Results from latest WCK Muay Thai Show at Pala
Saturday evening at the Pala Fitness Center in Pala, CA, Team Double Dose of Fontana, seen here with their supporters and coaches Ajarn Rex and Bryan Dobler, dominated the competition with 4 wins, 1 loss and a tie. Photo: Jim Wyatt
August 3, 2013
Saturday night, 26 Muay Thai fighters went at it in the latest WCK Muay Thai Show, “SoCal Extreme Showdown” at the Pala Fitness Center just up the road from the Pala Casino, Spa & Resort in Pala, CA.
In Bout #1, it was Diana Manzanares from Adrenaline Combat Sports and Fitness, San Bernardino, CA taking on Amanda “The Shredder” De La Rosa from the Bullet Hole Training Center, Victorville, CA in the 126 pound weight class.
In Round #1, Manzanares got off to a good start by throwing a ton of punches. After round two resembled a light sparring session you’d see at a local gym, things did heat up in Round #3. Even with De La Rosa becoming more aggressive in the final round, she still couldn’t pull out the victory.
In Bout #1, it was Diana Manzanares (l) of Adrenaline Combat Sports & Fitness, San Bernardino defeating Amanda De La Rosa of the Bullet Hole Training Center, Victorville.
In Bout #2, 19 year-old Viet Vo (2-2) of Double Dose Muay Thai and Fitness, Fontana, CA went up against 24 year-old Michael Wenger (2-2) of Bob Chaney Family Martial Arts, Murrieta, CA in the 185 pound weight class.
Wenger secured his early first round stoppage by attacking Vo with hard knees to the head followed by a blitzkrieg of punches.
In Bout #2, it was Michael Wenger (bottom, right) getting the win over Viet Vo (left).
In Bout #3, Daniel Valdez of Wolverine MMA Training Camp, Highland, CA went up against Andrew Gabriel of Extreme Power, Oceanside, CA in the 147 pound weight class.
Both fighters took turns dishing out the punishment. After Gabriel, a former Marine (two enlistments), landed a kick, Valdez would return the favor. After a combination of blows to the head by Valdez, you could be certain Gabriel would follow with like damage. Their ability to withstand punishment was incredible. In the end, the befuddled judges ruled the fight a draw.
Bout #3 between Daniel Valdez of Wolverine MMA Training Camp, Highland, CA (l) and Andrew Gabriel (r) of Extreme Power, Oceanside, CA was declared a draw. Photo: J. Wyatt
In Bout #4, it was Megan Moran (Adrenaline) facing Erica Wilson (Double Dose) in the 135 pound weight class.
In the first round, the gals did a lot of punching to the face and despite Wilson landing the cleaner, more effective blows, she ended up with the bloody nose.
Moran became more effective in Round #2, but she still couldn’t match Wilson’s accuracy and intensity with the knee kicks, punches to the face and sweep kicks.
By Round #3, Wilson tired. Perhaps she had punched herself out. That’s when the tables turned and it was Moran who finished the stronger of the two. She did so well in the final round, that one of the judges gave her the decision. Fortunately for Wilson there are three judges. She had done more than enough in the first two rounds to satisfy them and thereby win by a split decision.
At the conclusion of Bout #4, Erica Wilson (bottom, right) of Double Dose Muay Thai & Fitness had her arm raised in victory by referee George Valdez after she defeated Megan Moran (l) of the Adrenaline Combat Sports & Fitness gym, San Bernardino, CA.
In Bout #5, it was Ghiath El Decker (an Independent) going up against Jorge Augustin (Extreme Power) in the 145 pound weight class.
In Round #1, El Decker was the more accurate puncher and unlike Augustin’s short hard kicks, Decker’s kicks had far more velocity.
By Round #2, Augustin had gotten himself into a rhythm and became the more effective aggressor. His combinations of the hard kicks, followed by the punches to the face, started to wear El Decker down. At the close of both Rounds #2 and #3, Augustin had his opponent on the ropes but couldn’t end it with El Decker strategically grabbing and holding.
(photo collage, bottom right) In Bout #5, it was Ghiath El Decker (left, an Independent) losing to Jorge Augustin (r) of Extreme Power, Oceanside, CA. Photo: J. Wyatt
During a brief intermission, 22 year-old Matt Baker of Antioch, CA, the 2013 WKA North American Cruiserweight Tournament Champion and his coach Dan Black were introduced to the audience. Baker was to fight a Glory 10 Championship elimination bout against Jason Caldwell and then his opponent was switched to Melvin Wells but both fights had to be cancelled.
Bout #6 between Saro Gonzalez (U.S.K.O. Karate, Riverside, CA) and Jesus Sanchez (Double Dose) in the 115 pound weight class, was memorable. Like in most fighting sports, it seems the gents in the lighter weight classes always give the finest performances.
From the very beginning, the two fighters went nonstop. Sanchez ended up winning the match by being able to slip more punches and land more punches flush. As with the punches, his kicks had more pop. Whatever he’s doing or whatever he’s eating, Sanchez displayed an amazing amount of energy.
To his credit, Gonzalez, who was in trouble twice and knocked off his feet once, was still able to finish the bout.
In Bout #6, it was Jesus Sanchez of Double Dose Muay Thai & Fitness (black gloves) getting the best of Saro Gonzalez of U.S.K.O. Karate of Riverside, CA (red gloves). Photos: J. Wyatt
Jesus Sanchez (r) of Double Dose has his arm raised by referee George Valdez after gaining an unanimous decision victory over Saro Gonzalez (l) of USKO Karate in Bout #6.
In Bout #7, it was Alber Lutz-Papp (Double Dose) going up against Neil Andres (Team Rajesh) in the 155 pound weight class.
