Tuesday
May182010
Friday Night Fights 5/14/10
May 18, 2010 
Written by:
The Arbiter
Outside the weather was of heavy with promise of violent storms, matching the atmosphere inside. The Friday Night Fights event set for tonight was nick-named “Finally” as it touted a match-up between two of the Tri-State’s most dominant and beloved fighters, squaring off in a match that had been speculated about for months, if not imagined for even longer. I am speaking, of course, of the Sean Hinds v. Chris Romulo bout, which was definitely an event to be seen by any fan of Muay Thai, martial arts, or action in general. But we’ll get to that later… the under-card was remarkable in its own rite.
The evening got rolling when the Amateur Thai-Boxing matches began, with an interesting match-up between Chris Aquino out of Real Martial Arts in Asbury Park, NJ and Duq-Ahn Quoc from the Wilkie Academy in New Brunswick, NJ. They say that “Styles make Fights” and this was a great example. It reinforced once again why Muay Thai has become the Stand-Up style of choice for professional MMA athletes and kickboxers. Aquino had a traditional Thai stance and style, keeping his hands and shoulders high, his chin down and lead leg ready. In contrast, Quoc walked out to answer the bell with his hands down at his waist, and showing no outward signs of being in a fight… until Aquino stepped into his range. Quoc surprised the crowd, myself, and most of all Chris Aquino with a series of dazzling kung-fu/tae-kwon-do techniques. He landed a great side-kick to Aquino’s gut, knocking him off balance and setting a tone for the 1st round. The confused Aquino kept coming at Quoc, getting hit with spinning crescent kicks and axe kicks, even some flying kicks that won the 1st round easily for Quoc, but took their toll on his wind, as shown in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. In the middle and final rounds, Aquino’s more traditional, more efficient Thai style took control, as he had figured out Quoc’s telegraphs and thus was able to jam or avoid the fading Quoc, who had little hand skills to fall back on, and no clinching/kneeing to speak of. In the end, Aquino pressured and muscled his way to a Unanimous decision.
The second bout was an opportunity for the ladies to show off their skills and toughness. The tall and lithe Wendy Lau out of Choksabai Gym in NYC faced off against the wiry Deidre Sinico of Evolution Muay Thai, also in NYC. Sinico answered the 1st bell displaying a confidence that bordered on over-confidence, as she stalked and picked her spots to land strong punches to Lau’s face. However, she allowed Lau to get off several kicks and punch combos, that, although not terribly damaging, added up to enough work to win the round in this spectator’s eyes. Sinico just wasn’t busy enough even with a clear advantage in boxing and power. In the 2nd and 3rd, Sinico’s punches snapped Lau’s head back often. Wendy was active and moved well, circling and picking angles, but her attacks were ineffective through the 2nd and she faded quickly in the 3rd. At several points Lau would trap a leg, knee, or (illegally) a hand, that would only leave her even more vulnerable to Sirico’s sharp punches to the head. Sirico’s win was by Unanimous Decision.
The night really began to heat up, in the next few fights! Heading into the meat of the line-up it was time for Jeff Chan out of OAMA in Ottawa, Canada to take on Julio Arce, the latest offering from the fight team of Tiger Schulmann’s MMA. Jeff traveled far to take on Julio, who had the advantage of packing more muscle onto a slightly shorter frame, plus a healthy home-town advantage, as the TSMMA crowd was loud and proud in support of their boy. Arce started out a bit wild, but landed effectively. Chan countered and stood his ground well, but not enough to take the round. In the 2nd, Arce’s stiff left started hitting the mark, and even though Chan kept advancing, Arce controlled the range and tempo with good footwork and circular movement. The 3rd saw more of the same, although Chan kept coming forward in classic Thai style, his 1 technique at a time was no match for Arce’s combinations; Unanimous Decision to Arce.
The sixth bout of the evening was a chance for some excitement, as the well known Phillip LeGrand of American Top Team in NYC climbed into the ring to take on another Ottawa offering, Gary Gilchrest out of Siam #1 Gym. LeGrand is something of a wild man, and his awkward, weird angles and movement stymied Gilchrest who landed very few clean shots in the 1st round. In the 2nd, Gary started to land more, attacking Phillip’s legs well and finding his range, building some confidence for the 3rd round. That confidence, however, didn’t pay off. LeGrand landed some dynamic combinations that again shut down Gilchrest’s offense. I particularly liked LeGrand’s “inside-low/jumping head” kick combo. It got to the point that despite Gary’s corner urging him to “Let it go!” and “Pull the trigger!”, he couldn’t get off a technique in the last minute or so, leading to an animated celebration by LeGrand of his Unanimous Decision victory for the WKA Amateur Northeastern Regional Thaiboxing Light-Middleweight Title belt.
