CANADA

MONTREAL – Bell Centre – Sebastian Gauthier, 25, 124, 12-1 (9), St. Jerome, Quebec, looked brilliant in taking a W6U (all 60-53) from Diego Herminio Sananco, 31, 126, 15-7-3 (4), Trelew, Argentina, raking Sananco with an extensive arsenal. Ref: Jerry Bolen.
Victor Lupo, 28, 159½, 17-1-1 (9), Montreal via Calarsi, Romania, outmugged Leonardo Rojas, 31, 146½, 7-6-3 (2), Montreal via Callao, Peru, in a rough TKO9 at 2:53. Ref: Bolen.
Southpaw Jo Jo Dan, 26, 144½, 20-0 (11), Montreal via Giurgiu, Romania, won a KO2 over Leonardo Jose Corona, 144½, 8-7 (6), Mexico City, at 2:47. Ref: Alain Villeneuve.
Pier-Olivier Cote, 23, 128, Charlesbourg, Quebec, debuted with a KO3 against always-trying Martin Huppe, 24, 128¾, Plessisville, Quebec, 1-7. Villeneuve waved it off at 1:50.
Renan St. Juste, 35, 160, 16-1-1 (10), Repentigny, Quebec, the spitting image of “Chop Chop” Corley, scored a brutal TKO5 over Mohammad Said, Syria via Brazil, 23-8-1 (15), with a left hook reminiscent of Gatti-Ruelas. Stoppage time by ref Michael Griffin was 3:00.
At Ringside – Mike Greenhill
(2-29-08)

UNITED STATES

ARIZONA

SCOTTSDALE – 944 Super Village – Among the sprawling Super Bowl festivities for neighboring Phoenix on the eve of the big game, Monte Barrett, Queens, showed he was a New York giant and offered his version of a turnover forcing blitz. Six-foot-three-inch Barrett, 217, 33-6 (19), creamed Damon Reed, 223, 43-13 (30), Topeka, KS, for a TKO2 (2:27). A ready-looking Barrett dropped Reed at the end of the opening frame, then pounded him to a knee as the second session wound down.
Hector Camacho Jr., 44-3-1 (25), failed to make weight for his latest “comeback” attempt. Camacho came in at 173 for a scheduled super middleweight tilt, so the contract weights were amended. Camacho didn’t make any amends with his performance, as he took a UD6 over Luis Lopez, 165, 13-12 (5), Pasco, WA.
Prospect Carlos DeLeon Jr. found out how tough a roadblock Fernando Zuniga can be. Zuniga, 27-9 (20), earned a split eight-round nod (all 77-74) after a bruising rumble. Zuniga, relocated to the LA area from Ecuador, is a true gatekeeper to the super middleweight elite. DeLeon, now 19-2 (12), Trujillo Alto, PR, came up short after both men had early moments. Zuniga blasted DeLeon down in the seventh to surge ahead.
Welterweight prospect Marvin Cordova, 18-0-1 (11), Las Vegas, improved his rising stock with a UD6 over respectable Darien Ford, 11-16 (4), New Orleans.
Erick Vega, 5-2-1 (2), notched a TKO2 (1:19) over Jermaine Woods, 8-5 (5), in a collision of Phoenix heavyweights.
Geoffery Spruiell, 6-5 (2), Pueblo, CO, overwhelmed Seth Heberstriet, 1-4, Nebraska, for a first round stoppage at 1:46 in the afternoon appetizer.
Promoter – Zeferino Ramirez
At Ringside – Phil Woolever
(2-2-08)

