Ringside Recap: Tito Bracero vs. Terry Buterbaugh

Last Wednesday at BB King Blues Club in New York City, junior welterweight Gabriel ‘Tito’ Bracero won a unanimous eight round decision over Terry Buterbaugh in front of a midweek capacity crowd sellout.

Besides the first two rounds, the bout was actually far closer than the scoring indicated. Bracero, now 12-0 (1), Brooklyn, New York, won the first round by landing a lot of overhand rights. Buterbaugh, now 6-4-1 (3), from Denver, Colorado, could do nothing but hang tough and weather the storm.

In the second round, both fighters were warned for leaning with their heads. Buterbaugh went into center ring and tried to wage a technical fight with Bracero. Bracero landed numerous right-left combination power shots to the head. Nonetheless Buterbaugh opted to slug it out and appeared not to know any better. Bracero landed best in the exchanges, more accurate with his punches and landing more blows by volume.

Buterbaugh, who decision Tommy Rainone on the undercard of Miguel Cotto versus Yuri Foreman at Yankee Stadium, saw that Bracero was slapping his punches and appeared completely fearless of Bracero. Although Bracero would win every round on the volume of punches, Buterbaugh fought the whole way.

In round three, Buterbaugh stayed in center ring, now realizing Bracero lacked the power or punching skill to take him out. Buterbaugh came forward as the aggressor and waged a toe to toe war, with Bracero moving side to side as the counterpuncher.

During the fourth round, Buterbaugh, with a shiner below his right eye, taunted Bracero with his hands down, shouting “C’mon!” The fourth round was a long round, with cautious counter punching in center ring in the second half of the round. It warmed up in the last minute, when Bracero’s poorly fitted mouthpiece came out twice during heated exchanges.

In the fifth, Buterbaugh came forward and continued to wage a center of the ring war, and got warned for holding Bracero behind the head. Bracero landed an overhand right which sent Buterbaugh bouncing off the ropes. Bracero continued moving side to side with consistent counterpunching.

In the sixth, Buterbaugh continued trying to walk Bracero down, with Bracero landing counter lefts and overhand rights. Buterbaugh changed gears, and tried to get inside with right hooks to the body. Bracero went sliding across the ring on his feet after slipping on water in his own corner. Buterbaugh was head hunting, looking for a knockout as he was behind on the scorecards. Bracero held a low left at times, not a good omen.

During the seventh and eighth rounds, Bracero had a shiner around his left eye, and was bleeding from a cut below the left eye which did not affect his vision. Buterbaugh continued as the stalker, Bracero as the counterpuncher. When it was all over, the scoring meant little. Bracero got taken the distance with an opponent he should been able to knock out, and got a bloody face education.

Result: Gabriel Bracero W8 Terry Buterbaugh

Scoring: 79-71 twice and 79-72

In the opening four round cruiserweight bout, Stivens Bujaj of the Bronx, now 2-0 (2), scored a second round stoppage of Raymond Brown of Houston, Texas. Bujaj came forward throwing left and right jabs while backing Brown into corners. Brown had no offense and was standing still, not moving, getting hit by straight lefts, and got hit by a right uppercut while going down to the canvas. Brown, now 1-1 beat the count at nine.

Brown tried to throw bombs which missed. Bujaj cut off the ring quickly as the superior fighter and began landing. Brown could not counterpunch. Bujaj landed a right uppercut and closed the show. Brown down and out on the canvas. It only took a minute to end it.

Result: Stivens Bujaj TKO1 Raymond Brown

Time 1:01 of the first round

In a junior middleweight bout, Steve Martinez of the Bronx needed only a minute to dispose of Cheyenne ‘the reservation sensation’ Ziegler of Mitchel, South Dakota. After a brief feeling out in center ring, Martinez landed a left hook to the body, knocking out Ziegler. Martinez is 6-0 (6), and is represented by Havoc. Ziegler is 3-6 (2).

Result: Steve Martinez TKO 1 Cheyenne Martinez

Time 1:07 of the second round

In a light heavyweight survival bout, Isiah Thomas of Detroit, Michigan, went to 8-0 (4), with a six round unanimous decision over tough Tony ‘The Italian Nightmare” DiPietronio. Thomas dropped DiPietronio with a straight left in round one, and again with a leaping right hook in round one, and it looked like it was all over. DiPietronio went down a third time, ruled a slip by referee Gary Rosato. DiPietronio had tried to go on the offensive at the start and could not trade with a bigger, taller, stronger opponent. He tried it anyway, and almost got blown out.

In round two, Thomas jabbed with his right. DiPietronio changed gears, and fought more of a defensive style bout from this point on. Interesting strategy, as DiPietronio spent the rest of the bout trying to get inside but could not.

During the third round Thomas continued jabbing with his straight right and scored, with DiPietronio trying to counterpunch. Thomas has superior height, reach and speed, and is a good prospect, with good side to side footwork. Thomas tied up DiPietronio all night whenever he tried to come inside.

In the fourth, DiPietronio moved up and down, trying to confuse Thomas, but still could not reach him. DiPietronio continued to get tangled up with Thomas trying to come in.