The next bout was a great match-up between two great fighters, from two great gyms: Eric Ruiz from Sitan Gym NYC and Andy Singh from Lacosta’s Extreme Gym. It also turned out to be the most controversial decision of the night. Both fighters are seasoned vets, and handle themselves with the professionalism you’d expect. Despite the fact that both fighters look solid, Ruiz packed a bit more muscle on a slightly shorter frame, giving him an apparent advantage in strength. The 1st round started slowly at first, with Singh pot-shotting from long range for a few moments, before Ruiz plowed through his attack and began a long and debilitating session of clinching and kneeing Singh. In my opinion, Ruiz had taken Singh out of his game, and imposed his strategy of making it an inside fight. I had Ruiz taking the round on my unofficial scorecard (yes, I keep score like a nerd at a baseball game). As the rounds continued, Singh’s handwork was faster and more accurate than Ruiz’s whose short wingspan lead him to rely on kicks and kneeing in the clinch. However, Singh’s punches did very little damage to Ruiz, who kept pressing the action, coming forward, literally walking through Singh’s punches to control him in the clinch, pressing Singh into the corners and ropes repeatedly. This was the pattern of the fight throughout. I had given every round to the less flashy, but more effective Ruiz, but two of the official judges had it scored more equitably, at 48-47, with one agreeing with my unofficial card. Thus, the winner of the WKA Amateur US Thaiboxing Bantamweight Title was Andy Singh in a Split Decision.
With another belt on the line, the understated Liam Tarrant of North Jersey Muay Thai stepped into the ring to take on the attention-grabbing pink-haired Kyle Hillman of Cool Hearts in Philadelphia. Despite Tarrant’s high level of output, Hillman walked through his attacks to assert his will and control the tempo, taking the 1st round. Through the 2nd and 3rd rounds, however, Liam spent less time with his back against the ropes, finding his groove in the 3rd round as Kyle’s absorbing punishment lead him to fade a bit. The 4th round saw Tarrant turning up the heat, keeping the pressure on Hillman, as he landed clean punches to the face and kicks to Kyle’s legs and body. Hillman’s power continued to fade as the number of blows landed on him added up, and his gas began to run low. The 5th round saw Liam maintain his high output, and although there wasn’t a real threat of Kyle being knocked out, he was out worked. An exuberant Tarrant took the WKA Amateur US Thaiboxing Light Middleweight Title by Unanimous Decision.
The action had been building up to this point, and the crowd was starting to get eager for a knock-out or two… and they wouldn’t have long to wait! Next into the ring, a great match-up of two super fighters who were both eager for a victory, this bout featured the prodigal son of William C.C. Chen Tai Chi Chuan, Max Chen, against the third Canadian fighter of the night, this time from Toronto’s Ultimate Martial Arts, “Bazooka” Joe Valtenelli. I was wondering if Valtenelli would succumb to Chen’s hometown advantage as did his compatriots, or if he would show why he is named “Bazooka Joe”. I didn’t have long to wait, as Joe’s heavy hands landed early and often on Max’s face. Chen retreated to the ropes and got on his bicycle, using the whole perimeter of the ring to try and escape the power of Valtenelli’s left hook and right cross. Chen couldn’t get his offense in gear in the first minutes of the 1st round, and it all started to fall apart for him when he got caught flush with a right-left hook combo that sent him to the funny-farm. He hit the canvas hard, and the fighter’s instinct to pop right up wound up betraying him, as it caused him to flop and flail for a few seconds, obviously disoriented. Referee Chris Wagner gave him the benefit of the doubt after a long 9 count and let the fight resume after a thorough check of Chen’s wherewithal. Wagner did, however keep a very close eye on Chen and stepped in a few moments later; stopping the fight after Max took a few more punches. “Bazooka Joe” definitely earned his name in tonight’s 1st Round TKO.
