ONRA:VoiceOfThePeople

Reverse: Letting fighters who face charges compete sends wrong message October 15, 2010 *

The decision by a Superior Court of Guam judge to allow two mixed martial arts fighters who face charges in assault cases to fight sends the wrong message to this community. The American Red Cross On Tuesday, Judge Vernon Perez gave the OK for Alex James Castro and Kyle Reyes to be released from their house arrests conditions for one night, so they can fight in PXC 21 on Nov. 13.

PXC 21 is a mixed martial arts event. Castro and Reyes face aggravated assault charges resulting from a fight at a Tumon karaoke bar on Feb. 6. Castro also faces charges in another case, in which he is alleged to have pistol-whipped a man and demanded $3,000 a month. Both men are under house arrest, the conditions of which prevent them from fighting in mixed martial arts events. It makes no sense that two men facing charges of committing violent attacks on others to participate in an event in which they will be allowed to commit violent attacks on their competitors.

The goal of fighters in these events is to either knock out their opponent, or force them to quit under the threat of being choked into unconsciousness or face having a bone broken. Mixed marital arts has been laboring to become accepted as a legitimate sport, on par with boxing, judo or other martial arts. A recent law provided regulations for the sport and requirements for fighters and event promoters. And some mixed martial arts participants have been making an effort to reach out to youngsters and emphasize that the violence is supposed to be kept within the ring, and that the skills from the discipline shouldn’t be used anywhere else.

The judge’s decision to allow these two individuals to fight in a mixed martial arts event sends the opposite message. It gives the perception that it’s OK for trained fighters with deadly skills to use their abilities outside the ring. The night of the fight still is weeks away.

It’s not too late for Perez to do the right thing and reverse his order