Ringside Report: Irish Seanie Monaghan Wins by Knockout!

Last Friday in the preliminary bout of the ‘Capitale Punishment II’ fight card in New York City, sponsored by Empire Sports and Entertainment, and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, light heavyweight Irish Seanie Monaghan of Long Beach, New York, in his second bout in 15 days, went to 4-0 (3), scoring an impressive second round knockout of journeyman Nick ‘the Werewolf’ Whiting of Bemidji, Minnesota, now 2-14-1 (2).

Whiting did not have Monaghan’s talent, but he did have more pro bouts experience. The first round was a cautious feeling out round, with Monaghan landing booming overhand lefts and rights, and Whiting trying to counter, and Monaghan landing his shots often. Monaghan did not try to overpower his opponent, and the two went in circles around the ring as the ring was not cut off.

In the second, Monaghan did try to cut the ring off, and began mixing punches, adding power shots and hooks to his offensive barrage, with Whiting backing up, getting hit too much and clearly in trouble. Monaghan closed the show by landing pinpoint accurate punches on his limited opponent to both the head and body. A power left hook by Monaghan, followed by a left-right combination, and a knockout left hook, sent Whiting to the canvas with a thud, out cold for a knockout at 1:38 of the second.

Result: Irish Seanie Monaghan KO 2 Nick Whiting

Time: 1:38 of the second

In an upset, Elton ‘The Bully’ Dharry of Brooklyn, New York, now 6-5-1 (1), scored a unanimous decision over the favored local favorite Jose ‘Chilli’ Rivera of New Rochelle, New York, now 2-2-1. The more experienced Dharry was able to use height and reach advantage to win the decision by keeping out of the shorter Rivera’s punching range for most of the bout. Rivera came forward as the aggressor for most of this bout, but it was not enough.

Neither fighter cutoff the ring, so Rivera pursued Dharry moving in circles. Dharry, counterpunching and moving side to side, did not offer Rivera a consistent target. Rivera chased Dharry all night. “He ran the last two rounds. I felt I won the bout,” stated Rivera afterwards. “Definitely, I want a rematch.”

Rivera’s frustration was in missing a lot of straight rights, allowing Dharry to score lefts with counterpunching room. Having lost the first three rounds, Rivera took the bout to center ring in the fourth, a slugfest with wild nonstop exchanges. Many left-right combinations were thrown by both boxers, who scored for points but lacked power.

While the fourth round could have gone either way, Rivera appeared to win the fifth by landing more of his straight punches, Dharry counterpunching. Rivera was bleeding from the nose.

The sixth round was also close, with Dharry on the run, landing more often in exchanges as Rivera was still unable most times to get inside and reach his opponent. The bout could have been a draw, depending how the fourth and the sixth rounds were scored.

One judge had the bout a draw.

Result: Elton Dharry Win Majority Decision 6 Jose Rivera

Scoring: 57-57 a draw, 59-55 and 58-56 Dharry

The WIBA women’s world light flyweight champion Eileen Olszewski, a Honolulu fighter now out of New York City, went to 6-2-2 with a six round unanimous decision light flyweight contender Susannah Warner in a nontitle bout at the flyweight limit. The bout was originally scheduled for eight rounds but was cut to six perhaps due to the age of the participants. Olsewski is 40 and Warner 42.

The two fighters engaged in frequent wrestling and grappling on their feet in center ring from the opening bell. Olsewski won this bout with better side to side movement, landing consistent overhand rights.

During round one, Warner won the round by holding and hitting Olsewski on the inside, and trying to wage war with her. Olsewski had to keep breaking free to avoid the trap.

In the first part of round two, Olsewski fired straight right-left combinations, winning the round on points. Warner responded by holding Olsewski behind the neck and hitting while holding on the inside wherever possible. During one of these exchanges, Olsewski’s left hand tape got loose. In the second half of round two, Warner switched gears and tried throwing power shots. Some landed and some missed. One right rocked Olsewski on the side of the head.

In the third, the wrestling for position in center ring continued. Olsewski kept breaking free, so Warner kept coming forward and tried to walk Olsewski down. Olsewski won the round by working the body, then throwing straight lefts and rights to the head. Warner threw punches, but kept missing.

The fourth round was won by Warner throwing straight lefts and rights and aggressively taking the fight to her, with Olsewski counterpunching.

The fifth round appeared even, with Warner throwing left and right hooks to the body, and Olsewski throwing left-right head combinations. The sixth and final round was won by Olsewski throwing combinations again, with Warner missing what punches she threw.

The bout was difficult to score, with much wrestling for position in ring center, but it was a world class female contender bout. Saddoboxing scored the bout 3 rounds Olsewski, two Warner, and one round even.

Result: Eileen Olsewski UD6 Susannah Warner

Scoring: 58-56 twice and 59-55 Olsewski

In a four round light heavyweight war which featured wrestling in the center of the ring for position in the first two rounds, Haijo Sujak won every round against Naseem Dean with consistent left hand leads, and left, right hand hooks with body shots.

Sujak dropped Dean with a straight right in the first, and sent Dean staggering across the ring with a straight right in the third, counted as a knockdown. A combination by Sujak sent Dean tumbling in somersaults backwards across the ring as the bout ended, ruled no knockdown by referee Ricky Gonzalez.

The muscular Dean landed some good left and right hand leads, but he took a lot of head shots and was lucky to survive the encounter. His only chance was when he managed to pin Sujak against the ropes several times. Dean cut off the corner of the right eye in the bout. Sujak, Bronx, New York, is 6-1 (2), Dean is 2-3, Brooklyn.

Haijo Sujak UD 4 Nassem Dean

Scoring: 40-34 twice and 39-35 Sujak

In an ugly opening bout on the card between two debuting super middleweight fighters, Abdellah Smith of Jamaica, New York, appeared to be the more professional, being awarded a second round TKO over Elmer Vera of Queens, New York, who appeared to still be an amateur. The result could also have been a disqualification for Smith. The first featured Smith throwing wild haymakers, most missing but a few landed. One haymaker staggered Vera midway through the first, who appeared to injure his right shoulder. The action was briefly stopped by the referee. Vera opted to continue, but appeared mostly unable to use the right hand to punch from that point on.

Once in the first and several times in the second, Vera turned his back to Smith after exchanges in center ring, at one point he draped himself backwards over the ring ropes. After an exchange where Vera turned his back to Smith who began firing legal blows around the back of the head to the front to end the show, referee David Fields wisely waived an immediate halt to the action at 2:42.

Vera mugged and taunted Smith throughout, but Smith fought smartly and did not respond. Neither fighter was hurt but the point was clear, to protect yourself at all times. You cannot keep turning your back to the other fighter when things are not going your way, and expect the referee to keep giving you rest periods till you feel ready to continue.

Result: Abdellah Smith TKO 2 Elmer Vera

Time: 2:42 of round two