Fight 10 was the Co-Main Event, and one that I was eager for, as it featured two of New York’s favorite son’s, and two fighters that I have either reffed, judged, or worked with in some prior show. I was hoping that both Eddie Martinez of 5 Points Gym and Chris “the Polish Punisher” Kwiatkowski of the host gym, Church Street Boxing (both of NYC), would bring their “A” games. I had seen both Eddie and Chris fight several times before, Eddie has had a fight or two where it just wasn’t there for him, we all have. And tonight, it was so for Chris. It was a very even 1st round, both seemed game early, and there were several good exchanges. Both men showed their skills putting together their hands and feet in nice combinations. In the second minute, Eddie began to drive Chris back with clean punches to his face and kicks to the chest, enough to edge out the round. Although Kwiatkowski landed a few of his right crosses, they didn’t land with his usually explosiveness. Martinez used a more diverse arsenal and really controlled the ring to take the 2nd, leaving Chris looking the worse for wear, with a cut on his nose and some swelling around his brow. Through the rest of the fight Kwiatkowski continued to advance and smile, and take punishment from Martinez. He just didn’t have it that night, and it was evidenced by his growing reliance on that overhand right to end the fight. Eddie continued to be steady and sure and work from the outside putting the hands and feet together well. When Chris would catch him at the ropes or corner and clinch, Eddie would charge him several knee-strikes to the body and legs, and even a couple to the head, as they contractually agreed to. In the end, it was Martinez high level of output and varied attacks that controlled the fight, and lead to his 1st professional victory by Unanimous Decision.
The fight between the Co-Main Events was easily the most exciting and best fight of the night. It would have been the main event at almost any other show, or here if it was signed earlier and there was a belt at stake. In this amazing fight, we got to see the return of Turan “The Tornado” Hasanov, of Borodin’s Gym in Brooklyn, to the U.S. ring from his Professional Debut in Thailand, a :45 second knockout! Tonight he would be taking on the “Purple People Eater”, out of Cool Heart’s Philly branch, Justin Greskiewicz. This fight was put together on relatively short notice, as Hasanov was scheduled to fight in a different show, one that involved takedowns and was to be seen on PPV. Both fighters are truly game and love to fight, so neither would let this opportunity slip by. Having seen both fighters several times I knew this was going to be a great fight. Justin has always been a stalwart, aggressive fighter who continues to press the attack no matter what. Turan had just returned from training in Thailand before his fight and he was at the top of his form. I also knew however, that Turan is a streaky fighter, and he tends to have his biggest disappointments right after his greatest triumphs. Turan got off to a fast start with his boxing, effectively touching up Justin’s face. But as the 1st round dragged on, Greskiewicz’s knees in the clinch and low leg kicks evened out the round, I had it 10-10 on my unofficial card. The 2nd round saw the fireworks intensify on both sides as “The People Eater” connected with a legally contracted knee to the head that grounded “The Tornado” for an 8-count. If you’ve ever seen Turan fight, you know that the first blood drawn from him, or knock down of him, is the insult he needs to really get his fire lit. This was the case in the 2nd round, wherein Turan could hardly wait for Referee Chris Wagner to finish the count before unleashing some brutal cross-hook-upper-cut combos that drove Justin to the ropes and canvas, resulting in an 8-count of his own. Turan continued to bruise and bloody the face of Greskiewicz, enough to win the 2nd round, but a close observer could see that for each bunch of punches received, Justin landed several hard kicks to Hasanov’s lead leg, above and below the knee. Between rounds I was thinking that Hasanov might KO Greskiewicz if his leg holds out… it proved a prophetic thought. The 3rd started with a bang, as Hasanov attacked like he was shot from a cannon, unloading with series of punches that were snapping Justin’s head back and opening cuts along his eyes. But again, Greskiewicz held firm to his classic Thai strategy, “Chop off a leg, and you cut down the man”. He continued to chop away at Turan’s left leg, until it buckled, sending Turan to the mat for a long 9 count before gingerly hopping up to continue. “The People Eater” saw his opportunity and immediately went in for the kill, brutally bashing his shin into the “Tornado’s” leg, sending him down for a second count, half-way in to the round. As the referee was finishing up the count and Turan was struggling to his feet, his corner threw in the towel. Either way, the “Tornado” had been cut back down to earth, KOed in the 3rd by leg kicks. I can’t wait to see him take out his anger and frustration on his next opponent!
