Sunday
Oct172010
Showdown - 1st Anniversary
October 17, 2010 
Written by:
The Arbiter
TaKeOn Productions celebrated their first birthday this Sunday afternoon, at the 7 Train Theater in Queens this afternoon. The timing lent a strange mood to the crowd collected in the darkened club, and it took a lot to get them out of their seat and cheering, but that didn’t stop the fighters from leaving everything they had in the ring and putting on some amazing performances. The show was being billed as “The Big Payback” referring to the main event match-up between Sitan’s Rami Ibrahim and AFC/Varner’s Combat’s Lennox Chance. Chance had defeated Ibrahim in an MMA match some months ago, taking Rami to the mat and out of his main game. This would be an opportunity for Ibrahim to avenge that loss in an arena more suited to his style of fighting. But first, there were several fights that showed the true grit of the NYC Thai Boxers.
The first fight out was declared the 'Fight of the Night', and was way more than I expected from the light-weights. I must say that I was impressed by both fighters’ toughness and skill. Rudy Felix (Sitan) started slowly against Srijian Munier (Chok Sabai) and he suffered for it. Srijian was very aggressive and active in the first round and looked to have an advantage if only in level of output. However, Rudy found his range in the 2nd round and his right foot found Srijian’s chin, putting him on the mat for an 8-count. The already woozy Munier was game and aggressive in the 3rd but failed to keep his hands up, allowing Felix to drop him twice more with well timed chin-shots. All credit to Munier for picking himself up and finishing the third round aggressively, but that couldn’t stop Felix from taking the UNANIMOUS DECISION.
The second bout featured Danny Millet (Valera MT) and Chris Flach (Southside Dojo). There was a decidedly slower pace than the 1st fight but still a lot of action as Flach’s consistent knees from the clinch kept Millet frustrated and too close to effectively strike from the outside. Millet showed occasional flashes, but Flach answered quickly with his clinch and knees, taking the UNANIMOUS DECISION.
Next up Carlos Nunez (C3) took on Carlos Madariaga (Sitan). This is the 3rd or 4th time I’ve seen Nunez fight, and the best I’ve seen him so far, at least for the first 1:30 of the 1st round. He came out very fast and very aggressive against the more seasoned Madariaga. Nunez actually overwhelmed Madariaga with a furious outpouring of offensive onslaught. He even put Madariaga on the canvas at the end of this opening sequence; unfortunately it was due to a hard groin-shot. Madariaga was down for several minutes in pain, and took several moments to recompose himself once standing. Once the action resumed, Madariaga looked more composed and in control until Nunez flurried again, and again floored Madariaga with a low blow, adding insult to Madariaga’s already bloodied nose. The 2nd round was all Madariaga, as he out-worked and was more effective than Nunez. The 3rd saw Nunez dig deep and come out strong, but the burst lasted only a few moments. From there on it was all Madariaga, who finished strong in the stretch and took the UNANIMOUS DECISION.
Robert Lin (The Wat) took on James Mahoney (Siam #1) in the fourth fight. Lin looked confident and solid, but spent most of the fight with his back to the ropes and Mahoney’s knee in his gut. The taller Lin never got to use his length as Mahoney crowded and bullied him to a UNANIMOUS DECISION.
Chris Mauceri (Black & Blue) made the trip down from Kingston, NY to take on Pablo Rayo (Sitan) in the sixth fight. Mauceri’s constant output in rounds 1 and 2 were enough to take it on the judges score cards. This was not lost on Pablo who let it all out in the third round clearly making his case for the fight. However, Pablo’s flashes were not enough to overtake Mauceri’s steady pace, give Mauceri a MAJORITY DECISION.
Fight 7 saw the return of New York regular Sylvie von Duuglas (Chok Sabai), as she took on Tanya Lohr (Southside). Looking at Lohr bouncing around during von Duuglas’ Wai Kru, I couldn’t help notice the mass of muscular meat on her thighs. I thought her kicks would be very powerful, and those strong legs would make a great launch pad for her punches. I wasn’t wrong. Once the fight began, it was apparent that von Duuglas’ technique and skill would be of little effect in the face of Lohr’s fortitude. But for a few sneaky throws from the clinch, Sylvie had little answer for the power and accuracy of Lohr’s attack. In the third, Sylvie, knowing she was down on the cards came out on fire. But her aggressiveness didn’t translate into effectiveness and Lohr took the UNANIMOUS DECISION.
