Ainsley Walters, Gleaner Writer

DEFENDING champions Jamaica yesterday pulled off a classy victory over International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) champions Argentina in the final of the US Open World Continental Team Fighting Championship in Orlando, Florida.

Combined martial-arts team superstars Alrick Wanliss, Nicholas Dussard and Kenneth Edwards knifed through rivals from hosts United States and Germany, before clinically taking out the feared Argentineans in three bouts to lift the title for the third straight year, as none other than ITF president Grandmaster Tran watched their impressive display.

Drawing a sizeable crowd at the world's biggest martial-arts open, the Jamaicans were expected to face a major challenge to retain their title but never fell behind and lost just two of eleven bouts.

The Jamaicans watched as the impressive Argentineans took out Vietnam 3-1 before they took the mat against long-time rivals United States.

Wanliss, the ITF world microweight champion and undoubtedly the most improved Jamaican fighter over the last two years, announced his presence by welcoming Titus Durojaiye with a solid kick before anticipating the American's trademark leaping punches by countering on the rise himself.

Dussard outclassed Anderson Chan to put the combined team up 2-0, but Shiah Shukura, who promised so much in his domestic season and even won individual silver last year at the Open, failed to fire against Emanuel Carlos and was beaten by the tall American, allowing the hosts to get within a point.

However, Edwards took no prisoners when he took the mat against Jorge Velazquez, using his legs with deadly accuracy against the overwhelmed American.

Tiebreaker

Argentina afterwards defeated New Zealand in a tiebreaker, with the veteran Jonathan Batista returning to clinch a place in the final for his team with victory against Carl Van Roon after earlier beating Kane Baigent.

Jamaica roared into the final with Wanliss taking out Germany's Sirko Krause and Dussard getting past Robert Schell, who injured himself during the bout and had to retire hurt.

Arthur Barrows replaced Shukura but got tagged by the big Muris Horstman a couple of times while trying to stay out of the hyperweight's reach, eventually losing his bout as the Germans pulled within a point.

It was left to Edwards to once again anchor the team and he turned in another superb performance to outclass Anton Girsten, firing Jamaica into the final.

The final was an explosive one with the tournament's top two microweights, Wanliss and the dreadlocked Pablo Pascuzzo, feeling out each other before the Jamaican found his range and displayed his versatility with precise sidekicks.

Dussard was all over Serrano, firing lightning-fast kicks, backed up with punches to make it 2-0 in the defending champs' favour.

A pumped-up Edwards simply outclassed Cesar Favalli to send the Jamaicans leaping in ecstasy at a well-deserved victory.