Ringside Report: Broadway Boxing
|
|
DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing series hosted their final event of 2006 last night at the Manhattan Center in New York City. Sechew Powell was scheduled as the main event which was changed at the eleventh hour due to the recent signing of his upcoming bout on February 17, 2007 against Ishe Smith. Curtis Stevens was able to fill in as the headliner by fighting his third bout in less than 30 days.
Stevens wasted no time improving his record to 16-1 (12) by TKO in the 2nd round of the scheduled ten round event against Jonathon Corn who fell to 47-16-2 (26). Corn stood still in front of Stevens taking several shots to the head and body. He was down early in the second round from two left hooks and got up only to have the bout stopped by the referee from a Stevens’ onslaught at 2:34 of the round.
Although Stevens put on a spectacular display and is to be commended for taking his third fight in 30 days not too much could have been expected from his opponent. Corn had won only 5 out of his last 17 fights fighting primarily in the Midwest hailing from Wisconsin. I won’t even mention the humor in the fact that a fighter from the Midwest was named Corn.
|
|
James “Buddy†McGirt, Jr won his debut under his new promoter DiBella Entertainment against Dennis Sharpe by unanimous decision improving to 13-0 (7). All three judges scored the eight round bout 80-72 for McGirt who dominated throughout the fight.
McGirt seemed to be off balance early in the fight almost tripping on his feet twice in the first two rounds. Although he executed accurate punches throughout the fight he did not seem to have the power to force a stoppage against Sharpe who had lost his last three, two by KO.
|
|
|
|
The star performance of the night belonged to Gary Stark, now 18-0 (9) who won the New York State Junior Featherweight Championship against Vernie Torres, who drops to 27-8 (15). Stark pitched a perfect shut out over the ten round event receiving scores of 100-89 from all three judges. Torres was deducted one point in the ninth for hitting behind the head.
Stark put on one of his best performances to date which included superior boxing skills, a strong defense and aggressive power punches. Torres was game to fight trying to land hard punches that typically were blocked by Stark’s gloves. He spent every round taunting Starks inviting him to hit him and trying to show he wasn’t hurt by pounding his gloves to his chest; none of which affected Stark’s game plan who fought like a veteran champion.
|
|
|
|
Other results from the Broadway Boxing card:
Cruiserweights – 6 Rounds
Shaun George 13-1-2 (6) KO1 Roosevelt Johnson 5-9-1 (1)
Lightweights – 6 Rounds
Maureen Shea 8-0 (4) TKO3 Rocio Vazquez 6-5 (1)
Bantamweights – 4 Rounds
Robert Semidei 2-0 UD Harvey Philips 0-1
Welterweights – 4 Rounds
Tolan Tascoe 1-0 UD Eusebio Flores 0-1
Middleweights – 4 Rounds
Patrick Majewski 2-0 (2) TKO2 Ken Dunham 1-2 (1)