Gino DiGiulio get his hand raised following a unanimous decision victory over Shane Camp at G2 Fight Night 3 (Photo: Mallory Mejia/MMA Gospel)
On Saturday, August 21, 2010 staff photographer Mallory Mejia and I attended G2 Fight Nights: “Fight Night 3” in Tinley Park Illinois. G2 promoter Breea Gilbert provided a 12 fight card that was both efficiently run and well matched. They provided the estimated 700 people in attendance a professional quality show with a party atmosphere, but the promotion wasn’t without its failings. Gilbert Grappling (G2) provided the majority of the blue corner bracket, and that’s usually a big issue. When the promoter’s own camp provides the majority of the fighters it’s hard to believe they’re impartial. However, G2 had the good sense to use an outside matchmaker to book their fights which allowed them to book their own fighters without being open to accusations of favoritism. They also lack the validation of an outside sanctioning and officiating body and, though they went to great lengths to ensure that they provided impartial officiating for every bout, there were some judging mishaps which could have been avoided with the use of an outside sanctioning body. The show itself was a bit overdone, with money spent on dance platforms for go-go dancers, projection screens, and a film crew that had the sole purpose of feeding the fights directly to the projection screens. While the whole of the production was centered on bringing attention to the fighters (exactly how an amateur show should be focused) these elements could have been scaled down to provide funds that were lacking in more important areas. G2 provided pre-recorded video interviews with each fighter at the weigh-ins that played on the large projection screens prior to the fighters walk out music hitting the speakers and ensured that ring girls, vendors, and other members of the production were ghosts during walk outs, interviews, and more importantly, fights. I simply believe that they could have done just as well with half as many dancers and one projection screen. We know that the fans had nothing but good things to say about G2, but what does MOMMIE have to say?
