By Bart Barry-

Saturday in a DAZN mainevent that went-off 90 minutes too late at American Airlines Center, in a match for The Ring super flyweight title, Mexican “El Gallo” Juan Francisco Estrada split-decisioned Nicaraguan legend Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.  Few were the decisive rounds.  Fewer still were the decisive punches.  It was a wonderful prizefight.  Its ferocity and competitiveness raised both men above themselves.

We saw what we looked for.  It was that sort of match.  The punches were exchanged in a blinding fury, each man catching stiff as he pitched.  Whomever you watched is whomever you thought won.  

It’s like that often with scorekeeping but more so Saturday.  Over and again, unless you fix your eyes on the neutral plane between fighters and follow only what punches penetrate that plane, you naturally favor one man in every exchange.  In an event like Saturday’s, when punches get thrown an average of one every second – with plenty of seconds that feature zero, and therefore many seconds that have simultaneous punching – it is impossible to keep an accurate tally of punches with one set of eyes, much less marry each punch’s effect to its tally.  

It’s why scoring is necessarily subjective and knockouts are how titles must be taken.  That’s why those who rise on their hindlegs about scoring are such bores.

I did not score the fight because I was not ringside.  Pacquiao-Bradley 1 taught me scoring a match on television is a fool’s errand.  Camera angles, replay selection and three incessant voices imposing their groupthink on you and your subconscious make the televised experience wholly unreliable, even if you’re wide awake and sober at midnight.  Who you cheered for Saturday is who you watched, and whomever you watched is who you believe won.

I picked El Gallo.  I watched myself watching Gallo and knew there was nothing objective about my view.  I knew this in part because I absentmindedly put on DAZN’s English-language broadcast, ever inferior to its Spanish alternative, and found myself disagreeing with the commentary the entire match.  They must have been watching Chocolatito – certainly they were openly cheering for him (at times it had the silly feel of late-HBO’s rooting for Bernard Hopkins in his every “historic” moment).  Gallo would counter Chocolatito and move him backwards, and we’d hear how subtle Chocolatito’s movements were.  One guy crowed “Chocolatito is better than ever!”

That’s asinine.  Roman Gonzalez is 5-3 (3 KOs, 1 KO-by) as a super flyweight.  As a minimumweight, junior flyweight and flyweight, Gonzalez was 45-0 (38 KOs).  Chocolatito is many things today – including, with Saturday’s passing of Marvelous Marvin Hagler, one of my two most favorite living prizefighters (Israel Vazquez is the other) – but he sure as hell is not better than ever.  He would tell you that.  He knows that at his prime weight and with his prime power and reflexes he’d not be leaving things open to iffy scoring.

Chocolatito is not a great 115-pound prizefighter.  He knows this because, unlike nearly every one of his generational peers, he knows the feeling of being an alltime great prizefighter.

Both men awoke Sunday proud of their effort.  Both men fought better than they thought they could.  Chocolatito looked outgunned in the opening round and about a weightclass too small.  Gallo Estrada is a fantastic technician, quite possibly one of Mexico’s 25 greatest prizefighters, alltime, but he is not Chocolatito.  That is how Estrada won only by a very close decision Saturday despite fighting best he was able.  There was nothing more he might have done.

Much as we’ve made of what Srisaket Sor Rungvisai did Chocolatito, we mustn’t forget Estrada spent twentysomething more minutes ordering from Rat King’s tasting menu.  Gallo is fresher than Chocolatito but not fresh.

There’s a bit of straining and squinting to appraisals of Saturday’s event.  The best super flyweight in the world fought Friday in Bang Phun, Thailand.  Saturday was an extraordinary competition and payday for two of our beloved sport’s most deserving men, but fair is fair: More than 2,000 punches got thrown, yet neither man stumbled, bled or lost consciousness.  If we didn’t appreciate prime Chocolatito fully as we should we shouldn’t cheapen him telling ourselves he or Gallo or Saturday’s fight were more than they are.

How much do I love Chocolatito?  I felt intense relief when Saturday’s decision went Estrada’s way.  For I spent part of DAZN’s undercard watching Rat King make a BDSM dungeon of Workpoint Studio.  What Sor Rungvisai put on Ekkawit Songnui (50-8-1) Friday was savage as it was nonchalant.  He hurt Songnui like it’s what the man wanted him to do.  After nine minutes Songnui used his safe word.

I was there 3 1/2 years ago when Rat King made StubHub Center pindrop silent (forget not: nearly all of us were there to see Chocolatito avenge his only loss).  I remember keenly the vicarious devastation I felt that night.  I do not wish to revisit it.

Estrada’s decision victory primes perfectly a rubber match with Chocolatito.  That is best for both men.  But if someone must be martyred to Rat King, let it be El Gallo.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Brooklyn went hard on Saturday night as hometown heroes settled a local rivalry on boxing’s biggest stage. Paul Malignaggi (32-5, 7 KO’s) of the Bensonhurst neighborhood squared off against Zab Judah (42-7, 29KO’s) of Brownsville. Both fighters showcased their strengths early in the fight. Malignaggi, making good use of his footwork and high volume of punches, while Judah countered well and his punches were more powerful. In the second round, just as Judah was landing a left hand, Malignaggi’s leg tangled with Judah’s, causing him to trip. The ref ruled it a knockdown despite Malignaggi’s protests. For the next two rounds, Judah dominated. He landed his jab effectively and frequently followed up with a straight left, reddening the side of Malignaggi’s face.

Entering the fifth round, Judah seemed to be in control, but lowered his punch output. Malignaggi took advantage. Bouncing in an out of range, he fired off a stiff jab and occasional right. His movement prevented Judah from walking him down.

Judah never made the necessary adjustments, and Malignaggi dominated throughout the rest of the fight. The final scores read 116-111, 117-110, and 117-110 giving Malignaggi a UD victory.

“This is an emotional win for me,” said Malignaggi. “It definitely allows me to continue boxing. If I had lost, I don’t know that I would have wanted to continue. But this big win puts me in the right spot to fight in this division for lots of money…lots.

“Walking to the ring was pretty surreal. As a teenager I watched Zab fight and to walk into the ring and fighting against him was very surreal. Not that I never expected myself not to be successful, but it was still something very surreal,” continued Malignaggi. “I felt like this showed that this sport can unify everyone. I looked up to this guy when I was coming up in the sport and he’s one of the greats.”

Judah said, “I came to fight and so did Paulie. It just wasn’t there. This was a great opportunity and a great event. I wanted to be the King of Brooklyn. He wasn’t tougher than me. He stayed on the outside and didn’t engage.”

Shawn Porter (22-0-1, 14KO’s) was an aggressive breath of fresh air on a card that featured defensive minded fighters. He took on title holder Devon Alexander (25-2, 13 KO’s). From the outset, Porter rushed Alexander with high-volume punching. In the third round, hard looping punches landed flush on Alexander’s chin, wobbling him. It was more of the same for Porter in the fourth as he was able to wobble Alexander’s legs again with his hard shots. Things cooled off in the middle rounds. Porter’s style comes with him throwing caution to the wind, and that hurt him, as Alexander was often able to land hard counter punches on Porter’s exposed chin. Still, Alexander’s success was few and far between, and it allowed Porter to hold onto the big lead he built for himself. He won by way of Unanimous decision with scores of 115-113, 116-112, 116-112.

After the fight, Porter said, “This is a blessing. We wanted to come out here and establish that I was the better fighter and we made it happen. I think I was able to control the fight because of my experience and I’m the bigger guy. We did what we had to do. I paid my dues. The opportunity was here and I stepped up to the plate.”

Alexander said, “I’m disappointed. I didn’t do what I was supposed to do. I didn’t follow the game plan. He was rushing in and I didn’t capitalize on that. And that’s what we had planned on.”

In a very lackluster affair, Erisandy Lara (18-1-2, 12 KO’s) dominated Austin Trout (26-1, 14 KO’s) over the course of twelve rounds. Lara was much more mobile and able to pick apart his bigger and slightly slower opponent. The action was very limited except for an eleventh round knockdown scored by Lara. The final scores read 118-109, 117-110, and 117-110 giving Lara a unanimous decision victory.

“I did what Canelo couldn’t do. I dominated Trout and I dropped him. Now we have to make a fight that everyone wants to see which is me against Canelo,” said Lara.

“I’m coming right back,” said Trout. “Who can say that they fought such high caliber fighters as Cotto, Canelo and Lara back-to-back-to-back? His style was tricky, but I don’t sign up for easy fights. He was the better man tonight.”

Sakio Bika (35-2-2, 21 KOs) and Anthony Dirrell (26-0-1, 22 KOs) fought an exciting back and forth affair. Bika started the fight winging wild shots, while Dirrell remained composed and was able to pick Bika off with powerful shots. In the fifth round a hard right staggered Bika badly, and another right sent him down. Bika beat the count, and started off the sixth looking to stage a comeback. With a strong body attack and with Dirrell backing into the ropes constantly, Bika was able to take control of large chunks of the fight; even hurting Dirrell on different occasions. In the eleventh, after a wild throw that went low, Bika was deducted a point. This proved to be significant in a close fight. The final scores read 114-112 for Bika, 116-110 for Dirrell, and 113-113 even, making the fight a split draw.

“I want to apologize to the fans for leaving the ring like that but I was just disappointed,” said a frustrated Dirrell. “He hit low and head butted. I definitely want a rematch.”

Bika felt differently. “I feel like I was fighting the referee as well. The body shot was a legitimate body shot. Not below the belt line. I got him on the belt line, Dirrell just wanted to milk it. I was the busier fighter and now I just want to fight the best ahead of me.”

Julian Williams (14-0 8 KOs) dominated Orlando Lora (29-5-2, 29 KOs) en route to a TKO victory. His combination punching and ability to maintain distance was what did it. The fight was stopped at the 0:34 mark of the third round.

Sadam Ali (18-0, 10 KOs) looked impressive against Jesus Selig (12-2-1, 6 KOs) in their bout. He looked very fluid as he toned down his aggression and worked behind a well balanced offensive approach. After dominating Selig for five rounds, a right hand dropped Selig right before the bell. Selig beat the count, but was met with more damage as the 6th round opened. The referee jumped in and stopped the fight at 0:22 mark of round 6, giving Ali a TKO victory.

Marcul Browne (7-0, 7 KO’s) scored another impressive first round knockout when he faced Kevin Engel (20-8, 16 KO’s). The time of the stoppage was 3:00 of the first round.

Juan Dominguez (15-0, 11 KO’s) scored an eight round unanimous decision victory over Camillo Perez (9-2, 4 KO’s). Scores were 79-73, 78-74, and 78-74.

NEW YORK, NY–Monday Night at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square, the heart of New York City, Golden Boy Promotions put together the first card to ever be televised on Fox Sports 1. The featured attraction, Daniel Jacobs, set to continue his impossible quest back to stardom. His opponent in this middleweight, the threatening former world title challenger, Giovanni Lorenzo.

Both fighters opened up the fight with rangy punches from the outside. Lorenzo (32-5, 24 KO’s) landed first with a long left hook. Soon afterwards, Jacobs got in a beautifully timed right hand counter. The bout progressed with both fighters eager to land something big, but stellar defense prevented anything serious. Jacobs and Lorenzo showed tremendous respect for each other’s power.

By the third round, the tone of the fight had being set. Jacobs has an unbelievable variety of punches in his arsenal, and they were all being showcased tonight. Right hooks, overhand rights, left hooks, stinging jabs. They were all landing beautifully. Lorenzo worked towards turning the fight into a brawl. The roughhouse tactics opened up a small welt on the side of Jacobs’ face that saw some blood trickle out.

Halfway through another impressive round, Jacobs landed a hook on the top of Lorenzo’s head that seemed to have him stunned. Jacobs took a chance and chased down Lorenzo, who was, in fact, very hurt. A flurry of punches were thrown by Lorenzo, hoping to hit a home run while his back was against the ropes. But it was Jacobs who hit the home run; visciously landing a left and a right flush on Lorenzo’s jaw, knocking him out face first onto the canvas. Lorenzo made a feeble attempt at getting to his feet, but he fell back down onto the canvas, forcing the referee to call the fight off. This was the first time Lorenzo had ever been stopped, and it came at the 2:05 point in the third round.

Hot prospect Eddie Gomez (14-0, 9 KO’s) took a massive step up in class when he signed to fight Steve Upsher Chambers(24-2-1, 6 KO’s) in a Junior Middleweight bout. Chambers is coming off of a disappointing loss at the hands of a much more experienced opponent, and came into the fight confident that he will take what he learned from that loss and use it to his advantage as he is now the experienced fighter in the ring. Gomez, on the other hand, has impressed Golden Boy Promotions with his dazzling combination of speed and power.

Both fighters opened up the fight tentatively, but things changed once both fighters were able to land some leather. Gomez landed a hard left hook upstairs, and Chmbers was able to sneak a few rights of his own. A big right hand from Gomez rocked Chambers badly, and forced him against the ropes. Gomez was able to open up for a flurry until Chambers was finally able to land two hard left hook counters. Just when it seemed like things were calming down, a right hand from Gomez wobbled Chambers into the ropes. Gomez took the opportunity to absolutely tee off on Chambers with a dozen or so punches. The bell was the only thing that saved Chambers from more punishment.

As the bout progressed, Gomez had lost respect for Chambers’ power and settled on flashy pot shots that impressed his hometown crowd. Entering the fourth round, Chambers, true to his Philadelphia roots, put together a string of punches that seemed to surprise Gomez, who weathered the storm for a time before getting back into his groove. A sharp left jab from Gomez caught Chambers on the way in, and buckled his knees badly. Gomez pounced, and referee Steve Smoger quickly jumped in and saved Chambers from himself. The stoppage came at 2:33 of the fourth round.

Another Olympian took to the stage as the first televised boxing match to be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 finally hit the airwaves. Terrell Gausha (9-2, 3 KO’s) looked sharp when he took on Austin Marcum (5-3, 3 KO’s) in a middleweight bout. Gausha began the fight working behind his jab. Marcum was tough enough to withstand some hard blows from Gausha, but was outclassed by his much more experienced opponent.

By the end of the first, a body shot hurt Marcum, giving Gausha an opportunity to land a hook upstairs that hurt Marcum and sent him hanging onto the ropes just as the bell rang. Referee Benji Esteves ruled it a knockdown, and Marcum was able to make it back to his feet, but was visibly hurt.

Gausha wasted no time getting right back to the body in the 2nd round, and Marcum was still reeling from the earlier punishment. Two hard blows to the body caused Marcum to cradle his midsection and double over in pain. A hook upstairs sent him down for good, and the referee called the fight off. Gausha was credited with a TKO at 1:04 of the 2nd round.

United States Olympian and New York native, Marcus Browne (5-0, 5 KO’s) made short work of Robert Hill (1-1) in their cruiserweight bout. Browne took little time showcasing his awesome power. Within seconds, he had backed Hill into the ropes and stuned him with a right hook. Browne Hill tried backing away, but a straight left landed on Hill’s Forehead, knocking him down. Hill initially made an attempt to get up, but fell back down, and was unable to make it to his feet by the ten count. Marcus Browne improves his perfect record to 6-0 with 6 knockouts, this one coming in at :59 of the first round.

Emanuel Gonzalez scored a four round unanimous decision over Micael Doyle in a Jr. Lightweight bout.

In round one, Gonzalez drove Doyle back with a right in the corner. He continued to land some good straight rights that he followed with quick combination;s against the much shorter Doyle.

Gonzalez, 129 1/2 lbs of Bronx, NY is won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 12-0. Doyle, 129 lbs of Prichar, AL was fighting in New York for the 2nd time in five days is 2-4.

Gary Beriguette scored a four round unanimous decision over Kamal Muhammad in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

In round one, Beriguette was landing hard punches until he got caught with a shot that knocked him down. Beriguette returned the favor by landing a body shot in round two that sent Muhammad to the canvas. A clash of heads opened up a nasty cut above the left eye of Muhammad. Not much of note happened down the strecth.

Beriguette, 148.8 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 39-36, 39-36 and 38-36 and is now 2-0. Muhammad, 148 lbs of New York is 0-2.

POST FIGHT QUOTES

DANNY JACOBS, Newly crowned WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Champion (Knockout win over Giovanni Lorenzo; 2:05 of Round 3)

“I know a lot of people are looking up to me because I’m a cancer survivor. I want to be inspirational to people. I want people to know that if you work hard, you can fulfill your dreams.

“This win feels amazing. I knew I had Brooklyn here supporting me and it fueled me in the ring and got me so excited.

“I owe it all to the man above. God has gotten me through a lot in my life.

“He hit me with a good left hook and I said, ‘Okay, let’s go.’

“He came after me and I said ‘I got something for you.’

“He tried to use some Bernard Hopkins tactics on me and get into my head, but I knew I had the skills to beat him.”

EDDIE GOMEZ, Undefeated Rising Welterweight Star (Technical knockout win over Steven Upsher Chambers; 2:33 of Round 4)

“I had to be smart and take my time. It felt good in there. I had a great training camp.

“They kept saying that he [Steven Upsher Chambers] was a veteran. I never saw him that way.

“Once they gave me an opponent, I took the fight immediately. I knew that Luis Collazo beat him [Upsher Chambers], and Luis is a world champion. I need to step it up in my career and face tougher guys like that.

“You saw what happened tonight. I made this happen. It is a preview for what’s to come in my career.

“I thought he was going to come in to box, but when came forward I knew he didn’t have the power to stop me.”

