Garcia vs. Spence: Fight Predictions

By Luis A. Cortes III

With the big fight between two of the top pound-for-pound ranked champions taking place this weekend in Dallas, TWI reached out to different members from the world of boxing to get their take on what is going to go down in the Lone Star state. 

Ray McCline – Atlantic City Hall of Fame

I love Mikey, but I just think Spence is going to be too big for him.  Spence does get hit, to try and counter with his excellent body work.  Mikey will score on Spence and it will be a close fight, but I think the size and power of Spence gets him the win. 

Joey Eye – Cutman

For some reason I like Mikey in this fight.  Garcia on points. 

Bozy Ennis – Trainer

Its not going to be easy for Errol and people are counting Mikey out.  Not me, he has a real good chance even though people are looking at the size factor.  I think Mikey can pull it out. 

Stitch Duran – Cutman

I don’t like to make predictions.  I’m horrible at it and as a cutman, I look to see who has the possibility of getting cut or swollen.  I think both fighters will be okay, and it shouldn’t be a problem in the fight. 

Stephen Bird – Lineal TV (England)

Mikey by decision

Catherine Lebron – Kings Promotions

50/50 fight, but I’m going with Spence.  Mikey is flat footed; Spence is going to aggravate him with his skills.  Spence by unanimous decision. 

Jeremy Cuevas – Lightweight

I think Garcia can outbox and outsmart Spence.  Make him miss and make him pay.  Garcia on points. 

Kelly Pavlik – Former middleweight King

I got it a 50/50!  This is one of them fights I just want to chill and watch.

Jason Gonzalez – Writer

Errol wins by decision

Gene Pantalone – Writer

A good big guy beats a good smaller guy, unless he is another Duran.  Should be a great fun fight to watch.  Spence wins by decision.

Thomas LaManna – Jr. Middleweight

Mikey has underrated footwork and timing.  He creates the space very well, in a way that people don’t notice.  I think Spence is very slow and Mikey will use his size disadvantage and turn it into an advantage.  So, I’m going with Garcia, size matters, but skills pay the bills. 

   

Frankie Carto – Manager

I think I’m going to have to go with Spence.  I really like Mikey’s skill set, but I feel the size difference may be too much to overcome. 

Joey Dawejko – Heavyweight

I got Errol winning this one by decision.

George Hanson – Writer

Spence wins by TKO.

John DiSanto – Writer

As skilled as Garcia is, I think Spence is just too big and too good to lose this one. 

Matthew Ward – Editor in Chief of TWI

A lot of fans and analysts are writing off Mikey.  You can’t do that with a talented guy like that.  Spence is a great fighter, but Mikey has proven himself too.  This is going to be a great main event with an average undercard.  Fights like this are great for our sport though!  All I ask is that the judges don’t screw it up.  With that said, realistically both fighters can win... I’m sticking with Mikey though. Garcia wins by UD. 

James Dominguez – Writer & Co-host of the Punchline w/ Kelly Pavlik

I’m going to take Mikey by split decision.

Luis Cortes III – Feature Writer of TWI

Feature story on the fight and why I’m picking Mikey to win on points coming tomorrow. 

Adam Weiner – Low Cut Connie

I’m going to go with Spence by unanimous decision.  Mikey ends on his feet but loses a clear decision.  Should be a great fight.  I love Mikey, but I think Spence will be too much. 

Jerome Conquest – Lightweight

Spence wins this one by TKO

*After surveying 18 different people, Spence pulls out to get the most votes.  Could the fight on Saturday night be just as close and full of action?  We here at TWI sure do hope so.  Enjoy the fight - from the TWI family! 

