Showtime Boxing - Lubin vs. Gallimore, Easter vs. Granados results

By Chris Mealey

Showtime boxing returned to Reading, Pennsylvania for the first time since 2002, and delivered over a dozen exciting match ups, on top of displaying the admirable performances from the boxers.  The Weigh-In tackled down these bouts and will summarize each fight in order.

///Undercard///

Fight 1: Brandon Glanton vs Jose Corral (Cruiserweight) 6 rounds

Pressure was established early on by Glanton. The jab was consistent and Corral survived the first round, but took some brutal body punishment to get by.

Almost a repeat of the first round, Corral needed to show more improvements that he just couldn't find for the next two rounds. It was in the third round, when Glanton stormed in with a quick combination, Corral was sent to the canvas, which was ruled a slip due to bad balance with the punch connecting. Corral would then retire this fight on the stool, leaving Brandon Glanton as the winner via TKO before the fourth round.

Winner: Brandon Glanton

Fight 2: Darrion Lawson vs Rene Nazare (Super Middleweight) 4 rounds

A patient start by the southpaw from Flint, as Lawson was trying to time and potshot Nazare. A somewhat close opening round with Nazare keeping Lawson in a honest fight. Pressure was strong by Lawson, finding success with the lead right hook off the southpaw stance. An incredible lead hook floored Nazare, leaving him out cold. This was a big win for Lawson via 2nd round KO, elevating his record to 2-0

Winner: Darrion Lawson

Fight 3: Jose Miguel Borrego vs. Likar Ramos (Welterweight) 8 rounds

Generalship and control in the center of the ring was executed by Borrego.  His defense and level of calm was almost methodical, giving Ramos problems. Borrego shifted into second gear during round two, putting a lot of stern pressure on Ramos, almost rattling him with the lead left hook. Ramos showed heart and survived the round. Borrego came back with more pressure and sent Ramos down with a left hook to the body. Incredible as Ramos got on his feet, but was soon sent back by a right hook to the body, a switch hit from Borrego that kept Ramos down to conclude the fight before round four.

Winner: Jose Miguel Borrego

Fight 4: Norman Neely vs. D'Angelo Swaby (Heavyweight) 4 rounds

Hooks off the jab by Neely controlled the opening round. Good counter right hands by Swaby got Neely to come forward and aim combinations on the inside. A crisp uppercut sent Swaby down and he was hurt. Neely quickly took advantage of the situation and landed sharp combinations, forcing the official to stop the bout two minutes into the very first round.

Winner: Normam Neely

Fight 5: Jonathan Torres vs. Julio Garcia (Bantamweight) 6 rounds

Torres continued to show dominance and improvements  in each and every fight. Garcia doesn't have any answers as Torres lands at will, with both inside and outside fighting.Torres gets right back into his rhythm in round 2, sending Garcia down with a series of body shots. Garcia gets up, only to face more deadly combinations and goes down again. A final third time to the canvas leaves the ref with little choice and stops the fight 2:04 into the 2nd round, elevating Torres to a record of 7-0 (3 KOs)

Winner: Jonathan Torrres

Fight 6: Eimantas Stanionis vs. Evincii Dixon (Welterweight) 6 rounds

A rugged first round as Stanionis kept the fight close and inside, not abandoning the body pressure. Only two minutes into the opening round was all it took for Stanionis to land the money shot to keep Dixon down for the ten count. Stamionis elevated to 9-0 with 6 KOs.

Winner: Eimantas Stanionis

Fight 7: Zamy Larry vs. Antonio Hernandez (Middleweight) 4 rounds

Clean boxing and a chess match by both fighters. Close opening round to the end, but Zamy Larry may have stole it in that last minute. Round two was action packed like the first. Hernandez landed flurries of combinations and Larry took three to land one, which didn't seem to be enough. Big round three for Hernandez as he landed his best punches of the fight. Rotating action made this a brutal fight and easily one of the best undercards. Occasional low blows from Larry forced a break, giving Hernandez time to recover in round four, followed by the sound of the bell in the final round. This went to the cards with scores of 38-38 and 39-37 (x2) - in favor of Antonio Hernandez.