CALIFORNIA

LEMOORE – Tachi Palace Casino – Make no mistake about it; it was sweet revenge for Travis Walker, 236, 27-1-1 (21), Tallahassee, FL. After suffering a dubious 15-second KO loss (his lone defeat) to TJ Wilson last October, Walker came out firing heavy artillery in the rematch. Wilson, 264, 12-2 (8), Miami, though never off his feet, was continually punched back on his heels. The end came at the 1:50 mark of round two when Wilson was left nearly dangling on the ropes from a final assault. Veteran referee Lou Moret correctly stopped the contest.
Joaquin Marquez, 159, 3-0-1 (3), Madera, CA, TKO4 (2:10) Ray Craig, 160½, 4-4 (2), Oakland, CA. Craig was down twice in the first and twice more in the last stanza.
Yasin Rashid, 170½, 6-0 (2), Brooklyn, W6S (all 58-56) southpaw Frank Mondejar, 171½, 16-4 (15), Fresno, CA. Mondejar was pesky, while Rashid was stronger.
Trenton Titsworth, 142, 2-0-1 (2), Omaha, D4 (all 38-38) James Ventry, 143, 4-4-1 (3), Niagara Falls, NY.
Southpaw Thomas Rittenbaugh, 165½, 2-1-2, D4 (all 38-38) Tony Hirsvh, 163, 4-1-1 (2), Oakland.
In a female ten for the NABF title, Jessica Rakoczy, 134½, 28-3 (10), Las Vegas, W10U (99-91 twice; 98-92) Belinda Laracuente, 135, 23-21-3-1NC (9), NYC.
Promoter – Goossen Tutor
Matchmaker – Tom Brown
Television – SHOWTIME
At Ringside – Jack “Leap Day Boy” Obermayer
(2-29-08)

Travis Walker [l.] took revenge on TJ Wilson, knocking him out in two rounds, after Wilson blitzed him in 15 seconds in October.

CARSON – Home Depot Center – Jorge Paez Jr., 138, 19-1 (11), TKO3 (0:55) southpaw Tomas Barragan, 135, 8-3-1 (1), Orange, CA. Paez dropped his foe with left hooks in both the first and third rounds.
Lean, undefeated prospect Yonnhy Perez, 117, 15-0 (12), Cartagena, Col., KO4 (0:39) Alejandro Becerra, 117, 19-6 (9), El Paso, TX. Perez used the jab and some punishing combinations, before lowering the boom in the fourth for the bout’s lone knockdown.
Skinny southpaw Antonio DeMarco, 135, 17-1-1 (12), San Diego, took a UD8 (79-73, 78-74, 78-72) over Juan Carlos Martinez, 133½, 9-6-1 (5), San Luis, Portosi, Mexico, in a highly competitive match.
Chris Avalos, 118, 2-0 (2), Los Angeles, KO1 (2:23) Constancio Alvarado, 116½, 1-1-2, Salinas, CA. Alvarado was down once and put to the ropes when it was stopped.
It came right after the thrilling feature bout, and of course, paled in comparison. The crowd booed early and often as Henry Buchanan, 170, 16-1 (11), Capt. Hts., MD, edged a puffy Ross Thompson, 177, 26-11-2 (16), Buffalo, NY, over eight tedious sessions, all 77-75.
Michael Franco, 116½, 10-0 (7), Riverside, CA, KO1 (2:57) Ernie Marquez, 116, 6-3-0-1NC (3), Fort Morgan, CO. Franco scored two left hook knockdowns.
Skinny southpaw, Alejandro Valdez, 119, 20-2-1 (15), Sonora, Mexico, registered a dubious first round knockdown on his way to a UD6 (59-56, 57-56 twice) over veteran Oscar Andrade, 118, 36-32-2 (18), Durango, MX. That knockdown allowed Valdez to squeeze out the win.
Sergio Espinoza, 112½, 15-4-1 (5), San Deigo, W8U (79-73 twice, 77-75) Wilbert Uicab, 111½, 19-4-1 (11), Cancun, MX.
Nick Casal, 141, 17-2-1-1NC (13), Niagara Falls, NY, closed the show with a KO2 (1:15) win over outgunned James Wayka, 142½, 15-7 (8), Mounds View, MN. Wayka was down once in each round.
Promoter – Sycuan, Gary Shaw and Golden Boy
At Ringside – Jack “Pink’s Hot Dogs” Obermayer
(3-1-08)

CONNECTICUT

UNCASVILLE – Mohegan Sun – Former USBA welterweight champion Delvin Rodriguez, 148½, 22-2-1 (13), Danbury, CT, scored a UD10 (100-90 twice, 99-91) over Troy Browning, 41, 149¾, 20-1-1 (8), Philadelphia, PA. The taller Rodriguez did a good job of controlling the distance and usually set up hard power shots behind a pawing jab. Throughout the night, if Rodriguez wasn’t nailing Browning with his right hand, he was ripping him with rapid-fire combinations. Pacing himself, Rodriguez clearly learned a lesson from his knockout loss to Feliciano, and didn’t go overboard trying for the knockout. In the only round he won on a scorecard, Browning stepped up the aggression near the end of the fourth frame and was able to close the gap, having success with a few offensive bursts.