Spence: 10

Garcia: 8

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When Irish Eyes Smile on Philadelphia

By Luis A. Cortes III

This Friday night from the Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University marks the return of big-time boxing to the city of Brotherly Love.  Last April, Top Rank Promotions and ESPN put on a big show at Liacouras Center that featured plenty of hometown fighters in key matchups.  This year, while there have already been some compelling local shows that have all had great attendance, it’s time for Matchroom Boxing USA and DAZN to host a show in the city. The upstart streaming application that has taken the boxing world by storm, will broadcast their first show from Philadelphia on St. Patrick’s Day weekend.  Granted the St. Patrick’s Day Parade has come and went in the city, this Sunday is St. Patrick’s Day, which means that the city will be a buzz with plenty of festivities for Philly to indulge in.  A Friday night at the fights is the perfect way to kick things off.

Since signing a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing USA, IBF Junior Lightweight Champion Tevin Farmer (28-4-1)(6 KO’s)(1 NC) has gotten what he has asked for, an active schedule.  Eddie Hearn has made good on his promise to Farmer that if he did sign with Matchroom, barring any injuries, he would constantly get him fights.  Which means that when he defends his championship in the main event on Friday night, it will be his fourth fight in seven months and his third title defense.  What makes this title defense interesting for Farmer is not only will he be fighting for the first time as champion in his hometown, he will be facing the tough and rugged challenge of undefeated Irishman Jono Carroll (16-0)(3 KO’s).  On a weekend like the one approaching, it’s the perfect sell for a main event.  Hometown champion versus the tough challenge of a native Irishman during the city’s celebration of the latter’s heritage.

This is a huge fight for Farmer, even though it may seem that Carroll may not have the same experience to really test Farmer.  Carroll is in fact a durable fighter that has had to fight his way from the bottom to reach this opportunity.  Both fighters have exchanged barbs over social media, calling each other everything in the book.  Farmer has stated his pleasure with fighting under the Matchroom banner and has also let it be known that after this fight he would love the chance to unify the division titles in a fight against the WBA champion Gervonta Davis.  This is the fight that most hardcore fight fans have been asking for a couple of years already from a stylistic standpoint would be fun to witness.  Although the future looks bright for Farmer with a victory on Friday night, nothing by any means is guaranteed in terms of a victory.  Carroll for his part is planning to spoil those future plans as well as reach a point in his career that he has admitted only he dreamed could happen.

In the co-main event, WBA and IBF unified featherweight queen Katie Taylor (12-0)(5 KO’s), looks to add the WBO title to her growing collection when she battles Brazilian Rose Volante (14-0)(8 KO's).  Taylor, an Olympic Champion from the 2012 London Games, is quickly working her way up the pound-for-pound rankings in women’s boxing.  She already retains celebrity status in her native Ireland, and having fought already in Boston and New York, adding Philadelphia to her resume will continue to add to her rising popularity.  If she were to get by Volante, she already has stated that she would love to battle Amanda Serrano, a fellow pound-for-pound ranked fighter in a super fight.  Taylor is open to fighting the best in the world and along with Carroll, her fellow countrymen, adds yet another Celtic flavor to the fight card.

On the undercard two matchups look to shine a spotlight on the world of Philadelphia boxing.  Middleweights Gabriel Rosado (24-11-1)(14 KO’s) of Philadelphia and Maciej Sulecki (27-1)(11 KO’s) will battle in a pivotal matchup for both men.  Earlier this week, Eddie Hearn went on the record and stated that the winner of this matchup would be in line for a world title shot against WBO Middleweight Champion Demetrius Andrade.  That statement put an added incentive to the already motivated mind of Rosado, who will be fighting in front of his hometown crowd for the first time in several years.  During the pre-fight promotion, Rosado’s trainer Billy Briscoe stated that he was indeed impressed with the skills of Sulecki and in no way was Rosado going to take this fight with anything but a serious approach.  This is a solid fight that should please both the crowd in attendance and the fans watching at home.