Winner: Antonio Hernandez

Fight 8: Zach Dubnof vs. Brent Oren (middleweight) 4 rounds

Tenacious start with shocking straight punches from Oren, that appeared to hurt Dubnof. A huge opener for Oren out of the blue corner. Oren continued to control this fight on the outside, frustrating Dubnof. A near repeat of the first round as Oren utilized a very slick, yet awkward outside style, clearly puzzling Dubnof. A turn of events as Dubnof hit Oren below the belt in round three. After recovery time, Oren was then jumped by extra pressure from Dubnof. The closest round yet. Dubnof found success going to the body and remained persistent with the approach, trying hard to earn back the fight during this final round. The cards read 38-36 x3 for Brent Oren.

Winner: Brent Oren

Fight 9: Raeese Aleem vs. Saul Hernandez (Super Bantamweight) 8 rounds

This bout was a close chess match, with occasional overhands to the body by Aleem, who appeared to land the bigger shots in this close bout. Power shots from Aleem to kick off round two. Hernandez remained composed and was staying in the fight, but lacked punch output. Good fight, but in Aleems favor. Hernandez took a lot of punishment in all of round three, and was encourged by his corner to stop the fight before the start of the next round.

Winner: Raeese Aleem.

Fight 10: Jessy Cruz vs. Ernesto Guerrero (Super Featherweight) 6 rounds

A somewhat dull and slow start with little action would quickly change by round two. Cruz and Guerrero were both patient on the outside, yet a sudden body shot from Cruz sent his opponent down, bringing more energy to the fight. The action was slowly diminishing, making it a hard fight to score until the last and most action packed round. Cruz got wobbled by a 1-2 combination that looked to hurt him bad, yet he was able to recover well and boxed his way back well. Going to the cards with scores of 59-54 - the winner was Jessy Cruz.

Winner: Jessy Cruz

Fight 11: Ricky Lopez vs Joe Perez (Super Featherweight) 10 rounds

Close chess match for the opening round between these super featherweights. Lopez and Perez tried to time each other on the outside, fighting in close rounds. The strong counters by Lopez started to bring the energy to this fight, even bringing the crowd out - chanting Ricky- Ricky! This kept the momentum high. Lopez would have the most success in the repetitive and close rounds up until the final bell, going to the cards with scores of 98-92 across the board For Ricky Lopez

Winner: Ricky Lopez

//Televised Showtime Bouts//

Fight 12: NABO Heavyweight Championship Frank Sanchez vs. Jack Mulowayi 10 rounds

First half of the opening round was patient outside fighting by both boxers. The Cuban flash, Sanchez, looked to land the lead left hook, which soon found its home as he kept Mulowayi on the ropes. Sanchez found most success on the outside and the occasional inside game was also on display, giving Mulowayi trouble. Big body shots from Sanchez opened up the the third round and Mulowayi seemed hesitant to engage. The dominance by Sanchez made this a non -friendly one-sided fight, but still a impressive display of skills from Sanchez as he earned the decision victory.

Winner: Frank Sanchez

Fight 13: Easter Jr. vs. Granados (Super Lightweight) 10 rounds

These two popular boxers could have been the main event based on their names,  but the fight alone said more about the quality of fighters Granados and Easter really are. Fighting at 140, both men were at their comfort weight. Easter pushed the jab early, looking sharp in round one, as he landed a significant uppercut. Granados tried to make this a phone booth brawl in return. Easter continued working the outside for the most part, but Granados had his relentless pressure that was hard to knock off. Granados took a huge left hook, but landed power of his own, later forcing Easter to engage in a brawl which is something he did not need to do. Granados won on the inside, Easter on the outside. In the final round, a huge rally from the crowd, chanting BUNNY! BUNNY! really maintained the hype in what was already the fight of the night. This bout appeared a lot closer than how the judges had scored it, with cards that showed 97-93, 98-92, and 100-90 all for Easter Jr.

