Update of Saturday’s Muay Thai/Kickboxing Event at Pala Casino

Malia Spanyol (right) is shown kicking Tiffany Van Soest in the USMTA Battle of the Champions event held last November at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in San Diego. Photo credit: Jim Wyatt

I suppose planning a Muay Thai show, an MMA or Boxing event can be a real headache, especially when the participants are coming from all over the planet. Then like clockwork someone is likely to end up on that unable to perform list. That’s probably why the promoters always seem to be on edge, fingers crossed, every time they hear a telephone ring.

Since the promoters of this Saturday’s Muay Thai Kickboxing Show at the Pala Casino have been scrambling a lot this week, I thought it would be best to update their fight card.

In the main event, a WCK Superfight (Muay Thai vs MMA), five rounds, they’re still featuring Denis “the Pirate” Grachev of City Boxing, Downtown, San Diego, CA. going up against Fernando Gonzalez of Temecula, CA.

Next comes: IKKC Muay Thai International Super Bantamweight Title, five rounds, between the champion, Romie Adanza (Orange County) and Paulo Da Silva, who was born in Portugal and grew up in the UK. This will be the fourth time these fighters have met in the ring. Adanza was able to take a decision in the first fight, Da Silva earned a referee stoppage in the second, and Adanza took the third meeting by TKO.

IKKC Muay Thai International Super Lightweight Title, five rounds, Byoung-Ku Park (Korea) vs the slick Justin Greskiewicz of Cool Hearts Muay Thai (Daddis Fight Camps Philadelphia). Greskiewicz often color co-ordinates, his hair color with his sock color.

WBC Muaythai Super Middleweight Bout, five rounds between Jack Thames of One Kicks Gym/LA Boxing in Las Vegas, Nevada and Eric “the Hooligan” Utsch of Allentown, Penna. If Utsch catches Thames gawking at his tattoos, it’s all over.

IKKC Muay Thai Welterweight Bout, four rounds between Joey Pagliuso (Riverside, CA.) and Sean “The Rebel” Dizay (Las Vegas, Nevada). Dizay, who has an (0-1) record in pro-boxing, 2-3 in MMA, is now giving Muay Thai a try.

WBC Muay Thai Middleweight Bout, five rounds, between Luis Bio (Ensenada, Mexico) and Harris “Smallville” Norwood from Norcross, Georgia. Norwood, who is now 34 years-old, has a questionable 6-14-1 record.

Amateur bouts:

IAMTF US Cruiserweight Title Fight, five rounds, between Dave Nielsen of American Boxing in Pacific Beach (San Diego) versus Frank Bamford (Orange County).

IMTC Women’s International Bantamweight Title, five rounds, between Tecia Lyn Torres Moncaio and Woo Yeon Park, the Korean bantamweight champion.

IAMTF Women’s US Featherweight Title, five rounds, was to feature Tandi Schaeffer fighting Tiffany Van Soest but the bout was cancelled after Schaeffer (1-0 in MMA) hurt her hand Friday night in her MMA debut against Melissa Moore (1-2 in MMA).

Van Soest (8-1 in Muay Thai) is now an instructor at the brand new Black House Gym of Team Nogueira on Miramar Rd. Saturday, she’ll take on Gabriela Lemus of San Antonio, Texas. Lemus (2-0), is excited about coming to San Diego. She’s been boxing since she was eight years old and trained in Muay Thai for two years. Her well respected coach, Phetsamone  Phongsauane, is from Thailand and expects great things from his prize pupil.

In an IAMTF Super Lightweight Bout, three rounds, Takuma Sugimoto will be facing a still to be named fighter.