Welterweight prospect Delvin Rodriguez thoroughly dominated Troy Browning over ten rounds in Connecticut.

Ali Oubaali, 138¼, 21-3 (17), France, used a high-pressure style to take a UD10 (97-92, 96-93 twice) over Ashley Theophane, 139½, 20-3-1 (7), London, England. Oubaali got off to a strong start, but Theophane got braver in the middle rounds. He caught his opponent with a number of shots as Oubaali pressed forward. Theophane’s aggression won him the fifth and a flash knockdown of Oubaali via left hook in the sixth made things more competitive. Oubaali picked up the pressure in the seventh and Theophane began to fade. A shot by Oubaali in the eighth sent Theophane’s mouthpiece flying.
Eddie Soto, 140½, 9-0 (4), Pawtucket, RI, won a majority decision (40-36, 39-37, 38-38) over Jason Jordan, 138½, 5-18-2, Akron, OH. Soto had faster hands but at times wasn’t busy enough, which allowed Jordan to land some clean shots.
Light heavyweight Brian Macy, 170¾, 2-0 (1), Ledyard, CT, had his left hook working overtime against Oliver Musampa, 168¾, 1-1 (1), New York, NY, on his way to a UD4 (40-36, 39-37 twice). Musampa was rocked on occasion but he refused to fall.
Yathomas Riley, 173½, 1-0 (1), San Diego, CA, registered a TKO4 (0:58) over Borngod “The Gorilla” Washington, 177¾, 0-2, Queens, NY. After dominating rounds one and two with a busy work rate, Riley floored Washington with a right hand near the end of the third. Washington survived the round but would take too much punishment in the next stanza, forcing his cornermen to throw in the towel.
“The New” Ray Robinson, 142¾, 7-0 (3), Philadelphia, PA, scored a TKO1 over Shaka Moore, 145¼, 10-12-3 (2), Norwalk, CT. Moore was competitive early but things went downhill went he got drilled with a left hook that sent him toward the ropes. Robinson immediately pounced and unleashed a barrage that forced a stoppage at the 2:42 mark.
Raymond Serrano, 144½, 3-0 (2), Philadelphia, PA, TKO1 (1:18) Ashantie “Volcano” Hendrickson, 144¾, 1-1, Medford, NY.
Promoter – Star Boxing
Television – ESPN2
At Ringside – Kirk Lang
(2-15-08)

FLORIDA

MIAMI – Miccosukee Gaming and Resort – Cosme Rivera, 146, 31-11-2 (22), Culiacan, MX, reaffirmed his role as gatekeeper to the upper ranks of the welterweight division with a TKO8 (2:00) of Raul Pinzon, 147, 15-1 (14), Barranquilla, Col. Pinzon was the aggressor early, as Rivera spent most of the opening rounds sizing up his opponent and looking for openings. Rivera made his move in round four, as he began raking Pinzon’s midsection with left hooks, and when Pinzon dropped his gloves, Rivera scored to the head. Rivera’s defensive skills and jab began to frustrate Pinzon in round five. In the eighth round, Rivera dropped Pinzon with a perfectly placed straight left. Pinzon beat the 10-count but was in obvious distress, and referee Tommy Kimmons halted the bout at the 2:00 mark.
Thirty-two-year-old former world flyweight champion Eric Morel, 36-2 (18), took a UD8 (79-73, 78-74, 77-75) over Felipe Almanza, 114½, 12-13-2 (6), Lorica, Col. Morel, a 1996 US Olympian, was convicted of sexual assault of a minor in 2002 and sentenced to two years in prison. He was released last August, and this fight was his first in nearly three years. Morel backed up Almanza with lead right hands to the head. Almanza was more aggressive in the later rounds, but Morel quickly put him back on the defensive with repeated rights upstairs.
Ishe Smith, 157, 19-2 (9), Las Vegas, NV, was a TKO2 (2:35) winner over Carlos De la Cruz, 157, 10-11-1 (10), McAllen, TX.
Juan Novoa, 154, 12-1 (11), Miami, FL, knocked out 38-year-old Ron Summey, 155¼, 4-6 (3), Orlando, FL, at 2:36 of the first round.
Santos Benavides, 139, 13-1-1 (11), Chontales, Nic., gained a UD6 win over Alex Perez, 141½, 23-27-4 (18), Miami.
Orlando Gonzales, 132¼, 10-1-1 (3), Homestead, FL, UD4 (all 40-36) Jerron Lockette, 131, 2-11-2, San Antonio, TX.
Jerome Fontanne, 157½, Miami, FL, UD4 Jonathan Robles, 157½, Orlando, FL.
Francisco Alvarez, 186½, Bayamon, PR, stopped Hilario Guzman, 185, Orlando, FL, at 0:33 of the fourth round.
Promoter – All Star Boxing, Inc.
At Ringside – Ken Knox
(2-8-08)