Lightweight Hank Lundy (29-7-1)(14 KO’s) will take on his fellow Philadelphian Avery Sparrow (9-1)(3 KO’s).  Although both fighters are from Philadelphia, believe me when I tell you there is no love lost between these two fighters.  Both are no stranger to speaking their minds, which was the case during the kick-off press conference.  Lundy told TWI that he expects to capture his 30th victory of his veteran professional career and feels that a win on this type of show and platform in his hometown could launch his career towards at least one more run towards a world championship at lightweight.  With a career that has seen Lundy face some of the best fighters of the past generation at both lightweight and super lightweight, it is this experience that he believes will be the difference maker in the fight.  Sparrow is looking to use a victory of Lundy to jumpstart his career and put in on a path towards championship glory.  Sparrow is the younger fighter, that has shown glimpses of raw natural talent that has made him a fighter that not many lightweights want to risk their padded records against.  Both hometown fighters are coming to fight, and it should be interesting while it lasts.

A pair of former Olympians round out the undercard.  John Joe Nevin (10-0)(4 KO’s) is a thirty year old super featherweight from Ireland.  He captured the Silver medal at the 2012 Olympic games in London.  Over the past seven years, his career has not taken off the way some of the other Olympians from that year have.  But Neven, who has fought in Philadelphia before, would like to use this chance to start being more active.  Luke Campbell (19-2)(15 KO’s) is a lightweight fighter from England, that won the Gold medal for his home country during the 2012 games.  Like his fellow 2012 Olympian, Nevin, Campbell is trying to gear his career towards the next level that has so far eluded him in the professional ranks.  Also, Raymond Ford an amateur standout from across the river from Philadelphia, Camden, New Jersey will make his professional debut. 

Tickets for this great night at the fights in Philadelphia are still available. You can purchase them by visiting liacourascenter.com.  Of course, if you can’t make it out to the fights, which I suggest you do,  DAZN will begin their broadcast at 7pm.    

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Hank Lundy Interview

By Luis A. Cortes III

"Hammerin Hank" Lundy (29-7-1, 14 KOs) sat down with me to discuss his upcoming all Philadelphia lightweight bout with Avery Sparrow (9-1, 3 KOs) on March 15, 2019. The fight is part of a great night of boxing presented by Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia. The card is headlined by a super featherweight contest between Tevin Farmer (28-4-1, 6 KOs) and Jono Carroll (16-0-1, 3 KOs) for Farmer's IBF World Super Featherweight Title.

Check out our interview on iTunes and SoundCloud:

Hank Lundy Interview with Luis Cortes on iTunes

Hank Lundy Interview with Luis Cortes on SoundCloud

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WWE Fastlane Recap

By Steve Ward

The final stop on the Road to Wrestlemania landed this evening in Cleveland, OH as WWE presented Fastlane. The jam packed Quicken Loans Arena was treated to a nine match card that featured six titles being put on the line. This show certainly delivered and gave the WWE Universe a solid glimpse of the framework for how some feuds may develop and continue on over the next four weeks leading up to Wrestlemania in New Jersey.

Smackdown Tag Team Championship

The Usos (c) vs. The Miz & Shane McMahon

Winners: The Usos via pinfall

“The Best Tag Team in the World” sought to reclaim their tag team titles this evening after they dropped them to The Usos at last month’s Elimination Chamber event. The first "oh shit" moment of the match arrived when Shane McMahon was positioned on the top turnbuckle ready to deliver the Coast to Coast on one of the Usos, however, the other Uso brother climbed to the top of the opposite corner poised to deliver a splash to The Miz who was laid out in the center of the ring. Both men timed their jumps perfectly as Shane McMahon and the Uso collided in mid air! The conclusion of the match came as one of The Usos laid in the center of the ring and The Miz looked over to his father at ringside who gestured for him to ascend to the top rope, something The Miz is not known for. The Miz attempted a Frogsplash, however, he was greeted by a pair of knees from Jimmy or Jay Uso (I couldn’t tell which one it was and neither could the commentary team) and was rolled up for the 1-2-3. After the match, The Miz and Shane walked over to the The Miz’s father for a brief consolatory embrace. As Miz walked away, Shane McMahon clotheslined him from behind and proceeded to decimate him finally putting him to sleep with a guillotine choke in front of his father. In my anticipation, this will likely lead the two men straight into a head-to-head confrontation at Wrestlemania. 