Climbing into the ring next was Bob Mansfield (Ardon’s Sweet Science) and Omar Estevez (Sitan). Estevez had a height and reach advantage, but Mansfield came out firing from both barrels, trying to keep Estevez at bay and off his game. I thought he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for more than 30 or 45 seconds, but I was wrong. To my pleasant surprise, Mansfield maintained the fast pace through the first 2 whole rounds. In the first Omar was overwhelmed and couldn’t get his offense rolling. In the second he began to take a couple of Mansfield’s punches in order to land a strong kick to his legs, and wound up making it a close round that was obviously split on the judges cards as we found out at the end. In the third, Mansfield began to fade as the damage, blood and lactic acid began to accumulate in his legs. He was getting hammered to the legs and then touched up in his face as his hands came down, giving Omar a sure hold on the third round. In the end, the judges gave Estevez a MAJORITY DECISION, which was popular with the obviously pro-Sitan crowd, even if I disagreed with it personally. I can understand the two judges who split 29-28 for each fighter, but must question the 30-27 score that broke the tie.
In the next bout, C3’s most athletic offering I’ve seen to date, Stephane Smarth faced off against Sitan’s Carlos Restrepo. Stephane poured the pressure on Carlos in the first. I was impressed with the way that Stephane put his hands and feet together in combinations and really controlled the range. Carlos rebounded in the second and it was a very close contest down the home stretch, with both fighters giving it their all. I thought that Smarth had squeaked out the third round, but the judges gave Restrepo the MAJORITY DECISION.
The CO-MAIN EVENT pitted Kevin Guido (Valera MT) against Dave Wai Moy (Sitan) for the WKA NYS AMATEUR MUAY THAI TITLE. The first round saw a lot of flash from the heavily tattooed and muscular Moy, but most shots were blocked by the gritty and steadfast Guido, who continued to advance throughout. In the second, Guido faded a bit, as Moy’s heavy hands began to find their mark. He also swept Guido to the ground several times. The third round saw Moy all warmed up and really hitting his stride. He picked his shots, moved in and out well and attacked Guido’s legs and head very well as the round wore on. There was, however, no backing down in Guido, who continued to advance and maintain his attack. It was a very, very close fight, but the MAJORITY DECISION and the belt went to Moy who showed that he is truly ready to take that next step and go pro and have some more time to work in the 3 minute rounds.
The MAIN EVENT was the much-hyped rematch between Rami Ibrahim of the home gym, Sitan and Chance Lennox of AFC Kickboxing/Varner’s Combat. Without the opportunity to grapple, Rami was feeling very confident of avenging his MMA loss to Chance. Chance’s awkward Karate/Kickboxing style seemed to give him an early advantage from long range. The experienced Ibrahim reacted by going to the clinch and controlling Chance enough to take the first round. The second round was wild and action packed, as both fighters connected with kicks to their opponent’s head and barrages of punches. At one point there was a simultaneous knockdown as both fighters landed clean left-hooks to the temple at the same time. Chance, however sprung up in a moment, as the surprised and disoriented Ibrahim stayed on all fours on the mat and took the 8-count, giving up the round. The third was very even as they exchanged knees and dirty boxing in the clinch. There were some sloppy moments as one would try to throw the other and it devolved into a pseudo-MMA affair. These moments were quickly cleaned up by veteran referee Chris Wagner, whom they made earn his money in this fight. The fourth round was back and forth with both fighters asserting themselves at different times, Lennox with good punches and kicks, and Rami with a solid clinch game. In my eyes, due to the point from the 8-count, the score was tied 38-38 going into the 5th, final and deciding round. In said round, Rami took his clinch to yet a higher level, controlling Lennox and overwhelming him with knees to the body and thighs. The now tired Chance couldn’t maintain the range he needed to stay effective and thus the UNANIMOUS DECISION and WKA PROFESSIONAL TITLE belt went to Rami.