ILLINOIS

WAUKEGAN – Sundance Saloon – Referee John O’Brien had his hands full in the foul-filled junior middleweight main event that pitted Chicagoan Fernando Hernandez, 19-11-2 (8), against out-of-towner James Wayka, 15-6 (8). Hernandez, no stranger to roughhouse tactics, having been disqualified in three previous bouts, began fouling early by hitting his opponent below the belt in response to Wayka’s body attack in round one. In the second, Wayka used an effective straight right to score over Hernandez’s southpaw stance, and in the third round Hernandez had a point deducted for another low blow. In the next round, Wayka scored with a great four-punch combo in addition to a low blow of his own – to which Hernandez responded in kind and was subtracted another point. In the fifth round, both fighters exchanged fouls. In his growing frustration, Wayka cheap-shotted Hernandez when his back was turned, and Hernandez retaliated with another shot below the belt. In the sixth and final round, Hernandez tried to fake the effects of a low blow, but the referee was not buying it. Hernandez went low again and was finally DQ’ed by referee O’Brien.
Anthony Bowman, 9-27-2 (2), upset local unbeaten prospect Gabriel Navarro, 6-1 (2), with a SD6. Bowman applied pressure from the opening bell, checking Navarro’s chin with an early left hook. In the fourth, Bowman scored a knockdown with a straight right.
While the scorecards had welterweight Carlos Molina, 9-4-1 (4), cruising to a UD6, a game Henry Mitchell, 7-7-1 (1), made it a tough win for the Mexican. Although Mitchell landed a hard right hand and some well placed counter lefts, Molina was the busier fighter.
Lightweight Russell Fiore, 1-0 (1), TKO2 (0:26) Keith Allen, 0-2, who was given a standing eight-count in the opening round.
The light heavyweight match that pitted Rayvon Wilson, 0-1-1, against Gerard Taylor, 3-0-1 (2), ended in a four-round majority draw. Wilson won on one card, but the other two had it even 38-38.
Welterweight Emmanuel Hernandez, 7-2-2 (2), overcame a first-round knockdown to score a SD4 (all 38-37) victory over Gustavo Palacios. The accuracy of his right hand gave Palacios, 2-3 (1), the clear edge early on, but Hernandez fought the following three rounds with enough urgency.
Super middleweight Orphius Waite, 2-0 (1), scored a TKO2 (2:36) with a barrage of body shots against Johnny Higgins, 0-3.
Southpaw lightweight Bobby Jaskierny’s, 3-1 (2), overhand right dropped Leonard Doolin, 0-4, for a full ten-count in the opener.
Promoter – Evanston Boxing Club
At Ringside – Noah Fowle
(2-8-08)

