 |
| Todd Wilson (l) captured the vacant UBF Jr. Welterweight title |
Nothing beats a good "fight night," and Springfield, Virginia was the place to be last night, as professional (and amateur) boxing returned with a bang, a new champion and a masterful performance by Middleweight standout Tony "Mo Better" Jeter, who easily defended his WBC FECARBOX championship belt with a 1st-round TKO of Guillermo Valdes in front of a standing-room only crowd at the ABC Sports Complex.
Hats off to Jeter who pulled double duty as co-promoter, and actually managed to start the card on time (and without any tiresome delays in between.) He also had the good sense (and class) to allow local (Alexandria, VA) favorite Todd "White Lightning" Wilson to fight last. Wilson (16-0, 5 KOs) wiped the floor with Marlon Lewis (6-4-2) knocking him out in the second round to win the previously vacant UBF Junior Welterweight title in front of a highly supportive & vocal crowd... many of whom came to see Wilson continue his climb to #1. They certainly didn't walk away disappointed, as Wilson dominated from start to finish, displaying a huge advantage in hand speed and power.
 |
| Tony Jeter was all smiles after his 1st-round TKO of Guillermo Valdes |
Jeter was equally impressive, as he improved his overall record to 17-4-1 with 12 knockouts. His opponent (Valdes) hasn't won a fight in over a decade, but Valdes' three previous opponents have a combined record of 40-0 (so much for taking it easy.) Jeter roughed him up in no time flat; and had plenty of time to clean up, then preside over Wilson's fight (and present him with his new championship belt.)
 |
| Yurii Polischuk (r) tops Benjamin Olinga, improves to 4-1-1 |
Elsewhere on the card, Brandon "The Prince of Alexandria" Quarles (13-2-1) won a six-round unanimous decision over a very game Norman Allen (6-11) in the most competitive fight of the night. Bowie's Jerry Odom improved to 11-0 with a thorough thrashing of Chicago's Edgar Perez (5-9) although he couldn't finish him... putting an end to his string of 10 straight wins by knockout. Perez actually celebrated not getting KO'd afterwards (arms raised, et all) but that didn't take away from Odom's impressive annihilation: Watch Odom closely... He looks like he has a bright future ahead of him.
 |
| Amateurs took the stage first |
The Baby-Faced Assassin, Yurii Polischuk also looked good, as he ran his record to 4-1-1 with a four-round unanimous decision over Benjamin Olinga (no slouch, despite his 1-5 mark.) Polischuk is tentatively scheduled to return to the ABC Sports Complex (along with Jeter, Quarles and Bobby Gunn Jr.) on Saturday, June 14th for the next local card. Stay tuned for more updates, as we get them.
The other three remaining pro fights ended in dramatic fashion... all by first-round KO/TKO; but were far, far from competitive. Heavyweight Jean Pierre Augustin remained undefeated (3-0) after crushing a 20 lb. heavier Joseph Bowman. Bowman (0-1) was making his pro debut... and quite possibly his finale too. Junior middleweight Joshua "Juice" Robertson (6-5) had his way with fellow Lynchburg fighter Jamaal Davis (0-4) as the referee unwisely let the fight continue after a second early knockdown. Poor guy (Davis.) In the most lopsided bout of the evening, Gunn Jr. (2-0) destroyed a hapless Gabriel Smallwood (0-1) with little more than a stare and a short right cross. Why get into boxing if you're afraid to be hit (even a tiny bit?)
If you've never been (to a live boxing event) I highly recommend coming next June. There isn't a bad seat in the house, and VIP ticket holders get access to an all-you-can eat food buffet before and during the fights. A Foxy Brown wannabe got the crowd jumpin' & movin' with a mid-card rap performance; but beware of bad comedians who don't know how to use a microphone... and one ring girl who had trouble getting in and out of the ring all night. Other than that, I don't think you could ask for more. Consider me hooked.