Winner: Robert Easter Jr.

Main Event: Erickson Lubin vs Nathaniel Gallimore (Super Welterweight) 10 rounds

Patient and slow start in this main event, which was surprising considering the tension these fighters emitted at the press conference and weigh-in. Both pawed the jab and felt each other out. Lubin with some body straights would be setting the pace for this bout. Gallimore had his best moment in round three, which sparked a brawl with Lubin, making it the closest round yet. Lubin regained his zen and started to control the ring at a phenomenal rhythm, landing superb counter shots that surprisingly never put Gallimore down. This consistency by Lubin would be the norm for the rest of the fight, but with no backing down from Gallimore, who just couldn't seem to increase his punch output. This went to the judges cards and all three would see it the same, making Lubin the clear winner. Cards: 99-91 (x3) for Lubin.

Winner: Erickson Lubin

A fantastic night of boxing and a real treat for the city of Reading. Showtime, TGB, and Kings promotions came together for the fighters, fans, and all the viewers around the world. The Weigh-In is looking forward to next time and are ready to give you all the breakdowns in boxing shows to come. At the end of the day, boxing will always be the sweet science in the world of sports and the Red Dot City of Reading certainly wears this sport on their sleeve, providing one night of fights to remember.

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“Hot Sauce” Henderson Harnesses His Dozenth Victory

By Steve Peacock, Ringside

Pro boxer Kalvin “Hot Sauce” Henderson returned to the City of Brotherly Love on Friday night to attain win #12, preserving an undefeated record by repeatedly knocking down and ultimately taking down Antowyan Aikens.  

Referee Benji Estevez stopped the bout at 2:14 of the third round after the Fayetteville, Arkansas-based Henderson (12-0; 8 KOs) sent Aikens (13-7-1; 1 KO) of Mays Landing, NJ to the canvas for the fifth time.

This successful contest was Henderson’s 2^nd consecutive match via King’s Promotions/Titans Boxing Promotions and likewise was his 2^nd consecutive victory at the 2300 Arena in South Philly.

At the start of this super-middleweight competition Henderson appeared to hold, at best, a slight advantage over Aikens. But by round two, “Hot Sauce” clearly established himself as the dominant pugilist.

A left jab by Henderson during the second round had hurtled Aikens to the mat—the very place to which Hot Sauce then returned him moments later.

Indeed, Aikens actually took a trio of trips to the canvas that round, including another one immediately prior to the bell bringing the 2^nd to its inevitable conclusion.

Henderson in the 3^rd once again downed Aikens with a left jab then dropped him to the canvas yet again before referee Benji Estevez stopped the bout, thereby giving the TKO victory to Hot Sauce.

Back in December, Henderson at this same arena had handed to Brandon Robinson only the second defeat of “B-Rob’s” career. Though Robinson in that bout fared slightly better—duration-wise, anyway—than Aikens on Friday, he nonetheless had received an eye-bloodying, mat-visiting loss at the hands of Henderson in late 2018.

Robinson likewise returned to South Philly this weekend to face a different opponent—and with different results as the following segment of this report will show.

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Brandon “B-Rob” Robinson (13-2; 8 KOs ) of Upper Darby, Pa. in the evening’s co-main event emerged victorious over DeVaun Lee (10-6-1; 5 KOs) of Jamaica, Queens.

B-Rob soon after the bout had begun threw a right jab that stunned Lee, but by the end of the round Lee reciprocated, stemming his opponent’s brief momentum and momentarily causing Robinson to wobble.

Over the next two rounds B-Rob held the advantage, with Lee remaining in contention to say the least. Indeed, by the fourth a resilient Lee looked like he was gaining and not losing ground, though the fifth revealed—however briefly—that Lee could be in trouble.

A relatively even exchange took place between the two boxers in the last three. Robinson appeared to minimally maintain the edge in the sixth, but barely.