Smackdown Women’s Championship

Asuka (c) vs. Mandy Rose

Winner: Asuka via pinfall

In my opinion, this match displayed how shallow the women’s division has become on Smackdown since Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch have migrated over to RAW. Don’t get me wrong, there are some very talented and promising women representing Smackdown, Mandy Rose included, but she wouldn’t at this stage exactly be who I’d expect to see compete in a pay-per-view title match. Just moments prior to the conclusion of the match, Sonya Deville lifted the ring apron as she attempted to locate a weapon beneath the ring, however, this action would prove to be costly for Rose. Shortly after the apron was left folded up onto the ring canvas, Asuka reversed an Irish whip attempt by Rose propelling her into the ropes. As Rose arrived at the ropes she slipped on the ring apron and stumbled right into a devastating round house kick delivered by The Empress of Tomorrow. The strike which dropped Rose like a sack of potatoes, allowed Asuka to easily cover her for the pinfall and to retain her title.

Handicap Match

The Bar (Cesaro & Sheamus) vs. Kofi Kingston

Winners: The Bar via pinfall

After The New Day stormed Mr. McMahon’s office and demanded that Kofi be placed in the WWE Championship match, Kofi made his way to the ring as the match was announced to be for the WWE Championship. One of the ringside attendants then called for the ring announcer to come over to ringside. The announcer proceeded to proclaim that the triple threat match would take place later in the evening and Kofi was thrown into a handicap match with The Bar. The Bar engaged in a completely one-sided brutal assault as they relentlessly bludgeoned Kofi with a plethora of tandem offense. Big E and Xavier Woods attempted to come to the rescue only to have their actions thwarted by Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev. The Bar subsequently executed a double White Noise and finally put Kofi out of his misery with a pinfall.

RAW Tag Team Championship

The Revival (c) vs. Bobby Roode & Chad Gable vs. Ricochet & Aleister Black

Winners: The Revival via pinfall

The tempo of this match was frenetic to say the least. Ricochet was certainly a human highlight reel in this bout. One of the highlights saw Ricochet run from corner to corner and vault himself over the ring post as he took Bobby Roode out. As Ricochet propelled himself out of the ring, however, Chad Gable had the wherewithal to tag himself into the match. Gable was subsequently overwhelmed by both members of The Revival and with no salvation in sight, was finished with the Shatter Machine as Dash and Dawson retained their titles.

United States Championship Fatal Four Way Match

Samoa Joe (c) vs. R-Truth vs. Andrade w/ Zelina Vega vs. Rey Mysterio

Winner: Samoa Joe via submission

This match, added during the kickoff show, was a rematch from Tuesday night when Samoa Joe won the title. Samoa Joe was able to retain his title in impressive fashion and put the exclamation point on his performance as he rolled out the way of a springboard splash attempt by Rey Mysterio and quickly cinched in the Coquina Clutch for the victory.

Women’s Tag Team Titles

Boss n’ Hug Connection (Bayley & Sasha Banks) (c) vs. Nia Jax & Tamina

Winners: Boss n’ Hug Connection via pinfall

After imposing her will for much of the contest, Nia Jax took exception to being rolled up for the pinfall by Bayley and she and her partner proceeded to lay waste to Bayley and Banks. As the onslaught spilled to the outside, special commentator Beth Phoenix dropped Tamina after an intense staredown, but was quickly decimated by Nia Jax. As the assault returned to the ring, Natalya attempted to save The Glamazon but unfortunately suffered a similar fate. Could we see a return to the ring for the WWE Hall of Famer? Only time will tell…Perhaps as soon as tomorrow night on RAW.

