Jermain Taylor vs. Winky Wright roundup

So Jermain and Winky fight to a draw. It was a very good fight.... until the end where Winky didn't show the heart of a true champion. Jermain showed that he is a worthy prime time fighter and Winky was never this aggressive. It was a very close fight throughout, Jermain clearly won the battle in the center of the ring. He was very active early and showed a hard right hand which caught Winky quite a few times. On the hand Winky threw a quick right jab and put combinations together well when he backed Taylor into a corner. It was anyone's fight going into the 12th and for some reason Winky didn't do anything. Taylor, with a very swollen right eye did enough to steal the round.

The Michael Buffer announced the draw, Winky leaves the ring feeling that he clearly won the fight. Basically he acted like a 10 year old, not a championship fighter. If you felt so ripped off why didn't you stay in the ring where you gave such a great effort and state your case to Merchant! That was almost as big a punk move as you not paying two sanctioning fees and only fighting for one of the titles. Cheap ass, if you would have won you would have ripped the fans off leaving Taylor two belts after a loss. You made close to $6 million for this fight, the fees were $200k. Winky, you been in the game long enough. You should know by now that you have to do more to win a decision in a guys hometown.

On the other hand, Taylor did clear the air but some questions still linger. All that time spent in the Kronk did pay off. Jermain was very aggressive early unlike what we saw in the past against Hopkins. He showed he packed some steam into his punch. He worked the jab effectively, fired off a hard straight right and gave Winky trouble in spots. He also would let Winky, a guy with like 25 career ko's in 60 fights, back him into the corner where he took some big punches. He didn't return the favor once. Winky back didn't touch the ropes or a corner where he power shots would have done damage. In the championship rounds he did seem to fade late again like in the B-Hop series. To his credit, he did try to fight at times even though he was worn down.

After the fight, Merchant caught up with Winky in the dressing room. After claiming highway robbery, Winky said he does not want a rematch and will go "anywhere to fight anybody". I think Winky should come down to Boardwalk Hall for a fight against Bernard Hopkins. But we know that wont happen...... right B-Hop?


If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keithfmt3@hotmail.com

Return to www.phillykeith.com for more great sports coverage

The Contender Season 2 Preview

The much anticipated season two of ESPN’s The Contender is set to begin on Tuesday, July 18th and the names of the combatants have finally been released. This season, 16 hopefuls in the Welterweight Division will square off in elimination style battle with the winner moving closer to the grand prize of $1,000,000. The season finale will be held at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on September 26. Once again Sugar Ray Leonard and Sylvester Stallone will host the show. The trainers will be Tommy Gallagher and Jeremy Williams. Here is the list of fighters who hope to become this years Sergio Mora. This season features no “real” prospects or undefeated fighters, yet a collection of crowd pleasers and rugged road warrior types. The early favorite has to be Ebo Elder, who is 22 – 2 (14) with a kayo victory over up and comer Oscar Diaz. I'm digging deep here and picking Grady Brewer to win it all and take the million.


Nick Acevedo (15-1, 9 KOs) – 31 year old from New York hasn’t fought since March of 2002 when he lost a unanimous decision to “Cool” Vince Phillips. Hasn’t scored a KO victory since 2000. Known as a counter puncher and has an effective hook after the jab.


Gary Balletto (29-2-2, 25 KOs) – 31 year old from Rhode Island hasn’t laced them up since October of 2003 after a majority decision loss to Gregorio Vargas. Prior to that he knocked quite a few journeymen and wanna be prospects alike. Starred in the movie Sweet Dreams which was aimed to help unionize the sport of boxing.


Vinroy Barrett (21-4, 11 KOs) – a craft Jamacian who goes by the name of “Slick”. Hasn’t fought since October of 2005 in a loss to former Welterweight title contender Jose Louis Lopez. Barrett also has a loss to up and comer Carlos Quintana. Earned bronze medal in the Junior Olympic Games in Puerto Rico, and posted a 48-10 amateur record.