Notably, Robinson and Lee took turns connecting a hard right just before the 10-second warning at each of the final rounds, with B-Rob landing a furious fist at the end of the seventh and Lee similarly reciprocating prior to the timekeeper’s “clack” nearing bout’s end.

The judges scored 77-74 for Robinson, 76-75 for Lee, and 77-75 in favor of Robinson, who won by split decision.

SUPER BANTAMWEIGHTS

Raeese Aleem (14-0; 8 KOs) of Las Vegas quickly set Ramiro Robles (15-9-2) of Queretaro, Mexico on his ass. Upon standing, Aleem slammed Robles with a left uppercut and right jab. Moments later, after a brief respite thanks to an inquiring referee, Aleem leveraged that same combo and dropped Robles to his knees. The bout was over at 1:51, and Aleem won by way of 1^st round TKO.

LIGHTWEIGHTS

This match can be summed up in two sentences: Alycia Baumgardner (7-1; 5 KOs) of Fremont, Ohio quickly pummeled Gabriella Mezei (9-18-5) of Romania with multiple left-right combos, jabs and uppercuts. As a result, the bout barely made it past the one-minute mark (1:08) before being stopped, and Baumgardner by way of TKO was subsequently crowned USBF Women’s Silver Champion.

WELTERWIGHTS

Philly favorite Paul “The Punisher” Kroll (3-0; 3 KOs ) unleashed a combo of head and body shots against  Vincent Floyd (4-7-1; 2 KOs) in the first—that alternating barrage of rights and lefts quickly indicated the end was near for Floyd. Sure enough, the referee stopped the bout at 2:27, and Kroll was deemed victor by way of TKO.

MIDDLEWIEGHTS

The first of four consecutive 1^st round victories at this event, Ryan Umberger of Philly (2-0;  1 KO) just seconds into the match knocked to the mat a befuddled Daryl Fenton (1-5-1), who fights out of Washington, D.C.  “The Cockney Reject,” as the London-born Fenton is nicknamed, continued to sustain a battery of unrelenting Umberger shots until the ref jumped into to the stop this beating at 1:34. Umberger is now on a three-win, three KO streak.

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Antonio Dubose (11-2-1; 2 KOs) of Philly and Weusi Johnson (3-12-1) of Wilmington, Delaware went the full length of the scheduled six rounder. Dubose landed several left jabs that elicited responses from the audience throughout the first two rounds. At the very end of the third, Johnson was striking Dubose with significant force, and appeared further reinvigorated in the fourth.  Dubose at one point slammed an overhand right into the face of his opponent, but there was not much more to speak about either contender. Dubose emerged victorious by way of majority decision, with the judges scoring the bout 57-57, 58-56 and 59-55.

JR. MIDDLEWEIGHTS

First up was LaQuan Evans (1-1) out of Philly, facing Hector Mercado (3-10) of Puerto Rico. Evans started out literally on the wrong foot, nearly sliding a leg out of the ring, and Mercado wisely seized upon that error. Undaunted, Evans came back and mightily landed multiple shots that reminded his opponent that one slip does not make for a less formidable foe.  By the third, Mercado seemed fatigued, and could not get a break until Evans slipped to the canvas, albeit momentarily. Despite Mercado’s seemingly uncertain position, he landed enough shots to achieve a point advantage over Evans. The judges scored it 38-38, 39-37, and 40-36 for the majority decision in favor of Mercado. 

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Kings Promotions Presents Tuesday Night Fights Recap

Kings Promotions returned to the Sands Casino Event Center tonight with an eight fight card. Tonight's action was broadcasted on FIGHTNIGHT LIVE, and streamed by hundreds of thousands of viewers on Facebook Live. The main event featured an eight round bout between Anthony Mercado (12-4, 9 KOs) and Victor Vazquez (10-5, 4 KOs) for the WBF Silver International Junior Middleweight Title.

Mercado vs. Vazquez Part I? 

