Boxing Result: Derric Rossy Wins Again, Despite Opponent Ducking Out

By Josh Stewart Courtesy of the Long Island Press

Five LI Fighters In All Taste Victory

The only potential danger Derric Rossy faced Friday night was when five scantily clad round card girls cuddled up to him for post-fight photos—while his girlfriend, Dana, was also in the ring.

“She handles it well,” Rossy said with a chuckle.

And Rossy, the New York State Heavyweight Champion, handled last-minute replacement Joe Stofle pretty well, too, improving to 13-0 (8 KOs) with a third-round TKO. For those wondering where original opponent Zakeem Graham was, well, your guess is as good as anybody else’s.

The 10-1-1 Cincinnati fighter just “disappeared” in the words of many involved, although a source told the Press that Graham saw video footage of Rossy “and wanted no part of him.”

In stepped Missouri’s Stofle (10-7-2), who bears a resemblance to Chuck Wepner and displayed similar heart, if not the same staying power. Twice during the first round Stofle attacked, only to be met with power shots. Both times he just nodded his head, as if he already accepted the inevitable.

More of the same came in the second round, and Rossy finally sent Stofle to the canvas early in the third. Stofle made his way back up, but Rossy finished him off with an indistinguishable flurry of punches against the ropes that had the referee call things off 1:06 into the round.

So much for any concerns that Rossy’s added weight would take away from his speed. When he beat Gary Bell for the belt last February, he weighed in at 233. Against Stofle, he tipped the scale at 247, part of a new workout regimen with personal trainer Matt Shackles that includes weight training but also delves into such unique methods as swimming in the ocean.

“I told [Shackles], “I don’t want bulk. I don’t want him to look like Schwarzenegger,’” said Rossy’s trainer, Bob Jackson. “I want stamina. I don’t want him blowing in my face.”

The result is a combination of size, speed and coordination that Jackson said he’s rarely seen. As far as more prominent opponents backing away from taking on Rossy, the champ said he won’t let that concern him.

“Whether it gets tough to get fights or whatever, it doesn’t matter, I just want to keep fighting,” Rossy said. “Whoever’s in front of me, that’s all I care about. Whoever wants to take the fight, take the fight. If you don’t, whatever. But I’m just going to keep plugging away and sooner or later people are going to have to fight.”

Long Island Shines

Sal Musumeci’s Final Forum Boxing didn’t just have Patchogue-Medford’s Rossy as a local favorite, as four other LI fighters tasted victory at the Huntington Hilton Friday during a card promoted as “Home Cookin’ in Huntington.”

Featherweight Kristian “K-Smooth” Vasquez of Shirley, a two-time New York State Golden Gloves champ, had an auspicious pro debut with a first-round knockout of Ronnie Howell (0-1). A single straight right floored Howell, who couldn’t make it back up at the 2:27 mark.

Plainview junior middleweight Tommy Rainone also was victorious in his first pro bout, beating Marquis McConnell (4-7) in a four-round unanimous decision.

Heavyweight Costas Phillipou of Merrick, another first-time pro, took a unanimous four-round decision over Mitch Rose (2-10-1).

And Bellmore’s Bobby Campbell, a lightweight, evened his record at 2-2 with a six-round unanimous decision over Washington Hago (3-3).

In other bouts, junior featherweight Khabir Suleymanov (1-0) beat Liquori Crawford (0-2) when the towel was thrown in at 2:28 of the first round, and cruiserweight Dione Craig (4-6) provided the only real upset of the evening, getting a six-round unanimous decision over Joey Paladino (10-4-2).

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