INDIANA

LA PORTE – Civic Auditorium – Hometown favorite Nick Cook, 15-1-2 (9), squared off against undefeated Kansas product Marcus Oliveria, 12-0-1 (9), in a light heavyweight affair for the vacant USBC strap. Cook pressed forward, throwing punches in a tireless assault, while Oliveria backed up in an attempt to use his longer reach and more accurate punching to gain the advantage. Even though Oliveria owned the stiffer jab and more potent right, his punches could not keep Cook from pressing the action and controlling the pace. In the end the USBC belt remained without an owner and the only thing that seemed clear was the need for an immediate rematch. Two scores were 97-93 each way, and one judge had it even at 95-95.
Heavyweight prospect and former New York Golden Gloves champion Nagy Aguilera, 6-0 (4), moved with precision as he rattled off three- and four-punch combinations in his bout against debuting Jeremiah Williams. After opening a cut on Williams courtesy a right, Aguilera continued to stagger Williams with his compact hooks. Following a knockdown from a left-right combination, Aguilera stunned Williams with another explosive right hand, prompting referee Bill Paige to make the correct stoppage at 2:12 of round three.
Light heavyweight Jason Cook, 3-0 (2), scored a TKO4 (1:25) against fellow Hoosier Matt Short, 4-10 (3). Cook’s body attack began to hurt Short in the third round, and referee Bill Paige had seen enough once Short’s limited skills deteriorated to a full-on retreat in the final stanza.
Despite showing off his power early, Chicago light heavyweight Cedric Agnew, 7-0 (4), could never knock Milwaukee journeyman Mike Word, 4-11-3 (4), off his feet, winning a UD6 (all 60-54).
Both Willie Nelson and Prenice Brewer made it a successful trip from Ohio. Nelson, 6-0 (4), won by TKO after the corner of Mikel Williams, 8-21-4 (3), threw in the towel following the end of the second round. Brewer, 6-0-1 (4), had no problem handling the veteran southpaw tactics of Reggie Sanders, 12-43-5 (2). He punctuated his UD6 (59-54 twice, and 58-55) by dropping Sanders with a head snapping left uppercut.
Featherweight Ricardo Benavides, 4-2 (3), KO1 (1:30) Tramaine Towns, 0-6, with his powerful left.
Lightweight Don Moore, 15-0-1 (13), UD6 (60-54, 59-55, 58-56) a game Randy Dodds, 6-22 (3).
Promoter – Garrett Promotions
At Ringside – Noah Fowle
(2-9-08)

MICHIGAN

DEARBORN – Ford Community Center – Vernon Paris, 19-0 (13), passed his toughest test yet in the larger, longer and more experienced Naser Athumani, 20-6-1 (16), to win a UD8 (79-73, 78-74, 78-75). Undeterred by the cagey veteran’s southpaw stance, Paris scored with short left hooks, straight rights, and an accurate right uppercut. After luring Athumani into his fight with brawling tactics, Paris rebuffed his opponent’s efforts with good defense. When Athumani sustained a cut below his right eye courtesy a quick Paris jab, the African southpaw settled into a more conventional boxing match. Paris slowed down in the fourth and fifth rounds, and Athumani took advantage by throwing his right hand over Paris’ low hanging left. But Paris woke up in the sixth when he began throwing powerful combinations, after a nice combo to the body from Athumani. Paris appeared winded in the closing rounds, but stunned Athumani with another right hand and opened a cut above his left eye in the seventh.
Canadian lightweight Kara Ro, 15-0 (7), returned from a more than yearlong hiatus to win a UD6 (60-53, 60-54, 59-55) over Lakeysha Williams, 9-11-3 (1). Ro controlled the action with footwork and a busier, more accurate jab, although Williams never wavered from her game plan and seemed unaffected by Ro’s right hand. In the final two rounds, Williams landed a few telling rights of her own.
Wade Tolle, 2-0 (1), found himself in a competitive back-and-forth fight against journeyman Guy Packer, 2-17, until he unleashed a head-snapping left uppercut in the third round. After that, Packer fell into his opponent role – first taking a standing eight and later a knee under Tolle’s barrage. With his right eye swelling shut, Packer elected not to come out for the fourth and final round.
For all of his rangy length, welterweight Willie Nelson, 7-0 (4), still needs to polish up his jab. Once the six-plus-footer learns to take advantage of his wingspan, he will become an even more dangerous boxer. Still, his punching was active and accurate enough to overcome Robert Jones’ tireless assault to win a UD6 (59-54 twice, 58-55). He was able to counter the lunging attacks of Jones, 6-4-1 (2), with solid uppercuts and compact hooks. In the fifth round, referee Dale Grable took a point away from Nelson for the illegal use of his forearms.
Alexis Hloros, 2-2-2, got a chance to set the record straight after his draw last year to Jason Wahr, 1-1-2. Hloros scored an early knockdown off a right hook. Wahr was able to continue but not for long as referee Frank Garza waved it off at 1:14 of the first.
Jeremy Burnette, 1-1, scored a workmanlike UD4 (40-36, 39-37 twice) over Andy Cornado, 0-2, in their heavyweight scrap.
All three judges scored 40-36 in favor heavyweight Rahim Muhammad in his pro debut against Cleophris Glover, 2-7 (2).
Promoter – Heavy Hitter Promotions and Carlos Llinas International Productions
At Ringside – Noah Fowle
(2-22-08)