In all, it was a great day of action. There were great knock downs, and exchanges, flashy techniques and tattoos, but I think the Sunday afternoon timing took away from the crowd’s energy level. There didn’t seem to be the same amount of beer and liquor flowing or the same jovial rowdiness that fight crowds often bring. As a true Muay Thai fan, I was happy with the fights, but not the one-sidedness of the crowd who was near silent unless a Sitan fighter was scoring. Nevertheless, I look forward to TaKeOnProduction’s second year and their taking their already high-quality shows to the next level!
-Chok Dee
The second bout featured Danny Millet (Valera MT) and Chris Flach (Southside Dojo). There was a decidedly slower pace than the 1st fight but still a lot of action as Flach’s consistent knees from the clinch kept Millet frustrated and too close to effectively strike from the outside. Millet showed occasional flashes, but Flach answered quickly with his clinch and knees, taking the UNANIMOUS DECISION.
Next up Carlos Nunez (C3) took on Carlos Madariaga (Sitan). This is the 3rd or 4th time I’ve seen Nunez fight, and the best I’ve seen him so far, at least for the first 1:30 of the 1st round. He came out very fast and very aggressive against the more seasoned Madariaga. Nunez actually overwhelmed Madariaga with a furious outpouring of offensive onslaught. He even put Madariaga on the canvas at the end of this opening sequence; unfortunately it was due to a hard groin-shot. Madariaga was down for several minutes in pain, and took several moments to recompose himself once standing. Once the action resumed, Madariaga looked more composed and in control until Nunez flurried again, and again floored Madariaga with a low blow, adding insult to Madariaga’s already bloodied nose. The 2nd round was all Madariaga, as he out-worked and was more effective than Nunez. The 3rd saw Nunez dig deep and come out strong, but the burst lasted only a few moments. From there on it was all Madariaga, who finished strong in the stretch and took the UNANIMOUS DECISION.
Robert Lin (The Wat) took on James Mahoney (Siam #1) in the fourth fight. Lin looked confident and solid, but spent most of the fight with his back to the ropes and Mahoney’s knee in his gut. The taller Lin never got to use his length as Mahoney crowded and bullied him to a UNANIMOUS DECISION.
Chris Mauceri (Black & Blue) made the trip down from Kingston, NY to take on Pablo Rayo (Sitan) in the sixth fight. Mauceri’s constant output in rounds 1 and 2 were enough to take it on the judges score cards. This was not lost on Pablo who let it all out in the third round clearly making his case for the fight. However, Pablo’s flashes were not enough to overtake Mauceri’s steady pace, give Mauceri a MAJORITY DECISION.
Fight 7 saw the return of New York regular Sylvie von Duuglas (Chok Sabai), as she took on Tanya Lohr (Southside). Looking at Lohr bouncing around during von Duuglas’ Wai Kru, I couldn’t help notice the mass of muscular meat on her thighs. I thought her kicks would be very powerful, and those strong legs would make a great launch pad for her punches. I wasn’t wrong. Once the fight began, it was apparent that von Duuglas’ technique and skill would be of little effect in the face of Lohr’s fortitude. But for a few sneaky throws from the clinch, Sylvie had little answer for the power and accuracy of Lohr’s attack. In the third, Sylvie, knowing she was down on the cards came out on fire. But her aggressiveness didn’t translate into effectiveness and Lohr took the UNANIMOUS DECISION.
Climbing into the ring next was Bob Mansfield (Ardon’s Sweet Science) and Omar Estevez (Sitan). Estevez had a height and reach advantage, but Mansfield came out firing from both barrels, trying to keep Estevez at bay and off his game. I thought he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for more than 30 or 45 seconds, but I was wrong. To my pleasant surprise, Mansfield maintained the fast pace through the first 2 whole rounds. In the first Omar was overwhelmed and couldn’t get his offense rolling. In the second he began to take a couple of Mansfield’s punches in order to land a strong kick to his legs, and wound up making it a close round that was obviously split on the judges cards as we found out at the end. In the third, Mansfield began to fade as the damage, blood and lactic acid began to accumulate in his legs. He was getting hammered to the legs and then touched up in his face as his hands came down, giving Omar a sure hold on the third round. In the end, the judges gave Estevez a MAJORITY DECISION, which was popular with the obviously pro-Sitan crowd, even if I disagreed with it personally. I can understand the two judges who split 29-28 for each fighter, but must question the 30-27 score that broke the tie.