In the main event, Mercado started off the action immediately after the bell rang by throwing a series of hooks to the head and body of his opponent. Vazquez looked hurt in the second round, after Mercado landed a big multi-punch combo to his head and body. Mercado, despite the onslaught, was unable to land the decisive blow on the always tough Vazquez. Vazquez gained momentum in the final ten seconds of this round, and beat Mercado into the neutral corner leading up to the bell. Mercado clubbed Vazquez with huge right hands to the head in the third round. Later in the round, he knocked Vazquez down with a multi-punch combo, that was highlighted by right hooks to the head. An accidental headbutt late in the third round sent blood streaming down the side of Mercado's face. Mercado, sensing danger with the cut, landed several big hooks on Vazquez as the fourth round began. Referee Gary Rosato called a timeout to the action later in the round to have the ringside physician look at Mercado's cut. When action resumed, the two men beat the crap out of one another via a brutal exchange of punches in the middle of the ring. In the final ten seconds of the round, Vazquez connected with left and right straights to Mercado's head, that sent blood flying from the cut. Mercado returned to his corner a bloody mess, ensuring that his cutman earned his paycheck tonight. 

By the fifth round, both fighters' gloves and wrist tape were stained with blood from Mercado's wound. Mercado got nailed with a multi-punch combo as the final bell for the fifth round rang. Fortunately for him, he only had to worry about stumbling back to his corner... In the seventh round, Mercado winced with pain after connecting with a right hand punch. Most spectators feared the worse, that this battle would come to an end due to an injury. Mercado, a Puerto Rican warrior, recovered and exchanged big shots with his opponent as the round neared its end. As Gary Rosato called the two men out to the center of the ring to touch gloves before the eighth and final round, the exact happenings of the contest were evident from the blood stains all over his light blue shirt. Mercado, busted open, and Vazquez, eyes swollen up, both swung wildly at one another in the eighth, desperately trying to end the war as soon as possible. Both men hugged and the crowd roared as the final bell rang. The judges scored the bout 76-75 and 77-74 twice, all for Mercado. The question this writer has to ask is: When and where is the rematch? 

Aleem TKO's Santiago 

Las Vegas transplant from Michigan, Raeese Aleem (12-0, 5 KOs) continued his winning ways against Alcides Santiago (6-3, 5 KOs), Puerto Rico, in a super bantamweight bout. Aleem controlled the first three rounds by landing the cleaner and bigger shots on his opponent. Santiago was knocked down in the fifth round by an Aleem left hand to the head. Santiago's corner, on advice from the ringside physician, stopped the fight after Santiago took a beating in the fifth of a scheduled six round matchup. 

Jules Decisions Sosa in Four 

Featherweight speedsters, Felix Sosa (1-1, 1 KO), Jersey City, and Martino Jules (5-0), Allentown, fought in a four round contest. Jules answered the opening bell by coming out of his corner swinging for the fences on the unsuspecting Sosa. A right hook to the head sent Sosa crashing to the canvas in this round. Jules pinned Sosa up against the ropes and crushed him with a multi-punch combo for a second knockdown in the third round. Sosa pulled himself up from the canvas, but appeared to be on "dream street." Sosa survived the round, and stumbled dazed back to his corner. Sosa, knowing he was behind on the judges' scorecards, fought aggressively in the final round, but it was all too little, too late. All three judges saw the bout the same, 40-34, for Martino Jules. 

Keystone State Brawl 

In a Keystone State battle of super welterweights, York's James Robinson (5-12-5, 1 KO) came up short against Reading's Erik Spring (11-2-2, 1 KO). The two men fought a hard and close first round that set the tempo for the remainder of the six round contest. Robinson, looked winded by the fifth round, showing the effects of a tough contest. The fighters were involved in a vicious, punch-for-punch exchange as this round neared its end. Spring scored a knockdown in the final minute of the sixth round with a big left hook, that upon further review, may have been to the back of Robinson's head. Robinson, outraged by the knockdown call, leapt to his feet yelling at referee Shawn Clark. When the action continued, Robinson fought aggressively looking for a knockdown of his own before the bout ended. The judges scored the bout 59-54 twice, and 58-55 for Spring. 