TERRELL GAUSHA, 2012 U.S. Olympian and Middleweight Rising Star (Knockout win over Austin Marcum; 1:04 of Round 2)

“It was an honor to be the first fight on Fox Sports 1 as well as to compete on the same card as my Olympic brother Marcus Browne. I hope my win last night was the first of many to come on the network and Golden Boy Live.

“I was excited about the fight. I felt like it was a great opportunity to showcase my talent and I think I did great. I still have some things to work on, but overall I felt like I made a statement in my performance.”

MARCUS BROWNE, 2012 U.S. Olympian and Light Heavyweight Rising Star (Knockout win over Robert Hill; :59 of Round 1)

“I trained so hard and I’m ready to take it to the next level and go the distance.

“Boxing is a fighters sport and he didn’t come to fight.

“It was a short upper cut to the forehead. I was surprised he went down from that punch.

“I’m ready to progress as a professional. I want to go full rounds and hope to learn from those type of fights in the future.”

# # #

Jacobs vs. Lorenzo was presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The FOX Sports 1 broadcast aired live at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT on Monday, August 19. Tune into the next
Golden Boy Live! event on Monday, September 2 from Cowboys Dancehall in San Antonio, Texas.

NEW YORK—Dibella Entertainment, in association with SMS Promotions, put together another exciting installment of the Broadway Boxing series. The co-main events of the evening featured Boyd Melson in a rematch against Jason Thompson and Tor Hamer against Kertson Manswell.

Melson looked very calm and boxed well from the outset, keeping his distance and landing with hard shots from a southpaw stance.

The middle rounds got interesting though as Thompson was able to close the gap and turning the bout into a bit of a war.

Thompson opened a nasty cut over the right eye of Melson in the sixth round causing the referee to call a time out so the ringside physician could get a closer look. With blood streaming down his face, Melson smiled at the doctor, telling him that there was no way he was stopping the fight.

In the seventh round, Melson returned the favor, cutting Thompson over his right eye. In the eighth and final frame, both fighters stormed off their stools and met in the center of the ring and immediately began throwing bombs. As the fighters were exchanging shots, Melson dropped Thompson with a short right hook. Thompson seemed to be a little off balance, but nonetheless the knockdown was rightfully counted.

In the end, Melson was awarded the well-deserved and hard-fought decision, winning by scores of 78-73 twice, and 77-74. With the victory, Melson improved to 12-1-1, 4KO’s, After the bout, the victor was accompanied in the ring by award-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr. Melson discussed his foundation “Team Fight to Walk” and the “Just a Dollar Please” organization, which raises money for stem cell research. For more information on the cause visit www.justadollarplease.org

In a strange bout between two big heavyweights, Tor Hamer (20-2, 13 KO’s, 225lbs) took on Kertson Manswell (23-7, 17 KO’s, 280lbs). During the referee instructions, both fighters refused to touch gloves at first, and the referee had to order them twice before they finally gave in. The round opened up with Manswell throwing looping overhand rights. Hamer maintained his composure despite the fact that Manswell’s 280lbs body was constantly crashing into him, often knocking both fighters back. Countering a looping punch, Hamer landed a right hand that knocked Manswell off balance and down. He beat the count, and the fight continued. As the round came to a close, Hamer landed a series of short punches on his off balance opponent, sending him to a knee. The bell to end the round sounded, and Hamer was still throwing. Manswell, on a knee, dramatically fell face first to the canvas, in a performance that not many people believed. Most importantly, the referee wasn’t buying it, and ruled a TKO victory at 3:00 of the first round to Hamer.

In a four round bout, Justin Robbins(1-2, 138lbs) made things sloppy against Donte Strayhorn (2-1, 139.5lbs). Strayhorn worked behind his jab and right, while slipping in viscous body punches in between, while Robbins lunched in with wild hooks. Despite the difficulties that Robins posed, Strayhorn was able to maintain his composure and coast to a 40-36, 40-36, and 40-36 unanimous decision victory.

Michael Doyle (1-3, 131lbs) had the tough task of containing the talented Neuky Santelises (5-0, 4 KO’s, 130lbs) in a bout scheduled for four rounds. The first thing that was noticed was the size disparity between both fighters. Santelesis had a huge height advantage over Doyle. Soon after the opening bell rang, Santelises worked Doyle towards the ropes. Doyle responded by ubleashing a powerful left hand that landed perfectly on Santelises, sending him down on his back. He made it up to his feet quickly, but the referee didn’t like what he saw and stopped the fight. Some at ringside felt that it was a quick stoppage. Still, Doyle won by way of upset TKO victory at 1:19 of the first round.

The very popular Sonia Lamonakis (7-1-2, 1 KO, 216lbs) was in another brawl Wednesday night. This time her opponent was Tanzee Daniel (4-2-1, 1 KO, 240lbs). Like any other of Lomanakis’ fights, she was able to work her opponent into the corner repeatedly with her non-stop hooks. Daniel wasn’t much of a slouch herself. She was able to land cleanly on occasion, but there was very little power behind her blows. After another Lomanokis flurry, Daniel’s response was to taunt in the center of the ring. Lomanokis followed that up with working Daniel into and continuing her assault. The bout continued in this fashion until the final bell sounded. The final scorecards read 60-54, 60-54, and 59-55 all in favor of Lomanakis for the unanimous decision.

Patrick Day (4-0, 2 KO’s 154lbs) took to the ring amid cheers before his bout against Donald Ward (5-1, 3 KO’s). Day was an amateur national champion, and is highly regarded as a young professional. The bout started off with Day aggressive. He was much taller than his opponent, who took to bending low at the waist to avoid Day’s right hands. Defensively, Ward was very skilled. He ducked and dodged away from many of Day’s lightning quick punches.

Day was able to land some hard blows that hurt ward. All right hands that came in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th rounds. While Ward seemed hurt, he reacted to the punches by being aggressive himself, and even briefly hurting Day in the 2nd. The problem with Ward was that he telegraphed all of his punches, and Day was able to capitalize nearly every time. The final scores 60-54, 60-54, and 60-54 in favor of Day.

In a battle of two brawlers, Amos Cowart (7-0, 5 KO’s, 135.5lbs) took on Chazz McDowell (6-3, 1 KO, 137lbs) in a bout scheduled for six rounds. Cowart pressed the action, moving forward behind big blows to the body. McDowell often waited for Cowart to stop his onslaught, and then proceeded to land hard lows of his own. The entire bout saw lots of this back and forth action, and the crowd really gathered behind McDowell. The final scores read 58-56, 57-57, and 57-57 resulting in a majority draw. Promoter, Lou Dibella, announced afterwards that both fighters have agreed to a rematch for the next installment of Broadway Boxing.

Lennox Allen scored a six round unanimous decision over Michael Gbenga in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Scores were 60-54, 59-55 and 59-55 for Allen, 169 lbs of New York and is now 17-0-1. Gbenga, 170 lbs of Washington, DC is now 13-9.

Jeremy Abram made a successful pro debut with a four round unanimous decision over Micha Branch in a Jr. Lightweight bout.

Scores were 40-36 on all cards for Abram, 128 lbs of Cleveland. Branch, 128 lbs of Cincinnati is now 1-8-1.

B.B. King’s Blues Club and Grille played host to another Broadway Boxing event put together by Dibella Entertainment. The event generated a buzz, as Andy Lee was set to continue his comeback after suffering a loss to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. eleven months ago.

Lee (29-2, 20 KO’s) squared off against Darryl Cunningham (28-4, 11 KO’s) in a middleweight matchup. Cunningham was set to upset Lee, as going up against a solid young middleweight is nothing new to him. In Cunningham’s losses, his opponent’s records combined for 44-1. So he was no stranger to going up against a good looking record.

Things didn’t go as planned for Cunningham. Lee entered the ring with a fierce look on his face. As the first bell rang, his shoulders were a bit more square than usual; showing that he was prepared to make an early statement. A fast left hand found it’s way through Cunningham’s guard, staggering him into a corner. Lee immediately jumped on the opportunity to send Cunningham down, and unleashed a flurry of punches. Cunningham had nothing in response, and the referee jumped in to call the fight off. The stoppage came a bit early, but it would have only prolonged the inevitable. Andy Lee came away victorious with a TKO victory at the 1:27 point of the first round.

The co-feature of the evening showcased an exciting clash of styles between middleweights Delen Parsley 10-0, 3 KO’s) against Louis Rose (5-1, 1 KO). Parsley is a tall and athletic fighter who works behind his rangy punches, while Rose was much shorter and worked behind a slightly unorthodox style of having squared shoulders and threw punches in flurries. The action was close throughout the first half of the fight. Both fighters were able to generate success. Parsley was able to land from a distance, and when his punches came, and the distance closed, Rose would counter with hooks. Parsley was the hometown fighter, and there was a tension in the air over the possibility of an upset.

In the fourth round, Louis was able to position Parsley near the ropes, and as Parsley tried angling himself away and toward the center of the ring, Louis threw a barrage of punches that sent Parsley down. Parsley did not seem badly hurt, and was able to make it to his feet.

The remainder of the fight saw more close action, with both fighters looking strong. The venue went silent as the scorecards were announced. 77-74 for Parsley, 76-75 for Rose, and 76-75 for Rose. The deciding factor was the knockdown in the fourth round, giving Rose a split decision victory.

Tor Hamer (19-2, 12 KO’s) had his first fight after an embarrassing defeat six months earlier. He had a good test on paper in Maurenzo Smith (11-5-2, 8 KO’s); a solid fighter with a decent record, and who possesses a punching threat. Hamer started the fight tentatively. He is most known for his aggressive style, but he seemed to take a more calculated approach, landing numerous well timed left hooks. Towards the end of the second round, it became obvious that Smith was completely outclassed. As the third round opened, Hamer left his corner aggressively and began throwing combinations. After Hamer landed a right hand, Smith turned away and seemed to complain that he had injured his hand. He hadn’t landed a punch for a round and a half, so it wasn’t clear how exactly he hurt the hand. Either way, Hamer was credited with a TKO victory at 1:31 of the third round.

Super Middleweight Lamar Russ (12-0, 7 KO’s) took a step up when he faced Russell Jordan (15-9, 10 KO’s) in a bout scheduled for eight rounds. The bout saw both fighters being active, but it was Russ who landed the better punches and at a higher rate. As the bout headed into the middle rounds, Russ hand landed dozens of powerful blows that would only stagger Jordan slightly. It seemed clear at this point that a knockout wasn’t coming. Jordan, on the other hand forced russ to show him respect by landing hard counter punches of his own. They came few and far between. In the final round, Russ made a statement by staggering Jordan seconds before the final bell rang. The final scores read 79-73, 79, 73, and 78-74.

Neuky Santelises (4-0, 3 KO’s) continued his winning ways. This time it was against the over-matched Aaron Chavez (2-2-1, 1 KO). Santelises is a strong puncher at the Jr. Lighweight division, and came out swinging. He hurt Chavez badly very early on, and Chavez slumped onto the ropes, forcing the referee to rule it a knockdown. After Chavez made it to his feet, Santelises seized the opportunity and landed a barrage of left hooks that sent Chavez down and out. The time of the stoppage was 2:15 of the first round, giving Santelises a TKO victory.

Cruiserweights Jay Rodriguez (debut) and Andre Ward (1-1-2, 1 KO) fought to an exciting four round draw. They both wowed the crowd with their powerful punches and strong chins. The final scorecards read 38-38, 38-38, and one card reading 39-37 for Ward, officially making it a majority draw.

Eliezer Agosto (1-2, 1 KO) knocked out Angel Suarez(debut) cold in the second round of their bout. The time of the knockout was 2:59.

Louis Cruz (2-0, 2 KO’s) defeated Michael Carreras (debut) over the course of four rounds. Cruz couldn’t add another knockout to his record, but boxed wonderfully en route to a victory with scorecards reading 40-36, 40-36, and 39-37 for the unanimous decision victory.

Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City hosted a thrilling heavyweight match-up put together by Main Events in association with Hennessy Sports. The undefeated Tyson Fury (20-0, 14 KO’s) faced off against the two time cruiserweight champion Steve Cunningham (25-5, 12 KO’s). The action began even before the opening bell during the opening instructions. When the fighters were instructed to touch gloves, Fury boldly slammed hard onto Cunningham’s; drawing a reaction from the crowd.

The first stanza saw some exciting back and forth action. Fury, with a huge size advantage over Cunningham, worked behind straight jabs and rights, while Cunningham utilized his superior footwork. Fury, being the talker that he is, taunted Cunningham with his hands down for much of the round. The second round saw some amazing fireworks, as an overhand right floored Fury hard. He beat the count, and Fury finally kept his hands up while Cunningham chased after him, landing some good shots in the process. The round ended with Cunningham’s fans in attendance on their feet.

After a solid third round for Cunningham, he was able to lure Fury into another big right hand halfway through the fourth. Fury was able to work his way back into the round, but he paired together clinching with forcing his head into Cunningham’s, receiving warnings from referee Eddie Cotton. Then in the fifth round, after more clinching and headwork, the referee decided to penalize Fury by deducting a point. Fury responded by landing a hard right hand that hurt Cunningham. With Fury going in for the kill, Cunningham utilized good footwork and clinching to make it through the round. The sixth round saw the pace slow down a bit, and it could be said that Fury’s size and weight advantage began to take it’s toll. The seventh round saw Cunningham hope to fight his way out of the slight lull, and that worked against him. Towards the end of the round, an uppercut from Fury stunned Cunningham against the ropes. Cunningham attempted a clinch, but Fury wrestled his way out and landed a crushing right hand that sent Cunningham down. He attempted to make it to his feet, but it was too much, and the referee made his way to the count of ten.

Tyson Fury won by way of knockout at 2:55 of the seventh round. This victory pits Fury in a showdown with Kubrat Pulev in an eliminator to face Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF heavyweight title.

The re-emerging Curtis Stevens (23-3, 17 KO’s) and Derrick Findley (20-9, 13 KO’s) opened up the televised portion of the afternoon. Both fighters opened up the bout throwing hard punches, but it was Stevens who drew first blood, so to speak, when a left hook upstairs followed by a left hook to the body staggered Findley into the ropes. Findley was able to recover from the damage and work Stevens into the ropes for a time towards the end of the round. Findley continued the pressure to start the second round, working Stevens into the ropes again. Stevens stuck behind a shell defensive stance for most of the round.

The fourth round saw Stevens finally begin to open up, throwing multiple combinations that all finished with crisp left hooks. Findley had little answer, but continued to stay in Stevens’chest trying to find an opening. That did little to Stevens as he continued with hard right hands and flush left hooks. The fifth round saw some exciting back and forth action, but it was Stevens whose punches were more crisp and under control.

The seventh round saw some interesting action. Stevens landed some hard blows, but it was a left hand from Findley that seemed to knocks Stevens off balance and down. The referee ruled it a knockdown, but Stevens did not seem phased by the blow. Instead, he followed up the knockdown with some hard punches of his own. The eighth and final round saw Stevens give some time away to Findley, keeping a distance as if he had the fight won. Towards the end, Stevens gave the fans some showcase combinations. In the end, scores of 78-74, 78-74, and 79-73 were announced in favor of Stevens, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

Polish heavyweight Adam Kownacki (4-0, 4 KO’s) entered the arena with much fanfare when he took to the ring against Calbert Lewis (0-2). Neither fighter would win a bodybuilding contest, as they both carried excess weight around the mid-section, but they made up for it with a strong will to fight. Kownacki showcased some skillful offensive output, and was able to take chances due to the fact that Lewis’punches were telegraphed and looping. At the end of the first round, a strong right hand wobbled Lewis badly, but the bell rang, giving Lewis time to survive. The second round saw Kownacki pummel Lewis from pillar to post. Lewis had nothing in return. Finally, after dozens of unanswered punches, the referee called the fight off at the 1:43 point of the second round giving Kownacki the TKO victory.

In a heavyweight bout, brother of Tyson Fury, Hughie Lewis Fury (1-0, 1 KO) squared off against Alex Rozman (1-0, 1 KO). Rozman, with his exceptional build, looked the part before the bell, but as soon as the bout started, he was no match for Fury. A right hand early in the round sent him down on his back. Fury continued the pressure, landing uppercuts and right hands behind the jab, and Rozman went down twice more, but the referee called them slips. Another combination from Fury sent Rozman down face-first. After beating the count, it was a final right hand that sent Rozman down, and the referee waved the fight off. Fury won with a TKO at 2:26 of the first round.

Exciting up and comer, Karl Dargan (12-0, 6 KO’s) took on Edward Valdez (12-9-2, 6 KO’s) in a lightweight bout. Valdez came out swinging, reaching on overhand rights, while Dargan remained poised. Valdez is known as a very tough fighter, and did not seem to be very bothered by Dargan’s sharp blows.

After the second round, Valdez did not sit on his stool and began complaining about his hand. Eventually, the corner was forced to call the match, giving Dargan a TKO victory at 3:00 of the 2nd round.

The opening bout of the evening saw Sevdall Sherifi (9-1-2, 8 KO’s) of Albania take on Josh Harris (8-6-1, 6 KO’s) in a cruiserweight affair scheduled for six rounds. Sherifi comes with a bit of fanfare as his manager is fellow Albanian and Dancing With the Stars champion Tony Devolani.

The bout began with Sherifi throwing a wide array of punches and landing regularly. His selection was tremendous, and he moved to stay away from Harris’power. Despite his record, Harris is a highly regarded puncher as a cruiserweight.

The first three rounds saw Sherifi make great use of his movement, but he was lacking in his jab. On occasion, Harris was able to land hard left hooks from the outside. Sherifi managed to stay just out of range, but Harris was timing his counters. The only problem with Harris is that outside of his single shots, he rarely threw any other punches.