Norberto Bravo (20-10-3, 12 KOs) – The 35 year old Arizona man has been in the ring against some serious competition in his career. He has gone the distance in losses to title contenders Demetrius Hopkins, Ishe Smith & ring veterans Ben Tackie and Ernesto Zepada. Has been very active in the ring after returning from nearly a 10 year layoff. A sleeper pick in a group of journeyman.


Grady Brewer (18-11, 12 KOs) - 35 year old Oklahoma man has faced off against some of the brightest prospects in the game and on occasion has come out on top. He broke the undefeated steak of then red hot prospect Anthony “The Messanger” Thompson, took current prospect Sechew Powell to the limit in June of ’04 losing a close split decision but scoring a knock down in the fight. He went the distance with Jermain Taylor and Peter Manfredo Jr. in 2002. He did suffer knockout losses to Marco Antonio Rubio and Kelly Pavlik. A fighter to keep your eye on, his age could be a factor.



Cornelius Bundrage (21-1, 13 KOs) – The 33 year stepped up the competition in his last fight and was on the wrong end of a knockout of the year candidate as he was wiped out by Sechew Powell 22 seconds into the first round of their match which was televised live on ShoBox. The Detroit native is a protégé of Thomas “Hitman” Hearns typically fights at Middleweight, in early 2005 he did win the UBA Intercontinental Middleweight Title.




Rudy Cisneros (8-1, 7 KOs) – This 24 year old Chicago fighter has the least amount of professional ring experience but has a stacked amateur resume which included 151 victories, a two time Chicago Golden Gloves Champion, Bronze medalist in the 2004 Olympic Trials, a two-time U.S. Championship Silver Medalist. As a pro he does seem to have some pop with 7 of his 8 professional victories coming via knockout.




Michael Clark (35-3, 16 KOs) – The 33 year old from Columbus Ohio has victories over fellow The Contender contestant Gary Balletto and also over former titles holder Stevie Quinonez and the late Leavander Johnson. Briefly held the NABF Lightweight Title in 2003 and fought for just about every other minor Lightweight title out there. “Cold Blood” was a sparring partner for Julio Ceasar Chavez in his controversial win over Meldrick Taylor. The book on Clark is that he is well school and always willing to fight.




Freddy Curiel (15-5-2, 6 KOs) – The 31 year old from Paterson, NJ has been on ice since 2002 after losing a WBO & NABF Welterweight title fight to Jose Celaya. He also has a loss to Hector Camacho Jr. The Contender series will provide a big boost in competition for “Ferocious Freddy”


Andre Eason (15-4, 6 KOs) - Easton is a 30 year old Brooklyn native who is trained by Yoel Judah. He does hold a victory over super prospect Delvin Rodriguez, winning by split decision in 2002. He lost by majority decision to Demetrius Hopkins in 2003 and in his last fight was knocked out by up and comer Juan Urango. The book says that Eason is fast, likes to move around in the ring and stays busy.




Ebo Elder (22-2, 14 KOs) – the 27 year old southpaw from Atlanta GA has by far the best ring experience of anyone in this group of fighters. He has beaten the likes of Oscar Diaz, Coutney Burton & Emmanuel Clottey. He held a number of titles at Lightweight & Light Welterweight. Has an aggressive, crowd pleasing style which has earned him the nickname the “X-Treme Machine” moonlights as a musician as well. Was crushed by Lakva Sim in his last match, hitting the deck 6 times, finally going down for the count in the 12th.




Jeff Fraza (17-2, 10 KOs) - the “Hell Raza” is the guy who was sent home from last seasons series of The Contender because of a case of the chicken pox. Trained by fellow New Englander “Irish” Mickey Ward, Fraza has captured the New England Light Welterweight title back in 2003 and has defended it against limited competition. Won a close split decision in his last fight in the Contender Fan Favorites show.


Steve Forbes (29-3, 9 KOs) – The 29 year old from Las Vegas has beaten a long line of tough guys and came out victorious the only time he has really stepped up the competition (SD Steve Quinonez in 2004) Held the IBF & USBA Super featherweight titles in 2000 & 2001. Lacks pop evident by his 9 kayo’s in 29 wins.