Pay Day for Powell at Sands Casino 

Super middleweight prospect Money Powell IV (8-0, 4 KOs) may have faced and defeated the toughest opponent of his young career tonight in veteran Josue Obando (16-23-1, 12 KOs) of Mexico. Powell's power was on display throughout the six round contest, but the 20-year-old product of Fort Mitchell, Alabama (by way of Germany) just could not send his tough opponent down to the canvas. Powell opened up the fisticuffs by snapping Obando's head back with two left hands in the opening frame. Throughout the second and third rounds, Powell punished his opponent with shots that echoed throughout the Sands Casino Event Center. In the third round, Powell ran circles around Obando, all the while landing shot after shot on his visibly tired, yet iron-willed opponent. In the sixth and final round, Powell obviously ahead on the cards, again went into "track and field" mode as Obando, with his hands down at his sides, desperately attempted to stalk his opponent. The judges scored the bout 60-54 twice and 59-55 all in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Money Powell IV. 

Madison Decisions Clarke 

Nicoy Clarke (2-2) fell to Colby Madison (7-0-2, 4 KOs) in a six round, heavyweight contest. Clarke, who fights out of Jersey City, was the smaller southpaw. Clarke spent much of the first round dancing (literally) as Madison connected on punch after punch. A frustrated Madison answered the second round bell as the aggressor, hammering Clarke with multi-punch combos, which left his eye bloodied and swollen. Clarke hit Madison with a left uppercut from the clinch seconds after his corner threatened to stop the fight if he didn't show them something in the third round. Clarke having survived the round with a second wind, danced his way back to his corner after the third round ended. Clarke went on to put his toughness on display as he battled through the final three rounds with a badly swollen left eye. On that note, mad props to his cutman for keeping the bleeding down on a bad cut. Madison looked tired by the sixth round and moved around the ring sluggishly, knowing very well he was ahead on the judges' scorecards. All three judges scored the bout in favor of Madison, 60-54 twice and 59-55.

Head Downed by Coffie in Two 

Michael Coffie (4-0, 3 KOs) faced Curtis Head (4-3, 3 KOs) in a heavyweight bout scheduled for six rounds. The Brooklyn native, Coffie, put his offense on display in the opening frame, knocking down Head with a straight left hand to the head. Head pulled himself up from the canvas only to be knocked down again with a right hook to the body as the first round approached its end. Coffie, smelling victory, continued what he started in the opening frame in the second, when he knocked Head down for the third time with a big left hand to the body. Coffie finished off Head seconds later with a right-left combo to the body. Referee Gary Rosato called an end to the action at 1:57 of the second round.

Robles Wins #4

Kenny Robles (4-1, 2 KOs) defeated Corey Gulley (2-3-2) in the third round of a junior welterweight contest scheduled for six rounds. Robles controlled the tempo of the opening frame. In the opening seconds of the second round, Robles knocked Gulley down with a right hand to the head. Robles went for the kill, and appeared to almost punch himself out midway through the round. Gulley battled back after being on shaky legs. Robles let his hands go in the opening seconds of the third round, but got caught with two hard counterpunches. These shots forced the fighter to fight more conservatively in the round. In the third round, Robles beat Gulley into the ropes with a multi-punch combo that sent his mouthpiece flying. Referee Shawn Clark saw enough at 2:13 of the third round.

Yet Another "Jersey Joe" Wins in Pennsylvania 

In heavyweight action, "Jersey" Joe Hanks (23-2, 15 KOs) knocked out Terrance Marbra (9-7, 7 KOs) at 2:26 of the first round. Marbra was sent crashing to the canvas by a big right hand to the head. The referee waived off the fight after Hanks clubbed Marbra into the ropes with left hands to the head and body. 