NEW YORK

MANHATTAN – Madison Square Garden – John Duddy, 158½, 24-0 (17), Derry, Ireland, had a tough time with stocky Walid Smichet, 160, 17-4-2 (13), Quebec, Canada, absorbing the worst beating of his young career. Smichet started throwing combos at the opening bell, landing 52 punches. After four rounds, Duddy had a gaping cut over the left eye. Luckily for Duddy, Smichet tired by round six, allowing the Irishman to win the second half of the fight. BD had it even at 95-95, as did one judge, while the other two gave a majority decision to Duddy with scores of 98-92. The severe cut Duddy sustained took him out of contention to be Kelly Pavlik’s next opponent.

John Duddy absorbed a beating in winning a much tougher-than-expected UD10 over Walid Smichet.

“Mean” Joe Greene, 18-0 (14), S. Jamaica, Queens, 157¼, won by TKO after Francisco Mora, 52-13 (35), Cordoba, Argentina, 159½, took a brutal beating for ten rounds. Mora was down four times and collapsed in his corner, spitting up blood after the 10th round ended.
Prospect Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, 161, 17-0 (14), New York, landed a perfect left hook to the body putting Thomas Brown, 156½, 12-4-1 (8), York, SC, down in the first round. Thomas boxed well but ran into trouble when Quillin landed a left hook to the body, putting his foe down for the count at 1:32 of the second.

Middleweight prospect Joe Greene scored a TKO10 over Francisco Mora at the Garden.

Johnathan Banks, 200, 19-0 (14), Detroit, MI, crushed former IBF cruiserweight champion Imamu Mayfield, 197½, 25-9-2 (18), Perth Amboy, NJ, at 1:49 of the first round. Before Mayfield had a chance to throw a punch he was down from an overhand right, and another finished the job when he arose.
Monyette Flowers, 149½, 5-9-1 (3), Memphis, TN, dropped a UD4 to prospect Ronny Vargas, 152, 5-0 (3).
Huge Alexander Ustinov, 300, 8-0 (8), Minsk, Belarus, clubbed Earl Ladson, 227, 13-18-1 (7), Winston-Salem, NC, to the canvas three times to win by TKO at 1:59 of the first round.
Promoter – K2 and Seminole Warriors Boxing
Announcers – Joe Antonacci and Michael Buffer
Attendance – 14,011
At Ringside – Jerry Glick
(2-23-08)

MANHATTAN – Roseland Ballroom – Dmitriy Salita returned after an eleven-month layoff to stop Mexico’s Fabian “El Lobo” Luque, 145¾, 19-9-4 (11), at 0:45 of the fifth round. Salita, 144, 28-0-1 (16), Brooklyn, NY, came out aggressively in the first round targeting the head and body. He finally put “El Lobo” down near the end of the round. Salita dropped him again in the fourth, the same round that he lost a point for a low blow and suffered a cut over his left eye. In the fifth, Salita pounded on Luque, prompting the doctor to call it off.

Dmitriy Salita returned to stop Mexico’s Fabian “El Lobo” Luque

Eileen Olszewski, 110½, 5-0-1, New York, NY, won the WIBA flyweight belt with a MD10 (98-92 twice, 95-95) over defending champ Elena Reid, 111¾, 19-4-5 (5), Phoenix, AZ. Olszewski kept Reid covering up as she outfought her throughout the ten rounds. Olszewski landed clean rights and, although a bit too tentative, appeared to dominate from the first round on.
Jorge “The Truth” Teron, 135, 20-0-1 (13), Bronx, NY, stopped veteran Sandro Marcos, 135, 28-17-2 (23), Oaxaca, Mexico, at 2:41 of the fifth round. Teron started out boxing at long range and mostly kept it there. Marcos tried to slug inside but Teron did well inside too. He put Marcos down at end of the fourth and again in the fateful fifth before stopping him.
Jon Schneider, 7-1-1 (5), Bronx, NY, 195, and Tyrone Smith, 5-5-2 (2), Boston, MA, 197, fought to a six-round majority draw (59-55 Schneider, and 57-57 twice). They brawled as they rushed each other swinging wide shots.
Garri Bagdasarov, 0-0-1, Bellevue, WA, 138½, bled from his nose from the first on against Osvaldo Rivera, 0-0-1, Bronx, NY, 138¾. In an awkward slugging match, Rivera pressured Bagdasarov in every round, hurting Bagdasarov in the third. The judges called it a split draw with scores 40-36 for Rivera, 39-37 for Bagdasarov, and 38-38 a draw.
Promoters – Gotham Boxing and Bash Boxing
At Ringside – Jerry Glick
(2-28-08)

