A heavy Pittsburgh contingency watched as undefeated welterweight and former IBF lightweight champion Paul “The Pittsburgh Kid” Spadafora 44-0-1(18KO) brought a throw back style and look to the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale while picking up a TKO8 win over Italian Ivan Fiorletta 24-6-2. The southpaw Spadafora controlled the entire fight with slick boxing excellent footwork, and brutal body shots. Spadafora had to fight through plenty off rough housing from Fiorletta throughout the fight, referee Frank Gentile had his hands full all night until he waived his arms in the 8th round. Fiorletta took a point in round six for throwing a couple knees to Spadaforas’ head, while throwing elbows and holding excessively throughout the fight. Spadafora looked much improved as the fight wore on gaining speed and accuracy. He often landed sharp three punch combinations mostly ending with a right body hook that connected almost always. The undefeated Spadafora ran off track and had a 32 month layoff and becoming incarcerated due to a string of drug, alcohol and weapon charges.
Local heavyweight and fan favorite Eric “The Viking” Leander 9-1(8KO) was violently knocked out by fomer amatuer standout Jason Barnett 12-10(6KO) in the Co-Main event of the night in front of a huge Viking crowd donned in horns cheering on their fighter. The first round started with Barnett catching the Viking with an array of jabs and setting up a booming right hand that sent the Viking to the canvas. The round ended with Barnett peppering the Viking with a four punch, right left combination that sent Leander to the canvas and was barely saved by the bell and staggered to his corner. The next round started with an exhausted Leander just able to muster a pawing jab and getting beat to the punch. A hard right hand into a solid left hook dropped Leander at :41 seconds in the second round giving Leander his first loss of his career. Leander brings no amateur experience and a very dangerous brawl and maul style that failed versus a skilled boxer, as the smaller Barnett proved tonight.
In the third fight of the night Willie Herring 12-6-3 pulled off another big upset with a second round KO over Dieuly “The Untamed Beast” Aristilde 7-2, who was coming off of the biggest win of his career, a KO over Elijah McCall just a few weeks ago in a war. Herring started the fight before the opening bell with some mental warfare playing to the crowd and mocking Aristilde. Which had its payday as Aristilde left his game plan of boxing and setting up punches in the corner. Instead he chose to engage in a power right hand contest. The Untamed Beast was knocked down in the first round and in the second with a great left hook that downed the Haitian fighter for good at 1:55. This was a tough loss for the proud Haitian, and a questionable one in regards to why his team would rush him into the ring just weeks after a war.
Rances Barthelemy 4-0 (3) defeated Robert Guillen 5-6-3 (1).Barthelemy and dominated the action in a four round jr lightweight fight. Both men traded some good body shots but Barthelemy was the clear winner of most of the exchanges. The cards read 39-36 40-35 40-35.
Light heavyweight Abdulah Dobey 4-0 (4) earned a big KO3 win over Gevonte Davis 4-6-1 (2). Dobey came out swinging hard to the opening bell and knocked Davis down in the 2nd with a stiff body shot and in the third with stiff right hands, doubled them up, staggering and dropping Davis to the canvas at 1:53 for the final count.
Yoelvis Gamboa improved to 4-0(2KO) with an excellent left hook KO over Milton Ramos 2-2-2. Gamboa showed improvement since his debut, however still very raw. Gamboa the younger brother of world featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamoa 17-0, slipped a big right hand and landed a crushing left hook that ended the bout at 1:42 of the third round.
Cruiserweights Sullivan Berrera 3-0(3KO) and Reggie Pena 6-3(1KO) rumbled in round one and exchanged wild shots on the way to an exciting first round. Pena got deducted one point for holding round 2. The fight ended with a perfectly placed left hook by Berrera on the chin of Pena dropping him to the canvas in a violent manner. The end came at 1:45 in the second round.
So, the Pittsburgh Kid is back, the Viking got mauled, the Beast tamed, and some great looking prospects showed their stuff in an exciting card in Fort Lauderdale tonight.
Notable fighters in attendance were Allan Jackson, Jameel McLine, Joel Julio, John David Jackson, Yorkis Gamboa and Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker…JSizzle and NYDanny Stasiukiewicz reporting ringside.