And finally, the Main Event of the Evening… the match-up that was in all the papers and all over Facebook, the meeting of New York’s Middleweight Titans, Sean Hinds of Mushin Gym, and Chris “Crom” Romulo of Church Street Boxing Gym, both of Manhattan. This is what the Tri-State area has been waiting for. Could it be an exclamation point on this amazing evening? Or, as happens so often, would the two evenly matched opponents’ skills cancel each other out? Would the fighters take risks to push for the title or would they play safe? There was a good feeling out period in the 1st round. Crom landed some strong kicks with his lead left leg to both Hinds’ leg and chest, although Hinds’ high hands prevented anything from reaching his face or head. Hinds answered most of Chris’ attacks, but I had to give the first round to Crom on the very slim margin of his advancing and Sean being both forced to retreat/circle away from Chris’s power and being swept to the mat twice. Sean found Romulo’s lead leg with his own kicks enough to paint a red stripe all the way around, and blocked Chris’ kicks enough to take the second. The 3rd was also an ebb and flow of both fighters’ momentum, with Hinds chopping at the leg well, but Crom’s variety of hand and foot attacks landed effectively enough to take the round. However, the momentum swung back to Hinds’ corner in the 4th as he defended very well, blocking most of Romulo’s kicks, and countering well with punches that landed, but never really snapped Chris’ head back or bruised/cut him. And so, we go into the 5th and final round, two rounds a piece on this observer’s unofficial score-card, and the WKA Professional Super-Middleweight Title on the line. The 5th round Thai music kicked in at a frantic pace, the crowd was screaming for both fighters to take it to the next level and secure the belt, but that energy didn’t transfer to the fighters in the ring. The last round was the slowest, with both fighters staying conservative, seeming to not want to make the big mistake. But when that happens, it also means that neither fighter is willing to take that risky leap to glory, and usually will lead to a decision. Again the fighters’ impetus ebbed and flowed, although at a slower tempo. Sean continued to defend well until Chris’ stiff jabs snapped his head back a several times and a solid left hook sent the mouthpiece flying from Hinds’ mouth. Hinds pressed on, but finished the round with his back to the ropes, giving a very, very narrow edge and a razor thin split decision to Chris to win the Title.
In all, it was the kind of night that Muay Thai fans hope for when they buy their tickets. The action in the ring was great, and the venue was spacious and easily navigable. My only criticism is that the cavernous quality of the Armory wrought havoc on the acoustics, and almost nothing could be heard through the echoes. That aside, it was an amazing card, and some truly memorable fights.
The evening got rolling when the Amateur Thai-Boxing matches began, with an interesting match-up between Chris Aquino out of Real Martial Arts in Asbury Park, NJ and Duq-Ahn Quoc from the Wilkie Academy in New Brunswick, NJ. They say that “Styles make Fights” and this was a great example. It reinforced once again why Muay Thai has become the Stand-Up style of choice for professional MMA athletes and kickboxers. Aquino had a traditional Thai stance and style, keeping his hands and shoulders high, his chin down and lead leg ready. In contrast, Quoc walked out to answer the bell with his hands down at his waist, and showing no outward signs of being in a fight… until Aquino stepped into his range. Quoc surprised the crowd, myself, and most of all Chris Aquino with a series of dazzling kung-fu/tae-kwon-do techniques. He landed a great side-kick to Aquino’s gut, knocking him off balance and setting a tone for the 1st round. The confused Aquino kept coming at Quoc, getting hit with spinning crescent kicks and axe kicks, even some flying kicks that won the 1st round easily for Quoc, but took their toll on his wind, as shown in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. In the middle and final rounds, Aquino’s more traditional, more efficient Thai style took control, as he had figured out Quoc’s telegraphs and thus was able to jam or avoid the fading Quoc, who had little hand skills to fall back on, and no clinching/kneeing to speak of. In the end, Aquino pressured and muscled his way to a Unanimous decision.