MANHATTAN – Grand Ballroom – Gary Stark Jr., 123¾, 21-2 (8), Staten Island, NY, won a UD10 (97-93, 96-94 twice) in a courageous battle against Andres Ledesma, 123, 14-8-1 (9), Miami, FL, the man who brutally knocked him out last year. Stark started fast, aggressively seeking a revenge knockout, but the wily Ledesma stood up to the attack, occasionally landing sneaky right uppercuts. A straight right stunned Ledesma in round three, but he survived Stark’s follow-up assault. By the fourth, Stark’s right eye was puffy from eating too many flicking jabs from the sticking and moving Ledesma and it quickly closed up completely, creating the drama of a possible stoppage. Stark’s activity dropped, but he dug deep to close strong, rallying with pressure and loading up with his right.

Gary Stark [l.] overcame a swollen shut right eye to avenge his KO loss to Andres Ledesma by winning a UD10 in their rematch.

Edgar Santana, 141¾, 22-3 (14), New York, NY, dropped Grover Wiley, 142, 30-11-1 (14), Omaha, NE, three times in three rounds, all from left hooks to the body, en route to a TKO3 (1:27).
Israel Garcia, 242, 19-1 (11), Bronx, NY, TKO1 (after end of round) Innocent Otukwu, 235, 14-12-1 (2), Minneapolis, MN. Otukwu called it a day as a result of getting thumbed in the eye.
In an exciting brawl, Joel Torres, 137½, 9-0 (5), Puerto Rico, scored a UD8 (80-72, 78-74, 77-75) over the always tough Mike Gonzalez, 136¾, 10-4-1 (9), Milwaukee, WI. Torres began at a fast pace using combinations to break through Gonzalez’s guard. But by round four, Gonzalez was timing his shots against a fatigued Torres. Down the stretch, they both landed rattling hooks that shook their opponents.
Raymond Biggs Jr., 149¼, 8-0 (6), Brooklyn, NY, scored a somewhat controversial SD6 (all 57-56) over Chris Gray, 149½, 8-7 (1), Baton Rouge, LA, in a fight between two slicksters. Biggs was a bit too tentative, allowing Gray to outwork him. A left hook-right hand caused Biggs to touch the canvas with his gloves, resulting in a knockdown. Biggs went down again – after being punched in round six – but this time it was ruled a slip, a call that probably saved him from his first defeat.
Ariel Espinal, 165, 6-2-2 (2), Brooklyn, NY, fought to a majority six-round draw (59-55 AE, 57-57 twice) with a game Ray Darden, 164, 10-18-1 (4), Detroit, MI. Espinal tried to make it a crude inside fight, focusing on throwing wide hooks, but Darden dominated from the outside.
After dominating the entire fight against Lindsay Garbatt, 123, 1-1 (1), Ontario, Canada, Tracey Hutt, 120, 0-1, Island Park, NY, was caught with two stunning right hands that dropped her in the fourth and final round. She tried but failed to beat the count, and was counted out at 0:52 seconds of round four.
Joselito Collado, 123½, 2-0, Queens, NY, UD4 (all 40-36) Vineash Rungea, 124, 2-9-2, New York, NY.
Promoter – DiBella Entertainment
At Ringside – Sean Sullivan
(3-5-08)

MANHATTAN – Grand Ballroom – In a fight between two southpaws, a more-aggressive-than-usual Mike Arnaoutis, 139½, 18-2-1 (9), Atlantic City, NJ, won a UD12 (all 119-109) over a game-but-outclassed Harrison Cuello, 140, 13-6-2 (10), New York, NY. The bout started off with both fighters trying to land powerful lefts, but Arnaoutis had more success and picked up the pace as the fight wore on.

Mike Arnaoutis outfought a game Harrison Cuello over the distance to retain his USBA 140lb. belt.

