Reign Supreme’s Jay Pepito Almost Fought for a Living

Life is full of choices. For Reign Supreme vocalist Jay Pepito his choice was to fight for a belt or be the screaming master over the pit. "If Reign Supreme hadn't gone the way it did I'd be fighting for a living at this point." Jay told Noisecreep.

Before Reign Supreme began making waves in the hardcore scene Jay was fighting Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and working as trainer in the ways of Muay Thai. But fighting in the ring was more than just a way to blow off steam and stay fit for Jay; it was a way of life passed down to him by his father, who fought in the Olympics for the Philippians' team and used boxing to pay for all of his college studies. "I wanted to keep that legacy going," Jay says.

With the constant touring of Reign Supreme there was no way for Jay to keep fighting, though he still trains others when he's able to, including some friends who fight in the UFC. "When I get home I have a couple of guys I teach and I try to pick up a couple private clients here and there because the pay is really good. But it's hard," Jay explains a dilemma in training, "essentially I don't want to call myself a pro-athlete but if you're going to teach someone Muay Thai you have to be good at it so you have to practice, and it takes a lot out of you. I just don't have the time or energy right now with my other job working at a restaurant, doing Reign Supreme, and having a girlfriend, and trying to get my other band off the ground. I just don't have the opportunity to train like I used to anymore."

With music as the focus for Jay, Muay Thai is now a part of life to enjoy on the side. "Muay Thai to me is just really a fun way for me to have fun with my friends and eat thai food after." If anything, Jay is happy he chose the path he did. "I'm glad it went the way it did." Jay exclaimed with a breath of relief, "It's not a lifestyle thing for me where I want to fight constantly and have to put up with broken ribs, broken feet, broken hands and broken toes all the time. That's not for me. I don't have health insurance. I don't know what would happen to me if I was training at the gym one day and someone broke my rib. I'd be out of work for a couple of weeks and out of a home. It's a little bit of a rich man's sport sometimes." Jay laughed, "Reign Supreme ain't no Fall Out Boy."