Thomas slipped DiPietronio’s best punches and scored with the right with his front foot on the inside during the fifth round. Thomas, taking care not to punch himself out, went down from a slip. The fifth and the sixth rounds featured some wrestling as DiPietronio got more desperate. A short counter right from Thomas sent a careless DiPietronio, who tried to open up with his left, down for the third time for a count of three or four in the sixth.

Tony, who lived up to his nickname ‘tough’, was exactly that, not landing anything after the first round. However, Tough Tony took a sadistic assortment of punishing blows to go the distance.

Result: Isiah Thomas UD 6 Tony DiPietronio

Scoring: 60-51 from all three judges

In a crowd pleasing four round heavyweight war, two amateur champions turned pro went head hunting and gave the crowd some entertainment. Sonya Lamonakis decisioned Alysia ‘Lady Rampage’ Williams, but it wasn’t easy. Lamonakis, of New York City, now 2-0 (1), a four time New York Golden Gloves champion, faced debuting Williams of Winterhaven, Florida, a former national Golden Gloves champion.

All four rounds were no defense ‘bombs away’ two minute rounds. Both fighters traded bombs to the head. The first round was a bit sloppy which Lamonakis won by landing more head shots. Lamonakis paced herself in rounds two, three and four, landing rights to the head and landing consistently. Williams never stopped trying.

Lamonakis began working the body of Williams with lefts and rights in rounds three and four, mixing her punches better than Williams, who only landed a head shot bomb occasionally. Lamonakis won a unanimous decision, and indicated in a post fight interview with ring announcer David Diamante she might lose weight and go down to 175 pounds for her next fight.

Result: Sonya Lamonakis UD4 Alysia Williams-Stevenson

Scoring: 40-36 from all three judge

Borngod Washington 0-5 of Astoria Queens, New York, proved you had better train your best for whatever opponent you have to face. If not, you are playing with fire. Despite his record, Washington trained to win for his light heavyweight bout with Irish Seanie Monaghan of Long Beach. “This guy Washington most definitely trained for the fight,” noted promoter Lou DiBella at ringside. Washington, in top shape, went to war in center ring and began landing a lot of straight rights on Monaghan, winning the first round.

Monaghan, behind on points, picked up the tempo and won the second and the third rounds with straight lefts and rights to the head and straight right body shots, moving side to side, with Washington trying to counter. Height and reach appeared close. Washington landed a straight power left which rocked Monaghan but missed with a ‘hail Mary’ left intended to end the contest, and went bouncing off the ropes.

Monaghan and Washington moved in dizzying circles around the ring, neither fighter cutting the ring off. Monaghan began landing left-right head combinations in center ring. Washington tried to bait and trap Monaghan along the ropes, spin him and then throw power shots. Monaghan did not fall for the trap. Washington landed a vicious right hook with bad intent which rocked Monaghan near the end of the third.

In the fourth and final round, both fighters went toe to toe. The round appeared even, with both fighters trading bombs with the fight on the table. Monaghan landed more blows from ring center, while Washington landed more off the ropes. Surprisingly good bout.

Result: Irish Seanie Monaghan MD4 Borngod Washington

Scoring: 39-37, 40-36 for Monaghan and 38-38

Winning by first round knockout, taking the microphone, and using the ‘F’ word to demand a rematch of his split loss in his last bout, heavyweight Tor Hamer might get his wish. In the best performance of his career at BB King and to date, Hamer made short work of Terrell ‘Baby Bull’ Nelson.

Hamer, the 2008 National Golden Gloves heavyweight champion, prepared his best for this bout, in dynamic contrast to his six rounder which went the distance with Alexis Mejias in the same ring. Mejias grabbed on for all six rounds despite being unable to land a punch, and Hamer could not get him out of there. The current version of Hamer was a much improved fighter.

Hamer landed a left uppercut-right hand combination to drop Nelson early in the first. Nelson tried to run, but Hamer cut off the ring, leaving Nelson with nowhere to hide. Nelson looked like a sick dog trapped at the end of a dark alley. A right hand by Hamer dropped Nelson again. Yet another right hand by Hamer sent Nelson down and out along the ropes in a sitting position.

Promoter Lou DiBella should immediately seriously consider a rematch at BB King between Hamer and Kelvin Price, who defeated Hamer by split decision in Madison Square Garden in May 2010. Hamer wants the bout, and the media was impressed with this performance.

Hamer, 12-1 (9), New York City, must beat Price to prove his statement is real. Nelson, now 8-1 (5), Plainfield, New Jersey, is winless in his last 9 bouts. He was inactive between 1997-2007. Nelson looked old in this bout, far older than the 40 years old he will turn in May 2011. The beating he took this time should be his last.

Result: Tor Hamer TKO1 Terrell Nelson

Time: 2:11 of the first round

In a junior middleweight bout Denis Douglin, Morganville, New Jersey, went to 11-0 (7), with a first round TKO of Orphius Waite of Chicago, Illinois, now 5-2-1 (3). Douglin landed a straight right hand to the head, and followed with an accumulation of nonstop punches in bunches. Waite took a brief but horrific beating. Douglin, a top prospect, looked sharp, executed to perfection, and is worthy of better opposition.

Result: Denis Douglin TKO 1 Orphius Waite

Time: 2:11 of the first round