The second bout was an opportunity for the ladies to show off their skills and toughness. The tall and lithe Wendy Lau out of Choksabai Gym in NYC faced off against the wiry Deidre Sinico of Evolution Muay Thai, also in NYC. Sinico answered the 1st bell displaying a confidence that bordered on over-confidence, as she stalked and picked her spots to land strong punches to Lau’s face. However, she allowed Lau to get off several kicks and punch combos, that, although not terribly damaging, added up to enough work to win the round in this spectator’s eyes. Sinico just wasn’t busy enough even with a clear advantage in boxing and power. In the 2nd and 3rd, Sinico’s punches snapped Lau’s head back often. Wendy was active and moved well, circling and picking angles, but her attacks were ineffective through the 2nd and she faded quickly in the 3rd. At several points Lau would trap a leg, knee, or (illegally) a hand, that would only leave her even more vulnerable to Sirico’s sharp punches to the head. Sirico’s win was by Unanimous Decision.
The night really began to heat up, in the next few fights! Heading into the meat of the line-up it was time for Jeff Chan out of OAMA in Ottawa, Canada to take on Julio Arce, the latest offering from the fight team of Tiger Schulmann’s MMA. Jeff traveled far to take on Julio, who had the advantage of packing more muscle onto a slightly shorter frame, plus a healthy home-town advantage, as the TSMMA crowd was loud and proud in support of their boy. Arce started out a bit wild, but landed effectively. Chan countered and stood his ground well, but not enough to take the round. In the 2nd, Arce’s stiff left started hitting the mark, and even though Chan kept advancing, Arce controlled the range and tempo with good footwork and circular movement. The 3rd saw more of the same, although Chan kept coming forward in classic Thai style, his 1 technique at a time was no match for Arce’s combinations; Unanimous Decision to Arce.
The sixth bout of the evening was a chance for some excitement, as the well known Phillip LeGrand of American Top Team in NYC climbed into the ring to take on another Ottawa offering, Gary Gilchrest out of Siam #1 Gym. LeGrand is something of a wild man, and his awkward, weird angles and movement stymied Gilchrest who landed very few clean shots in the 1st round. In the 2nd, Gary started to land more, attacking Phillip’s legs well and finding his range, building some confidence for the 3rd round. That confidence, however, didn’t pay off. LeGrand landed some dynamic combinations that again shut down Gilchrest’s offense. I particularly liked LeGrand’s “inside-low/jumping head” kick combo. It got to the point that despite Gary’s corner urging him to “Let it go!” and “Pull the trigger!”, he couldn’t get off a technique in the last minute or so, leading to an animated celebration by LeGrand of his Unanimous Decision victory for the WKA Amateur Northeastern Regional Thaiboxing Light-Middleweight Title belt.
The next bout was a great match-up between two great fighters, from two great gyms: Eric Ruiz from Sitan Gym NYC and Andy Singh from Lacosta’s Extreme Gym. It also turned out to be the most controversial decision of the night. Both fighters are seasoned vets, and handle themselves with the professionalism you’d expect. Despite the fact that both fighters look solid, Ruiz packed a bit more muscle on a slightly shorter frame, giving him an apparent advantage in strength. The 1st round started slowly at first, with Singh pot-shotting from long range for a few moments, before Ruiz plowed through his attack and began a long and debilitating session of clinching and kneeing Singh. In my opinion, Ruiz had taken Singh out of his game, and imposed his strategy of making it an inside fight. I had Ruiz taking the round on my unofficial scorecard (yes, I keep score like a nerd at a baseball game). As the rounds continued, Singh’s handwork was faster and more accurate than Ruiz’s whose short wingspan lead him to rely on kicks and kneeing in the clinch. However, Singh’s punches did very little damage to Ruiz, who kept pressing the action, coming forward, literally walking through Singh’s punches to control him in the clinch, pressing Singh into the corners and ropes repeatedly. This was the pattern of the fight throughout. I had given every round to the less flashy, but more effective Ruiz, but two of the official judges had it scored more equitably, at 48-47, with one agreeing with my unofficial card. Thus, the winner of the WKA Amateur US Thaiboxing Bantamweight Title was Andy Singh in a Split Decision.
