Howard and Conquest Win on Xcite Fight Night 3 Card

By Matt Ward, Ringside

On an explosive, multiple boxing card night in the greater Philadelphia area, professional prizefighting made its triumphant return to the Xcite Center at Parx Casino in Bensalem, PA.

The main event of Joe Hand Promotions Presents Xcite Fight Night III pitted veteran big men, cruiserweights Garrett Wilson (18-16-1, 9 KOs), South Philadelphia, against Brian Howard (14-2, 11 KOs), Philadelphia, in a fight scheduled for eight frames. Unfortunately for Wilson, this fight did not last anywhere near that...

Early in the opening round, Howard landed a big right hand to the side of Wilson's head that sent him crashing to the canvas. Wilson was able to raise from the mat by referee Eric Dali's count of six, but looked like a drunken man trying to keep his balance. Despite still being visibly hurt from the knockdown, the fight continued. The end came at 2:31 of the first round when Howard hit Wilson with a hard straight right hand to the head that caused him to collapse to the canvas. Wilson was counted out on his back. This KO victory was Howard's first win since being knocked out by Russian light heavyweight Umar Salamov last June.

The co-main event of the evening pitted Jerome Conquest (10-3, 1 KO), 135.2 lbs., against Vinnie Denierio (3-6, 1 KO), 135.2 lbs., in a six round contest for the vacant USBF North American Lightweight Title. This bout, which could be described as a battle between awkward fighters, was entertaining from the outset. Denierio, who has a three inch height advantage on Conquest, made "jerky" movements between punches to avoid Conquest's steady counterpunches for much of the first round. In the second round, Denierio threw hammering overhand lefts that pushed Conquest into the ropes and forced him to clinch his gangly opponent. Conquest answered this attack by landing several nice body shots that clearly slowed down Denierio's offense. Conquest continued to control the round by landing big left and right hooks to Denierio's head that visibly hurt the native of Elmira, NY. Denierio appeared to be in survival mode as the bell marking the end of the second rang.

Conquest answered the third round bell by connecting with a hammering right hook to his opponent's head, a shot that sent perspiration flying all over those seated ringside. Denierio tried to press the attack during this round, but Conquest repeatedly backed him up with effective hooks to the head and body. Denierio, clearly frustrated with his opponent, landed the first of many rabbit punches to Conquest's head during this round. In the fourth frame, Conquest popped Denierio with a hard right hand to the jaw. Denierio responded to Conquest's quality punches by landing more rabbit punches out of the clinch. As the round neared its end, Denierio appeared to push more than punch, as he tried to bully his shorter opponent.

In rounds five and six, a clearly frustrated Vinnie Denierio began to lead with his head, and continued to fight dirty. Denierio worked Conquest's body towards the end of the fifth with left and right uppercuts that put the Philadelphian on his heels against the ropes. In the sixth, Denierio, realizing he was behind on the cards, threw rabbit punches at Conquest during multiple wrap ups. Surprisingly, referee Shawn Clark turned a blind eye to these illegal punches. Late in the round, Denierio looking to be gifted a knockdown, connected with a low blow on Conquest, and pushed the fighter down to the ground in the corner. Conquest bounced up from the canvas and the fight continued until the final bell. The judges scored the bout 60-54 and 59-55, twice, for the winner by unanimous decision, Jerome "The Conqueror" Conquest.

Northeast Philadelphia's Tyhler Williams (1-0, 1 KO) in his professional debut scored a second round knockout on fellow Philadelphian Nyrome Lynch (0-4). Williams, a successful amateur fighter, spent much of the first round chasing Lynch around the ring. Lynch, who looked like he was running laps instead of boxing, refused to allow the highly touted rookie junior welterweight land a meaningful punch in the opening frame. In the second round, Lynch's strategy in the first made him look like a brilliant ring tactician, as Williams put his power on display. Williams answered the second round bell firing big body shots that ended Lynch's running for the evening. Williams went on to trap the incapacitated fighter, and land multi-punch combos at will to his head and body. A devastating right upper cut to the head ended Lynch's night at the 1:45 mark of the second. By this point, referee Eric Dali had seen enough of the massacre that unfolded in the second, and waived off the fight.