The fourth round saw some exciting action. Harris was finally able to land one of his hooks flush, and Sherifi legs buckled badly. Harris had time on his side and began chasing down Sherifi. Harris landed multiple huge blows to Sherifi’s chin, and the referee was watching closely to stop the fight. Finally, a big hook sent Sherifi down into the ropes, but he was able to beat the count and was saved by the bell. In the corner between rounds, the referee took a close look at Sherifi, and continued to keep an eye out when the bell for the fifth round sounded. A right hand landed hard for Harris, and the referee immediately stopped it. Sherifi protested, but ultimately it was a good call. Harris was victorious with a TKO victory at :19 of the 5th round.

NEW YORK–Former world Super Welterweight champion Yuri Foreman scored a six round unanimous decision over Gundrick King that highlighted a ten bout card at the Roseland Ballroom

Scores were 60-54 on all cards for Foreman who is now 30-2. King is 18-10

Ionut Dan Ion ( 30-2, 17 KO’s, 147lbs) continued his come backing ways; this time against the very dangerous Damian Frias (19-6-1, 10 KO’s 148lbs). Both fighters fought on the inside, utilizing very few jabs. Frias moved a bit more, but Dan Ion was continuously in his chest.

In the end it was Dan who won a close unanimous decision via scores of 76-75, 78-73 and 78-73

Popular New York City fighter, Gabriel Bracero (21-1, 4 KO’s, 144 1/2lbs) looked to continue his winning ways when he took on Pavel Miranda (19-9-1, 10 KO’s, 143lbs). The bout started off in an exciting fashion, with both fighters aggressively trying to draw first blood. Things got chippy early on; while in a clinch, with the referee trying to break both fighters, Miranda and Bracero traded punches.

As the bout progressed, Bracero maintained control of the action, but Miranda was still in it, and landing some decent blows of his own. Despite the low knockout ratio in Bracero’s record, he is a tremendous inside fighter and is at home when the fight is a brawl.

In the fourth round, after a heated back and fourth exchange, Bracero suffered a cut just outside his eye. It seemed to bother him at first, but Bracero quickly got back into his groove. He continued his pace for the final four rounds at took home an 80-72, 79-73, and 78-74 unanimous decision victory

When Heather Hardy made her professional debut eight months ago, her opponent, Mikayla Nebel, knocked her down in the first round. Hardy won the next three rounds and the decision. Thursday night Hardy (4-0, 0 KO’s, 122lbs) took on Nebel (0-4, 0 KO’s, 123lbs) once more. This time, Nebel was not able to land the way she did eight months ago. Hardy cruised her way towards a six round decision, winning all rounds with scorecards of 60-53, 60-54, and 60-54 for a unanimous decision victory.

Luis Del Valle scored fifth round stoppage over Andre Wilson in a scheduled eight round Featherweight bout.

Del Valle scored two knockdowns in round’s one and five and was cut himself under the left eye in round one.

Del Valle is now 17-1 with 12 knockdowns. Wilson of St. Joseph, MO is now 13-6-1.

Luis Olivares (1-0, 1 KO, 139 1/2lbs) took the trip over from Glendale, AZ to fight on Broadway Boxing. He squared off against Christopher Williams-Ortiz (1-0, 0 KO’s, 139lbs). The first round saw Williams-Ortiz working behind his jab, while Ortiz worked volume punching behind his big frame. In the second, Olivares landed a hard body shot that brought Williams-Ortiz’s guard down. Olivares came in with two rights that sent his opponent down hard onto the canvas. Williams-Ortiz was able to beat the count, and kept his guard up while withstanding numerous blows from Olivares to close out the round. Olivares dominated the third, landing multiple rapid-fire combinations while on the inside. His greatest strength was his body punches, which came frequently with bad intentions behind them. The fourth and final round saw more impressive pressure from Olivares as he worked his way to the final bell. The final scorecards read 40-35, 40-35, and 40-35 in favor of Olivares, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

Bryant Cruz (2-0, 2 KO’s, 130lbs) took to the ring to loud cheers from his adoring fans as he was set to square off against Antoine Knight (2-2, 1 KO, 131lbs). Both fighters took very little time throwing big punches, and it was Cruz who took control early with a powerful jab that Knight couldn’t seem to avoid. After some hard combinations, Knight went into a shell and hardly threw any significant punches. The second round saw Cruz up the pressure, bloodying his opponent in the process with his hard combinations. The third saw Cruz land a left hook that had Knight teetering. Cruz continued the pressure, landing countless blows on his opponent. After a break in the action, referee Sparkle Lee, took a close look at Knight and didn’t like what she saw. She waved the fight off at 2:15 of the third round, giving Cruz a TKO victory.

In a four round Jr. Middleweight contest, Patrick Day remained perfect in a tougher then the scores indicate unanimous decision over Yosmani Abreu. Day controlled the action throughout the bout, but in the second, a hard right hand shook him up, and Abreu followed up with hard hooks afterwards. Day did not let Abreu’s advantage last long, as he was able to turn the tables and land numerous hard blows of his own and return the favor. The final two rounds saw Day control the action with his superior movement while controlling the action.

Scores were 40-37 on all cards for Day, 154 lbs of Freeport, NY and is now 3-0. Abreu, 153 lbs of Las Vegas is now 3-7-1.

In an exciting battle that featured countless hard blows, Donte Strayhorn(Debut, 138lbs) took on Michael Carrera (0-1, 0 KO’s, 141lbs) in a bout scheduled for four rounds. After a pedestrian first round, Carrera surprisingly came out in the second landing hard left hooks and overhand rights, causing Strayhorn to experience problems with his nose. The young Strayhorn was losing the round on account of Carrera’s big punches, and he needed to make adjustments. The third and fourth rounds saw Strayhorn make the necessary changes needed to take over the fight. He was taller than Carrera, and began pumping out a stiff jab followed by a straight right. He also began varying his punches from a distance, ripping hard shots to the body. After an exciting four rounds, the scorecards read 40-36, 39-37, and 39-37 in favor of Strayhorn, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

Photo by Ed Diller

At the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ Golden Boy Promotions alongside R&R Promotions featured boxing’s best young talent take another step towards greatness. That boxer’s name is Adrien Broner (25-0, 21 KO’s, 134lbs), and on Saturday night he squared off against the rugged former world champion, Gavin Rees (37-1-1, 134 1/2lbs). Broner has remained undefeated by blending his amazing speed with raw power …. And of course a pinch of flash to go along. Rees came out swinging to start the bout. The smaller of the two fighters, Rees put his head down and charged in while taking head snapping blows right on the chin. His aggression might have won him that first round, but Broner was extremely efficient with his punches and was landing at a higher rate as the bout progressed.

Broner’s amazing ability drew “ohhs” and “ahhs” from the crowd, and Rees toughness and strong will drew cheers from his supporters. Entering the fourth round, the fight was already very entertaining, but Broner was completely in control. In a flash, a right uppercut landed clear on Rees’ chin, sending him crashing onto his back. With the crowd in a frenzy, Broner felt it necessary to break into a dance.

Rees made it out of the round, and seemed fairly competent in the fifth round until a vicious shot to the body sent him to his knees. It was a beautiful punch on the inside that was timed to absolute perfection. Rees, beat the count, but was in a difficult position. Broner proved that he could hurt Rees to the head and body. Rees had to make a decision as to how high or low he should place his guard; to protect his body or head? He decided to go with what probably hurt the most at that moment; his body. Broner capitalized by landing numerous punches upstairs. He was looking to close the show. Rees’ corner understood this, and his trainer wisely threw in the towel to spare his fighter more punishment. Adrien Broner won by TKO at 2:59 of the 5th round.

In an exciting clash of styles, Sakio Bika (30-5, 21 KO’s, 167 1/2lbs) squared off against the relatively unknown Nikola Sjekloca (25-0, 7 KO’s, 167 1/2lbs). Bika took control of the action quickly. Sjekloca possessed the typical European rigid style. Standing upright and moving straight backwards and side to side. While that works for some, it was not cutting it for Sjekloca. Bika’s awkward style gave his opponent fits while giving himself angles to land multiple combinations. After the first few rounds of the fight, many in attendance felt that Bika could win by knockout. Like flicking a switch Sjekloca got into his groove by the middle rounds. It was still clearly Bika’s fight, but Sjekloca now made it competitive. He was often able to time Bika’s unorthodox upper body movement with his right hand, and he certainly earned Bika’s respect during those middle rounds. Still, Bika managed to kit it up into another gear by the late rounds and essentially shut down whatever abilities Sjekloca possessed. The bout made it’s way to the scorecards and they read 119-109, 118-112, and 120-108 all in favor of Bika for a unanimous decision victory. He is now the WBC mandatory for Andre Ward’s title.

Demetrius Hopkins (32-2-1, 13 KO’s, 152 1/2lbs) came out to a throng of cheers when he took to the ring against Charles Whitaker (39-13-2, 23 KO’s, 154lbs) for the USBA light middleweight title. Those cheers quickly turned to boos as the action was anything but exciting. Hopkins has always been a methodical fighter, so the pace wasn’t unexpected for those in attendance. Whitaker, the bigger of the two fighters had very little desire to engage Hopkins, and this made for a very boring few rounds. After a round of boos, Hopkins lulled Whitaker into backing straight back into the ropes, and unleashed a solid overhand right that sent Whitaker down. This made things more interesting, but whatever little desire Whitaker had of throwing punches was immediately thrown out the window after the knockdown. Hopkins just continuously stalked his opponent and landed his right hand whenever he managed to get Whitaker to stop back pedaling. At the end of the sixth round, as Whitaker was hearing more boos from the crowd, he complained of loss of vision in his left eye. His corner was forced to stop the bout. The ruling was that Hopkins won by TKO at 3:00 of the sixth round.

The once rising star, Vincente Escobedo (25-5, 15 KO’s, 129 1/2lbs) took the ring for a comeback fight after losing to Adrien Broner last summer. His opponent was the battle tested Edner Cherry (30-6-2, 17 KO’s, 129 1/2lbs). He made a bad mistake. Cherry just simply out-hustled Escobedo from the get-go; putting in most of his work to the body, which completely opened Escobedo up for punches upstairs. Cherry’s work rate kept Escobedo off balance throughout most of the night and it prevented Escobedo from getting a rhythm. The second round saw Cherry floor his opponent, and it was more of the same from there on out. By the sixth round, Escobedo seemed completely spent, and a big hook sent him crashing down onto the canvas. Escobedo barely made it to his feet, and the referee allowed the fight to continue. Cherry, on the other hand was aware that time was running out on the round, and stormed right in once both fighters were cleared to box. More hooks came in and Escobedo went down again just as the bell to end the round. Referee Allan Huggins wisely stopped the bout right then and there, giving Cherry a TKO victory at 3:00 of the sixth round. Escobedo was once considered to be the top prospect in boxing. It seems unlikely that he will ever become a player at 130lbs or any other weight for that matter.

Former Olympian Rau’Shee Warren (2-0, 0KO’s, 116 1/2lbs) made easy work of Richard Hernandez (0-5, 0 KO’s, 115 1/2lbs) en route to a TKO victory. Warren, a friend and training partner of Broner, was just too fast, too strong, and just flat out too good for Hernandez. After a dominant first round, Warren kicked it into a higher gear in the second, scoring two knockdowns that prompted Hernandez’ corner to throw in the towel to spare him any further embarrassment and pain. Warren won by TKO at 2:04 of the second round.

In an anti-climactic fight, Robert Easter Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs, 133lbs) opened up a cut over the right eye of Jose Valderrama (2-3, 2 KOs, 135lbs). Easter was dominating the first round when the cut occurred. Valderrama was visibly distracted by the bleeding and placement of the cut. Nobody seemed surprised when the ringside physician advised the referee to stop the bout. Easter was credited with a first round TKO at the 3:00 point of the first.

Another Olympian, Jamel Herring (1-0, 1 KO, 134 1/2lbs) boxed beautifully against the outmatched Carlos Lopez (4-2, 0KO’s 137lbs). After a three-round beat down, the bout was called at the 3:00 point of the third round, giving Herring a TKO victory.

ADRIEN BRONER VS. GAVIN REES POST-FIGHT QUOTES

ADRIEN BRONER, WBC Lightweight World Champion

“I knew he [Rees] was going to come to fight. He’s a world-class fighter.

“He [Rees] kept coming. He threw every shot like it was his best shot. I knew he would hang.

“When you have two world-class fighters going toe-to-toe, it’s going to be a great fight.

“Thanks to everyone who came out. It’s [NBA] All-Star Weekend and you came to see an All-Star.

“He’s [Rees] tougher than a steak that’s been well done.

“If I fought Ricky Burns, he would get burnt out. I want to fight him, but if he doesn’t want to fight me. Oh well.

“There are high expectations for me to take boxing over after [Floyd] Mayweather and [Manny] Pacquiao hang up their gloves.

“Tonight was a nice fight. I have to go back and watch it. Overall I felt pretty. I just looked in the mirror and I still look good.

“I would fight 10 times a year if I could.”

GAVIN REES, Former World Champion

“He’s [Broner] the best I have ever been in [the ring] with. It’s not a case of whether he will go on to be a super star… he is already there.

“I made a lot of mistakes and I believe I have a better skill set than that.

“I knew he [Broner] hit hard, but his power just stunned me. I got reckless and that was the end of the night, but I was always going to get back up.

“I would have gone on until I was knocked out cold. I disagree with Gary pulling me out, but he knows that I would have gotten hurt. We are good friends and he was just looking out for me.”

MIKE STAFFORD, Broner’s Trainer

“We knew Gavin was going to come in [to fight]. I wanted Adrien to take his time and pick his punches.

“He made mistakes and Adrien countered each mistake he made.

“Gavin was a great fighter for two rounds. I knew he was going to try his best to take Adrien out and Adrien capitalized on his mistakes and picked him apart.

“Believe it or not, you haven’t seen the whole package deal. It’s a secret that we behold in the gym.”

GARY LOCKETT, Rees’ Trainer

“I was going to pull him out in the fourth. I considered pulling him out after the third, but I knew he would say ‘there is no way.'”

It was another night of Dibella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing in New York City. Tonight’s venue was the B. B. King Blues Club in the heart of Times Square and featured some thrilling bouts. The headline saw Luis Rosa (11-0, 6 KO’s, 123lbs) take on the tough Derrick Wilson (9-3, 3 KO’s, 122lbs), who is much better than his record shows, as he has made a career out of making good fighters look bad in their own backyards.

Things started off quickly for both fighters. They wasted no time getting to know each other and exchanged hard blows. Wilson was the rangier fighter of the two, landing hard blows from a distance, while Rosa did most of his damage from the inside. It was a perfect clash of styles as both fighters walloped each other for the full eight rounds of a very close fight. Entering the seventh round, the bout seemed even, and Rosa’s hard body work earlier in the fight seemed to be paying off, as Wilson seemed visibly tired. Rosa won that round by being more active. The final scores read 80-72, 77-75, and 77-75 in favor of Rosa, giving him a majority decision victory. The 80-72 score was ridiculous, but the other two scores show that the fight was even going into the final round, so Rosa’s early bodywork coupled with his late aggression won him the fight.

It has been nearly two years since Yuri Foreman (28-2, 8 KO’s, 154lbs) stepped into a boxing ring. He injured his knee against Pawel Wolak in March of 2011, and was forced to undergo reconstruction surgery which kept him out of boxing for longer than he would have liked. Last night, he took on Brandon Baue (12-9, 10 KO’s, 157 ½lbs) in a bout scheduled for six rounds. Foreman opened the fight working behind his jab and using his always elusive lateral movement. His movement seemed perfectly fine, but he made sure to not take too many risks. He was certainly rusty, missing blows that he would have normally landed flush, as well as getting hit with punches that he normally would never get hit by. Either way, Foreman was still dominating. But as the bout progressed, he slowly put things into place and began to let his hands go more. He countered Baue’s right hand constantly, and occasionally worked the body well. Foreman never pressed the action, which forced Baue to throw more and make mistakes; mistakes that Foreman took advantage of time and time again. After six rounds, all three judges scored the fight 60-54 in favor of Foreman, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

In an exciting brawl, Lamar Russ (11-0, 7 KO’s, 161lbs) took on Jose Medina (17-11-1, 7 KO’s, 162lbs). Russ worked from a distance with a solid jab and right hook. It was Russ who got things going early with his hard blows. Medina came back with a right hand counter that stopped Russ in his tracks, but that was only for a moment as he came back with more big punches. These back and forth exchanges continued for the full eight rounds, but it was Russ whose punches came at a much higher volume. The final scores read 78-74, 78-74, and 77-75.

The popular Heather Hardy (3-0, 0 KO’s, 122lbs) took to the ring against Margaret Maerz (2-2-1, 0 KO’s, 119lbs). All of Hardy’s fights have featured nonstop action, and this one was no different. Hardy’s right hook landed with frequency throughout the bout, but Maerz also sported a solid straight right that kept Hardy’s onslaught in check. In the end, Hardy was too much and won with scores of 40-36, 39-37, and 39-37 for a unanimous decision.

Delen Parsley (9-0, 2 KO’s, 159lbs) needed only two rounds to dispose of Tyron Selders (8-4, 6 KO’s, 160lbs). The first round saw Selders in control with an extremely high work rate. As the round was about to end, he surged towards Parsley, who was unloading a counter just as the bell rang. A split second after the bell rang, that counter right hand landed flush on Selders chin. He barely beat the count and staggered back to his corner. The second round saw Selders get his legs back under him and continue his aggression, but Parsley knew that his power would make a difference. He threw much more, and battered Selders over the course of the second round. In between rounds, Selders corner had to stop the bout as he had taken too much punishment. The official ruling is a TKO at :00 of the third round.