With another belt on the line, the understated Liam Tarrant of North Jersey Muay Thai stepped into the ring to take on the attention-grabbing pink-haired Kyle Hillman of Cool Hearts in Philadelphia. Despite Tarrant’s high level of output, Hillman walked through his attacks to assert his will and control the tempo, taking the 1st round. Through the 2nd and 3rd rounds, however, Liam spent less time with his back against the ropes, finding his groove in the 3rd round as Kyle’s absorbing punishment lead him to fade a bit. The 4th round saw Tarrant turning up the heat, keeping the pressure on Hillman, as he landed clean punches to the face and kicks to Kyle’s legs and body. Hillman’s power continued to fade as the number of blows landed on him added up, and his gas began to run low. The 5th round saw Liam maintain his high output, and although there wasn’t a real threat of Kyle being knocked out, he was out worked. An exuberant Tarrant took the WKA Amateur US Thaiboxing Light Middleweight Title by Unanimous Decision.
The action had been building up to this point, and the crowd was starting to get eager for a knock-out or two… and they wouldn’t have long to wait! Next into the ring, a great match-up of two super fighters who were both eager for a victory, this bout featured the prodigal son of William C.C. Chen Tai Chi Chuan, Max Chen, against the third Canadian fighter of the night, this time from Toronto’s Ultimate Martial Arts, “Bazooka” Joe Valtenelli. I was wondering if Valtenelli would succumb to Chen’s hometown advantage as did his compatriots, or if he would show why he is named “Bazooka Joe”. I didn’t have long to wait, as Joe’s heavy hands landed early and often on Max’s face. Chen retreated to the ropes and got on his bicycle, using the whole perimeter of the ring to try and escape the power of Valtenelli’s left hook and right cross. Chen couldn’t get his offense in gear in the first minutes of the 1st round, and it all started to fall apart for him when he got caught flush with a right-left hook combo that sent him to the funny-farm. He hit the canvas hard, and the fighter’s instinct to pop right up wound up betraying him, as it caused him to flop and flail for a few seconds, obviously disoriented. Referee Chris Wagner gave him the benefit of the doubt after a long 9 count and let the fight resume after a thorough check of Chen’s wherewithal. Wagner did, however keep a very close eye on Chen and stepped in a few moments later; stopping the fight after Max took a few more punches. “Bazooka Joe” definitely earned his name in tonight’s 1st Round TKO.
Fight 10 was the Co-Main Event, and one that I was eager for, as it featured two of New York’s favorite son’s, and two fighters that I have either reffed, judged, or worked with in some prior show. I was hoping that both Eddie Martinez of 5 Points Gym and Chris “the Polish Punisher” Kwiatkowski of the host gym, Church Street Boxing (both of NYC), would bring their “A” games. I had seen both Eddie and Chris fight several times before, Eddie has had a fight or two where it just wasn’t there for him, we all have. And tonight, it was so for Chris. It was a very even 1st round, both seemed game early, and there were several good exchanges. Both men showed their skills putting together their hands and feet in nice combinations. In the second minute, Eddie began to drive Chris back with clean punches to his face and kicks to the chest, enough to edge out the round. Although Kwiatkowski landed a few of his right crosses, they didn’t land with his usually explosiveness. Martinez used a more diverse arsenal and really controlled the ring to take the 2nd, leaving Chris looking the worse for wear, with a cut on his nose and some swelling around his brow. Through the rest of the fight Kwiatkowski continued to advance and smile, and take punishment from Martinez. He just didn’t have it that night, and it was evidenced by his growing reliance on that overhand right to end the fight. Eddie continued to be steady and sure and work from the outside putting the hands and feet together well. When Chris would catch him at the ropes or corner and clinch, Eddie would charge him several knee-strikes to the body and legs, and even a couple to the head, as they contractually agreed to. In the end, it was Martinez high level of output and varied attacks that controlled the fight, and lead to his 1st professional victory by Unanimous Decision.