Micheal Stewart (38-4-2, 22 KOs) – the 28 year old Delaware native has stepped in with the likes of Ricky Hatton and Sharmba Mitchell in losing efforts and also has wins over Philly legends Ivan Robinson and Chucky T. A day time construction worker, goes hard to the body, stays aggressive in the ring. Former USBA Light Welterweight Titlist. PA Golden Gloves winner in 1996. “No Joke” has to be considered one of the favorites to win it all.


Aaron Torres (14-2, 6 KOs) – The 27 year old Philly fighter has been in against pretty limited competition. Hasn’t fought since early 2004. Goes by the name of 2- guns. Won more than 100 amateur fights.


Walter Wright (10-1, 5 KOs) – the 25 year old Seattle native has never fought outside of his native Washington and just twice outside the comfort of Emerald Queen Casino. His best match came was a last second replacement to fight Darnell Boone on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights. Wright responded to the challenge by dominating the match winning a unanimous decision. Lost an Olympic bid to Sechew Powell (has this guy beaten every one on this show?) Was knocked out in his pro debut but bounced back to reel off 10 straight wins.


If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keithfmt3@hotmail.com

Return to www.phillykeith.com for more great sports coverage

Hopkins executes Tarver

It was one of the most anticipated fights in the past 10 years of boxing and all the ballers made the trip to Atlantic City. Vince Carter, Edgerrine James, Javon Kearse, Floyd Mayweather, A.I, even Jordan himself showed up. For the past few months, everytime boxing was mentioned on ESPN or in the magazines somewhere in there was Antonio Tarver flapping his lips selling those wolf tickets. "I get no respect, I beat up (an old) Roy Jones, I'm the legend killer, the new Rocky is coming out, I guarantee knockout blah blah blah".

Then on the other hand you had Bernard Hopkins, one of the biggest names in the game. B-Hop was on a qwest, he wanted to do what no prize fighter has ever pulled off, jump up from Middleweight to Light Heavy and take the belt. He was intent on doing that and then walking away... for good. His track record speaks for itself. An all time record 20 consecutive Middleweight title defenses, unified the titles in the tournament of champions, destroyed Trinidad & De La Hoya. But many were saying that was the ooooold B-Hop, this 41 year old won't get it done. He is fresh off of two losses (yes he DID lose both fights) to Jermain Taylor. No way he can take Tarvers punch, no way can he jump two weight classes and expect to win. They said B-Hop didn't have a prayer. Vegas co-signed that statement pegging him a 3 - 1 underdog.

Well guess what, B-Hop was up to his old tricks, beating the odds, beating the system, doing it his way. His final performance was nothing short of a masterpiece, one which cements his legacy as one of the greatest pound for pound fighters on all time and certifies his spot in the Boxing Hall of Fame.

B- Hop pulled off the impossible. Sugar Ray Robinson couldn't make the jump to take the gold. The Eagles, Sixers Phillies & Flyers couldn't give Philadelphia a championship. Roy Jones & Glen Johnson couldn't dominate Antionio Tarver. Not even Arturo Gatti could draw a crowd like this in Atlantic City. What a way to say farewell!

For months, Antonio Tarver talked the talk but when the lights came on he couldn’t walk the walk. When he stepped between the ropes, he ran into the Bernard Hopkins of old, the aggressive, exciting, cagey ring veteran who fights his heart out and leaves it all in the ring. Hopkins came with a sound strategy and methodically picked apart his bigger opponent. In the opening rounds, Hopkins was able to dodge the jab and land inside. If Tarver set up to throw the left, Hopkins would clinch and when they did, Hopkins was constantly give the ribs a nice beating. Hopkins began to throw an effective straight right hand to the head which connected at a high percentage. In the 5th, a crisp right rocked Tarver, knocking him backwards and putting a glove on the canvas which was called a knockdown. Tarver tried to respond but kept coming up with air when he swung. By the 7th, Tarver was obviously frustrated and B-Hop began to go for the knockout, firing off combinations to the head and body of Tarver. By the 10th, Tarver was a broken man who was being humiliated live on pay-per-view. The fight ended with Hopkins playing to the crowd as he applied his beating and the fans were never louder at Boardwalk Hall as the sell out crowd chanted “B-Hop, B-Hop”

