Fans get what they want from ‘Trench Warz IV’

Way before the halfway mark of last Saturday’s “Trench Warz IV: Enter the Octagon,” fans were already expressing satisfaction for getting their money’s worth.

The jam-packed crowd was in for a special treat as the Royal Taga Hall of the Saipan World Resort played host to 18 intense fights.

First to have his arm raised in victory was Peter Alvarez of Spike 22 Guam, who despite giving opponent Paul Silk the upper hand in the early goings, was able to turn the tables. With Alvarez on his back on the ground, Silk attempted to execute a maneuver when the veteran Alvarez countered and mounted his opponent before unleashing a barrage of punches. It was then that referee Terrence Aflague stepped in and stopped the fight 1:28 into the fight.

Following the bout was a match between Ian “Fast” Fleming and Gino Asanuma. The two came out fighting, and it took awhile before Fleming was able to position himself behind his opponent and execute a rear-naked choke for the win.

A battle of veterans then took center stage as Jay Muna of Graccie Barra and Art Reyes of Trench Tech Purebred Saipan wowed the crowd with their ground skills.

The bout was very technical, with both fighters showcasing patience, strength, and endurance. While on the ground, Muna was able to land a couple of knee blows on Reyes’ body and head. After a technical timeout, the fight resumed and Reyes was able to mount his opponent, only to see Muna reverse before the round came to an end.

The start of the second round featured Reyes picking Reyes up and slamming him to the mat. Muna, however, was still well aware of his position and was able to reverse the move and again landed knee blows to his opponent’s head and rib area. Reyes continued to hold his ground, but Muna was able to land a couple of punches before mounting his opponent and throwing left and rights before the referee stepped in with 48 seconds left in the round.

The fourth fight of the night saw Tunz Ngotel of Trench Tech defeat Lucky Shari. They battled against the fence, and after neither was able to get advantage and work aggressively, the fight was stopped the fighters were brought back to the center.

Shari was able to drive Ngotel to a corner, but Ngotel was able to catch his opponent with a headlock. He then landed a couple of knee blows to Shari’s lower body, and soon after, Shari submitted.

The next fight featured one that rocked the venue as John Tudela kicked off his mix martial arts career with a stunning victory over veteran Jason “Rush” Tarkong of Trench Tech.

The two engaged in a standup fight, with Tarkong landing a couple of right kicks to Tudela’s legs.

Tudela, who outweighed Tarkong by 53 lbs., was then able to land a strong hook that stung Tarkong, who fell to the mat. Tudela then rushed to the ground and landed a punch before the referee stopped the fight 19 seconds into the round.

Trench Tech’s Jay “Furbs” Santos then improved his win-loss record to 4-0 after a hard-earned victory over Shabb Sablan of Team Toka.

Sablan controlled the fight in the early goings, as the experienced boxer was able to strike with strong punches. Santos was able to slam his opponent, but Sablan was able to get the top position while on the ground. Santos managed to slam Sablan again, and this time, took the top position. He then worked his way to mounting his opponent and unleashed punches before the fight was stopped.

After a brief break, the fans got back to their seats and witnessed Trench Tech’s Ken Tanzawa’s victory over P.J. Mettao of Dragon Tribe 3:20 into the fight. Mettao controlled the fight on the ground, but Tanzawa was able to find an opening and go for an arm bar.

Mettao didn’t cave in, though, and was able to get out of the maneuver and put on a headlock before mounting his opponent. Tanzawa, however, reversed the move, and with Mettao on the mat face down, began to throw a barrage of punches for the win.

Roman Delos Reyes of Team Toka then picked up his first win after stopping Edward Guiao in the second round. After a tough first round by both fighters, Delso Reyes was able to grab the upper hand in the second session after mounting his opponent and throwing some punches. He didn’t have solid control, so the fighter moved to choke his opponent. Delos Reyes was able to execute a rear naked choke for the win 2:32 into the round.

Shortly after, CHOKECHAIN fighter Leroy Sablan made a solid debut by beating Jess Ruben.

Sablan was able to land several strong kicks to Ruben body before the two battled to the corner of the octagon and went to the ground.

Sablan was able to get out of a headlock grip and landed a couple of punches on Ruben before the two returned to a stand up fight. Sablan then landed a stunning punch, and Ruben submitting after signaling the referee that he would not continue.

“Trench Warz IV” was sponsored by Budweiser, Pacific Telecoms Inc., Jonny’s Bar & Grill, Furusato Restaurant, The Rock 97.9FM, and Power 99.