The fight between the Co-Main Events was easily the most exciting and best fight of the night. It would have been the main event at almost any other show, or here if it was signed earlier and there was a belt at stake. In this amazing fight, we got to see the return of Turan “The Tornado” Hasanov, of Borodin’s Gym in Brooklyn, to the U.S. ring from his Professional Debut in Thailand, a :45 second knockout! Tonight he would be taking on the “Purple People Eater”, out of Cool Heart’s Philly branch, Justin Greskiewicz. This fight was put together on relatively short notice, as Hasanov was scheduled to fight in a different show, one that involved takedowns and was to be seen on PPV. Both fighters are truly game and love to fight, so neither would let this opportunity slip by. Having seen both fighters several times I knew this was going to be a great fight. Justin has always been a stalwart, aggressive fighter who continues to press the attack no matter what. Turan had just returned from training in Thailand before his fight and he was at the top of his form. I also knew however, that Turan is a streaky fighter, and he tends to have his biggest disappointments right after his greatest triumphs. Turan got off to a fast start with his boxing, effectively touching up Justin’s face. But as the 1st round dragged on, Greskiewicz’s knees in the clinch and low leg kicks evened out the round, I had it 10-10 on my unofficial card. The 2nd round saw the fireworks intensify on both sides as “The People Eater” connected with a legally contracted knee to the head that grounded “The Tornado” for an 8-count. If you’ve ever seen Turan fight, you know that the first blood drawn from him, or knock down of him, is the insult he needs to really get his fire lit. This was the case in the 2nd round, wherein Turan could hardly wait for Referee Chris Wagner to finish the count before unleashing some brutal cross-hook-upper-cut combos that drove Justin to the ropes and canvas, resulting in an 8-count of his own. Turan continued to bruise and bloody the face of Greskiewicz, enough to win the 2nd round, but a close observer could see that for each bunch of punches received, Justin landed several hard kicks to Hasanov’s lead leg, above and below the knee. Between rounds I was thinking that Hasanov might KO Greskiewicz if his leg holds out… it proved a prophetic thought. The 3rd started with a bang, as Hasanov attacked like he was shot from a cannon, unloading with series of punches that were snapping Justin’s head back and opening cuts along his eyes. But again, Greskiewicz held firm to his classic Thai strategy, “Chop off a leg, and you cut down the man”. He continued to chop away at Turan’s left leg, until it buckled, sending Turan to the mat for a long 9 count before gingerly hopping up to continue. “The People Eater” saw his opportunity and immediately went in for the kill, brutally bashing his shin into the “Tornado’s” leg, sending him down for a second count, half-way in to the round. As the referee was finishing up the count and Turan was struggling to his feet, his corner threw in the towel. Either way, the “Tornado” had been cut back down to earth, KOed in the 3rd by leg kicks. I can’t wait to see him take out his anger and frustration on his next opponent!
And finally, the Main Event of the Evening… the match-up that was in all the papers and all over Facebook, the meeting of New York’s Middleweight Titans, Sean Hinds of Mushin Gym, and Chris “Crom” Romulo of Church Street Boxing Gym, both of Manhattan. This is what the Tri-State area has been waiting for. Could it be an exclamation point on this amazing evening? Or, as happens so often, would the two evenly matched opponents’ skills cancel each other out? Would the fighters take risks to push for the title or would they play safe? There was a good feeling out period in the 1st round. Crom landed some strong kicks with his lead left leg to both Hinds’ leg and chest, although Hinds’ high hands prevented anything from reaching his face or head. Hinds answered most of Chris’ attacks, but I had to give the first round to Crom on the very slim margin of his advancing and Sean being both forced to retreat/circle away from Chris’s power and being swept to the mat twice. Sean found Romulo’s lead leg with his own kicks enough to paint a red stripe all the way around, and blocked Chris’ kicks enough to take the second. The 3rd was also an ebb and flow of both fighters’ momentum, with Hinds chopping at the leg well, but Crom’s variety of hand and foot attacks landed effectively enough to take the round. However, the momentum swung back to Hinds’ corner in the 4th as he defended very well, blocking most of Romulo’s kicks, and countering well with punches that landed, but never really snapped Chris’ head back or bruised/cut him. And so, we go into the 5th and final round, two rounds a piece on this observer’s unofficial score-card, and the WKA Professional Super-Middleweight Title on the line. The 5th round Thai music kicked in at a frantic pace, the crowd was screaming for both fighters to take it to the next level and secure the belt, but that energy didn’t transfer to the fighters in the ring. The last round was the slowest, with both fighters staying conservative, seeming to not want to make the big mistake. But when that happens, it also means that neither fighter is willing to take that risky leap to glory, and usually will lead to a decision. Again the fighters’ impetus ebbed and flowed, although at a slower tempo. Sean continued to defend well until Chris’ stiff jabs snapped his head back a several times and a solid left hook sent the mouthpiece flying from Hinds’ mouth. Hinds pressed on, but finished the round with his back to the ropes, giving a very, very narrow edge and a razor thin split decision to Chris to win the Title.
