George Turner Fights for NY State Muay Thai Supremacy

(Turner with Seth Tiringer. Photo property of Long Island Fights)

I first saw George Turner fight last March as part of the Lights Out Promotions' “March Madness” card at Big Al’s in Amityville. He took on Keon Savage in a Muay Thai contest and wore black and yellow Batman trunks, a tribute to a recently deceased friend.

“Batman’s fighting a killer,” the guy next to me announced, thumbing towards Savage.

I nodded and then watched as Turner withstood hard leg kicks and heavy power punches, attacked the lead leg with crisp, precise kicks, and punished his opponent’s body. And that was Round 1.

For the remainder of the fight, Turner, a Massapequa Park native, energized the crowd with thudding knees, a nasty right hand, unanswered punch-kick combinations, and a relentless body assault. Savage had no answer.

For his fight against Joseph “Jo Jo” Rodriguez on Friday, December 2 at Big Al’s, Turner will not step into ring without the Batman trunks, but he hopes to be leaving with another commanding piece of apparel: the New York State 160-pound Muay Thai Championship belt. 

BJ Penn once said that a championship belt is “just an accessory,” but Turner sees it a bit differently.

“The belt to me symbolizes all my hard work and dedication paying off...This was the ultimate goal when I started.”

And Turner is poised to realize that goal. Since cutting his teeth in Muay Thai back in 2010, Turner, trained by Seth Tiringer and Joe D'Arce of D'Arce BJJ, has collected wins with athleticism, skill, focus, and a “calculated and precise” attack.

“I try to not throw wild punches and waste energy. I try my best to focus on the game plan that Seth has come up for me and listen to him while I’m in there.”

Another lynchpin of his success – and perhaps most important - can be found in neither the ring nor the gym.

“Luckily, I have a supportive family and girlfriend, so I don’t have to sacrifice much, just the junk food.”

Be sure to check out George Turner, as well as other local standouts like Slaid Sainevil and Jesse McBroom, at Big Al’s in Amityville this Friday night for Jackhammer Promotions' "Season’s Beatings" event. Call 631.264.7114 for more information.

See you there.