In his professional debut, heavyweight Eugene Russell (240lbs) made short work of Granson Clark (1-1, 1 KO, 219lbs), needing only 2:51 seconds to hammer down his opponent. He was victorious with a KO victory in front of his fans from the Queensbridge section of Queens, NY.

Skender Halili (7-0, 7 KO’s, 148lbs) looked to keep his perfect record intact when he took on Roberto Crespo (4-2, 0 KO’s, 147 ½lbs). The bout opened up with both fighters working their jab. Halili showcased an extremely powerful jab that often stopped Crespo in his tracks. Things began to heat up in the second. Halili had staggered Crespo with a jab and rushed forward hoping to lay some leather onto a back tracking Crespo, when out of nowhere, Crespo landed a right hook onto Halili’s temple, sending him down. Halili made it to his feet before the referee could even begin his count, but Crespo left an impression on Halili and the fans that we were in for a fight. Crespo finished off the round strong. Halili continued to work his jab, maintaining a safe distance and only coming in when he desired. Every punch he threw had bad intentions behind it. Not one punch was thrown in order to set up another. Instead, he threw his jab as if he was hoping to score a knockout off of it. A sight rarely seen.

As the bout progressed, Halili continued to come forward and land hard blows, while occasionally taking hard counterpunches in return. Then, out of nowhere, a short left uppercut on the inside sent Crespo down. He beat the count, but on shaky legs, and Halili pounced. This time, a left hook sent Crespo down for a second time. Crespo barely beat that count, and before any more damage could be done, he was saved by the bell. Entering the final round, fans in attendance wondered if Halili would go for broke and try and score a knockout. The two knockdowns essentially erased any doubt as to whether or not he was going to win the fight on points. He was surely ahead at that point. As the bell sounded for the final round, Halili stormed out of his corner and continued to apply the pressure. But Crespo defended himself well and stayed on his feet. About halfway through the round, Halili seemed to settle down. He stuck out his jab and appeared to be working his way towards a decision victory. But he had other things in mind. He lulled his opponent into thinking that things had died down, and that created an opening for Halili to unleash another left uppercut that landed square on Crespo’s chin. He was down for a third time, and the referee waved the fight off. Halili maintains his perfect record with a TKO victory at 2:40 of the 6th round.

Patrick Day (155lbs) scored an impressive 59 second knockout victory over Zachariah Kelley (1-1, 1 KO, 156lbs) in their bout.

Neuky Santelises (2-0, 1 KO, 133lbs) opened up the evening with a 2nd round knockout victory over Juan Javier Guerrero (0-0-1, 0 KO’s, 132lbs) at the :22 mark.

The Theater at Madison Square Garden played host to three of boxing’s most anticipated fights as Top Rank in association with K2 Promotions showcased three world title fights in one night. The main event was a breakout performance for Mikey Garcia (30-0, 26 KOs, 125 ½lbs) who took on WBO featherweight champion Orlando Salido (39-11-2, 27 KOs, 126lbs). Things started quickly for Garcia when a left hook dropped Salido, who was lunging in with his head low. Not long afterwards, another spectacular punch sent Salido down again. After a dominant second round, Garcia knocked Salido down for a third time with another blow that Salido just simply didn’t see. This time it was a right uppercut. Garcia’s patience against the veteran Salido was impressive. Salido had been down countless times in the past, and Garcia made sure that he wouldn’t make a mistake despite his dominant start. To open the fourth round, a short right hand tagged Salido and sent him down yet again. Four knockdowns in four rounds, but none of them were particularly devastating. Salido quickly made it up to his feat each time, but despite stilly seemingly looking okay, Salido was sitting on an eight point deficit after only four rounds, and he was being thoroughly outclassed by his younger opponent.

Garcia is the textbook definition of an economical fighter. He doesn’t move unless it is to put his opponent in an unfavorable position where it would be difficult to land clean punches. He doesn’t throw punches for the sake of throwing punches. Each punch matters and they all serve a greater purpose. The left hooks that sent Salido down were simply short hooks that caught Salido with his head down trying to lunge inside. Other left hooks were thrown to shift Salido’s head into perfect range for his right hand.

There was only so much Salido could do to respond. He opened up the fifth round in a much more aggressive manner. He wasn’t going to tire Garcia out with the way he had been fighting, so he worked towards mauling Garcia against the ropes, leaning his body weight onto Garcia’s hoping to tire him out with sheer physicality. While Salido’s sloppier tactics improved things a bit, Garcia was still in total control. For every successful punch that Salido landed, Garcia landed an even more impressive one; often buckling the knees of Salido. By the eighth round, Salido came in with a right hook, and his head came forward, smashing into Garcia’s face. It created a loud smacking noise heard many rows back. After the round ended and Garcia walked towards his corner, it was clear that he had suffered a broken nose. Referee Benjy Esteves Jr. called in both ringside physicians to observe Garcia’s injury, and they both decided that Garcia was unfit to continue. Due to the accidental headbutt fight came to the scorecards, which were all in Garcia’s favor by a wide margin. The official scores read 79-70, 79-69, 79-69, giving Garcia the victory and his first world title.

Rising sensation Gennady Golovkin (24-0, 21 KOs, 160lbs) had a strong Kazakhstan showing when he defended his middleweight title against the talented Gabriel Rosado (21-5, 13 KOs, 159lbs). Golovkin’s reputation preceded him as in the first few rounds; Rosado utilized a great deal of movement and was very hesitant to throw punches. Golovkin was not flustered by this and walked Rosado down into the ropes and landed some strong blows. In the second round, a right hand from Golovkin opened up a cut over the left eye of Rosado, and it wasn’t long before the blood started pouring out of it. Golovkin just continued to apply the pressure, giving Rosado no room to breathe. Referee Steve Smoger kept a close eye on Rosado’s cut, which was getting worse and worse, and it looked like he was ready to stop the action, but Rosado’s cutman was able to contain the bleeding just a bit, but it was an impossible task. In the seventh round, Golovkin seemed to be going for the KO, and that was when Rosado’s corner stepped up onto the apron and threw in the towel. Golovkin successfully defended his title with a seventh round technical knockout at the 2:46 mark of round seven.

In an interesting matchup, Roman Martinez (26-1-1, 16 KOs, 129lbs) Juan Carlos Burgos (30-1, 20 KOs, 129 ½lbs) squared off in what looked to be an interesting clash of styles. The bout started off in an entertaining fashion as Martinez was able to get inside of Burgos’ rangy offense. Both fighters landed hard blows in the opening rounds, but Burgos’ size and movement seemed to be in control. He often ripped hard hooks to the body from a great distance, and they were taking their toll on Martinez’ body. The pace hit a plateau in the middle rounds. Burgos maintained control of the fight, but neither fighter seemed to kick it into a higher gear, and the fans became a bit frustrated. The pace continued in this fashion until the final bell. Most in attendance had Burgos winning the fight clearly. The final scores read 117-111 for Burgos, 116-112 for Martinez, and 114-114, making it a disappointing split draw. He result drew boos from the crowd.

Sean Monaghan (16-0, 10 KO’s, 177 1/2lbs) was the final non-televised bout when he faced Roger Cantrell (15-2, 8 KO’s, 184 1/2lbs). In addition to his weight advantage, Cantrell also had a sizeable height advantage over his opponent, and he stuck behind his jab to open the fight. Monaghan was able to slip underneath and get inside Cantrell’s range to land some blows of his own. The second round saw Monaghan land multiple unanswered combinations on Cantrell. In the third, Cantrell’s size and weight seemed to come into play and he went on the offensive. The middle rounds saw things level out as both fighters exchanged some heavy blows. But it was Monaghan whose blows were harder, more frequent, and more precise. Cantrell’s stamina seemed to wither and his punches lacked pop. Monaghan used that opportunity to wisely go to the body. Cantrell managed to weather the storm and survive until the final bell. The final scores read 77-75, 78-74, and 79-73 in favor of Monaghan, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

Rising star Glen Tapia (16-0, 9 KO’s, 153 1/2lbs) made short work of Ayi Bruce (14-8, 8 KO’s, 153 1/4lbs) in their bout. Tapia was just simply too big, too strong, too fast, and too smart for Bruce. He opened up the bout mixing things up from a distance with combinations to the body and head. Bruce had no answer. After a successful first round, Tapia became more aggressive. After a hard combination, Bruce was shaken and forced to cover up and weather the storm. Tapia beautifully began landing to the body, which forced Bruce to drop his guard just enough to allow Tapia to land a left followed by a right hook that sent Bruce down.

Bruce beat the count but was on very shaky legs. Tapia went in for the kill and landed about a dozen blows before the referee jumped in and saved Bruce at the 2:33 mark of the second round, giving Tapia a TKO victory.

Puerto Rican Olympian Felix Verdejo (1-0, 0 KO, 130 ½lbs) needed only two punches to knock out Tomi Archambault (1-3, 1 KO, 129 ½lbs). The opening bell rang, and Verdejo threw a left hook to Archambault’s body followed by a fast left hook that landed on his chin. That was all it took, and Verdejo was victorious with a TKO victory in only :21 of the first round.

In an exciting cruiserweight match, Isa Akberbayev (10-0, 7 KOs, 196 ½lbs) and Anthony Ferrante (12-4, 7 KOs, 196lbs) exchanged hard blows for ten rounds. Neither fighter took time getting to know eachother. Near the end of the first round, a right hand to the side of Akberbayev’s head sent him down. The knockdown did not seem to have any lasting effects and when the fighters continued, with only a few seconds to go, Akberbayev landed a right hand that sent Ferrante down. The fight cooled off a bit, but both fighters still traded hard blows. Ferrante’s size and ability to use it well seemed to tire Akberbayev. That, plus a cut that Akberbayev suffered midway through the bout seemed to trouble him throughout the second half of the fight. Entering the final round, Ferrante’s trainer shouted that he needed a knockout to secure a victory even though it seemed like he was ahead on points. Ferrante, calm as ever, shared a laugh with referee Randy Newman before entering the tenth round and landing a vicious right hand that knocked Akberbayev out cold and face first on the canvas. The bout was waved off, and Ferrante was credited with a tenth round knockout at the 1:19 point.

Mikael Zewski (17-0, 13 KOs, 149 ½lbs) scored three knockdows en route to stopping Brandon Hoskins (16-3-1, 8 KOs, 146lbs). All three knockdowns came in the fourth round and the referee called a halt to the action at 1:42 of the round, giving Zewski a TKO victory.

The judges gave Ronald Ellis (6-0, 6 KOs, 168 ½lbs) every round when he took on Steven Tyner (3-9-2, 2 KOs, 170lbs). The scores all read 40-36 in favor of Ellis for the unanimous decision victory.

It was a historic afternoon of fights at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlem, PA. Steve Cunningham (25-4, 12 KO’s 203.5lbs) and Tomasz Adamek (47-2, 29 KO’s, 223lbs) fought in a hotly anticipated rematch of their 2008 fight of the year candidate. This event was televised by NBC and the entire card was put together by Main Events and Ziggy Promotions in association with Peltz Boxing, DiBella Entertainment and Pushka.

Both fighters began the bout tentatively; trying to establish range with their jabs. Cunningham utilized the entire ring with his movement and fought behind his jab to keep the distance between the two of them even further. Adamak, a notorious slow starter, stalked Cunningham and poked away with his jab. Hoping to force his opponent into the ropes or a corner. By the third, Cunningham felt the desire to engage, and landed a big right hand that sent sweat flying off of his opponent’s head. Adamek responded with a flurry while pinning Cunningham against the ropes, but it was Cunningham that seemed in control early on by a slight margin. The third saw more back and forth action. Cunningham was again able to land some flush blows with his rangy punches, and Adamak continued to press Cunningham into the ropes.

The fifth round saw a bit more action, as Adamek turned up his punch volume, and Cunningham seemed happy to oblige. In the few exchanges they encountered in that round, Adamek had the the cleaner punches landed. However, in the sixth, it was Cunningham who got the better of Adamek in exchanges. He was able to land a massive right hand flush on Adamek’s chin with an overhand right as Adamek worked his way in. The iron chinned Adamek took the punch well, but Cunningham seemed to find his groove. That groove continued into the seventh, with Cunningham continuing to land his right. Adamek Resorted to rushing in on Cunningham in order to pin him against the ropes and immobilize him for a short while. When Adamek was successful in doing this, Cunningham snuck in a check right hook that knocked Adamek off balance. Entering the tenth round of what appeared to be a close fight by our scorecards, Cunningham opened up with two big right hands that drew wows from the crowd. Adamek continued to work forward, always knowing that his will and power will carry him late in fights. He was able to land a blow of his own, keeping Cunningham in check. Cunningham followed with a left hook that stopped Adamek in his tracks.

As they entered the championship rounds, Adamek became much more aggressive, but that left him open to counter right hands from Cunningham. About halfway through the round, Adamek finally landed clean with a right hand that shook Cunningham up. The end of the tenth round saw both fighters land clean, reminiscent of their first encounter which featured non-stop action. The final round saw both fighters give it their all. Adamek was poised, with his right hand cocked, hoping to land a big one, while Cunningham continued pumping out his longer punches. Both fighters landed huge right hands, and Adamek’s blows seemed to slightly shake Cunningham’s knees. Adamek wanted a brawl, and he was finally getting it. The final bell rang with both exhausted fighters throwing punches.

At first, Michael Buffer read the scores wrong; declaring it 115-115 even, 115-113 for Cunningham, and 116-112 for Adamak, making the fight a split draw. But after being informed of his error, Buffer announced 115-112 for Adamek, 115-113 for Cunningham, and 116-112 for Adamek, giving Adamek a split decision victory. Later, it was announced that there was another error and the one scorecard read 115-113 for Adamek.

15rounds scored the fight 117-111 for Cunningham.

Vyacheslav Glazkov (13-0, 9 KO’s, 2215) and Tor Hamer (19-1, 12 KO’s 221lbs) opened up the televised portion of the night. After a tentative start, Hamer was the first to get off after landing some straight rights to Glazkov’s mid section. Those punches seemed to allow Hamer an opportunity to land a solid left hook to end the round. Glazkov opened up the second working in some left hands of his own, alternating between his jab and hook. By the fourth round, Glazkov took command behind his left hook from the outside. After his second helping of Glazkov’s right hand, Hamer walked away shaking his head as if he knew he was in over his head. Glazkov landed the blow repeatedly throughout the round and often followed up with a straight right. Hamer provided absolutely nothing in response. As the round ended, Hamer sulked back towards his corner. In between rounds, Hamer and his corner were forced to retire from the match. In other words, Hamer quit. Glazkov, who was on his way to a breakout performance, was credited with a technical knockout at 3:00 of the fourth round. In what was supposed to be an exciting first fight on a historic night on NBC, Hamer instantly left a stain on the event.

In a swing bout that took place after the Adamek-Cunningham main event, Julio Angel De jesus (6-3-2, 3 KO’s, 144lbs) took on Korey Sloane (2-5-1, 0 KO’s, 141.5lbs) in a bout scheduled for four rounds. De Jesus opened up strong, landing an overhand right against his much taller opponent. Sloane eventually settled into the fight and began throwing his jab at an effective rate. The bout continued in that fashion for the entirety of the four rounds. The final scores read 39-37, 38-38, 38-38 with the fight being a majority draw. The one other scorecard was in De Jesus’favor.

Jerome Rodriguez (1-0, 1 KO, 139lbs) took to the ring against Edwardo Stith (Debut, 139lbs) in a bout scheduled for four rounds. Both fighters came out in southpaw stances, and Stith moved more and shot out occasional punches from a distance, while Rodriguez stalked behind his high guard and fast counter punching. Midway through the first round, a straight left staggered Stith into the ropes, and Rodriguez unloaded dozens of unanswered punches that left Stith reeling all across the ropes. To his credit, Stith stayed on his feet, and was able to bring the fight back into the center of the ring and eventually out of the round.

Stith was more hesitant to exchange from that point on, which left Rodriguez to opening his opponent up with hard body punching and stiff jabs. That worked to perfection later in the round when two body blows, followed by an uppercut, and then a hard straight staggered Stith into the corner. Stith barely remained on his feet, and Rodriguez came in with more viscous blows. The referee was forced to stop the match at the 2:56 point in the second round, giving Rodriguez a TKO victory.

Naim Nelson (8-0, 1 KO, 132.5lbs) squared off against Osnel Charles (9-4-1, 1 KO, 134.5lbs) in a bout scheduled for eight rounds. Nelson was the more well polished of the two, working behind a stiff jab and straight right. Charles used the ring well, and often barged his way inside with hard hooks. Charles’ workrate gave him a lead in the early goings of the match, but Nelson did not seem phased by Charles’ aggression, and would often unleash hard combinations of his own. Nelson’s punches were much more accurate and was able to stagger Charles twice in the middle rounds. In the seventh round, with Nelson in command, Charles crumpled onto the canvas after a body blow that landed on Charles’ belt line. Referee, Steve Smoger addressed it as a low blow. The eighth round saw Nelson sit back on his big lead, but still maintain control of the round behind his jab and solid defense. The scorecards were announced as 78-74, 78-74, and 77-75 in favor of Nelson, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

David Williams (6-6-1, 2 KO’s, 212.5lbs) and William Miranda (6-5-1, 242lbs) fought to a draw to open the night. Both fighters exchanged hard blows throughout, but neither maintained a significan edge in the fight.