In all, it was the kind of night that Muay Thai fans hope for when they buy their tickets. The action in the ring was great, and the venue was spacious and easily navigable. My only criticism is that the cavernous quality of the Armory wrought havoc on the acoustics, and almost nothing could be heard through the echoes. That aside, it was an amazing card, and some truly memorable fights.
3 x 3 min. rounds
Chris Aquino
Real Martial Arts, NJ
Real Martial Arts, NJ
Unan. Dec.
Duy-Ahn Q. Le
Wilkie's Warriors, NJ
Wilkie's Warriors, NJ
3 x 3 min. rounds
Deirdre Sinico
Evolution Muay Thai, NYC
Evolution Muay Thai, NYC
Unan. Dec.
Wendy Lau
Choksabai Gym, NYC
Choksabai Gym, NYC
3 x 3 min. rounds
Julio Arce
Tiger Schulmann MMA
Tiger Schulmann MMA
Unan. Dec.
Jeff Chan
OAMA, Ottawa CA
OAMA, Ottawa CA
WKA Amateur NE Regional Thaiboxing Light-Middleweight Title
3 x 3 min. rounds
Phillip LeGrand
American Top Team, NYC
American Top Team, NYC
Unan. Dec.
Garry Gilchrest
Siam #1 Gym, Ottawa CA
Siam #1 Gym, Ottawa CA
WKA Amateur US Thaiboxing Bantamweight
5 x 3 min. rounds
Andy Singh
Lacosta’s Extreme Gym, NY
Lacosta’s Extreme Gym, NY
Split Dec.
Eric Ruiz
Sitan Gym, NYC
Sitan Gym, NYC
WKA Amateur US Thaiboxing Light Middleweight Title
5 x 3 min. rounds
Liam Tarrant
North Jersey Muay Thai
North Jersey Muay Thai
Unan. Dec.
Kyle Hillman
Cool Hearts, PA
Cool Hearts, PA
5 x 3 min. rounds
Joseph Valtellini
Ultimate Martial Arts, Toronto CA
Ultimate Martial Arts, Toronto CA
TKO - 1st
Maximillion Chen
Church Street Boxing Gym, NYC
Church Street Boxing Gym, NYC
Co-Main Events
5 x 3 min. rounds
Eddie Martinez
5 Points Academy, NYC
5 Points Academy, NYC
Unan. Dec.
Chris Kwiatkowski
Church Street Boxing Gym, NYC
Church Street Boxing Gym, NYC
5 x 3 min. rounds
Justin Greskiewicz
Cool Hearts, PA
Cool Hearts, PA
TKO - 3rd
Turan Hasanov
Borodin’s Gym, NYC
Borodin’s Gym, NYC
Main Event
5 x 3 min. rounds
Chris Romulo
Church Street Boxing Gym, NYC
Church Street Boxing Gym, NYC
Split Dec.
Sean Hinds
Mushin Gym, NYC
Mushin Gym, NYC
tagged Friday Night Fights, NYC, The Arbiter in Events, Muay Thai
Friday Night Fights, NYC, The Arbiter in Events, Muay Thai 
Reader Comments (1)
Great writeup, Fury! Very detailed look at the night's fights.
WKA judges totally blew the decision with Ruiz Vs. Singh. It was the single worst decision in fights sanctioned by the WKA that I have witnessed. Both fought hard, but it was obvious Ruiz dominated the match (the disapproving crowd response as the decision was read alone would indicate this), landing tons of unanswered knees, multiple dumps, and landing kicks that reverberated through Singh's body. The judge who scored it 50-45 in Ruiz's favor got it right and looked disgusted and was in disbelief as the decision was watching the decision unfold. Kudos to him for actually knowing how to do his job.
As amateur fighters, most of the fighters on the card do not get paid and actually come out of pocket to fight in these events while the promoters and the WKA count their cash. Brian Crenshaw, the head American WKA representative, was in attendance ringside, disinterested in the fight and the patently incorrect decision. What does this indicate? The WKA does not understand nor support MuayThai in any other capacity than its ability to keep its own coffers full, now that karate and kickboxing have gone the way of the dinosaurs.
Hopefully, the real nakmuay here in the northeast region will get an alternative sanctioning option to the silly WKA standards that date back to the Chuck Norris era. MuayThai to the WKA is a glorified version of point karate and for those who really care about OUR sport, the idea is laughable.