WWE Championship Triple Threat Match

Daniel Bryan w/ Rowan vs. Mustafa Ali vs. Kevin Owens

Winner: Daniel Bryan

This match was originally supposed to be Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston until Mr. McMahon replaced Kingston with Kevin Owens fresh off the shelf from double knee surgery. The implication earlier in the evening was that Kofi would be placed in this match, however, Mustafa Ali was shockingly the third participant. Kevin Owens frustratingly witnessed several near pinfalls slip through his fingers. First, he rolled out of the way of an 054 attempt by Ali and answered with a Stunner only to have Bryan break up the pinfall attempt. Owens was even able to execute the Pop-Up Powerbomb on Bryan and Ali to no avail. KO was finally removed from the equation by Rowan who launched him into the timekeeper’s area leaving Ali and Bryan alone in the ring. Ali attempted a splash off the top rope only to be viciously struck with a pair of knees by Bryan who was able to capitalize and pin Ali to retain his title.

Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair

Winner: Becky Lynch via DQ

This match was created after Becky Lynch’s suspension was lifted on Monday night by Stephanie McMahon. The stipulation stated if Becky Lynch could come out victorious, she would be added to the RAW Women’s Championship at Wrestlemania with Flair and Ronda Rousey. The Man, still sporting a crutch for her “injured” knee, spent the first few minutes hopping around on one leg as she was taunted by Flair. Flair then took control of the contest as she proceeded to go to work on Becky’s knee. As Flair seemed to have the match won when she locked in the Figure Four, Ronda Rousey sprinted to the ring and struck Becky Lynch. This action caused Flair to be disqualified awarding the match to Becky Lynch and punching her ticket to Wrestlemania.

Following the match, Elias rewarded the crowd with his THIRD performance of the evening and, as he was sure to allude to, it went uninterrupted. That is until Lacey Evans’ music hit and she walked to and from the ring. As Elias was distracted, he was stunned with an RKO Outta Nowhere! As Orton admired his work, A.J. Styles launched himself into the ring and dropped The Legend Killer with a Phenomenal Forearm. It appears that we are on course to witness Styles vs. Orton at The Showcase of the Immortals.

The Shield vs. Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, & Baron Corbin

Winners: The Shield

This match not only marked Roman Reigns first match in six months since he announced that he would need to undergo treatment for his Leukemia that returned, but also the “final ride” for The Shield. Roman rallied the troops for this final union in the ring because WWE, quite surprisingly unless it’s a work, has reiterated the reports that have circulated online that Dean Ambrose will not renew his contract. The match started a bit on the slow side to be honest, but business quickly picked up as the carnage spilled to the outside of the ring. The highlights included a Shield Bomb (triple power bomb) delivered on Drew McIntyre as he was unceremoniously put through the Spanish announce table. The second Shield Bomb was executed on Baron Corbin in the center of the ring after which Roman Reigns scored the pinfall.

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UFC 235 Breakdown

By Justin Dohnson, The People's Red Head

Finally! The People’s Redhead has returned to The Weigh-In!

Jon Jones defeated Anthony Smith

Las Vegas was host to UFC 235, where the main event was Jones versus Smith. Jones cruised to unanimous decision victory. The only thing of note in this fight aside from the ease with which Jones had defending his title against Smith was the illegal knee Jones landed in Round Four. Jones is no stranger to illegal knees but luckily this one did not cost him his belt.

Many wonder what is next for Jon Jones? Daniel Cormier did not retire but he is likely in for one more major fight, and it will most likely not be against Jon Jones. Rumors are swirling out of the UFC that Cormier will square off against Brock Lesner. As much I think we all would watch Cormier vs. Jones III, there is just no place for it. We know what this looks like and it is not pretty for Cormier who is going to retire as a hall of famer and a role model. However, if this fight were to take place at heavyweight instead of light heavyweight, it may regain the interest of the staff at The Weigh-In.

I asked Matt Ward his thoughts on Cormier vs. Jones III. He replied with “Go Fuck Yourself!”
Our own Luis Cortes was not available for comment, but his voicemail has the voice of an angel on it.