Omar Kabary Salem (8-0, 4 KOs), Brooklyn, made quick work of Jacob Fox (3-8, 2 KOs), Bismarck, in a super middleweight contest. After connecting to the head and body of his opponent with a big multi-punch combo, Salem sent Fox crashing to the canvas with repeated left hands to the head. Fox valiantly picked himself up from the mat only to be crushed into the ropes with a barrage of punches that left his opponent defenseless and dazed. Referee Shawn Clark saw enough of the one-sided fight at 2:27 of the first round, when he stepped in and stopped the Salem offensive onslaught.

In an all Philadelphia area junior welterweight showdown, Daiyann Butt (3-0, 1 KO) fought Tyree Arnold (DEBUT) in a four round bout. Butt, who stepped into the ring with a clear height and reach advantage, effectively connected with several big right hands to the head. Early in the second round, Arnold let his hands go, and landed a multi-punch combo that forced Butt to wrap him up in order to halt the attack. Butt responded by landing hard left hands to Arnold’s body. As the second round neared its end, Butt unloaded on Arnold with a punishing multi-punch combo to the head and body. Surprisingly, Arnold stayed on his feet, but was clearly damaged as he stumbled back to his corner after the round.

Butt aggressively worked his opponent’s body in the third round, by landing left and right shots to Arnold’s abdomen throughout the round. This body work slowed the wheels of the speedy Arnold, and made him an easy target for Butt in the fourth and final round. Arnold desperately went head hunting in the fourth, but was unable to find his mark. Butt went on to punish Arnold’s body as the fourth progressed, and at one point rocked Arnold with a well-placed left hook to the head. Butt went on to score the knockout with a series of big right hands that forced referee Eric Dali to stop the fight at 2:22 of the fourth round.

Sammy Berman (2-0, 1 KO), who fights out of the Manayunk Boxing Club, defeated North Philadelphia’s Corey Weekley (0-2) by unanimous decision in a four round, middleweight matchup. Although only 22-years-old, Berman has not fought professionally since 2014. Berman answered the opening bell by pushing his opponent into the ropes with a hard left hand to the body. Weekley was clearly banged up in the second round after Berman stuck a left hand into his jaw, and proceeded to rock him with multiple shots to the body and head. Weekley looked like he was in trouble later in the round, when Berman trapped him in the neutral corner with a series of hard shots. Fortunately for Weekley, he was able to box his way out of this trap and stop Berman from walking him down.

In the third round, Berman kept moving forward on his inexperienced opponent who was unable to mount any type of meaningful offense. In the fourth round, Weekley, who appeared exhausted and beat up, spit out his mouthpiece twice, which resulted in the deduction of a point by referee Shawn Clark. A hard Berman left hand to the head later sent Weekley’s mouthpiece flying for the third time in the round. Berman and Weekley wrestled for the final ten seconds of the contest as Shawn Clark tried to pull the men apart with no success. The judges scored the bout 39-37 and 40-36, twice, for Berman.

In an all New York junior middleweight bout, Ismael Villareal (5-0, 2 KOs) defeated Lashawn Alcocks (1-5) by third round technical knockout. Villareal unloaded three big right hands on Alcocks in the first frame, but struggled to establish follow up shots. In the second round, Villareal bullied Alcocks with big multi-punch combos, highlighted by heavy straight right hands and hooks to the head and body. Alcocks demonstrated toughness in the second round by absorbing damage, staying on his feet, and battling back before the bell marking the end of the second rang. A vicious Villareal right hand to the head sent Alcocks crashing to the canvas in the third round. This knockdown occurred after referee Eric Dali called a pause to the action, and warned Villareal for rabbit punches in the round. Despite recovering from the knockdown, Arnold was crushed under a series of left hooks to the body that forced Eric Dali to stop the action at 2:36 of the third round.

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Rising Star Promotions Presents Boardwalk Boxing Crossroads: LaManna vs. Bracero - Saturday, February 24th (Atlantic City, NJ)

Professional boxing returned to the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City last night after a ten year hiatus. The Showboat itself is a shell of its former self. The games, restaurants, and bars that once graced the main floor of the building are now gone or closed up, and what remains is a cavernous and gloomy building. The card, which will be remembered by most spectators as one of the biggest and longest in recent memory, featured eleven professional bouts and was promoted by New Jersey's Rising Star Promotions. The ring and surrounding chairs were set up on a former casino floor where I'm fairly certain my grandmother played slot machines throughout the better part of the 1990's.