Bernard Hopkins vs. Antonio Tarver photos






Andrey Tsurkan and Hector Camacho Jr. put on a very exciting NABF Welterweight title bout which saw lots of back and forth action and more than a few near knockouts. From the opening bell, Tsurkan played the role of stalker and Camacho as counter puncher. The 4th round is a candidate for round of the year. Tsurkan was landing heavy right and lefts to the head along the ropes. Action swings into the corner where it looks like Camacho is ready to go. Out of nowhere Camacho connects with two big left hooks with his back on the turnbuckle. Tsurkan is stunned. Camacho lands a right followed by another huge left hook. Tsurkan stumbles around and looks to be out on his feet for a split second. Camacho applies the pressure again but gets caught with a Tsurkan right. Andrey finishes the round landing a high volume of punches. The fight was called to a halt in the 8th as Tsurkan landed a plethora of punches with no answer from Camacho.

Hector Camacho Jr. vs. Andrey Tsurkan fight photos







In Jr. Welterweight action, Jorge Paez Jr. won a questionable 4 round decision over Travis Hartman. While there were a few exciting spots, the majority of the contest was spent on the outside where neither fighter could get much going.

Jorge Paez Jr. vs. Travis Hartman fight photos



Israel Vasquez successfully defended his WBC Super Bantamweight title against Ivan “Choko” Hernandez winning this snoozer with a 4th round stoppage at the doctors request due to a badly cut eye. While it wasn’t the action packed slugfest that we are accustomed to seeing from Vasquez, he was in control the entire fight.


If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keithfmt3@hotmail.com

Return to www.phillykeith.com for more great sports coverage

Cotto beats Malinaggi

Madison Square Garden
June 10, 2006

With much of the nation’s attention focused on the Hopkins vs. Tarver fight in Atlantic City, Miguel Cotto’s title defense against Paul Malignaggi was on the back burner in the national press. Unlike the one-sided beat down that was Hopkins vs. Tarver, Cotto vs. Malignaggi provided fight fans with a battle that could be a candidate for Fight of the Year. The undercard didn’t disappoint the fans either. The undercard featured Bobby Pacquaio, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Irishman John Duddy, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Tommy Zbikowski.

The Main Event: Miguel Cotto vs. Paul Malignaggi

On the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City, Miguel Cotto, a native Puerto Rican squared off against Paul Malignaggi, an Italian from Brooklyn. Needless to say the crowd was electric. Cotto fans easily outnumbered Malignaggi fans, but there was strong support for both sides in a fight that showcased a battle between power and speed. Most boxing experts before the fight were split on the outcome. Most believed Cotto’s power would overwhelm Malignaggi, while other believed Malignaggi was too fast for Cotto.

Round 1
Cotto started the round quickly, attacking Malignaggi with his powerful left hand. Malignaggi seemed surprised by Cotto’s power and clinched with Cotto often. Cotto looked as though he wanted to end the fight as quickly as possible. He was able to land a few decent shots on Malignaggi, who spent most of the round jabbing and moving to avoid Cotto’s power punches.

Round 2
Cotto continued to attack Malignaggi. It looked as though the fight was beginning to end when Cotto knocked down Malignaggi with a strong left hook. Malignaggi’s jaw began swelling instantly after the knock down. Malignaggi got on his feet and continued to fight. Cotto continued to attack in an attempt to end the fight and landed two more big left hooks before the round end.

Round 3
Even though Malignaggi looked completely overmatched in the first two rounds, he continued to fight his fight. He used his jab often, but Cotto did a good job avoiding it. Cotto was less aggressive this round as he picked his spots to counter and attack.