I think Jones has a few options, which would be to clean out the heavyweight division or line up a super fight against Francis Ngannou. Ngannou recaptured the attention of everyone with his recent knockout of Cain Velasquez. This is a fight I want to see, but am not sure it will happen. Jones may not have interest and Ngannou may not be ready for the talent level of Jones.

Kamaru Usman defeated Tyron Woodley

Kamaru Usman was victorious over Tyron Woodley. This fight came as a surprise to many. Woodley has fought everyone and has looked invincible as of late. However, Usman came in with an aggressive game plan and beat Woodley at his own game, the ground game that is. Usman controlled the majority of the fight from the clinch. Usman went on to win by unanimous decision.

Woodley immediately asked for a rematch. The running fights back bit has become challenging. I cannot argue that Woodley certainly deserves a chance to redeem himself. However, there is a big difference in a premature stoppage like what happened to T.J. Dillashaw recently, and getting dominated over five rounds. Due to this, it is likely Usman goes on to fight Colby Covington who has not shied away from calling out Usman. Woodley’s shot at the title will probably require him to fight his way back into contention, but he certainly was a fantastic champion and remains an excellent fighter.

Ben Askren submits Robbie Lawler

After years of anticipation, we see the arrival of Ben Askren to the UFC. Askren did not disappoint the fans either. Askren submitted Robbie Lawler in the first round by way of choke. This submission is filled with controversy. Veteran official, Herb Dean called a stoppage to the fight, and controversy immediately arose regarding whether or not Lawler was out. After watching the tape, the answer is he may have been out, but it is very difficult to see. Footage looks like Lawler’s arm flails as if he is out, but it is quite questionable.

Dean was heavily criticized for the stoppage, but we at The Weigh-In stand behind him. Lawler is another fighter who wanted an immediate rematch and Askren is not inclined to grant Lawler’s request. Askren brought up a great point regarding his controversial win. If he were to rematch Robbie, he would be in the same place statistically that he is in now and he has nothing to gain from a rematch with Lawler. I could not agree more with Askren’s take.

Worthy of note, Lawler looked great. In fact, Lawler looked like the animal we are used to seeing in the octagon. He looked like Lawler of old. I'm thinking time off has done Lawler a world of good and I am excited to see his next fight.

Other 235 Results: 

Weili Zhang defeated Tecia Torres via unanimous decision. 

Pedro Munhoz defeated Cody Garbrandt via first-round TKO.

Garbrandt cannot seem to recover after losing twice to Dillashaw. This marks Garbrandt’s third loss in a row. I for one hope he rights the ship, as he is one of the most exciting fighters in the division to watch. 

Zabit Magomedsharipov defeated Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision. 

Johnny Walker defeated Misha Cirkunov via first round TKO. 

Cody Stamann defeated Alejandro Perez via unanimous decision.

Diego Sanchez defeated Mickey Gall via second round TKO.

Sanchez has been doing this for years. Do not sleep on this man, he is still dangerous and continues to evolve with the sport.

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Philly fighters battle for title, but Brunson beats Davis via TKO

By Steve Peacock, Ringside

Tyrone Brunson as early as the first round appeared poised to bring to an abrupt end his Jr. Middleweight State Championship boxing title-fight against fellow Philadelphia native Jamaal Davis. After Davis suddenly sustained a brutal right that surprised him (as well as the roaring South Philly audience), Davis attempted to step up his game against the clearly dominant Brunson. But Davis fell short of outperforming the more aggressive Brunson, who emerged victorious by way of TKO and retained his title just one round short of the scheduled 10-round fight.

This main-event contest—the last of 11 bouts on the King’s Promotions/Titans Boxing Promotions card—was one of several fights in which the corners as well as the crowd seemed to demand that the respective aggressor simply bring the match at hand to an abrupt end.

