25 Feb GuamMMA:TheGoodAndTheBad
Tuck Headed for Abu Dhabi
By Eric Palacios • For Pacific Daily News • February 25, 2010
By Eric Palacios • For Pacific Daily News • February 25, 2010
Growing up, Tuck wasn’t certain what his future held, he said. He had some options, but nothing really stood out. Now 25, Tuck is more focused in life, with his goals, and on where he wants to go. Tuck is now training for one of the biggest competitions of his life — the prestigious Abu Dhabi Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup Championships, which is scheduled for April 15-17. “I will be competing in the 72-kilogram blue belt division,” Tuck said. “I trained out there for six weeks last year, and I’m taking all the knowledge that I gained and I’m training harder every day now.” Tuck worked tirelessly, turned heads and was invited to compete in the world-class event. The best Brazilian jiu-jitsu warriors will be competing in different weight and belt classes, including some of the world’s best mixed martial arts fighters from the Ultimate Fighting Championship. “As a single parent and an only girl child, this is something that I would never dream of,” said Vangie Cruz-Quintanilla, Tuck’s mother. “It’s something that I would never have dreamed of for him, but I’m glad that he found his passion. I always pray for his safety, and the safety of the other fighters because as mothers we never want to see our child get hurt.” MMA, including Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has been good for Tuck. He’s traveled to different places, built new and lasting friendships in the process and grown because of the experiences. “The comparison of being in the sport when I first started and now, I think, is that I’ve matured as a fighter tremendously,” Tuck said. “In the beginning it was more of a hobby and a way to get a good workout and just have fun with friends. Now, it’s another drive in life for me because of everything that I’ve been through Tuck understands that the sport is dangerous, one where competitors get injured, sometimes seriously. But it’s this perilous nature that drives him, almost coerces him, to be better than he was the day before, and more importantly, better than his next opponent.
Last fight in Saipan
Tuck’s most recent MMA fight was last November at an event in Saipan. He was matched against one of the Philippines’ top mixed martial artists, who also boasted an unblemished professional record. It took all of eight seconds for Tuck to knock out Eduard Folayang. A thundering right cross caught Folayang cleanly and put him out before he even hit the canvas. “My instructor, my coach, ‘Big’ John Calvo, asked me if I wanted to fight him. I was kind of undecided because our team had just split up and we didn’t have training partners or a training facility,” Tuck said. “But we pushed through and I took the fight on three weeks’ notice. Luckily, I was still in shape. I relied on the tools that I already had and just sharpened them.” The victory over Folayang, like the four before it, is a stepping stone, Tuck said, all part of the big scheme of things. “He was a champion in the Philippines and he was the No. 1 fighter there. I believed in my trainer and I believed in myself, and it’s the hardest fight I’ve ever trained for in such a short amount of time. The work ethic we put in shot me up another level in my game as a whole. Honestly, I was excited and nervous because he’s a good fighter, a really tough guy.” “But I was ready to go five rounds if we had to.”
Focused on BJJ
For now, though, Tuck is concentrating on Abu Dhabi and jiu-jitsu, a component of MMA that he admittedly loves the most. “People from all over the world are having trials. Whoever wins the trials, tournament organizers will pay for all expenses. That’s the benefit of winning a trial — you’re treated like a world-class athlete,” Tuck said. “As for me, I’m like a ninja in the system. I’d like to compete in the trials so I wouldn’t have to pay for anything, but I’m taking the invite and paying my way. I’m really paying for the experience.”
100 percent
“My main focus is this competition. When I make goals, I don’t make too many at one time because I don’t want to focus 50 percent on BJJ and 50 percent on other things. It has to be 100 percent jiu-jitsu,” Tuck said. “When this is done, then I’ll focus 100 percent on MMA or something else.” This work ethic and dedication, Tuck said, is in his genes.
No giving up
Being a single mother, Cruz-Quintanilla had her hands full during her son’s younger years. But giving up, she said, was never an option. “It definitely wasn’t easy raising a son alone,” Cruz-Quintanilla said. “Thankfully, I had the support of my family and many friends. That’s one of the best parts of life here on Guam — almost everyone is willing to help out.” Cruz-Quintanilla said that her brother, Frank Cruz, and his wife, Loretta Cruz, played huge roles in raising Tuck. “They really helped me with Jonathan, and Frank was a father figure to him,” she said. “They’ve always been there for me and to help my mom. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be the man that I am today, and I wouldn’t have the opportunities that I have today. They are my guardian angels and I want to thank them, my family, and my mom,” Tuck said. “Especially my mom — she’s been my best friend since I was born.”
MOST HATED
A local mixed martial arts fighter with a criminal history has been accused of two unrelated, violent attacks that allegedly left victims bruised and bleeding only two weeks apart. Alex James Castro, 29, has been in and out of the ring and the courtroom over the last decade. Now he faces two more criminal cases in court.
Castro allegedly pistol-whipped a man, taped his mouth shut and demanded $3,000 a month on Jan. 24, according to court documents. Thirteen days later, Castro allegedly beat another man with a fire extinguisher in a Tumon bar. Both incidents began in the same plaza of bars and clubs across the street from the Hyatt Regency Guam. The plaza is only a short walk from the Tumon police precinct. Yesterday, Guam Police Department spokesman John Edwards did not answer questions about the case. Edwards confirmed he received questions that were e-mailed to him yesterday afternoon but had provided no answers as of 8 p.m. At this point it is unclear if police pursued or apprehended Castro after the Jan. 24 incident. It is also unclear how or why he was free and able to allegedly commit another violent crime two weeks later. He was arrested last Friday. On Jan. 24, Castro, his victim and two other men went from Club Hana in Tumon to Castro’s residence to “hang out,” according to a Superior Court declaration signed by Assistant Attorney General William Pole. Once inside, Castro allegedly drew a gun and allegedly “pistol whipped” his victim, the declaration states. An unidentified man held the victim while Castro allegedly struck him over and over. Police officers later noticed bruising and swelling on the victim’s eyes, nose and ribs, the declaration states. The victim was stripped and his mouth was taped shut, the documents state. He was allegedly hit more than 10 times — sometimes with a gun, sometimes with a fist, documents state. “… Alex Castro demanded $3,000 a month and (the victim) agreed so the beating would stop,” the declaration states. “(The victim) further reported that he had $300 taken from him that night.”Julius Santos was at the residence during the beating, according to the court documents. Santos couldn’t be reached for comment yesterday. Santos hasn’t been charged with a crime and the Superior Court documents attribute no wrongdoing to Santos.After the attack, Santos confirmed the victim’s allegations against Castro with police. According to court documents, Santos told police that Castro had a handgun, took money from the victim and demanded monthly payments. Regardless, Castro was still loose two weeks later, when he allegedly attacked another man at Club Hana. According to separate court documents, Castro allegedly struck his second victim with a fire extinguisher on Feb. 6, causing him to topple to the ground. “At that point, Alex James Castro went to stomp on his head,” states a Superior Court declaration signed by Assistant Attorney General Shane Black. The victim was left in “excruciating pain and was pleading,” the declaration states.
Criminal history
CHARGES
Alex James Castro has been charged in the Superior Court of Guam for two separate alleged attacks over a two-week period.
Jan. 24 incident
Feb. 6 incident