Round 4
Cotto went back to attacking Malignaggi in the fourth, barely missing a big right cross early in the round. He landed a few hooks to Malignaggi’s body and a good left-right combination in the middle of the round. Malignaggi continued to jab and move and began landing punches effectively. His punches lacked power, however, and did little damage to Cotto.

Round 5
With Cotto beginning to tire, Malignaggi began landing more punches. His punches didn’t seem to affect Cotto, who fought back towards the end of the round landing a few left hooks with under a minute left. Malignaggi, respectful of Cotto’s power, dances away when Cotto begins to attack, limiting the damage that Cotto can do.

Round 6
Malignaggi gained some momentum in round six. He finally found a strategy to counter Cotto’s powerful left hook. He landed three three-punch combinations in the first half of the round. He then quickly clinched Cotto after each combination to prevent any counter from Cotto. Cotto still managed to sneak a left hook by Malignaggi with a minute left in the round, but he was not nearly as dominate as he was early in the fight.

Round 7
Cotto responded to the sixth round with an active seventh. He opened with a left-right combination and landed a couple of combinations to Malignaggi’s body in the middle of the round. Malignaggi continued to jab, hold, and move to avoid Cotto. The two had a decent exchange as the round ended with Cotto able to land a lead two at the bell.

Round 8
Malignaggi continued to use the strategy of throw and hold in the eighth. He opened the round with a good three punch combination. Cotto, visibly tired, used his jab effectively to keep Malignaggi honest. Malignaggi stayed aggressive though and actually did some damage to Cotto, backing him against the ropes in the middle of the round. He finished strong with a left-right combination as the bell rang.

Round 9
With Malignaggi’s success in the previous few rounds, the idea of an upset became a realistic possibility. Malignaggi continued to build on his success landing a combination early in the round. He continued to clinch Cotto in order to counter his power and remained active though out the round. As the round drew to a close, Malignaggi and Cotto squared off in the middle of the ring and exchanged blows. Malignaggi landed a right cross buckling Cotto’s knees slightly.

Round 10
Cotto used his jab early to try to keep Malignaggi off him. Malignaggi landed a good combination and quickly tied up Cotto. The two grappled for most of the round until Cotto was able to land a hard left with forty five seconds remaining. The two squared off as the round came to an end and exchanged blows. Cotto landed two hooks as the bell sounded.



Round 11
Cotto regained control of the fight. He landed a strong left hook in the middle of the round, another one with a minute remaining and a left-right combination at the bell. Malignaggi was able to land a hard lead two with a minute and fifteen seconds remaining, but he looked tired and hurt.

Round 12
Malignaggi spent most of the final round tying Cotto up. Cotto was able to punch out of the clinches though with a series of left handed uppercuts. He landed a left hook with about a minute left and two combinations at the end of the round.

Cotto winner by Unanimous Decision
(116-111) (116-111) (115-112)
Cotto, who had won his previous five title defenses by way of knock out, could not stop Malignaggi. Malignaggi looked shocked by Cotto’s power and was overwhelmed early. He was smart, figuring out how to handle Cotto’s style by the middle of the fight, and tough, fighting with a fractured orbital bone, possibly a broken jaw, and a gash over his right eye for eleven rounds. Had Malignaggi anticipated Cotto’s power, he may have been able to change his strategy earlier and upset Cotto. If Cotto faces the winner of the Baldomir-Gatti fight, he should win easily by way of knock out. If he faces Floyd Mayweather Jr., he will have a hard time dealing with his speed and defense. I would not mind seeing Cotto fight Ricky Hatton. As for Malignaggi, if he fully recovers he should become a fan favorite for the toughness he displayed. He should be able to use this fight to launch a very lucrative career.

