Ronald Cruz Wins As Atlantic City Loses Dennis Gomes

In the main event of a Peltz Promotions seven bout card held on Saturday night, February 26, 2012, at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, rising welterweight prospect Ronald Cruz went to 16-0 with a ten round unanimous decision over Allen ‘The Dream Shatterer’ Conyers. Cruz sealed the fate of Conyers with a flash knockdown at the bell ending round one. There was no count but it was ruled a knockdown for a 10-8 round for Cruz, and Conyers could not catch up on the scorecards after the knockdown setback. However, the successful boxing card put on by famed promoter Russell Peltz could not overshadow a sad moment.

Former Tropicana Resort and Casino President Dennis Gomes, who purchased Resorts International Casino in Atlantic City with his DJMB Casino Company in partnership with New York City real estate investor Morris Bailey for 3l.5 million dollars from the casino lenders, died in Philadelphia two days earlier while on kidney dialysis. Gomes, 68, was a key figure in enabling boxing shows at The Tropicana in Atlantic City. After Gomes’ takeover of Resorts, boxing shows were put on at Resorts by former champion boxer Virgil Hill and his wife Carla, and television star Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polozzi, with more boxing shows in the planning.

The victory in the main event by welterweight Ronald Cruz was a definite test to see if the fighter could handle higher level opposition, and Cruz passed it. “Fighters (like Ronald Cruz) have to be able to beat opponents like this,” noted promoter Russell Peltz. Cruz, now 16-0, (12), a Puerto Rican fighting out of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, had a much tougher fighter than was indicated by the scorecards. Opponent Allen Conyers stated after hearing the decision, “I know I won the bout.” Conyers, now 12-6, (9), Bronx, New York, a loser of four of his last five bouts, beat 20-0 prospect James De la Rosa in 2011. Conyers might have pulled off an upset-if not for the first round knockdown.

Cruz won the first round 10-8 with the knockdown, the fourth round, the sixth round, the ninth round, and barely the tenth round. Conyers appeared to win the second round, the third round, the fifth round, the seventh round and the eighth round. Conyers best round was the fifth round, when he pounded Cruz relentlessly with massive right hand power shots.

Cruz attempted to confuse Conyers in the early rounds by going southpaw, and later switched between the orthodox stance and the southpaw stance in the later rounds. All Conyers has is the right hand, leaving the press shaking their heads as to why Cruz would try to fight him Conyers southpaw. As it was, Cruz landed effective left and right jabs in the earlier rounds, and started landing power shots with consistency from the sixth round on as Conyers tired. Conyers took some heavy head shots in the later rounds, but showed a lot of guts and heart in going the distance.

Simply put, Conyers had nothing to lose by taking this bout. However, Conyers was tentative to go inside on Cruz and made a fight of it by boxing him and outscoring him, allowing Cruz to both throw and land more punches by volume and accuracy.

The three judges failed to give Conyers a round, and Conyers deserved better than the scorecards which emerged.

Result: Ronald Cruz UD10 Allen Conyers, Welterweights
Scoring: 99-90, 99-90, 98-89 Cruz.

Undercard Bouts

Garrett Wilson Win TKO 3 Pedro Martinez, Cruiserweights (0:36, Martinez down)
Tune up bout for USBA champ Wilson’s upcoming NABF bout with Andres Taylor.

Rafael Montalvo TKO 2 DeCarlos Perez, Welterweights (2:33, Perez down, upset)

Luis Cream UD 4 Miguel Corcino, Welterweights
Scoring: 40-35, 40-35, 39-36 for Cream, who is the grandson of Jersey Joe Walcott.

Jeff Lentz (Debut) Win TKO 1 David Navarro, Welterweights (2:34, 2 knockdowns)

Antowyan Aikens UD 4 Charles Kirby, Super Middleweights
Scoring: 40-36, 40-36, 39-37 Aikens. This was a rematch of a bout won by Aikens.

Korey Pritchett SD 4 Korey Sloane Junior Welterweights
Scoring: 39-37, 39-37 Pritchett. 39-37 Sloane. Rematch of a bout won by Pritchett.