GLORY announced today "a strategic alliance between GLORY International, the premier professional kickboxing organization, and the World Kickboxing Association as an important step in creating path for amateur kickboxers to be able to develop the skills and experience they need to compete at the professional level.  With GLORY's blessing, the WKA USA will create a new rules style called "GLORY Rules" (GR), which essentially is a set of "unified rules" which have both elements of Thaiboxing and Kickboxing together in an exciting fast-paced format.  WKA US President, Brian Crenshaw, is happy to see GLORY International's success with professional kickboxing and is eager to see the upcoming events to be featured on Spike TV.  In an effort to support those professional events, WKA's new division will provide an avenue for amateur fighters to develop and compete under the same rules styles that they could ultimately be fighting in at the highest level with GLORY International." 

Crenshaw is quoted as saying, "The US needs a "farm system" for US fighters to gain the experience and depth necessary to compete at the international level.  The new division will be rolled out in the Combat Sports Challenge 37 event to be held in Richmond, VA on August 24th with three GLORY rules amateur Title Matches: Christy Tyquiengco vs. Aracely Valenzuela, Stan Mancebo vs. Shawn Steen, and Adam Edgerton vs. Axel Mendez."