It may have been unwillingness to capitalize on otherwise stunning punches, or perhaps part of a personal strategy to gradually wear down his opponent. No matter what justification might be offered, from an outside-the-ring-looking-in point of view, it seemed logical—or maybe just selfishly preferable— that Brunson should instead leverage those intermittent moments of punch-induced unsteadiness that Davis displayed.

Indeed, by round three someone in the Brunson corner kept hurling a KO-tinged baseball metaphor to their man, repeatedly shouting, “Give me two jabs and a home run! Give me two jabs and home run!”

But such an outcome would not start to come until the end of the eighth, with the fruits of those efforts finally emerging in the ninth.

In the final seconds of round eight, a powerfully thrown Brunson punch planted Davis on his ass, causing referee Gary Rosato to initiate an eight count. The subsequent bell then saved Davis, albeit briefly.

Soon after the ninth had begun, Brunson dropped Davis to the canvas once again. Davis arose, his nose slightly bloodied, and Rosato stopped the fight at the 2:11 mark.

Brunson retains his title and now has a pro boxing record of 28-7-2 with 24 KOs. Davis’s record falls to 18-14-1 with 7 KOs.

In the co-main event of the evening, super-middleweights Joseph George of Houston, Texas, and Oscar Riojas of Monterrey, Mexico, battled it out in a largely lackluster contest that drew repeated groans from the 2300 Arena audience. George initially came out as the aggressor in this match as he landed a few hard shots that elicited a “Read him a bedtime story!” response from the crowd, eager to witness a quick KO.

But in what appeared to be a more egregious failure to capitalize on moments of wobbliness that he inflicted on opponent, George consistently did not follow up on those shots, resulting in many boos and a verbalized “Yawn!” from several hecklers. Riojas nonetheless remained competitive throughout the bout, which went the full eight rounds. The judges ruled unanimously in favor of George, 80-72.

SUPER LIGHTWEIGHTS (2)

Nahir Albright (6-1; 1 KO) quickly caught the attention of his opponent, Roy McGill (6-2; 3 KOs), who in the first round remained undaunted by Albright’s swift attack. This attempted battering continued into the second, with Albright cornering and hurling a barrage of blows at McGill, who soon after was taken across the ring where Albright’s punches dropped him to his knees. At 1:10 of the second round, the bout was stopped and Albright declared victor by way of KO.

WELTERWEIGHTS (3)

Philadelphians Rasheed Johnson (5-2, 1 KO) and Vincent Floyd (4-6-1, 2 KOs) went toe-to-toe for all six scheduled rounds of the bout, with Johnson appearing to have the edge over Floyd for most, but not all of the contest. The judges’ scorecards—each 58-56—reflected that arguably uncertain dominance by Johnson, who won by split decision with two judges in favor of him and one against.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

Kendal Cannida (3-1, 1 KO) opened the bout with a sweat-spattering blow to the face of Angel Rivera (4-1, 3 KOs) that hopefully was captured by the multiplicity of photographers at ringside. But all observers of this match needed not to wait long for additional pugilistic and potentially photogenic drama; a Cannida left hook sent Rivera plummeting to the floor, where he had time to ponder his first pro-boxing loss —if, while on his hand and knees in a befuddled condition, he was even capable of such cognitive processing.  The bout was stopped 2:59 after it began.

WELTERWEIGHTS (2)

James Martin (4-0, 1 KO) and Rick Pyle (1-2) went the full four rounds of this bout, which at first seemed like it could go either way until the final seconds of the third, when Martin unleashed multiple shots upon a seemingly startled Pyle. Martin emerged the victor by way of unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring 40-36.

