PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — The arena was about one-third full. There were long, confusing delays. One fighter never showed up and two others inexplicably started but didn't finish.

Some people who paid between $35 and $200 to watch the inaugural Battle of the Hockey Enforcers left early. Others griped that they had never heard of most of the fighters.

At least four fights broke out among patrons in the crowded beer garden at one end of the arena.

Once in a while, between fights, the rink rats would skate out and scrape a little blood off the ice.

But the promoters and many of the customers at CN Centre for the pay-per-view event, also known as Black and Blue, pronounced it a big success.

Sixteen hockey players signed on to duke it out with each other -- no sticks, pucks or hockey -- just skating to centre ice and letting the fists fly for 60 seconds, or until the referee called a halt.

In the end, Windsor, Ont., native Dean Mayrand, 27, earned a split decision and grabbed the $62,000 first prize with a crowd-pleasing win over Mike Sgroi, 27, a Toronto native who grew up in Florida.

Mayrand plays minor professional hockey in Sorel, Que., in the fight-happy North American Professional Hockey League, while Sgroi spent last season with Wilkes-Barre of the American Hockey League.

Mayrand finished the night with four wins and no losses and was bluntly frank in describing the win.

"To be honest with you, after a fight it's hard to even remember how it went,'' said Mayrand, whose face was scarred with red welts on his forehead and cheeks.

"I just try to throw (punches) as fast as I can and try not to get hit as much as possible.''

Many fighters' faces appeared battered and bruised after the three-hour battle and Sgroi said a couple of his fellow fightmates had broken hands or thumbs.

One pre-fight favourite, ex-NHLer Link Gaetz, took a pounding from Steve Reid in the night's first fight and never returned.

"Link was hit really hard and early and he didn't expect the shot,'' said Ray Walker, the event's director of hockey operations. "He said the stars started spinning and he said to the doctor he couldn't determine shapes and sizes.''

There was a whiff of bush league about the event with another ex-NHLer, Lyndon Byers, also not showing up due to an injury.

His replacement, B.C. junior player Kyle Wolkosky, also didn't show up at the last moment.

"We got a call hours before the fight and he said he had a family situation,'' said Walker.

The no-show and early departures of others forced the format to undergo some hasty scrambling, resulting in some fighters getting a "bye'' while others, such as Derek Parker, ended up fighting twice in succession.

A common complaint by many in the stands was the long delays between some fights with no public address announcement to explain what was happening.

During one particularly long delay, the promoters put on an unscheduled "grudge match'' between Parker, a 22-year-old Melville, Sask., native and Jamie Leinhos of Montreal, likely as a way to appease the impatient crowd.

Still, many enjoyed the non-stop fisticuffs.

"It was watching a bunch of crazy rednecks go crazy,'' said Ted Calloway, who was seated in the $200 VIP section.

Jake Chow especially enjoyed the Mayrand-Sgroi final.

"The main event should have gone longer,'' he said. "One minute is not long enough and the guys had a lot more to give.''

Ken McEvoy, who was seated in seats costing $52 but got them for free, called the proceedings a "disappointing gong show'' because there were "no big names.''

By the time the semifinals came around, more than two hours into the event and with the beer flowing freely, security officials and police had to break up at least four punch-ups among the patrons.

The runnerup, Sgroi, sat in the dressing room only metres from Mayrand and said he was bitterly upset with the loss.

"I didn't get beat and I think there should have been a way to determine who won that fight.''

He said he didn't think Mayrand won but "I don't think I beat him either. I don't think anybody deserves that money until there is a reasonable way to find a winner.''

Sgroi also pleaded for a little understanding from the naysayers for those who make a living in the world of hockey fighting.

"I really hope that people who are mad about the event don't take it out on the fighters,'' said Sgroi.

"I don't have a lot of money and I'm here because I'd like to get a little more money. I've worked in bars, bounced in bars to pay rent in the summers and this was a chance to make money.''

The event drew a crowd of about 2,000 people in the 6,000-seat arena, including dozens in ice-side VIP seats costing $200.

The fighting area was reduced to an ice surface between the blue lines where temporary boards were built; a referee and two linesmen supervised the rules.

A panel of judges seated on the side boards decided the winners, with some fights being declared unanimous and others a split decision. Several fights were stopped early when the referee decided it was a mismatch.

A Canadian TV crew was there for the weekend, filming for a future documentary called Brawl. Another film crew from Munich also was there, preparing to show the event in Europe in three one-hour specials.

Many of the fighters were at the Prince George airport Sunday morning, heading home.

Some might have been living Mayrand's prediction from the night before.

"They haven't kicked in yet but I'm sure I'll have headaches.''