Newark Card Highlights The Danger of Padded Records

Newark card still on, fights to take place on Thursday night, June 13, 2012, at the Robert Treat Best Western in Newark, New Jersey. With four fights left on a disintegrating card, expectations of what was left hit an all-time low on Northeastern area prospects cards. Simply put, it was a boxing card which probably should not have taken place in the first place. The card was promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions and Gabe LaConte’s First Round Promotions.

The card valiantly raised funds for a child, Derek DiGregorio, and Derek’s Dreams, to raise money to combat Ataxia Telangiectasia disease. Ataxia Telagiectasia is a brutal, progressive, rare genetic disease that affects about 600 Americans. The disease attacks children causing loss of muscle control, cancer, and immune system problems. The Derek’s Dreams website is located at www.dereksdreams.com.

In the co-main event, unheralded Tennessee heavyweight Rodrika Ray knocked out local hero John Lennox at 1:53 of the fifth round in a brutal mismatch. An analysis of the ‘opponent’ Rodricka Ray’s record reveals of his ten professional bouts, eight of the people he fought were unbeaten, and the other two had winning records. Ray, now 4-5-1 (2), Jackson, Tennessee, knew something the Newark crowd did not. Of the 11 professional opponents of Lennox, only three had winning records. The only decent opponent on Lennox’ record, Boxing 360’s Joey Dawejko, ripped Lennox up in the first round in the very same ring in September 2011. Lennox, now 10-2, Carteret, New Jersey, has not been in a real fight with anybody of note besides Dawejko, and was not competitive in that bout.

Ray had last fought dangerous southpaw prospect Maurice ‘Freight Train’ Byarm in July 2011 in Fitzgerald’s Hotel and Casino in Tunica, Mississippi, showing heart in losing a decision to a world ranked ten round fighter. Ray’s performance in his previous bout with Byarm should have raised red flags for the Lennox camp, which did not their homework.

Ray landed right hands at will, turning the face of Lennox cherry red, swollen, and with a cut under the left eye. Ray knocked Lennox out, most certainly ending the career of another pretender with a padded record. Lennox, unable to defend himself, got knocked out for the second time, proving winning records mean nothing if you cannot fight.

In the other co-main event, in another horrific display of bad boxing, popular New York City welterweight Tommy ‘The Razor’ Rainone had his winning record exposed as well, losing a unanimous decision to North Carolina super middleweight Fitzgerald Johnson. The professional record of Johnson entering the ring with Rainone was actually a pathetic 2-6. Originally scheduled for four rounds, the bout was changed to eight rounds due to two bouts being scratched on the card.

Worse, Rainone, a welterweight, was fighting overweight at junior middleweight, while Johnson came down in weight for super middleweight to junior middleweight for this bout, adding speed and power. Johnson came forward from the second round on with left jabs and left hook combinations which staggered Rainone and took the life and will to win out of him, to the dismay of area fans. Rainone was knocked down in the seventh round for good measure, sealing the decision loss.

Johnson’s record goes to an unimpressive 3-6 (1), only his second win in his last eight bouts. In that losing streak, Johnson was knocked out three times. In a 2008 bout against Edwin Rodriguez, Johnson was knocked down five times. Strangely, Johnson looked most incredible in dominating Rainone during the bout. Johnson had won in the same ring in his only other appearance in Newark, winning by decision over Vadim Gurau last June 2011 at the Robert Treat.

Rainone falls to a false 17-5 (4). Rainone should call it a career if he cannot beat this caliber of opponent. Only four of Rainone’s opponents had winning records when he fought them, a padded record which proved a hindrance.

Undercard Prospects Bouts Results

Lavarn Harvell TKO1 Brian Donahue, Light Heavyweights (2:55)
Anthony Juice Young Win 6 Christian Steele, Welterweights