TNT Kickboxing 2: Delos Reyes, Alintozon headline stacked card

Happening at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex on November 25

MANILA, Philippines — TNT Kickboxing 2, the second fight card installment of the upstart TNT Fight promotion, will commence on November 25 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Headlining the stacked 10-bout slate is a three-round featherweight encounter between Manuel “The Black Panther” Delos Reyes and Kimbert “The Hunter” Alintozon that could determine the future king of the weight class.

TNT Kickboxing 2 comes after the rousing success of TNT Fight’s inaugural event last June held at the Filoil Ecooil Centre in San Juan.

“It means a lot. The first event was very challenging to put up. It was a new sport and had to court the community. We are very grateful to put up this second event,” TNT Fight CEO Miguel Consing said.

“We are working very hard for the best possible experience, for everybody to have a great experience watching. This will be an exciting event. Every single bout is full of fighters who are hungry. They are ready for battle and they will give us a good show.”

Delos Reyes, a Palarong Pambansa boxing alum and Muay Thai national team member, is trying to go 2-0 under the TNT banner, move higher in the promotion’s featherweight rankings, and become the face of TNT Fight.

“Mas aayusin ko lang ‘yung mga errors ko from the first fight. Abangan niyo po, malupit na Black Panther ang makikita ninyo,” Delos Reyes said.

Alintozon, however, also has grand plans for his career pathway in the sport.

“Nag-prepare kami ng maayos ng team ko sa Alpha One at sa Sprawl. Ang masasabi ko lang sa mga manonood ay ang laban na ito ay magiging maganda at hindi masasayang ang ticket nila,” Alintozon shared.

In the co-main event, LA “Tenacity” Lauron will face Richard “The Sniper” Lachica in a three-round lightweight bout.

One of the 16 finalists of the ONE Warrior Series Philippines reality show, Lauron said he is ready for his first fight under kickboxing rules.

“I have been preparing for one year tuloy-tuloy. I have been to deep waters alone. Kapag napunta ka sa ganoong pusisyon, at na-survive mo ‘yun, wala ka nang kinakatakutan na kinakaharap,” Lauron said. “You have to get out of your comfort zone.”

Lachica, a Muay Thai specialist, said he is no stranger to the TNT kickboxing rule set, having participated in Samahang Kickboxing ng Pilipinas (SKP) events in the past.

First female bout

TNT is also making history in its second event with its first female amateur bout as Meghan “Meggie” Matheson and Sahara Abdul “The Ripper” Khalik square off in the undercard.

Matheson’s father is a boxer himself who eventually got her daughter into the business.

“I started boxing from a young age. I am really excited to be a part of the first women’s bout of TNT. It’s just going to set an example and get more young Filipino girls to get into sports,” Matheson said.

“It’s really interesting because I am ready and you can expect me to be aggressive and unpredictable.”

Khalik, on the other hand, pursued a fighting career after learning self-defense.

“I just want people to know that girls can also kick ass. I want the fans to enjoy and see how women fight,” Khalik said.

“I didn’t know any MMA or combat sports before. I just looked for gyms where I can do self-defense, and my coach said I have a career here.”

There will be a total of 10 contest for TNT Kickboxing 2, including four amateur and six professional fights sanctioned by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB).

Tickets for the event are priced from PhP 625 to PhP 2,250 and are available both online via SM Tickets and at any SM Cinema ticket booth.

A pay-per-view option is also available through Vivamax for PhP 499.

Highlighting grassroot talents

Moving forward, TNT Fight plans to add more competitors to their roster of fighters and showcase the best of Filipino talents right from the grassroots level.

“(Our plan) is to start from the grassroots level. We are planning events to highlight our very talented amateurs and up-and-coming athletes. We have plans and we are working very hard to execute them,” Consing said.

The promotion is targeting an early 2024 date for its third event, and has made an open invitation to interested fighters to join.

“In kickboxing, there is a lot of crossover with other sports, like Muay Thai and boxing. The beauty of kickboxing is we are not limited to that we are introducing it, we are growing it, and as long as you follow the rule set, we can have you on our card. We want to see you fight,” TNT chief relations officer James Gutierrez said.