In the next bout, C3’s most athletic offering I’ve seen to date, Stephane Smarth faced off against Sitan’s Carlos Restrepo. Stephane poured the pressure on Carlos in the first. I was impressed with the way that Stephane put his hands and feet together in combinations and really controlled the range. Carlos rebounded in the second and it was a very close contest down the home stretch, with both fighters giving it their all. I thought that Smarth had squeaked out the third round, but the judges gave Restrepo the MAJORITY DECISION.
The CO-MAIN EVENT pitted Kevin Guido (Valera MT) against Dave Wai Moy (Sitan) for the WKA NYS AMATEUR MUAY THAI TITLE. The first round saw a lot of flash from the heavily tattooed and muscular Moy, but most shots were blocked by the gritty and steadfast Guido, who continued to advance throughout. In the second, Guido faded a bit, as Moy’s heavy hands began to find their mark. He also swept Guido to the ground several times. The third round saw Moy all warmed up and really hitting his stride. He picked his shots, moved in and out well and attacked Guido’s legs and head very well as the round wore on. There was, however, no backing down in Guido, who continued to advance and maintain his attack. It was a very, very close fight, but the MAJORITY DECISION and the belt went to Moy who showed that he is truly ready to take that next step and go pro and have some more time to work in the 3 minute rounds.
The MAIN EVENT was the much-hyped rematch between Rami Ibrahim of the home gym, Sitan and Chance Lennox of AFC Kickboxing/Varner’s Combat. Without the opportunity to grapple, Rami was feeling very confident of avenging his MMA loss to Chance. Chance’s awkward Karate/Kickboxing style seemed to give him an early advantage from long range. The experienced Ibrahim reacted by going to the clinch and controlling Chance enough to take the first round. The second round was wild and action packed, as both fighters connected with kicks to their opponent’s head and barrages of punches. At one point there was a simultaneous knockdown as both fighters landed clean left-hooks to the temple at the same time. Chance, however sprung up in a moment, as the surprised and disoriented Ibrahim stayed on all fours on the mat and took the 8-count, giving up the round. The third was very even as they exchanged knees and dirty boxing in the clinch. There were some sloppy moments as one would try to throw the other and it devolved into a pseudo-MMA affair. These moments were quickly cleaned up by veteran referee Chris Wagner, whom they made earn his money in this fight. The fourth round was back and forth with both fighters asserting themselves at different times, Lennox with good punches and kicks, and Rami with a solid clinch game. In my eyes, due to the point from the 8-count, the score was tied 38-38 going into the 5th, final and deciding round. In said round, Rami took his clinch to yet a higher level, controlling Lennox and overwhelming him with knees to the body and thighs. The now tired Chance couldn’t maintain the range he needed to stay effective and thus the UNANIMOUS DECISION and WKA PROFESSIONAL TITLE belt went to Rami.
In all, it was a great day of action. There were great knock downs, and exchanges, flashy techniques and tattoos, but I think the Sunday afternoon timing took away from the crowd’s energy level. There didn’t seem to be the same amount of beer and liquor flowing or the same jovial rowdiness that fight crowds often bring. As a true Muay Thai fan, I was happy with the fights, but not the one-sidedness of the crowd who was near silent unless a Sitan fighter was scoring. Nevertheless, I look forward to TaKeOnProduction’s second year and their taking their already high-quality shows to the next level!
-Chok Dee
tagged NYC, Showdown, Take-On Productions, The Arbiter in Events, Muay Thai
NYC, Showdown, Take-On Productions, The Arbiter in Events, Muay Thai 
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