MW

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Robinson Wins Decision Over Riojas, Aleem Beats Bates in Slugfest

King's Promotions returned to the City of Brotherly Love with an action packed night of fights from the famed 2300 Arena. A capacity crowd was on hand to witness the great night of fights.

Kendall Cannida WUD4 Carlos Villenueva 

Cannida (2-0) out worked Villenueva (0-1), who made his professional debut. Villenueva, who seemed to be a little nervous and caught up by the lights, was unable to pull the trigger with his punches.  Cannida capitalized and landed the clean and powerful shots enroute to the unanimous decision victory.  All three judges had the fight scored 39-37.

Denis Okoth WSD4 Rasheed Johnson

Although Johnson (3-2) seemed to be out pointing Okoth (2-0-1, 1 KO) throughout the fight, two of the judges seemed to agree that Okoth, with his constant pressure, deserved to win the fight.  Even though the pressure by Okoth at times never produced much action or effective punches, Johnson tried to off-set the pressure with a constant jab and tried to follow up those jabs with pot shots in combination.  After four rounds, one of the judges saw it 39-37 for Johnson, the second judge had it 40-36 for Okoth, and the third scored it 39-37 for Okoth.

Poindexter Knight WUD4 Vincent Floyd  

Real Deal Promotions rising prospect and Philadelphia native, Knight (3-0, 2 KO) defeated fellow Philadelphian, Floyd.  The action started right away with no warm up period as both fighters came out swinging for the fences. Floyd landed a sharp straight left from his southpaw stance that staggered Knight. Knight, also a southpaw, responded in the second round by settling into his game plan of picking apart Floyd. After four action packed rounds, all three judges scored the fight 40-36 in favor of the still undefeated Knight.

Colby Madison MD6 Guillermo De Rio

Madison, who has looked impressive in the past, had a stale performance. After winning the first two rounds with a nice jab.  De Rio turned up the action after he realized in order to get to Madison he would have to take the initial jabs.  As both heavyweights continued to circle each other, it was De Rio who landed the power shots that occasionally made Madison back off. Entering the final round, it was clear that Madison needed a big round. He landed a vicious left hook to the body that lifted De Rio's right leg off of the canvas for a moment.  Visibly hurt, De Rio circled away from Madison, who tried to close the show. De Rio regained his composure and fired back power shots to stay on his feet as the fight ended. Two judges scored the fight 57-57, while the third some how had it 58-56 for Madison.

Raeese Aleem WUD8 Marcus Bates

In the fight of the night, junior featherweights Aleem (11-0, 5 KOs) out lasted the game Bates (8-1-1, 7 KO) over eight rounds of non-stop action. Both fighters agreed to start the fight throwing power shots. Aleem landed a crisp left hook in the opening round that dropped Bates. Bates rose to his feet and continued to exchange with Aleem, which set the tone for the remainder of the fight. As the rounds continued with this action, Bates would land power shots, however, Aleem never allowed Bates to seize the momentum of the fight. Aleem did this by responding with well-timed power shots of his own in response to the shots Bates landed. As a result, Aleem, the more active and consistent fighter, was granted the decision victory by scores of 79-72 twice and 80-71.

Brandon Robinson WUD8 Oscar Riojas 

The two super middleweights started the action of the main event by circling each other. It was a left hook by Robinson (10-1, 7 KOs) that floored Riojas (16-9-1, 5 KOs). Riojas got to his feet with a smile on his face, and continued to try and downplay the punches that Robinson landed throughout the rest of the fight. The pattern of the fight settled in with Robinson patiently waiting for and landing one or two power shots on the unorthodox southpaw Riojas.

Riojas tried to land shots of his own, but Robinson utilized quality defense to avoid the punches. Robinson’s power punches started to pay off in the second half of the fight as Riojas stopped returning with punches of his own. As the fight came to an end, it was clear that Robinson was the fighter that deserved the nod. The three judges agreed as two scored it 79-72, with the third giving it to Robinson 80-71.

-Luis A. Cortes III

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