The main event featured a welterweight bout between veteran contenders, Thomas LaManna (25-2-1, 9 KOs), the defending WBC FECARBOX Welterweight Champion, and Gabriel Bracero (24-3-1, 5 KOs). LaManna, who had a clear height advantage over the shorter and stockier Bracero, attempted to use his advantage in reach early in the opening frame. In the second round, Bracero got inside and effectively worked "Cornflake's" body. LaManna, who is not known for his knockout power, caught his opponent's attention in the third round with a straight right hand to the head. Through four rounds, it was evident at times that Bracero was having some issues adjusting to LaManna's style. In the sixth round, Bracero caught LaManna with a right hook to the head that appeared to hurt the "Pride of Millville, New Jersey". Bracero picked up momentum and connected on a series of head shots in the eighth that sent LaManna to his corner with a bloody nose. A low blow to LaManna briefly stopped the action in what appeared to be a close fight at that point in the ninth round. LaManna, looking to stay ahead on the cards in the tenth, pinned Bracero up against the ropes and landed a series of big punches to his challenger's head and body. The judges scored the bout 97-93 for Bracero, 98-92 for LaManna, and 95-95 a draw. The competitive matchup ended in a split draw. Former world champion, Paulie Malignaggi, who was ringside covering the fight for Fight Night Live!, asked the two men in the post-fight interview if they would consider a rematch. Both fighters appeared open to the idea of facing off again in the near future.

Junior lightweights, Andrew Bentley (3-3) and Donald Smith (6-0, 3 KOs) fought in a four round bout. Bentley, a Jersey City native, had former light heavyweight fighter, Bobby Rooney in his corner. Smith, the Philly fighter who was looking for his sixth professional victory, got the "award" for largest entourage of the evening. Bentley, a scrappy fighter, who gave Smith problems on the inside at times over the course of the bout, could not solve the height and reach problem that he encountered with his opponent. Smith was able to control every round by landing the bigger shots and cleaner punches. Early in the fourth round, Smith tried for the knockout by throwing big hooks at the head and body of his opponent. Bentley survived the round only to lose on the cards by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 40-36 in favor of Donald Smith.

Frederic Julan (9-0, 7 KOs) fought Edgar Perez (7-24, 3 KOs) in a light heavyweight bout that was scheduled for six rounds. Julan, a transplant to New York City from France, controlled the bout from the opening bell. The veteran Perez appeared unconditioned and soft in the abdomen. Julan put his power on display in the second round by landing a vicious multi-punch combo that fazed his opponent. In the third round, Julan knocked Perez down with another multi-punch combo to the head and body. Perez pulled himself up from the canvas only to be stalked around the ring by his opponent. Julan landed a series of big shots to Perez' head and body, but had difficulty cutting off the ring. Had Julan been able to, the fight would have been over in the third round. Perez, who had enough after the third round, refused to answer the bell marking the beginning of the fourth round. Julan, the winner by TKO, has won his sixth straight bout by knockout.

In a battle of junior welterweight fighters with losing records, Brooklyn's Laquan Lewis (2-9, 2 KOs) fought the hometown fighter, Osnel Charles (12-18-1, 2 KOs). Lewis came out swinging for the fences in the first round, and landed a big left hand to Charles' head during the round. Charles replied with big body shots that pushed his opponent backwards. In the second round, Charles hit Lewis with a left hand to the head that appeared to stun the fighter. Lewis answered this shot with a left hand to the head of his own that sent Charles to the canvas. In the fourth round, Lewis answered the bell with a swollen right eye. Charles, hungry for a knockout, landed a multi-punch combo to the head and body of Lewis that ended the bout at the 33 second mark of the fourth and final round. Charles celebrated his victory with the Atlantic City fans by jumping over the ringside guard rail into the crowd.

