James Guccione looks ahead to Warriors Series III milestone at Madison Square Garden

Warriors Series III will make its Madison Square Garden debut on Saturday, marking a milestone moment for New York’s Muay Thai and kickboxing scene.

Presented by Three Pillar Promotions and RFC Promotions, the professional and amateur fight night has built its foundation at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens over the past couple of years. Now, the promotion will step onto the sport’s most recognizable stage at MSG for the first time.

For Three Pillar Promotions co-founder James Guccione, the venue carries personal meaning. A retired professional Muay Thai fighter who trained out of Sitan Gym in Astoria, Guccione fought his final bout at the Garden in 2017 for Glory kickboxing. Nearly a decade later, he returns as a promoter.

He reflected on the full-circle moment.

“I fought my last fight in Madison Square Garden,” Guccione told amNewYork. “It feels good, you know? It’s big because at the time, I was already kind of mixed up with the promotion on a lower level in terms of matchmaking and putting the fights together. That was 2017. I’m retired, I’m not fighting anymore, but now to know that I’m the promoter, I’m the one in the position of being able to put this show on. It’s so awesome. It’s big.”

Guccione’s transition into promotion developed gradually with his fighting career. While competing on Friday Night Fights, he worked as a cutman and built relationships throughout gyms in New York. In 2016, he began helping with matchmaking alongside Chris Tran and Eddie Marini, experience that eventually led to the formation of Three Pillar Promotions in 2019 and the push to grow Warriors Cup beyond Queens.

Though the promotion has expanded, Guccione still views New York as central to the sport’s growth in the United States.

“New York is a stronghold of Muay Thai. Muay Thai roots are in New York City,” Guccione said. “We’re bigger than New York now. But at the same time, I talk to these investors and to these bigger companies, and they all ask, ‘Oh, you’re just focused on doing shows in New York?’ I’m like, yeah, but New York is the hub.

“We are where everyone wants to be. There is Thailand, but we’re never going to be Thailand when it comes to Muay Thai. I truly believe that the next step is us.”

Photo courtesy of Gemma Fleming

The March 7 card will feature 21 fights, mixing professional and amateur Muay Thai with select kickboxing bouts. The main event centers on Dmitry Varats of Belarus, now based in Philadelphia, competing for a WBC title against a top opponent from the United Kingdom.

“The main event is Dmitry Varats. He’s from Belarus,” Guccione said. “He’s world-class, so in a lot of ways, it’s showing where New York Muay Thai is because he’s the best of the best. We’ve got one of the best guys from the UK coming to fight him for a WBC fight.

“I got lucky landing him because he’s from Belarus. He ended up in Philadelphia at a neighbouring gym that’s been in the New York scene. He kind of just landed there in his life, and we got lucky for getting him.”

Beyond the headliner, Guccione pointed to the depth of local talent on the card, particularly among the women’s matchups. Ashley Blanco will face Susan Wallace in their first professional meeting after previously splitting bouts as amateurs. Wallace, now in her 50s, steps in against the younger Blanco in a generational matchup that has already produced competitive fights at the amateur level.

Ciarra McDonald is also set to make her pro debut against the more experienced Anna Toole, and Guccione noted those types of matchups reflect the culture of the sport.

“The definition of New York Muay Thai is Ciarra McDonald, New York, homegrown fighter, taking on Toole with a lot more pro experience, who’s been in there, who’s a tough match, and that’s her pro debut. You’re putting it on the line. You’re not protecting. It’s not about the money,” Guccione said.

He contrasted that approach with his take on boxing.

“When you think about boxing, people focus on protecting their records. When you see these guys 18-0, 15-0, they’re fighting borderline bums. Muay Thai, we don’t do that,” Guccione said.

“In Muay Thai, there’s the people that are experienced, that have been around, and then there’s this new blood that comes onto the scene, and they have to fight each other, and they do. That never happens in boxing. It’s the only sport where nobody really protects themselves and or their reputation and ego. It’s like, we’re going to fight. I might win. I might lose. I’m going to learn from it.”

The move to MSG has already increased attention and sponsorship interest. Guccione noted the event has doubled the amount of tickets sold on a monthly basis, and there are plans to return.

“This is the first time the event will be held at Madison Square Garden, but is it going to keep going? Yeah, there are plans for that. I think we’ve hit the requirements that they’ll have us back for sure,” Guccione said.

For Guccione, though, success goes beyond numbers.

“You have to keep in mind the last time that I fought in the Garden, I got my jaw broken. There’s going to be winners, there’s going to be losers, but I want everyone to go home healthy and able to fight again. That’s really what it’s all about.”