Angelo Pulido connects a body kick against Phil Gregorio during their Ring of Fire kickboxing match at the Garapan Central Park round house on Saturday.
John Lee connects a knee in the clinch against Mike Camacho during their Ring of Fire kickboxing match at the Garapan Central Park round house on Saturday.
BESIDES boxing, Saturday’s Ring of Fire at the Garapan Central Park round house also featured kickboxing matches.
In the light heavyweight kickboxing match between Latte Built’s Bon “The Hitman” Sagana and Guam Muay Thai’s Jeremiah “J-Comp” Taitaingfong, experience was the biggest factor. In the first round, the more experienced fighter, Taitingfong, kept his distance when necessary but applied pressure in the clinch while Sagana did most of the defending.
In the next two rounds, Sagana gained more confidence and exchanged blows, but Taitingfong remained in control with proper slips and punishes to win all three rounds and the match via unanimous decision.
Exciting
Another exciting match that kept the crowd roaring was the lightweight bout between Trench Tech’s Mike “Shotgun” Camacho and Guam Muay Thai’s John “Bones” Lee.
In the opening round, both fighters found their groove and unleashed devastating haymakers and front kicks. Camacho fared better and won the round.
In round 2, Lee aimed for countless clinches and knees to the body with only a few answers from Camacho.
In the final round, both fighters pulled out all the tricks in their bag as fatigue started to kick in. After three minutes of back-and-forth exchanges, Camacho emerged the winner via a split decision.
Other matches
In their atomweight match, Phil Gregorio started the fight with a front kick, but his opponent, Angelo Pulido, quickly retaliated with a couple of jabs and hooks.
Both fighters then mixed up the action with clinches, knees and leg kicks. After three rounds, Pulido’s well-timed punches and continuous pressure earned nods from the judges.
Also joining the winner’s circle were Dre Aldan, who beat Javen Montegro via unanimous decision; Vicente Palacios over Gunzy Tomei via decision; Dillian Pomdi with a KO victory over Keith Aldan; CJ Hofschneider, who defeated Jay Muna via verbal tapout; Justin Agulto, who KO’d Jimmy Polk; Nosh Demapan, who beat Saips Thuy via unanimous decision; Isaac Crisostimo in a split decision against EJ Nekaifes; Jose Camacho against Nelson Saimon; and Antwon Indalecio, who defeated Jonel Enriquez.
Thank you fight fans!
Ring of Fire marked the return of combat sport in the CNMI, and Cuki Alvarez of Trench Tech was grateful for the public’s love and support.
“It’s been 5 ½ years since our last event! We sold out almost a week before this event. Which hasn’t happened since Trench Warz 4 — Enter the Octagon back in 2006,” Alvarez said. “We are very thankful to all the fans who purchased tickets, and although we are impressed with the turnout, we aren’t ‘surprised’ because we knew that they were longing for a comeback. The Ring of Fire has been something I have been contemplating since Covid-19 first hit us [in 2020],” he added.
Ring of Fire showcased 21 matches and 42 fighters. “All the fights were entertaining! All were very exciting!” Alvarez said. “After five years of waiting, the fighters themselves were itching to get back in the game just as much as the fans wanted to see it! And surprisingly, 95% of the fights went the distance, all three rounds. So big ups to all the fighters who trained and prepared for the Ring of Fire.”
When asked what’s in store for fight fans next year, Alvarez said, “More Ring of Fire events! We are aiming at having an all Guam vs. Saipan card!”
Alvarez also acknowledged and thanked Ring of Fire’s sponsors: Miller Lite/Heineken, IT&E, Century Hotel, Hafa Adai Rent-A-Car, Guam Muay Thai and Trench Warz Promotions.