NEW YORK–Lou Diebella’s Dibella Entertainment put together another massive Broadway Boxing card at the Roseland Ballroom in the Theater District of New York City. The headline featured New York’s own Will “Power” Rosinsky (16-2, 9 KO’s, 174lbs) in a light heavyweight showdown against Otis “Triple OG” Griffin (24-10-2, 10 KO’s, 174lbs) for the New York State Light Heavyweight title.

Rosinsky, a volume puncher, started off by ripping hard shots to Griffin’s body. Griffin allowed Rosinsky to get on the inside, hoping to get in some shots around Rosinsky’s arms and point of view. At the end of the first, Rosinsky was showing a cut on the side of his left eye. By the second, Rosinsky seemed a bit more comfortable and was shooting his straight right from a distance. While in the corner, Griffin was able to turn and counter one of Roskinsky’s punches with a hook. The blow staggered Rosinsky, forcing him to steady himself by holding onto the ropes. After that exchange, swelling started to form around Rosinsky’s left eye.

As the bout progressed into the middle rounds, Rosinsky maintained his offensive output, while Griffin still did some good work countering while against the ropes. This quickly became one of those fights where one wouldn’t want to be a judge. By the sixth, it was Rosinsky who was moving around more, hoping to goad Griffin into initiating the action and opening himself up for a counter punch. Both fighters were extremely savvy and did not often fall into eacho others traps.

Griffin came out of his corner for the eighth round like a bull, rushing Rosinsky into the ropes and landing hard punches in the process. The swelling over Rosinsky’s left eye grew worse, and now there was blood coming out of his mouth. Rosinsky managed to weather the storm and looked good when he brought the fight back into the middle of the ring.

The final round of the fight saw Griffin work Rosinsky into the ropes. With a flurry of his own, Rosinsky came back to take over the second half of the round.

The final bell rang, and the judges scored it 97-93, 96-94, and 96-94 all in favor of Will Rosinsky for the unanimous decision victory and the New York state Light Heavyweight title.

Gabriel Bracero (20-1, 3 KO’s, 141lbs) continued his comebacking ways against Johnnie Edwards (15-5-1, 8 KO’s, 142lbs). Despite not possessing hard one punch power, Bracero is a bit of a brawler and opened up the fight taking it right to Edwards. After some hard in-fighting, Edwards fell on a slip, but got up on shaky legs. Bracero pounced and immediately scored a left hook that sent Edwards crashing into the ropes and onto the canvas. Edwards beat the count and was saved by the bell, but the next three rounds saw Bracero beat Edwards from pillar to post. In the fourth round, Bracero continued the beat-down. After a combination that backed Edwards into the ropes, Edwards took a knee and complained of an eye injury. The referee counted and then took a closer look to observe the injury and then was forced to call the bout over. Bracero won by technical knockout at the 2:48 point in the fourth round.

The up and coming sensation, Ivan Redkach (12-0, 11 KO’s, 134lbs) faced Edward Valdez (11-8-2, 8 KO’s, 134lbs). Redkach is known for his sensational knockouts, and he started the fight by taking it right to Valdez, landing two hard right hands. Valdez, to his credit was able to land long looping right hands over the top of Redkach’s straight left hands. This continued throughout the fight. Redkasch stalking Valdez with the left hand, landing it often, with Valdez countering with his right hand and landing every so often.

Valdez’counters definitely earned Redkach’s respect. Redkach wasn’t nearly as aggressive as he usually is. Redkasch landed more consistent blows, but Valdez’ shots wowed his hometown crowd. Entering the seventh round, Redkach seemed intent to put Valdez away, landing dozens and dozens of hard blows with Valdez in the corner. Finally, a little over halfway through the round, Valdez landed a hook that stopped Redkach in his tracks. Redkasch didn’t seem too phased, but it did stop him from continuing his high work rate from earlier in the round. The final round saw both fighters exhausted, but still throw punches until the final bell rang. The final scorecards were announced as 79-73, 78-74, and 78-74 for Redkach and a unanimous decision.

In an eight round feature, Ionut Ion Dan (29-3, 16 KO’s, 150lbs) squared off against Franklin Gonzalez (15-11, 11 KO’s, 150lbs). Ion Dan began the fight working behind his jab and keeping his southpaw left cocked for a counter. He was much taller than Gonzalez, so he maintained a safe distance to throw from, never allowing Gonzalez to be in his optimal range. That caused for Gonzalez (also a southpaw) to reach fairly often with his left hand. By the fourth round, it was all Ion Dan, still applying all the pressure and throwing all the meaningful punches. He worked Gonzalez into the ropes and unleashed multiple blows that had Gonzalez reeling, only to be saved by the bell. As the fifth round went underway, Ion Dan feinted a shot upstairs and landed a hard left hook to the body, dropping Gonzalez. The referee immediately waved the fight off after seeing Gonzalez writhe in pain. Ion Dan was credited with a technical knockout victory at the :11 point in the fifth round.

Travis Peterkin (5-0, 3 KO’s 175lbs) looked huge compared to his opponent, Edward Tigs (1-4-2, 0 KO, 169lbs). The entire bout from start to finish saw Peterkin utilize his size and strength to overwhelm Tigs. It was as one-sides as you can get. Tigs was not particularly bad; he used the ring well and was able to counter somewhat well. Peterkin simply out-matched him. In the third round, a right hand stunned Tigs, and Tigs wisely took a knee to prevent any more damage. The rest of that round and the fourth saw Peterkin continue his onslaught. The final scorecards read 40-35, 40-35, and 40-35, a unanimous decision for Peterkin.

Mikkel LesPierre (1-0, 1 KO, 143lbs) came out to a roaring ovation when he took on Cornelius Whitlock (Debut) in a bout scheduled for four rounds. Both fighters looked talented from the outset; utilizing skilled defense and ring usage. LesPierre was much more calm, fighting behind the shoulder roll in a southpaw stance. Whitlock fought off his back foot for those first two rounds, using every square inch of the canvas. In the second, LesPierre was able to walk Whitlock into the ropes and land multiple blows that had Whitlock reeling.

By the third, LesPierre smelled blood and went in for the kill. That proved to be a mistake as he walked right into a big right From Whitlock hand that buckled his knees and had him reach down to the canvas to stay on his feet. The referee called it a knockdown and when both fighters were allowed to continue, Whitlock was now on the hunt. He landed two more big right hands and then backed towards the corner. LesPierre walked right into another huge right hand bomb and was on his back. He beat the count, and Whitlock tried getting him out of there, but LesPierre survived the round. By most unofficial scorecards, Whitlock still needed the fourth and final round to win the fight. Instead of keeping his hands moving, Whitlock went back to the same backing away style that lost him the first two rounds. The bout ended and the final scorecards read 37-37, 37-37, and 37-37 scoring the fight a draw. Promoter Lou Dibella reached an agreement with both fighters that they would fight in a rematch at the next Broadway Boxing event.

The women took to the ring in a bout scheduled for four rounds. Akima Stocks (4-0, 3 KO’s, 154lbs) took on Marva Dash (0-1, 156lbs). Stocks started the bout very aggressive from her southpaw stance. The bout remained that way, with Stocks consistently working Dash into the ropes. The bout was a little sloppy because of the fact that both combatants were left-handed, but Stocks maintained her composure and alway skept her hands moving. In the fourth and final round, Dash finally began to throw her jab, and it was landing. Soon afterwards, she appeared to score a knockdown, but the referee ruled it off as a slip. The final bell rang, and all three judges saw it the same way, scoring it 40-36 on their cards, giving Stocks a unanimous decision victory.

Jarrell Miller scored a second round stoppage over Tyrone Gibson in a four round Heavyweight bout.

Miller rocked Gibson in round one from a right hand. Later in the round Miller opened up with a four punch combination on the ropes. Miller rocked Gibson with a huge right hand that he followed up with a barrage and the fight was stopped at 1:25 of round two.

Miller, 278 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 4-0 with four knockouts. Gibbing, 230 lbs of Hibbing, MN is now 1-4.

Allan Benitez (7-1, 1 KO, 136lbs) and Daniel Calzada (4-6-2, 1 KO, 135lbs) fought in a back and forth bout. Both fighters threw aggressive punches, but it was Calzada who kept the pressure throughout the first half of the fight. He was basic in that he stuck to the jab followed by a straight right, but he threw constantly and landed regularly Benitez resorted to counter hooks, which landed at a good rate, but they seemed to come few and far between.

By the second half of the fight, Calzada seemed to tire just a bit, and Benitez took advantage by upping his work rate. He seemed to try making up for the fact that he might have given up early rounds. The final round saw both fighters give it their all, exchanging huge hooks for the entire three minutes. At the end, the close scorecards of 60-54, 59-55, and 59-55 in favor of Daniel Calzada, giving him the upset victory.

The opening bout of the evening saw Maurice Hooker (6-0-1, 5 KO’s, 141lbs) square off against Cameron Kreale (2-3-2, 0 KO’s, 139lbs) in a bout scheduled for four rounds. Kreale was no pushover, showcasing an aggressive stance, but he was no match for Hooker, who was simply more talented. A right hook dropped Kreale in the opening stanza, and Hooker continued to apply the pressure throughout the fight. A second knockdown came in the second with another right hook. From then on, Hooker coasted to a UD victory, counting on his superior talent and resilience. The final scorecards read 40-34, 40-34, and 39-35 in favor of Hooker.

QUEENS, NY – The Resorts World Casino hosted another successful night of fights on Saturday night as they featured Vinny Maddalone (35-8, 26 KO’s, 231 1/2lbs) up against Byron Polley 25-13-1, 11KO’s, 268 1/2lbs). The event was promoted by Ole World, New Legend, and Won Promotions in association with Joe Deguardia’s Star Boxing.

Maddalone, as usual, came out swinging. Polley was horribly overweight, and Maddalone zeroed in on his soft midsection. Maddalone scored a knockdown in the first, maintained control of the second, and stormed out of his corner in the third, gunning for the KO. A knockdown came early in the round, and Maddalone pounced, landing a hook upstairs. After a delayed reaction, Polley hit the canvas, and the referee waved the fight off. Maddalone won the fight by way of technical knockout victory at the 1:11 point of the third round.

The co-feature showcased Juan Dominguez (11-0, 7 KO’s, 121lbs) against Jhon Alberto Molina (30-21-3, 19 KO’s, 120lbs). Dominguez started the fight imposing his considerable size advantage with long and straight punches from a safe distance. Molina made attempts at getting inside behind a looping overhand right, but Dominguez seemed prepared for that by only using his jab when absolutely necessary. After three rounds, Dominguez was in control, but still hadn’t established himself as completely dominant. Both fighters seemed fresh as they made it to their corners before the fourth round, but Molina began complaining about an injury to his left thigh. He was unable to continue and was forced to retire, giving Dominguez a technical knockout victory at the :00 mark of the fourth round officially. Dominguez and his fans were glad for the win, but appeared disappointed in the fact that he couldn’t win the old fashioned way.

Frank Galarza (7-0-1, 4 KO’s, 152lbs) made his return to Resorts World hoping for a big performance against Roberto Lopez (4-3-2, 1 KO, 152lbs). Both fighters quickly established stiff jabs and followed up with hard rights, but it was Galarza who landed the cleaner blows. Galarza utilized the ring much better, which was something he hasn’t shown in past fights. Lopez wanted a brawl, but Galarza’s movement kept him in check. As the bout progressed, Lopez was able to continue his pressure and pin a seemingly tired Galarza. The fifth round saw Lopez strafe Galarza along the ropes. Galarza responded in the sixth by fighting like a completely different fighter; ripping huge punches on Lopez. The bout ended to rising applause. The judges all saw it the same, scoring it 59-55 for Galarza for the unanimous decision victory.

Angel Garcia (3-1, 2 KO’s, 134 lbs) showcased his fancy footwork against Victor Galindo (1-0, 1 KO, 133lbs). The first two rounds saw Garcia utilize an excess of movement while pot shotting. Galindo was more traditional, hoping to work behind a 1-2 combination. Landing a clean jab against a left handed fighter is a difficult task, and Garcia began to take advantage in the final two rounds of the fight, throwing numerous from multiple angles. The bout ended and the scores read 39-37, 39-37, and 38-38 in favor of Garcia, giving him a majority decision victory.

In front of a throng of supporters, Bryant Cruz (129 1/2lbs) made his professional debut against Jonathan Caban (0-3, 130lbs). Caban, despite being the taller of the two, was unable to keep Cruz off of him. The first two rounds saw Cruz maul Caban from pillar to post. It was more of the same in the third until the referee had no choice but to step in and call a stop to the onslaught, giving Cruz a technical knockout victory at the 1:20 mark.

About tewnty-seven years ago, Robert Garris was a star amateur with sixty-seven wins and only three losses. After suffering an injury, his professional hopes came to an end. That was until Saturday night. He came in at 171lbs and faced Abdellah Smith (1-4, 1KO, 174lbs) in a bout scheduled for four rounds. Abdellah, at 38 years of age, was no spring chicken himself. The first round saw both fighters size each other up. Neither one of them were steady on their feet. At the 1:08 point in the second, with Garris backing into a corner, Smith unleashed a powerful right hand that landed flush on Garris’ chin. Garris was knocked out cold; face down on the canvas. The crowd, whom he had won over with his story, was in shock. Then word spread out that his entire purse was to be donated to disadvantaged and orphaned children. It was then that Garris sat up, and then stood up to the roar of the fans in attendance. He might have lost, but he won over the hearts of everyone in attendance. Smith was credited with a 2nd round technical knockout.

The very talented Heather Hardy (2-0, 122lbs) made easy work of Ivana Coleman (0-3, 123 1/2lbs) over the course of four one sided rounds. Hardy was just simply too good and landed nonstop combinations throughout the fight. Coleman was able to stay on her feet and attempt to slip in some counter punches, but Hardy barely flinched. The final scores were unanimous in Hardy’s favor, all reading 40-36.

The opening bout of the evening featured a very entertaining for round scrap between Neuky Santelises (1-0, 1KO, 131lbs) and Micah Branch (1-2, 132lbs). From start to finish, both fighters attempted to finish eachother off with hard counter punching. The difference between the two was that Branch focused entirely on blows to the head, while Santelises’ punch selection was much more well rounded. After four spirited rounds, the final scores read 39-37, 40-36, and 39-37 in favor of Santelises, giving him a unanimous decision victory

Austin “No Doubt” Trout might not be a name commonly heard at the dinner table. Sure he is not the most popular boxer out there, but he certainly possesses the qualities of a boxing star. On Saturday night, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Trout expects to showcase those qualities when he steps into the ring to defend his WBA Jr. Middleweight title against the great Miguel Cotto.

Like so many great boxers, Trout began his career at the young age of ten. Not long afterwards, he progressed competitively and eventually one of the nation’s best amateur boxers, winning a national championship in 2004. One thing he didn’t expect when turning professional was the hardships he would endure as a talented yet low profile boxer. Nobody wanted to fight him. He fights out of the southpaw stance, and possesses the ability to either box from the outside or brawl his way to a victory; a very dangerous combination of skills.

Trout’s response to those hardships was to train even harder. His theory was that if he continued to work hard and win, he would be recognized by the sanctioning organizations and high profile fights would come his way. That happened in 2011 when he was able to win the WBA interim title which was subsequently elevated to the “regular” champion.

“I don’t want to be anonymous anymore,” stated Trout while on a conference call with the media. “I feel like the powers that be don’t necessarily want me in the boxing game, because I feel like I’m a thorn to everybody’s side that have to fight me.”

Come Saturday, he will stand across the ring from his toughest test yet. While Trout was winning his aforementioned amateur title, Cotto was already an established world class fighter being featured on television. Cotto’s record features the top fighters of his generation such as Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, and Paul Malignaggi amongst others.

Asked about his reaction when he heard that he would be facing Cotto, Trout exclaimed, “I was shocked that he chose a fighter like me, because a lot of times I’ve been known as high risk, low reward, even with the belt.”

He is actually a fan of Cotto’s abilities, even going so far as to request an autograph which was televised on Showtime’s “Cotto vs. Trout: All Access;” a program where viewers are given an inside look into the lives of both boxers as they prepare for their bout. “Cotto is a very powerful and explosive fighter,” said trout, “and I’ve not necessarily faced anybody as explosive as him, but I think I’ve faced people that have been as strong as him.”

And just as he has always been, Trout’s response to the challenges awaiting him is to hit the gym and work harder than ever. “I haven’t changed anything; it’s just a more intense camp,”

“Showdown: Cotto vs. Trout” is a 12-round battle between Four-Time and Three-Division World Champion Miguel Cotto and undefeated WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Austin Trout taking place on Saturday, December 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-featured fights will see Jayson Velez take on Salvador Sanchez in a 10-round fight for the vacant WBC Silver Featherweight title and Danny “Miracle Man” Jacobs battle Chris “The Irish Ghost” Fitzpatrick in an eight-round middleweight fight. The event is promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Greg Cohen Promotions, sponsored by The Puerto Rican Tourism Board and Corona and will be televised live on SHOWTIME at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

Tickets priced at $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are available for purchase at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.thegarden.com

Only a few weeks after Superstorm Sandy hit Atlantic City, a new storm will make landfall. Adrien Broner and Antonio Demarco are both expecting to inflict damage tonight at the Boardwalk Hall. DeMarco has his WBC lightweight title on the line for this bout scheduled for twelve rounds.

“I am very excited to fight in Atlantic City. I was on my toes when Sandy came through, but even Sandy couldn’t stop this fight from going on, so it must have been meant to be,” said Broner this week. Broner is considered by many to be the best young fighter in boxing, but he has yet to face an opponent that poses a legitimate threat. But Antonio DeMarco is more than just an opponent and more than just a threat. He brings with him a world title, thirty one professional bouts, and experience against undefeated opposition. To top it off, he is in his prime years at the age of twenty-six.