Long Island's Tommy Rainone (26-8-3, 6 KOs) fought Ecuador's Eduardo Flores (23-30-3, 14 KOs) in an eight round, welterweight contest. The two fighters spent the first round feeling one another out. Rainone controlled the tempo of the bout in the second round. Rainone had to be examined by the referee, Eric Dali, after being hit with what appeared to be an accidental headbutt in the third round. Flores spent much of the remainder of the round landing rabbit punches to the back of Rainone's head and neck, that went unnoticed by the referee. By the fourth round, Flores appeared winded and desperate to make it through the eight round contest. The dirtiness of Flores' fighting style especially became evident in later rounds when he continued to hold and punch Rainone in the back of the head. Rainone caught Flores' attention in the fifth round when he hit him with a nice right upper cut to the body. The judges scored the bout 78-74 for Flores, 77-75 for Rainone, and 76-76 a draw. To the displeasure of the crowd, the fight ended in a split draw.

Welterweights, Ernesto Perez (1-0), in his professional debut, fought Steve Moore (0-3) in a four round bout. Perez, the South Jersey fan favorite, controlled the tempo of the fight. Both fighters let their hands go in the first round and fought a fan pleasing and action-packed round. In the fourth round, Moore, realizing he was behind on the cards, threw big punches at his less experienced opponent. These blows had no impact on Perez, who went on to win the contest by unanimous decision (39-37 twice and 40-36).

The opening bout of the evening featured a four round bout between junior welterweights, Jahmal Dyer (4-1, 2 KOs) and Venderley Miranda (1-3, 1 KO). The action began in the second round when Dyer pinned Miranda up against the ropes with a multi-punch combo that hurt his opponent. Miranda was the aggressor in the fourth and final round. He threw several big right hooks, a few of which found their mark. One of these hooks stunned Dyer, who attempted to escape the onslaught. Seconds later, Miranda hit Dyer in the head with a right hook that left him dazed and defenseless. Referee Benjy Esteves Jr. saw enough at the 2:14 mark of the fourth round and stopped the fight. Miranda, the underdog on paper, won his first professional bout by TKO.

The evening's card also featured four bouts that followed the conclusion of the main event. Heavyweights, Darius Taylor (0-3) of North Carolina and Mike Rashid King (1-0, 1 KO) of Arizona by way of Brooklyn fought in a bout that was scheduled for four rounds. Rashid King, a 40-year-old rookie, knocked out his opponent at the 59 second mark of the first round with an overhand right to the head of Taylor.

The first swing match of the evening featured Larry Pryor (10-17, 5 KOs) and Alvin Varmall Jr. (15-0-1, 12 KOs). Varmall Jr., a cruiserweight who trains out of Cus D'Amato's Gym in Catskill, New York, knocked his opponent into the ropes with a right hand to the head in the second round. In the third round, Varmall again went on the attack when he pinned his opponent up against the ropes with a multi-punch combo. Pryor, although clearly hurt, covered up enough to prevent his opponent from finishing him off in the round. Varmall controlled the late rounds of the contest, but Pryor fought a defensive focused fight that allowed him to make it to the final bell. The judges scored the bout 60-53 and 59-54 twice for the winner by unanimous decision, Alvin Varmall Jr.

Corey Weekley (0-1) and Robert Terry (1-0), fighting their professional debuts, fought a four round, middleweight contest. Terry was the aggressor in the first and second rounds, when he landed a series of multi-punch combos to Weekley's head and body. Weekley demonstrated his toughness by absorbing these blows. The abuse continued into the fourth round when Terry tee'd off on his opponent at will. Weekley, desperate to not be kayo'd, wrapped up with his opponent for the bulk of the round. The judges' scorecards all read 40-36 in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Jersey City's Robert Terry.

The final bout of the evening featured middleweights, Omar Kabary Salem (2-0) and Leon DeShields (0-3). Salem, who is known as the "Egyptian Magician" (Not Tarbash from the Jerky Boys...), landed big body shots, consisting of left and right hooks, on DeShields in the first round. A Salem left hand to DeShields' head in the second round hurt his opponent. The judges' scored the bout 40-36 three times for Salem. The final bout ended at 12:40 AM on Sunday, February 25th.

MW

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