SUPER BANTAMWEIGHTS (2)

Rasheen Brown (3-0) took an early lead over Hugo Rodriguez (0-3), who sustained several powerful shots in the first and briefly was sent to the canvas in the second. In the third, Brown had notably connected eight consecutive shots—all right jabs—to the face of Rodriguez. After four scheduled rounds, Brown won by way of unanimous decision

SUPER BANTAMWEIGHTS (1)

Yueri Andujar’s entered the ring with a limited but perfect three-win, three-KO streak, which came to halt literally at the hands of Weusi Johnson (3-10). The bout was competitive, unofficially measured by the number of gold beads flying from Andujar’s braids that were dangling from the back of this head; in one instance, Johnson hit Andujar so hard that several beads went tumbling to the canvas, while later in the match Andujar hit Johnson with such force that additional beads went traveling, including a few that catapulted past the judge’s table.  Johnson, however, in the fourth and final round had dropped Andujar to his knees. Then, in the final seconds of the bout, Johnson (3-1, 3 KOs) blasted him with two stunning shots. After the bell Johnson was deemed winner by split decision.

SUPER FEATHERWEIGHTS

In the first fight of the event to make it past the first round, Antonio Dubose (10-2-1, 10 KOs) defeated Danny Flores (15-15, 8 KOs) by way of unanimous decision after six rounds, 60-53. The bout likely would have ended sooner had it not been for evasive tactics taken by Flores following multiple thrashings at the hands of Dubose in the second and third. Indeed, it was obvious that Flores purposely kept holding on to Dubose—rather than actually boxing with him—to stave off what otherwise would have been an early defeat. Flores was saved by the bell in the fourth, after Dubose dropped him to his knees as we approached the round’s closing moments. In the sixth, Dubose caused some blood to become visible around his opponent’s right eye, resulting in a brief inspection by the ringside physician. The bout went on briefly before the end of the scheduled sixth round, and Dubose emerged victorious.

SUPER LIGHTWEIGHTS (1)

“No decision” (ND) was the outcome of the second bout of the evening, in which Shamar Fulton Banks (1-0-1) appeared to be making progress toward a potential victory over fellow Philadelphian Christopher Burgos (1-4-1, 1 KO). Referee Dave Franciosi called in the ringside physician at the 2:15 mark after Banks unintentionally crashed his head into Burgos and placed a gash in his nose. Ring announcer Mark Fratto explained to the audience that an ND ruling was required since the fight did not make it to the fourth round.

WELTERWEIGHTS (1)

In the opening bout of the night, Jerrico Walton (11-0, 6 KOs) seemingly out of nowhere landed an abrupt punch on Cesar Soriano Berumen (26-41-3, 16 KOs). That shot not only sent Berumen to the floor, but after lifting himself he noticeably limped back to his corner as if a knee or ankle had been injured from that brief journey to the floor.

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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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Bouncing Back: Del Rios vs Prieto

By Chris Mealey

March 9th, Primal Fight Promotions presents 'Fight Night' in Robbinsville NJ. The card will take place at the Robbinsville High School Gymnasium, where the doors open at 7pm. One of the scheduled bouts is between two amateur MMA fighters: Josue Del Rios and Adam Prieto.

PFP is a growing promotion, and their third fight event will host many bouts including the meeting between Del Rios and Prieto. This will be the first fight this year for both men, and they will seek a victory to overshadow defeats from their previous fights as they battle for the 130 lb. PFP Bantamweight Title.

Josue "Saiyan Prince" Del Rios (3-4-0) is no stranger in terms of leaving defeat in the past. His first three MMA contests were all strenuous defeats, with his debut being a dramatic loss by KO in the first round. However, these mishaps did not prevent Del Rios from progressing, as he would win the following two bouts decisively while also achieving the PFP Lightweight Title.

Adam Prieto (2-4-0) had the more stark debut in the MMA world than his opponent, but he is now on a three fight losing streak. These are details that stand out in writing, yet hardly carry any significance when stepping in the cage. If Prieto's dance partner is able to win fights after suffering three losses, then it would be no surprise to see him do the same.

To describe combat sports as unpredictable and fickle would be a huge understatement. Two men enter and one leaves victorious. That's the simple reasoning why losses are almost inevitable, but come March 9th we will see who will bounce back into triumph with their hand raised at the end of the fight.

Tickets for this great night of fights are available at www.PrimalFightPromotions.com, and start at just $50.

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