And Broner fully understands what DeMarco is capable of, saying, “DeMarco is definitely my best opponent so far on paper. [He] has fought good guys, but he hasn’t fought me. You are going to see a totally different Adrien Broner on Saturday night.”

“I’ve faced undefeated boxers in the past and I have learned my lessons. I’m coming into the fight ready. I’ve been defeated in the past and that experience has helped me to be ready to succeed this time,” stated DeMarco. He has faced young opposition as the underdog multiple times in the past. He won most and even in losing, was never out classed.

“I’m confident that my training will pay off. I can assure you that we will put on a good show. May the best boxer win,” added DeMarco.

Indeed.

Tonight’s fight takes place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and R & R Promotions in association with Gary Shaw Productions, sponsored by Caesars Atlantic City, Corona and AT&T and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The co-main event will be a 12-round heavyweight clash between Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell and Johnathon Banks for Mitchell’s NABO title and the vacant WBC International Heavyweight title.

NEW YORK— Dibella Entertainment provided a great opportunity for some of New York City’s brightest boxing up and comers Wednesday night at the Roseland Ballroom. Sean Monaghan (15-0, 10 KO’s, 174lbs) took another step in the direction of the national spotlight when he took on Rayco Saunders (22-17-2, 9 KO’s, 174lbs).

Monaghan, hoping to showcase his ever improving boxing ability began the fight working behind a stiff jab and would occasionally follow up with a right hand over the top. Saunders has been in the ring with many young talents, and Monaghan was aware of this before entering the ring. Technique would be the difference maker in the fight.

Saunders went into a shell early on in the fight, only opening up to shoot the occasional right hand at the tail end of any combinations from Monaghan. With only one knockout in his long career, it was evident early that Saunders did not want to take many risks in this fight. Monaghan maintained his composure. Constantly sticking his strong jab and only opening up with combinations during lulls in the action. Monaghan was winning the first half of the fight with his work rate and effective punching.

The sixth round saw some interesting action as Monaghan was able to land a clean straight right hand that seemed to stun Saunders a bit. Saunders began making faces in Monaghan’s direction, possibly hoping to entice Monaghan into throwing too much and making a mistake. Monaghan didn’t bite though, and took his time while landing two combinations behind his jab.

The second half of the fight saw Saunders up his work rate. Like man veterans who have faced younger fighters, he was likely hoping to let Monaghan tire himself out before taking matters into his own hands. Monaghan seemed to expect this, and only threw combination punches when Saunders created openings. The tables turned, but it was still Monaghan in control.

The final two rounds saw some exciting action. Monaghan had Saunders pinned on the ropes for the entirety of the ninth, throwing dozens and dozens of punches. Towards the end of the round, while still on the ropes, Saunders began to land some heavy blows of his own. In the tenth, Monaghan controlled the pace by slipping Saunders’ punches, and punishing him with counters; stunning his opponent at one point. The final scores read 98-92, 99-91, and 99-91 giving Monaghan a unanimous decision victory and the WBC Continental Americas Light Heavyweight title.

Rising star Ivan Redkach (11-0, 10 KO’s, 136lbs) squared off against Tebor Brosch (7-3-5, 2 KO’s, 137lbs) in a very one sided bout. Redkach, as usual, came out gunning for a knockout. He was a bit more calculated than usual, waiting for the right moments to land his heavy hands, but Brosch allowed for the big hits to come with his weak guard. The left hook was Redkasch’s favorite punch, as he landed it frequently and powerfully. After a hard left hook rocked Brosch into the ropes, Redkasch wasted no time pouncing. After numerous hard punches, the referee was forced to call a halt to the action at the 2:07 mark of the first, giving Redkasch a TKO victory.

Gabriel Bracero (19-1, 3 KO’s, 141lbs) came out in full force when he took on hard puncher Erick Cruz (16-10-3, 16 KO’s, 147lbs). Despite the fact that Cruz has the stellar knockout ratio, Bracero had no problem getting inside to test Cruz’ mettle. The early rounds saw Bracero landing the harder blows and countering very well. Cruz, on the other hand, seemed to try and time his quick fitted opponent, but was unable to do so.

From the outside with pinpoint hooks, to the inside with lightning fast combinations, Bracero controlled every aspect of the bout. As the fight bore on, Bracero fought with his hands down, showing no respect to Cruz’supposed power. In the eighth and final round, Bracero unleashed dozens of punches, hurting Cruz, who had to be saved by the bell. The final scores were all in favor of Bracero and read 79-73, 80-72, and 80-72 for a unanimous decision victory.

New York City’s newest ticket seller, Heather Hardy (1-0, 124lbs) squared off against Unique Harris (Debut, 120lbs) of Philadelphia, PA in a bout scheduled for four rounds. Like Hardy’s debut, it started off with fireworks. Hardy landed huge hooks from the outside, and then was able to work Harris into the ropes with a viscous body attack. Harris, being no pushover herself, was able to sneak in some some powerful counter hooks on her own, occasionally keeping Hardy at bay. By the end of the second, despite losing, Harris was able to open up a cut over Hardy’s right eye. This didn’t seem to bother Hardy very much, as she was able to continue her high punch output, landing flush punches time and time again. The final scorecards read 40-36, 39-37, 39-37, and 39-37 giving Heather Hardy a unanimous decision victory.

The popular Floriano Pagliara (13-4-2, 6 KO’s, 130lbs) took to the ring against Jeremy McLaurin (9-4, 5 KO’s, 130lbs) in a bout scheduled for eight rounds. McLaurin started the fight throwing multiple jabs towards his shorter opponent. Pagliara worked behind his own jab, but his jab was used to set up harder follow-up blows. McLaurin seemed very hesitant to trade with Pagliara, so the opening stanza was very one-sided. Pagliara upped his output as the bout progressed, and McLaurin’s only response was wild haymakers that rarely connected.

The middle rounds saw Pagliara stay in complete control of the bout, landing multiple combinations to McLaurin’s body and head. McLaurin still had no response, and his haymaker punches were smothered by Pagliara. In the late rounds, Pagliara’s output slowed a bit, allowing McLaurin to actually land some blows. Even still, Pagliara dominated those rounds. In the end, the final scorecards read 78-74, 80-72, and 80-72, giving Pagliara a unanimous decision win.

Young prospect, Travis Peterkin (4-0, 3 KO’s, 178lbs) squared off against the very tough Hamid Abdul-Mateen (3-2-2, 0 KO’s, 175lbs) in a bout scheduled for four rounds. Peterkin looked very calm to start the bout, focusing on his southpaw left hand to knock Abdul-Mateen off his game-plan. Whenever he stunned Abdul-Mateen, he would jump all over him with strong flurries. As the bout progressed into the second half of their fight, Peterkin was in complete control, and Abdul-Mateen had no answer in response. Left hand after left hand came at Abdul-Mateen as the bout ended. The final scores read 39-37, 40-36, and 40-36 in favor of Peterkin, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

Delen Parsley (8-0, 2 KO’s, 160lbs) stepped up to the middleweight division to open up the evening as he took on Ibaheim King (10-7, 4 KO’s, 159lbs) in a bout scheduled for six rounds. Both fighters opened up hoping to make their strengths an immediate factor. Parsley is a tall and rangy fighter, and his jab came out hard and often, while King worked his way inside behind his southpaw straight right. Neither fighter took complete control throughout the fight, and they took turns landing hard punches. But it was Parsley who was getting better as each round passed, while King began to lose his accuracy.

By the end of the fifth, though, King seemed to grow visibly frustrated, which escalated at the end of the round when he wouldn’t sit on his stool, instead opting to pace around the ring shouting at himself. Both fighters tried finishing strong, but it was Parsley who was the better fighter in the ring. The final scores read 58-56, 59-55, and 59-55 giving Parsley a unanimous decision victory.

When Irish-American boxer Sean Monaghan (15-0, 10 KO’s) looks at his predecessors, he sees one thing; a stereotype. For too long, he has watched multiple Irish fighters being labeled as a brawlers and then fighting in that fashion. When Sean Monaghan began his career, he was immediately added to the long list of Irish-born boxers who are face first brawlers.

The truth is, he fought that way in his early days. He broke his opponents down with his sledgehammer-like fists, and his excellent stamina allowed for him to apply consistent pressure. But there is more to it than that. Monaghan barely had an amateur career. He made it to the NY Golden Gloves finals, and despite the losing effort, he came out garnering lots of respect. He started Boxing at the “late” age of 26, so he took the leap of faith into the professional ranks. Combining his amateur and professional records, Monaghan is about as much a newbie to the sport as some teenagers in the gyms that he works out.

Wednesday night, at the Roseland Ballroom in New York, NY, Sean Monaghan looks to compliment his toughness with a refined ability as a technician. Coincidentally, this event promoted by Dibella Entertainment also presents a perfect complement to the fireworks that took place in Brooklyn over the weekend.

“I’m fighting my opponent, but also the stereotype of being a brawler,” stated Monaghan at Monday’s press conference at Jack Dempsey’s restaurant and bar in Manhattan.

Monaghan is set to face off against Rayco Saunders (22-17, 9 KO’s) in a bout scheduled for ten rounds. “We’re ready for ten rounds, but we think it will end earlier,” stated his trainer, Joe Higgins. Despite his record, Saunders is a bit of a spoiler. He has faced many up and coming prospects, and has given nearly all of them fits. He is by far the most experienced opponent Monaghan has faced, and will test Monaghan’s patience numerous times. Higgins isn’t concerned, indicating his fighter’s workmanlike regimen when he said, “Seanie is the truest professional I have ever seen. He comes to the gym with his tool belt on.“

The bout will have the WBC Continental Americas Light Heavyweight title on the line.

The co-feature of the evening features Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (19-1, 3 KO’s) as he continues to make his trek back to the national stage. He is facing Eric Cruz (13-10, 13 KO’s) of Puerto Rico. Back in January, Bracero was shocked when he was dropped three times en route to a decision loss against DeMarcus Corley. Kevin Rooney Jr. of Dibella Entertainment summed it up best when he said, “The fact that he was able to come back after the three knockdowns and sweep the last rounds and making it a close fight is a testament to the kind of fighter that he is and also the kind of person that he is.”

“I’m cranky. I want to go in there and win. I want to go in there and kick his ass already. Like I said, I’m cranky,” said Bracero. The fight itself is a great clash of styles. Bracero, while not much of a power puncher, likes to keep the fight on the inside, while Cruz is said to be rangier while packing a big wallop. Bracero finished by saying, “You never know. I might knock his ass out.”

The rest of the card features very popular prospects fighting out of the New York City area. Delen Parsley (8-0, 2KO’s), Travis Peterkin (4-0, 3KO’s), Floriano “L’ Italiano” Pagliara (13-4-2, 7KO’s) and Heather Hardy (1-0).will all be featured.

Tickets are priced at $125, $85, and $65, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased through any Ticketmaster outlet, visiting Ticketmaster.com, or calling (800) 745-3000

We already covered tonight’s Garcia vs. Morales main event. Now on Showtime, it is the main event, but in the Barclays Center there is another main event.

Brooklyn’s main event.

Paul Malignaggi (31-4, 7 KO’s) vs. Pablo Cesar Cano (25-1, 19 KO’s)
Paul Malignaggi was once a young talent begging for a title shot. Now he’s the veteran about to face a talented young fighter. Pablo Cesar Cano is no joke. His one loss came against Erik Morales in a fight that he took on very short notice, and had to stop the match due to a cut. Otherwise, his record is virtually blemish proof against some very stiff opposition.

But Malignaggi has a not so secret weapon. He is fighting as the titleholder in his hometown of Brooklyn, NY. This is something he never imagined happening to himself. Mostly due to the fact that Brooklyn never had a venue to facilitate world title fights. At the pre-fight press conference, Cano made a mention of this fight being a war. This doesn’t phase Malignaggi.

“Listen, man, we can do wars. We can do boxing matches. I have done it all. I have 35 pro fights. I’ll be 32 next month, and I have been in there with the best and fought some of the best, won some, lost some. Won two world titles as you know. There is nothing that I have not seen. So, be at war, a tactical match. So, there is nothing new on Saturday night that I can expect to see that I haven’t already seen and that I’m not prepared to deal with.”

Peter Quillin (27-0, 20 KO’s) vs. Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (27-0, 17 KO’s)
For those in the know, this match-up is the one that most believe will be the fight of the night. Both fighters are undefeated and both are very good. For anyone able to view fight footage of N’Dam, one thing stood out. He is the real deal. He isn’t your typical euro-fighter that has faced soft opposition. Quillin, a native New Yorker, is poised to impress. He has been yearning for a big opportunity on this stage. Both fighters can box and are very capable of keeping things technical, but don’t be surprised if you see them showcasing power punches.

“But, I know that I have the skill to pay the bills. And come October 20, I will look you in the eye, Hassan, and you will see all the pain I will endure on you,” stated Quillin. N’Dam’s response was, “I do want you to see a show on Saturday night. I am a French showman.”

Randall Bailey (43-7, 37 KO’s) vs. Devon Alexander (23-1, 13 KO’s)
This match-up is the perfect clash of styles. Bailey is one of the most feared punchers in the game while Alexander is one of the fastest stylists in the game. While Alexander looks to be the favored fighter, Bailey is not concerned. He has been the underdog against young gunners in the past. And he prevailed.

“I am still going to prove myself by taking on Randall Bailey. You guys say that he’s Knockout King Bailey, but Saturday night I will show you what I’m going to do to him. I don’t run from anybody. I will fight anybody. I’m a throwback fighter. And I’m ready to rock ‘n’ roll. I have been ready since September 8,” said a confident Alexander. Bailey, a man of few words, stated, “So, I’m looking way too forward to Saturday night. It will be a great show. I plan on putting on a great show, along with all of the other fighters come Saturday night.”

Brooklyn, NY will be the center of the Boxing world this Saturday as the brand new Barclays Center will play host to one of the most loaded events in a very long time. 15rounds will be your one stop shop for everything that is Brooklyn Boxing and today, we will provide to you a cheat-sheet for the main event of the evening. Throughout the week, we will do the same with the rest of the televised portion of the card that will air on Showtime. And to add some icing on the cake, we will also preview the non-televised portion, which also features some competitive match-ups.

Let’s get started.

Danny Garcia (24-0, 15 KO’s) vs. Erik Morales (50-8, 36 KO’s)
WBA/WBC light welterweight titles

These two squared off a little over a year and a half ago in what turned out to be a very entertaining bout. Much to our surprise, it was Garcia that was more aggressive throughout the night, throwing over two hundred more punches throughout the fight. And his output finally paid off when he managed to floor Morales with a powerful left hook. Before this bout, Garcia was virtually unknown to anyone that was not a hardcore fan.

Here is what we could expect out of both fighters. Despite not having huge power, Garcia likes to take the fight to his opponent. He has shown that he can experience some difficulty against more defensive minded opponents. Morales seemed to make some attempts at this on their first go around, so we could expect to see him counterpunch off of his back foot. Morales saw some success bringing his right hand over the top of Garcia’s left hook. Garcia has one advantage that is quite literally a game changer. Both fighters know that Garcia is capable of knocking Morales down.

In the end, we could expect to see a very different fight between both fighters. Most of it is riding on how Morales has prepared his strategy for this bout. Garcia certainly has the advantage, which is why he is favored so highly.

Tickets priced at $300, $200, $100 and $50 are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the Barclays Center box office, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000. Or you can tune into Showtime Extreme where the boxing broadcast will begin at 7:00PM Eastern Time and then Showtime at 8:00PM for the fight broadcast.

New York – Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez took to New York City as part of their three city tour to announce their upcoming showdown set for December 8th in Las Vegas. This would be their fourth time meeting each-other in the ring. All three of their bouts were closely contested and hotly debated, with two of the fights being fight of the year candidates.

To put things into perspective, combining all of the judges’ scorecards from all three fights, Pacquiao has a slight advantage on points over his rival by a margin on 1024-1017.

On Wednesday at the Edison Ballroom in Times Square, Pacquiao took to the podium and stated, “I’m looking forward to winning impressively and to make the fight as short as possible. We need to get back to the aggressiveness and hunger from when I was twenty-five years old.”

In his always improving English, Marquez stated, “December 8th I have a new challenge again. I don’t need to prove nothing, because I won the last three fights!.”

Kerry Davis took to the podium to briefly announce a the ongoing strategic alliance between HBO and ESPN, and to stay tuned for more in the future.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Zanfer Promotions, Márquez Boxing, Tecate and MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, tickets to Pacquiao-Márquez 4 will go on sale Friday, September 28 at 1:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. PT. Tickets are priced at $1,200, $900, $600, and $400 and are limited to 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

The Pacquiao vs. Márquez telecast, which begins at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View

NEWARK– The Polish faithful were on hand at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ to see their hero, Tomasz Adamek (46-2, 28 KOs, 222.5lbs), take on Travis Walker (39-7-1, 31 KOs, 235lbs). The show was put together by Main Events and aired on WealthTV.

The bout started as expected, with both fighters aggressively moving towards each other looking to find an opening. The second round is where things got interesting. A straight right hand from Walker landed flush on Adamek’s chin, sending him down. Everyone at ringside was in disbelief. Adamek beat the count, but did not look 100%. Walker came on, landing more right hooks that had Adamek reeling all over the ring. After about a minute of this, Adamek tried fighting back, and began regaining the strength in his legs. Then both fighters threw right hands at the same time. Adamek’s landed first, and now it was Walkers turn to be on the canvas. When Walker got to his feet, Adamek pounced. The bell for the end of the round rang, but referee Eddie Cotton could not hear it and allowed the assault to continue for about fifteen seconds after the round was supposed to end.