Lutz-Papp, the more accurate puncher, won this match by having the quicker hands, and slowly but surely he wore his opponent down. Prior to the fight, if you were a betting man, you would have thought Andres was the side to take. He has the build of a Mr. Universe and when he hit Lutz-Papp, it was with tremendous force. Somehow, Lutz-Papp with the slighter build was able to stand up to the punishment and deliver even more blows.
In Bout #7, it was Alber Lutz-Papp of Double Dose (black gloves, bottom right) getting the win over Neil Andres of Team Rajesh (red gloves). All photos: Jim Wyatt
In Bout #8, it was the slick Richard Cumpson (Wedding MT) going up against Michael Jaegar (Extreme Power) in the 155 pound weight class.
By the end of the first round, Jaegar appeared to be in full control. The way he was landing his kicks and punches, you thought surely he would end the match early. Then came the second round and the sly Mr. Cumpson, who had been playing possum started catching Jaegar when his guard went down. A deceptive punch here, a hard kick there, and he was right back in it.
Meanwhile, Jaegar, who had Cumpson leaning on him for the majority of the fight, could not finish his opponent off and started running low on petrol. Bottom line, the fight ended in a draw. Why? Because the clever Mr. Cumpson had out-witted his opponent.
Bout #8 between the slick Richard Cumpson (orange trunks) and Michael Jaegar (right, black trunks) ended in a draw. Photos; Jim Wyatt
In Bout #9, it was Clayton Blokzyl (U.S.K.O. Karate) going up against Max Cruz (Double Dose) in the 130 pound weight class. While Cruz was the more excitable, flashier of the two strikers/kickers, Blokzyl was patient and kept pace. He did especially well in round one by landing all these high knee kicks. In the end, all three judges saw it as a draw.
Just before his match with Clayton Blokzyl, Max Cruz performed the Wai Kru ritual which is done in the ring prior to a match to pay respect to your teacher. It also demonstrates the humility of the admirable Thai Boxer. All photos: Jim Wyatt
As the announcer read off the scores for Bout #9, we see Max Cruz can’t believe his misfortune to have his bout with Clayton Blokzyl declared a draw.
In Bout #10, it was Jalin Turner (Adrenaline Combat Sports and Fitness, San Bernardino, CA) going up against Keith Smith (Extreme Power, Oceanside, CA) in the 155 pound weight class.
With Turner, being a full head taller than Smith and with the definite reach advantage, his punches and kicks would reach pay dirt while Smith’s often landed short.
In essence, this was more of a boxing match and Turner was masterful on both offense and defense to get the win.
(top) Jalin Turner (l) of Adrenaline and Keith Smith (r) of Extreme Power face off in Round #1 of their three round match, Saturday, August 3, 2013, at the Pala Fitness Center.
As the announcer reads off the winning scores for Jalin Turner (l), we see this rather whimsical, carefree look on Keith Smith’s face. All photos: Jim Wyatt
In Bout #11, it was Ricardo Ponce (Adrenaline) going up against Rene Sanchez (Bob Chaney Family Martial Arts, Murrieta, CA) in the 135 pound weight class.
This was another bout won by attrition as the fighters kept battling it out until the relentless Mr. Sanchez had Ponce begin to tire.
Rene Sanchez (red trunks) and Ricardo Ponce (blue) went at it pretty hard in Bout #11.
Bout #11, Rene Sanchez (r) of Chaney Muay Thai has his arm raised in victory by referee George Valdez after he defeated Ricardo Ponce of Adrenaline Combat Sports.
In Bout #12, it was Sonny Sweet (Adrenaline Combat Sports & Fitness, San Bernardino) versus Mitch Rhodes (Deth Ko Sin at The Arena MMA, Point Loma, SD, CA) in the 145 pound weight class.
Rhodes took Round #1, by landing the harder shots, especially with his kicks to Sweet’s leg. What made this match so exciting was the way Sweet took all this punishment and yet kept advancing.
Then, for a while there, it was Rhodes with his hands up to block Sweet’s punches, the same way Manny Pacquiao forced the defensive minded Joshua Clottey to do in their one-sided bout. He also added some high kicks to the head.
Once Rhodes caught his breath, back he came to take over, for yet another momentum swing. At the conclusion of the fight, the judges had a mixed decision favoring Rhodes.
In Bout #12, Mitch Rhodes (white trunks, blue stripe) and Sonny Sweet (red trunks) went the entire time beating on each other. Photos: Jim Wyatt
In the end, Mitch Rhodes (bottom panel) won a split decision victory over Sonny Sweet.
In Bout #13, the final bout of the night, it was Mickey Greco (The Arena MMA) going up against Arturo Cruz (Double Dose) in the 170 pound weight class.
Since Cruz is one of, if not the team leader of Double Dose, he appeared to be the most tenacious, most unwavering of his team members. With his ferocity, Greco must have felt like one of those salmon who needs to swim up stream. After one combination, Cruz mixed things up with a hard kick, then another blow to the head. Round two ended with Cruz giving Greco four unanswered, hard knees to the head. It appeared the win by an unanimous decision was never in doubt.
In the final bout of the show, it was Arturo Cruz of Double Dose (maroon trunks) getting the best of Mickey Greco (blue trunks) from The Arena.
At the conclusion of Bout #13, Arturo Cruz (top photo, left) who defeated Mickey Greco of The Arena had his arm raised in victory by referee George Valdez. (photo below) Cruz is joined by the ring card girls, his coaches and teammates.
In the next Muay Thai show, scheduled for Saturday, August 24, 2013, Hot Summer Fights, Dennis Warner through his In Sync Productions, Inc. is set to host World Championship bouts. In the Main Event, the WBC World Title holder Miriam Nakamoto will defend her title.