Vinny Maddalone, 234, 29-4 (19), Flushing, NY, scored a TKO2 (2:11) over Jeff Yeoman, 211, 21-8 (8), Lafayette, IN. A left hook to the body floored Yeoman in round one and the same punch upstairs put him down for good in the second.
Curtis Stevens, 172, 18-2 (13), Brooklyn, NY, survived a stunning first round knockdown after getting caught with two hard rights by Thomas Reid, 171½, 35-22-1 (13), Jackson, TN, near the end of the round. Stevens took off round two to recover but soon started crowding Reid, landing thudding shots inside. By the sixth, Reid was tired and hurt but in the seventh, he had a mini-rally trading shots with the Brooklynite. In the eighth and final frame, Stevens hurt Reid with a left hook and swarmed all over him to force a stoppage with five seconds remaining in the fight.

Curtis Stevens survived a dramatic first round knockdown to score a KO8 of Thomas Reid.

Raymond Serrano Jr., 146, 4-0 (3), Philadelphia, PA, earned a KO1 (2:59) when he landed a left hook to the body that put Abe Bruno, 145, 6-11-4 (3), Jersey City, NJ, down for the count.
Nagy Aguilera, 232, 7-0 (5), Newburgh, NY, starched Mike Jones, 284, 6-14 (2), Jackson, MI, with a short right hand to score a KO1 (1:35).
Tim Skolnick, 212, 1-0 (1), Travis City, MI, survived a second round knockdown from a right hand to score a KO3 (0:28) via counter right hook in the midst of an exchange with Shawn McLean, 211, 1-2 (1), Freeport, NY.
Promoter – Star Boxing
At Ringside – Sean Sullivan
(3-6-08)

PENNSYLVANIA

OAKS – Cisco Arena (Sports Extreme Center) – Local ‘40s boxing legends Hank and Tony Cisco were honored with an arena bearing their name, and drew a healthy and vibrant crowd. Hank followed his boxing career with that of professional referee, Norristown police officer, youth worker, and community activist. Still fit, Hank appeared in order to accept the honor for himself and posthumously for his brother.
The main event was a fitting tribute to the honorees, as Jules Blackwell, 123½, 7-0 (2), Phoenixville, and Lucian Gonzalez, 124, 4-4-1,Reading, battled to an unpopular majority draw in a sizzling six. The locally adopted spoiler Gonzalez got off to a fast start with a reckless, swarming attack. The unbeaten southpaw hero put a temporary stop to that when a left counter stunned Lucian in the second. Lucian began to assert himself again by the fourth, building to a desperate final round. Blackwell rocked him with a fast start in the sixth, but the underdog battled back to make it a close round. All told, Gonzalez was busier, but many of his punches were wide arcs, while the cautious Blackwell was on target with straight blows. Rich Hopkins scored for the activity, 59-55 Gonzalez, but Carol Polis and Alan Rubenstein both had 57-57. Fans booed, but neither fighter had ever gained control in a close contest. Gary Rosato refereed.
A potentially good four was ruined by the butt rule (what’s new?). The snakebit contest was first interrupted by a collapsed rope that even had promoter Greg Robinson nervously cranking the turnbuckle. Then, while delivering a right to the kidney, spoiler Zeferino Albino, 180, 3-4-1-1NC (1), Philadelphia, led with his noggin and sent prospect Shannon Anderson, 176, 3-1-1NC, Coatesville, canvasward. The bout was stopped at 1:14 of the second when Anderson arose, cut and complaining. Albino at first thought he’d won a TKO, but was disappointed to learn it was ruled No Contest. Ref: Frank Cappucino.
Hulking, but not fat, Grant Cudjoe, 310, 15-3 (10), Brooklyn, didn’t get much from corpulent Octavius Smith, 281, 4-5 (3), Indianapolis, in a scheduled six. A right counter high on the forehead sent Octavius down in round one. He rose to his knees and then watched Rosato count him out, at 2:10.
The opening four was a brisk contest in which Coy Evans, 126, 2-0, Phila., impressed with movement and sharp countering to gain a unanimous shutout of tough and game Elias Castillo, 132, 0-4, Brooklyn. The dauntless Castillo gave Evans all he wanted, but was clearly outsharped. Ref: Rosato.
Promoter – Power Productions, Inc.
Matchmaker – Ty McNeil
At Ringside – J. R. Jowett
(3-1-08)