Adamek controlled the next two rounds with his straight right hand, repeatedly stopping Walker in his tracks. It was in the fifth when Adamek opened up again. Another right hand badly stunned Walker. Adamek followed that up with over twenty unanswered flush punches onto a badly damaged Walker. Eddie Cotton was forced to call a halt to the fight at the 1:08 point of the fifth round, giving Adamek a TKO victory.

Steve Cunningham (24-4, 12 KO’s, 207lbs) took his first plunge into the heavyweight division when he took on Jason Gavern (21-10-4, 10KO’s, 239lbs) in a bout scheduled for ten rounds. Many in attendance were interested in seeing how Cunningham would fare against a much heavier opponent. Things were difficult for Cunningham when seconds into the bout, an accidental clash of heads cut Cunningham just over his left eye.

That didn’t seem to phase Cunningham much, as he completely outclassed Gavern over the course of the fight. Any time Gavern tried to mount any momentum, he was thwarted by Cunningham’s movement and volume punching. To make matters worse, in the middle rounds, Gavern managed to land a shot on the top of Cunningham’s head which broke his hand.

Cunningham continued his assault on Gavern for the rest of the fight, occasionally stunning him. The final scorecards read 99-91, 100-90, and 100-90 giving Cunningham a unanimous decision victory and his first win as a heavyweight.

Rising heavyweight sensation, Bryant Jennings (14-0, 6 KO’s, 230lbs) wowed the crowd when he took on Chris Koval (25-9, 18 KO’s, 226lbs). One of the first punches thrown was a left-right combination from Jennings, and it crushed Koval, sending him down hard. Koval somehow managed to beat the count, but was on very unsteady legs. Another righ-left combination sent him down again, and the referee waved the fight off before Koval even hit the canvas. Jennings won with a first round TKO at the :35 second mark. Jennings continues to impress.

The opening bout of the WealthTV broadcast featured an exciting matchup between Jerry Belmontes (16-0, 5 KO’s, 129lbs) and Joselito Collado (13-1, 3 KO’s, 129lbs). Neither fighter is known for their punching prowess, but they came out swinging early. Collado was the aggressor, pressuring his opponent with looping left hooks. That backfired when both fighters clashed heads, opening up a cut high on Collado’s forehead. Throughout the eight round bout, neither fighter let up. Collado continued to make use of his left hook, while Belmontes consistently took advantage of the opening by landing flush straight right hands. The early rounds were very back and forth, but by the sixth, Belmontes was the fresher fighter. It was a testament to his highly regarded attention to training.

At the end of the fight, the judges scored it 78-74, 78-74, and 77-75 in favor of Belmontes, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

The opening bout of the evening featured an interesting matchup between Karl Dargan (10-0, 5 KO’s, 136lbs) and Jesse Carradine (8-1-1, 4 KO’s, 130lbs). Despite the difference in weight, Dargan looked to be the faster fighter. In a weird moment towards the end of the fight, an exchange tripped up Carradine, forcing him to hold himself up with his gloves. The referee ruled it a knockdown, but went over and started counting at Dargan. Spectators at ringside shouted to him that he was giving an eight count to the wrong fighter, and he turned around and counted the correct fighter. Only in boxing.

The next two rounds were competitive between both fighters, but Dargan was in control with with his superior all around talents. As the third round opened up, Dargan began opening up with power punches and landing very effectively. It was all to set up one huge straight right hand that buckled Carradine and sent him crashing onto the canvas. He managed to beat the count, but was on very rubbery legs. Dargan went in for the kill, but Carradine held on and didn’t let go. The referee had to pry Carradine off of Dargan. This happened two more times, and the referee finally had enough of Carradine’s antics and waved the fight off. Due to his unwillingness to fight, Dargan was credited with a TKO victory at 1:04 of the fourth round.

Jose Peralta (9-1, 5 KO’s, 141lbs) took to the ring against Christian Steele (3-4, 1 KO, 140lbs) in a bout scheduled for six rounds. Peralta started early with a viscious body attack that had Steele on the defensive. Steele, to his credit, is better than his record shows and was able to land some short counter hooks to slow down Peralta’s onslaught. Peralta didn’t waver and continued to work into his opponent. In the second round, while Steele was trying to side step his way out of danger, Peralta landed a picturesque left hook that sent Steele down. Steele beat the count and seemed steady on his feet, but it was evident that he was concerned with Peralta’s power and he went into survival mode. In the third round, a right hand landed on Steele’s temple and sent him down again. Steele beat the count again, but the referee saw that he was out of it and waved the fight off. Peralta scored an impressive TKO victory at :40 of the third round.

Dibella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing was back with a bang at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City as Thomas Oosthuizen (19-0-1, 11 KO’s, 167lbs) put his IBO title on the line against Rowland Bryant (16-1, 11 KO’s, 168lbs) in a very high profile bout. It is thought that either fighter could see a showdown with Carl Froch in the near future. Both fighters fought a measured pace in the first three rounds, but it was clear that they both possessed some serious firepower as a few of their exchanges drew “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowd.

Oosthuizen tried utilizing his 6”4’ height to his advantage, by fighting from the outside and dropping long blows. Bryant worked to counter Oosthuizen’s attack by coming over the top. That worked in the second round, as Bryant was able to land some hard shots upstairs. By the fourth, Oosthuizen had established his jab, which was working on keeping Bryant at bay. Bryant’s only response was to throw wild haymakers that smacked loudly against Oosthuizen’s gloves, but did no damage.

The fifth round saw Bryant try and work Oosthuizen into the ropes, but Oosthuizen was more than happy to allow Bryant to smother his own punches while allowing himself to chip away with small blows on the inside. The sixth saw a change of pace as Bryant was able to land a hard looping right hand that rocked Oosthuizen. He followed that up with multiple hooks with Oosthuizen against the ropes. Halfway through the round, things calmed down and Oosthuizen was back on the offensive throwing hard shots of his own. In the seventh and eighth rounds, things were back in Oosthuizen’s favor as he worked behind his jab and was able to back Bryant into the ropes on different occasions.

Throughout the bout, Oosthuizen incorporated body blows between his long punches from the outside. That might have taken a toll on Bryant because his punch output slowed to a near halt by the eighth round. He saw a glimmer of success in the ninth, where he landed three hard right hands against Oosthuizen, but provided little else. Oosthuizen came into the tenth landing some serious blows of his own, stunning Bryant with a hard combination.

The twelfth and final round saw Bryant come out swinging wildly for a Hail Mary style knockout, but that didn’t come. The final scores read 118-110, 117-111, and 117-111 in favor of Oosthuizen, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

Despite being the fight of lesser profile, Sean Monaghan (14-0, 9 KO’s, 176lbs) was actually the last bout of the evening when he took on George Armenta (14-9, 11 KO’s, 174lbs). Monaghan has a large and very boisterous following in the New York City area.

The ever improving Monaghan began the fight patiently, waiting for Armenta to open up with a wide punch. The opportunity came for Monaghan, and that was when he unleashed his hard blows. Armenta continued to be aggressive early on, but it was Monaghan who was landing the more telling blows; picking the right moments to make the most of his strength. Then, as the bell for the second round rang, Monaghan landed a powerful hook that sent Armenta crashing down to the canvas. Armenta’s corner was already in the corner with their stool out, but the referee was still required to count. Monaghan came out at the start of the third round throwing hard punches that rocked Armenta, but Armenta had already regained his composure by this point. But Monaghan remained aggressive and as the round was about to close, another hook sent Armenta down flat on his back. Armenta barely beat the count, but was completely dazed. The referee called a halt to the action at the 2:25 point of the third round, giving Monaghan a TKO victory.

The popular Boyd Melson (7-1, 3 KO’s, 154lbs) and his opponent, Khalik Memminger (6-8-3, 3 KO’s), created fireworks in their six round bout. Melson dominated early on; utilizing his superior ring generalship alongside his aggressive stance. Melson has a unique style where he often points his elbows outward while staying in a low crouch. What sets Melson apart from his opponents is that he is able to always be in range for his own attacks, while staying out of his opponent’s range.

The first five rounds of the bout saw Melson in total control. He landed multiple combinations from his southpaw stance, and Memminger found it difficult to move away from Melson’s right hook. The sixth round is what bought a gasp from the crowd. Memminger timed a straight right hand perfectly as Melson came forward. Melson was on shaky legs, and Memminger stormed in hoping to score a dramatic come from behind KO. He was able to land numerous hard punches flush against Melson’s head, but Melson stayed on his feet. After some time, Melson was able to regain his senses and mount an offensive of his own. As the final bell sounded, it was Melson who had his opponent backing up. The final scores all went for Melson as the judges had it the same with scores of 59-53, giving Melson the unanimous decision victory.

Heather Hardy (119lbs) made her much anticipated professional debut against Mikayla Nebel (0-2, 117lbs). Things did not start well for her as Nebel was able to score a hard right hand early in the first round that sent Hardy down. After the knockdown, Hardy came back strong, landing multiple punches while Nebel was back against the ropes. Nebel was only able to respond with her right hand…a powerful one. The second round saw Hardy maintain control with her high work rate. Nebel still used her right as a weapon, but Hardy’s output was a difference maker in that round. The third and fourth saw Hardy stun Nebel multiple times with her constant barrage. The final scores read 38-37 on all judges’ scorecards in favor of Hardy, giving her a unanimous decision victory.

Floriano Pagliara (13-4-1, 6 KO’s, 130½lbs) faced off against Willie Villanueva (10-4-2, 2 KO’s, 130½lbs) in a bout scheduled for six rounds. Both fighters hoped to establish themselves in the first two rounds, but neither was comfortably in control. By the third round, Villanueva was the one backing away from Pagliara due to higher punch volume. Villanueva’s only response was to occasionally counter with a hard hook. It would occasionally land, but Pagliara’s chin stayed strong. Pagliara remained in control in the fourth round, working Villanueva into the ropes time and time again. At this point in the fight, Villanueva’s looping counterpunches were not able to land, as Pagliara had timed the counter attacks from his tiring foe. The fifth round saw better action out of Villanueva, but there was a whole lot of running en between any bursts of action. Pagliara responded in the sixth round by coming out aggressive, strafing Villanueva against the ropes and bloodying his nose. The bout ended to cheers and the final scores read 58-56 for Villanueva, 58-56 for Pagliara, and 57-57, ruling the fight a split draw.

Zachary Ochoa (1-0, 1 KO, 139lbs) disposed of Cody Osbourne (0-2, 139lbs) in quick fashion. All it took was one short left hook, and Osbourne was on the canvas. He beat the count, but seemed visibly shaken in the corner, and the referee stopped the bout at the: 42 second point of the first round.

Jonathan Cepeda (11-0, 10 KO’s, 161lbs) made short work of his opponent, Orphius Waite (7-4-2, 5 KO’s). Cepeda came out and landed a huge blow early that sent Waite crashing to the canvas. Waite was able to beat the count, but was on very shaky legs. Cepeda saw this and pounced on Waite. The referee was forced to stop the bout, giving Cepeda a TKO victory in the first round.

The opening bout of the evening featured Allan Benitez (6-1-0, 1KO, 136lbs) in the ring against Osnel Charles (9-3-1, 1 KO, 133lbs). Benitez was in control throughout the six round bout, utilizing his superior footwork and hand speed. Charles remained competitive, but Benitez was too much, taking a unanimous decision victory of 59-57, 59-57, and 58-56.

As a child born and raised in South Africa, Thomas Oosthuizen, dreamed of fighting in New York City. Even at a young age, it was not difficult for him to understand what that meant. His father was Charles Oosthuizen; the pride of South African boxing, and their middleweight champion. Thomas idolized his father, and it wasn’t long before he laced up the gloves himself to continue in his father’s footsteps.

Despite being the son of a hero, Oosthuizen did not take the easy road up the rankings. Since turning professional in 2008, he has compiled a 19-0-1 record against some stiff opposition. Observers of the sport have grown accustomed to fighters facing off against poor opposition in their early years. Oosthuizen did not take this route. Instead, his opponent’s record in his first twenty fights was 197-46-7, which is a 78.8% win percentage. To put that into perspective, former Olympic gold medalist and current #1 super middleweight in the world, Andre Ward, faced opponents with a 79.9% winning percentage in his first twenty fights.

Oosthuizen faces a very tough test on Thursday night when he defends his IBO super middleweight title against Rowland Bryant (16-1, 11 KO’s). Bryant is coming off of a shocking third round TKO victory over Librado Andrade. Thursday night’s showdown is the best Broadway Boxing event New York has seen in some time.

“It’s the heart of Boxing in the world,” stated Oosthuizen on Tuesday afternoon at a press conference. “Before coming here, I told my sponsor that I couldn’t imagine that I would be here.”

Oosthuizen credits his success to his training. He is trained by Harold Volbrecht, another South African hero who is no stranger to guiding a fighter to the United States. “The easy work comes on [fight night],” stated Oosthuizen at a press conference on Tuesday. Train hard enough and the fights will be the easiest part.

The co-feature of the evening features the ever-improving Sean Monaghan (14-0, 9 KO’s) against George Armenta (14-9, 11 KO’s). If Mr. Armenta happens to be reading this, don’t point out any flaws. “It insults me and then it motivates me,” stated Monaghan on Tuesday. What does he do when motivated? “He trains three times a day half the week, and twice a day the other half,” stated Monaghan’s trainer.

Monaghan had a short amateur career of fewer than twenty fights before turning professional. Many pundits have been quick to make judgments on Monaghan’s style without realizing that he is still an extremely young boxer. With only about fifteen amateur fights and fourteen professional fights, Monaghan is as inexperienced as they come. The improvements that Monaghan has made in his technique and approach to boxing are amazing when things are put into perspective. He expects to showcase new improvements to his arsenal on Thursday against Armenta, who has long experience against young and undefeated fighters.

Managhan’s last statement at Tuesday’s press conference was a confident, “I got more to show you.”

Also on the card will be a number of the New York area’s most exciting and popular fighters, including Boyd Melson (8-1, 4KO’s), Floriano “L’ Italiano” Pagliara (13-4-1, 7KO’s), former amateur standout Zach Ochoa (1-0, 1KO), and Heather Hardy in her professional debut.

Tickets are priced at $125, $85, $65, and $45, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased through any Ticketmaster outlet, visiting Ticketmaster.com, or calling (800) 745-3000.

Sadam Ali (14-0, 8 KO’s, 147lbs) unveiled the debut of his new promotional company, Worldkid Promotions, in his backyard of Brooklyn, NY with great success. He faced off against Franklin Gonzalez (15-9, 10 KO’s, 146lbs), who is no stranger to fighting in Brooklyn against a local favorite. Ali, with his amateur pedigree as a 2008 US Olympian, took a calculated approach to this fight. He hasn’t been in the ring in nine months (His longest layoff), and was not going to give away any openings to his veteran opponent.

Despite his extremely loud and boisterous fanbase urging him, Ali took his time finding openings. Gonzalez gave him those openings with right hands in an attempt to catch the elusive Ali, but the former Olympian did not give anything away. Ali worked the body, knowing that Gonzalez’ veteran tendencies wanted Ali to waste punches upstairs.

Throughout the fight, Gonzalez would duck low in order to avoid Ali’s blows. It didn’t seem to frustrate Ali much, but it did prevent him from throwing as many punches as he probably could have. Still, it was Ali in total control of the fight, as Gonzalez’ punches came few and far between. As the bout progressed, Ali’s plan of breaking Gonzalez down was working perfectly. Finally, in the eighth round, a right hand stunned Gonzalez. Ali followed up with a combination that sent Gonzalez down. After beating the count, Gonzalez fought hard to survive, but Ali was too quick and Gonzalez’ legs were too spent. Another combination saw Gonzalez go down, and this time the referee waved it off. Ali won with a TKO at the 2:22 mark of the eighth round.

Jennifer Santiago (119lbs) made her professional debut as the co-feature of the night. She took on Mikayla Nebal (0-1, 120lbs) in an entertaining scrap scheduled for four rounds. Both fighters fought very well and were able to showcase some impressive defensive head movement. It was Santiago who had the heavier hands, though, as she was able to back Nebal up frequently with her punches. The fourth and final round saw lots of action, but the final bell rang, and it came to the scorecards. Two judges had it 40-36, while one had it 39-37, all in favor of Santiago.

Steven Gamache (2-0, 1 KO, 151lbs) put in good work against a savvier than expected Willie Bryant (0-3-1, 152lbs). Gamache took his time and stalked Bryant into the ropes, where he put in his best work. By the third round, Gamache began utilizing an uppercut that was very effective against his tiring opponent. The final scores all read 40-36 in favor of Gamache for the unanimous decision victory.

Armin Mrkanovic (2-1, 1 KO, 189lbs) dominated Daniel Pietch (180), who was making his professional debut. Mrkanovic began the fight looking sharp with his counter punches. Despite his impressive physique, Mrkanovic does not utilize any brawling tactics. Instead, he takes a calculated approach at his craft, violently taking advantage of openings made by his opponent. Pietch did not seem too shaken by Mrkanovic’s punches early on, and even tried taunting to get Mrkanovic to make a mistake. That did not work well, and by the fourth round, Pietch was exhausted and not throwing any punches. Mrkanovic began landing combinations at will, with nothing in return, and the referee was forced to call a halt to the action. Mrkanovic was credited with a TKO victory at the 1:10 point of the fourth round.

