winner of the 2023 European Cup in the -87 kilogram sparring category.
“Stone and I sat down and watched the full fight to see what had happened when he lost to him. We worked out what went well and what didn’t. I also watched a couple fights of Xheladini and formulated a game plan. What we discussed was pretty much what happened in the match,” Dusard said.
The victory was celebrated both by those who made it to Orlando and by many back home in Jamaica. Dusard dedicated his two gold medals and that of Nathan-John Pellington, whom he also coached to gold, to the entire team stranded in Jamaica.
“The kids were disappointed. I have been competing at the US Open for the better part of 15 years. I won two more gold medals, but I would have preferred if the kids were here. It worked out for Stone to get the rematch. He deserved it. It was almost the best way to end the trip. Stone is such a humble and hard worker. He does very well inside and outside the ring. It was almost carved in stone for him to have his moment. I was proud to be on stage to be a part of the moment,” Dusard remarked.