Akil Frederick-Auguste (159lbs) and Jamil Gadsden (156lbs) made their professional debuts to open up the evening’s event. A talent differential was evident right away as Fredrick-Auguste landed an early overhand right that sent Gadsden crashing onto his back. Gadsden, utterly outmatched, somehow managed to make it out of the round, but it didn’t take much longer for Fredrick-Auguste to put him away. Two more knockdowns in the second forced the referee to end the bout at the 2:26 point in the second. Fredrick-Auguste received a TKO victory.

Zab Judah (41-7, 28 KO’s, 138lbs) had his first ever fight in Brooklyn, NY, and it was up against rising talent, Vernon Paris (26-0, 15 KO’s, 138lbs). The bout took place at the Aviator Sports Center, which has become the home for boxing in Brooklyn.

With Judah being a southpaw and Paris in the orthodox stance, both fighters quickly worked at establishing their straight hands. Judah was the first to gain control, and he showed no signs of losing that control.

Any analyst will tell you that when opposite handed fighters face eachother, footwork is key. If one fighter’s lead foot is outside his opponent’s, he has the angle and leverage to land the better blows. Paris was losing the footwork battle badly. Judah beat him to the punch every single time as Paris could not grasp the very basic aspect of proper punching against a southpaw.

Judah repeatedly stunned Paris throughout the fight. To his credit, Paris showed a great chin, and was occasionally able to follow up with good shots of his own. But those shots were few and far between.

As both fighters entered the ninth round, Paris was way behind on the scorecards and needed something drastic to occur in order to come away victorious. Judah made sure that wouldn’t happen by sticking to the gamelan that was working to absolute perfection. He stunned Paris with another left hand and backed him into a corner. With Paris stunned and trapped, Judah stepped back and measured the situation before unleashing another combination that forced the referee to step in and call the fight. Judah came away victorious in impressive fashion, acoring a TKO victory at the 2:27 point in the ninth round.

The popular Tomasz Adamek (44-2, 28 KO’s, 222.5lbs) took to the ring against Nagy Aguilera (17-6, 12 KO’s, 226.5lbs) in what was expected to be a one sided affair. Aguilera was aggressive early, taking advantage of Adamek’s notoriously slow starts. Aguilera did well until Adamek landed a left hook that badly wobbled Aguilera’s legs.

From that point on, Adamek was in control of the slugfest, repeatedly landing the ol’ one-two combination, and then slipping out of harms way. Despite the I’ve sided nature of the fight, Aguilera landed some hard blows of his own, temporarily quieting some of Adamek’s passionate fans.

After ten rounds, the scores read 99-91, 100-90, 100-90 for Adamek, giving him the unanimous decision victory.

Sergei Liakhovich (25-4, 16KO’s, 231lbs) took on Bryant Jennings (12-0, 5 KO’s, 219.5lbs) in a crossroads battle. From start to finish, Jennings was in total control of the bout. His better footwork led to better opportunities to throw combinations. And throw combinations he did. Jennings landed at will and had Liakhovich staggered in nearly every round. Liakhovich was just too slow and had no answer for Jennings.

Over the course of eight one sided rounds, Liakhovich took a beating. Before the round, the ringside physician took Liakhovich aside for a closer look. He let the fight continue, and Jennings continued the beating. After the round was over, the doctor advised that the fight should should be stopped. Jennings was credited with a TKO victory at the 3:00 mark of the ninth round.

Cruiserweights Santader Silgado (20-0, 18 KO’s, 196lbs) and Willie Herring (13-9-3, 4 KO’s) took to the ring next. The experts in attendance were going to get a good look at Silgado, who boasts an impressive record.

Things did not start so peachy for Silgado, as Herring turned out to be a crafty counterpuncher. The early rounds were a closely contested chess match.

In order to work his way inside, Herring made many aggressive lunges forward that led to headbutts. Eventually, a headbutt seemed to open up a cut over Silgado’s right eye, but luckily, his cutman, Danny Milano was on hand, and the bleeding was stopped.

Things changed in the fifth round. Silgado landed a body blow, and Herring was able to sell it as a low blow. From that point on, Silgado was in control and used his advantage in size very well for the rest of the fight. Herring’s continued attempts at selling phantom low blows did not work.

The final round saw lots of fireworks as Herring was able to land some looping hooks. The second half of the round had Silgado back in control. In the end, the final scores read 77-75, 78-74, and 78-74 in favor of Silgado, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

Much to the delight of his adoring Brooklyn fans, Curtis Stevens (21-3, 15 KO’s, 162lbs) made short work of Romaro Johnson (11-5-1, 6 KO’s, 160lbs) in their bout. Not long after the opening bell, a combination from Stevens sent Johnson onto the canvas. Johnson quickly made it up to his feet, but Stevens gave him no breathing room, and another combination sent Johnson down.

Johnson beat the count again, but the referee stayed close by to jump in if there was danger. That danger came quick, as another combination landed, and the referee called an end before Johnson even landed. The time of the TKO came at 2:16 of the first round.

The opening bout og the evening saw Angel Garcia (1-0, 1 KO, 130lbs) dominate and stop Alan Beeman (debut, 129.5lbs) in three rounds.

The Irish fans came in full force to celebrate St. Patricks day at the theater in Madison Square Garden. They were also on hand to celebrate Ireland’s very own Matthew Macklin (28-3, 19 KO’s) as he squared off against against reigning middleweight champion, Sergio Martinez (48-2-2, 27KO’s). The bout began with Martinez showing an aggressive stance. His straight left behind his southpaw stance was a weapon that he prepared for. Macklin fared well under the circumstances. He came into the fight as a heavy underdog despite solid performances in the past, but was showcasing some skill and tenacity under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.

Macklin’s straight right hand proved to be an effective weapon. He landed them well against Martinez, whose movement makes him a difficult target, stealing rounds due to staying on the offensive. Entering the seventh round, many ringside observers had the bout scored even at three rounds apiece. In a startling exchange, a looping right hook knocked Martinez off balance, causing his glove to touch the canvas, forcing referee Eddie Cotton Jr. to rule it a knockdown. The blow did not seem to phase Martinez, and once the fight resumed, he aggressively went after Macklin, landing one hard straight left after another.

The ruled knockdown ended up becoming the turning point of the fight. It brought the champion out of Martinez, and he dominated from then on. His straight left did not seem to miss it’s target, as he repeatedly beat Macklin to the punch with his superior hand speed. Entering the eleventh round, Macklin’s face began to redden due to the blows that he was taking. About a third of the way through the round, Martinez landed a picture perfect left hand that knocked Macklin down hard. He beat the count, but was on very unsteady legs, and the blow opened up a gash on the right side of his face. It did not take long for Martinez to send Macklin down again. All it took was another left hand, and Macklin was down again. He beat the count as the round ended.

It was then that Macklin’s corner, headed by Buddy McGirt, decided to assess their fighter. They saw that he was spent and hurt, and therefore unable to continue, and wisely made the decision to end the bout. Martinez was credited with a TKO victory at the 3:00 point in the eleventh round.

In a bout that guaranteed fireworks, Edwin Rodriguez (20-0, 15KO’s) faced off against Don George (22-1, 19KO’s) in a super middleweight match. The early portions of the bout saw each fighter measuring up their jabs and trying to get into range for harder punches.

Things began to heat up a bit in the third round as both fighters traded big rights. The fight continued at a tactical pace entering the middle rounds. Despite the high expectations of a barn burner, this fight became a smart chess match. Rodriguez proved to be the better of the two at this game. He used his skills to keep George out of reach, and the plan worked very well.

With George seemingly behind on the scorecards, the twelfth round was highly anticipated. Both fighters threw big punches for the entire three minutes. It had the crowd on their feet. As the final bell rang, both fighters embraced before the scores were read. The final scores were 96-94, 99-91, and 97-93 all in favor of Rodriguez.

The popular Seanie Monaghan (12-0, 8 KO’s) squared off against Eric Watkins (6-1, 2 KO’s) in a light heavyweight bout. Watkins started off quickly, hoping to catch Monaghan off guard. Recently, Monaghan has employed a more measured approach to fighting, and took it all in stride. He started off by throwing powerful combinations to the body, and followed that up with combinations upstairs. Watkins was unable to answer with any significant punches of his own.

The bout progressed with Monaghan in complete control of the action. After eight one-sided rounds, the final scores read 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73 in favor of Monaghan.

In the final non-televised bout of the night, heavyweights took to the ring when Magomed Abdusalamov (13-0, 13 KO’s) took on Jason Pettaway (11-0, 8 KO’s). Pettaway started the fight utilizing his quick footwork and boxing technique, while Abdusalamov stalked. In the opening rounds, it was evident that Abdusalamov had punching power, but he did not land that one power shot that would end the fight. Then, in the fourth round, Abdusalamov landed a combination that had Pettaway reeling and on the canvas. He beat the count, but was on very shaky legs. As the bout resumed, Abdusalamov took advantage and landed huge punches flush on the chin. An official immediately hoped onto the canvas to request an end. The referee called a halt to the bout at 1:20 of the fourth round, giving Abdusalamov a TKO victory.

The third bout of the evening featured the popular Kevin Rooney (3-1, 1 KO, 163.5lbs) up against Anthony Shuff (0-1, 168lbs). Rooney opened up aggressively working his opponent, and it immediately became evident that Shuff wanted no part of it. After a barrage of punches, he looked over to the ref as if to plead for mercy. The referee granted it to him, stopping the fight at 1:27 of the first round, giving Rooney the TKO victory.

In a vert tactical match, Charlie Ota (19-1-1, 13 KO’s, 151.5lbs) took on Gundrick King (16-7, 11 KO’s, 153.5lbs). Both fighters took their time in letting their hands go, as they are both counter punchers. Throughout the bout they took turns finding openings. Gradually throughout the first for rounds, Ota was landing the fresher combinations. By the sixth, a combination from Ota ended with a solid left hook that sent King down. Ota beat the count and the round ended. The seventh round saw more action from Ota, and he trapped King in the corner and landed a right that sent King to a knee. The referee stopped the bout at the :35 point in the seventh round, giving Ota a TKO win.

The opening bout of the evening featured Thomas Hardwick (4-0, 2 KO’s, 215lbs) against TJ Gibson (1-1, 207lbs) in a four round match. Hardwick maintained control throughout the bout en route to a unanimous decision victory with all three scores reading 39-35.

Danny McDermott (9-3-2, 4 KO’s, 140.5lbs) faced off against Carl McNickels (7-3, 6 KO’s, 137 1/4lbs) in a six round bout. Like any other McDermott fight, it featured a whole lot of back and fourth brawling. The final scores read 57-55, 57-55, 56-56 in favor of McNickels, giving him a majority decision victory.

Photos by Ed Diller

NEW YORK–In what was hailed as as one of the mist intriguing main events in the history of the popular Broadway Boxing series, Alex Perez scored a ten round unanimous decision over Francisco “Gato” Figueroa in a Welterweight bout at BB Kings.

Figueroa was active early as he was able to get inside and land some shots which included some nice uppercuts early in round one. Perez started using combination punching and started to seize control in round three as he kept Figueroa on the ropes while continuing to move his hands. In round four, Perez scored a hard knockdown as he caught Figueroa with a solid left hand that had Figueroa springing off the ropes and into a second flush left that sent Figueroa down. Figueroa was able to get to his feet only to suffer a huge rally from Perez. Figueroa motioned on two occasions to referee Gary Rosato that he was OK so the fight was able to continue. Perez was unable to to finish the job. In round five, Figueroa was able to regain his senses and engage in some solid exchanges and even getting the better of those flurries.

Perez used his seven inch height advantage well as he kept Figueroa at arms length for much of the fight. Figueroa, who had a decided advantage, was urged on by his fans but he simply could not overcome the early success by Perez as well as the physical advantages that more natural Welterweight, Perez had going into the fight.

Perez, 145 lbs of Newark, NJ won by scores of 99-90, 98-91 and 96-93 remains perfect at 16-0. Figueroa, 147 lbs of Bronx, NY is now 20-4-1.

“I broke my hand in the fourth round,” said Perez. I respect Gato, he is a tough fighter, but the only problem for me tonight was my hand. I know I would have knocked him out if I didn’t suffer the injury.”

“Hopefully I don’t have to take too much time off. My plan is God’s plan and that is to go straight to the top.”—Marc Abrams

In what was a blazing co-feature of undefeated Jr. Middleweights, Delen Parsley survived two knockdowns to score a final round knockdown which propelled him to a razor thin if not controversial eight round split decision over Boyd Melson.

Melson was aggressive early with Parsley trying to counter which he punctuated the first frame with ahard right hand. Round two saw Melson work his way inside. Melson landed two hard shots with the second shot got the fighters tangled up and Parsley went down to the canvas but it was ruled a slip. Melson continued to land clean shots that hurt Parsley. Melson continued to land looping shots for which the final one sent parsley down to the canvas. Parsley was badly hurt but made it put of the round. Parsley got his legs back in the next round and was able to hold off Melson’s aggressive attack. The fight started getting sloppy in the fourth frame and parsley was able to counter and land some good shots.

Parsley started getting sharp in round five which could have been attributed to a slowly fatiguing Melson. Melson looked much better in round six as he was able to score his second knockdown of the fight from a body shot. Parsley showed he wasn’t hurt as he was able to land a hard right that momentarily staggered Melson at the end of the frame. The seventh was much of the same with Melson fighting very aggressive from the southpaw stance with parsley landing hard shots late.

With the fight seemingly in the balance, the eighth round provided high drama as Parsley started out the round with a hard right hand that dropped Melson. Melson was hurt but was able to beat the count. parsley jumped all over Melson with big shots. Melson was able to buy a few seconds when he landed a punch behind the head that put Parsley down but the punch was ruled a rabbit punch. Both fighters brought the crowd to their feet with toe to toe action until the final bell.

Parsley, 153 1/2 lbs of White Plains, NY won by scores of 76-73 on two cards while Melson, 154 1/2 lbs of White Plains, NY took a card at 75-74 (same as 15rounds.com ringside score).

“Boyd showed me that he is a real fighter,” said Parsley. “When he knocked me down in the second round, I was definitely hurt. He also showed me things that I learned about myself as a fighter. I regrouped and began to box him to get myself back into the fight. Boyd is like a brother to me and no matter what he will always be.”

Melson, bitterly disappointed with the loss briefly said, “I was doing what coach told me. When that stopped working I changed it up. I feel like I won the fight.”

Parsley is now 7-0. Melson is 8-1.

Will Rosinsky came back from his first pro defeat to put a three round drubbing over Zane Marks in a eight round Light Heavyweight fight.

Marks came out very aggressive to the body. Rosinky remained calm and then landed a right followed by a left hook of his own to Marks body that sent Marks to the canvas. Whem Marks got to his feet, the two brawled and Rosinsky landed another left that sent Marks down for a second time. Marks was able to beat the count and got out of the round. Round two saw Rosinsky beginning to pummel Marks. Marks would try to get in shots but had little power behind them. Rosinsky went back to work in the third and continued to beat on Marks until the fight was stopped at 1:26 of round three.

Rosinsky, 172 lbs of Queens, NY is now 15-1 with nine knockouts. Marks, 170 lbs of Golden Meadow, LA is now 17-7.

“The body shots were part of the game plan from the start. We trained for that in the gym. He was a very tough customer and he forced me to fight at a very fast pace. I know a big fight is coming my way but I just want to get into the ring again as soon as possible. I would like the winner of Rodriguez-George next week on HBO.”

In a four round Ladies Flyweight bout, Keisher McLoed Wells and Patty Alcivar engaged in an entertaining scrap.

McLoed moved around and landed little combinations on the hard charging Alcivar, who herself was able to land some some good shots of her own. McLoed scored a flash knockdown when Alcivar walked into a jab in round three. The two fought some close rounds with Alcivar scoring a scoring a knockdown from an overhand right in the final frame.

It was McLoed, 109 lbs of New York getting the split decision by tallies of 5-55 on two card while Alcivar took a card at 57-55.

McLoed Wells is now 5-2-1. Alcivra, 110 lbs of Queens, NY is now 5-1.

Heavyweight Tor Hamer was impressive in disposing Dieuly Aristelde in round two of a scheduled six round bout.

After a tentative first round, Hamer took control and dropped Aristelde twice in round two with the final come from a big right hand and the fight was stopped just one second before the end of the round.

Hamer, 233 lbs of Harlem, NY is now 14-1 with ten knockouts. Aristelde, 218 lbs of Miami, FL is now 9-5.

Floriano Pagliara scored an entertaining six round unanimous decision over James Lester in a Jr. Lightweight bout.

The fight saw good periods of action with both guys giving there with Pagliara getting the better of the fight.

Pagliar, 130 1/2 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 60-64; 60-54 and 59-55 and is now 12-4-1. Lester, 129 1/2 lbs of Detroit is now 9-7.

Luis Rosa used a strong body attack in scoring a six round unanimous decision over Jonathan Alcantara in a Jr. Featherweight bout.

Rosa, 122 lbs of New Haven, CT is now 10-0. Alcantara, 121 lbs of Los Angeles is now 5-7-2.

In a six round Light Heavyweight bout, undefeated Badou Jack scored a six round unanimous decision over Grover Young.

Jack showed youth and a better offensive arsenal and cruised to the 60-54; 59-55; 58-56 victory and is now 10-0. Young is 6-6-1.

In the opening bout, Allan Benitez dropped Ian James with a left hand in round four en route to a four round unanimous decision in a a Jr.Lightweight bout.

Scores were 40-35; 40-35 and 39-36 for Benitez, 133 lbs of El Paso, TX and is now 4-1. James, 133 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 1-3.