Robert Bell vs. Tom Zbikowski
Imagine making your professional boxing debut live on Pay-per-View, at Madison Square Garden, in front of thousands of fans, including most of your football teammates, and just before the main event of the night. Talk about pressure. Zbikowski, who was playing in the Fiesta Bowl six months ago, seemed unaffected. The Notre Dame safety displayed fast hands and go punching power, scoring a knock down thirty seconds into the fight with a left-right combination. Zbikowski landed a lead two as soon as Bell got on his feet, forcing the referee to stop the fight. If Zbikowski develops into a good boxer, he could be the person to resurrect the heavyweight division. It will take time, but Zbikowski has the physical gifts to be a dominate fighter.
Zbikowski winner by TKO at 0:49 in the first round.

Freddie Cuevas vs. John Duddy

John Duddy entered the ring to a huge crowd response. The popular Irishman wasted no time in the ring. Cuevas was able to land jabs on Duddy, but did no damage. Duddy responded to Cuevas’ punches with strong combinations. He was able to back Cuevas against the rope in the second round. Cuevas landed jabs all though out the fight, but struggled to throw any power punches. Duddy battered Cuevas, especially in the seventh, possibly breaking Cuevas’ nose. Cuevas quit after the seventh round.
Duddy winner by TKO in seven rounds.


Aaron Drake vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

The son of a legend, Julio Caser Chavez Jr. showed that he’s not a bad boxer himself. Chavez Jr. dominated Aaron Drake. He was not very active until the end of round one, but he came out swinging in round two. He landed to both the body and the head of Drake. The referee stopped the fight after Chavez Jr. landed two uncontested left hooks.
Chavez Jr. winner by TKO at 1:53 in the second round.

Bobby Pacquiao vs. Kevin Kelley

The two veteran south-paws squared off in a fairly even match for the first two rounds. Both fighters were active, throwing jabs and counters. The third round went like the first two until Pacquiao landed a left hook, knocking down Kelley with 0:04 left in the round. Pacquiao quickly capitalized in the fourth round knocking Kelley down for good with a left hook.
Pacquiao winner by KO at 1:24 in the fourth round.

Sergio Mendez vs. Juan Manuel Lopez

The two young fighters started the night with a lopsided fight. Lopez dominated the fight. He was the faster, stronger, and better boxer. The six round bout went to a decision with all three judges scoring the bout (60-54) in favor of Lopez.



If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keithfmt3@hotmail.com

Return to www.phillykeith.com for more great sports coverage

Harry Yorgey shines in a Friday Night Fight stinker

photos by Mike McGuigan


Duva Boxing and ESPN collaborated for Friday Night Fights at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City, NJ in what turned out to be a real snoozer. Headlining the card was undefeated heavyweight Brian Minto, who went on to take a ten round decision from Danny Batchelder. While a heavyweight match is supposed to be the one that excites the fans, this one has the majority of the crowd with the palm on the chin. The fight was even through the first 6 rounds and both fighters occasionally traded punches and wanted to work the body. Minto was able to land more often in the later rounds though none ever did much damage. Batchelder, who normally fights at cruiserweight, showed that he is a tough customer and was willing to exchange with the bigger man. Minto, even with this lackluster performance could now be in line for a fight against a name heavyweight. Minto improves to 25 – 1 (14) while Batchelder falls to 24 – 2 (11)

Brian Minto vs. Danny Batchelder fight photos






Middleweight prospect Harry Yorgey also kept his undefeated streak in tact with a one sided, eight round unanimous decision win over Ronnie Warrior. Yorgey, the Bridgeport PA native, handled his southpaw opponent with ease. He was able to find spots against a very defensive minded Warrior as his ability to move and his hand speed proved to be too much. All three judges scored the fight in favor of Yorgey who improves to 15 – 0 with 8ko’s.

Philly Super middle weight prospect LaJuan Simon (14 – 0 9ko) picked apart Joe Park in their scheduled 8 round affair. Simon put in a workman like performance which gave Park’s corner no choice but to stop the fight after the 7th round.

Atlantic City seat filler Chuck Mussachio (7 – 0 3ko) once again had the most fans in the crowd and they watched him overcome an early knockdown and two point deductions to squeak out a unanimous decision victory over Santiago Hillario. Mussachio applied pressure for most of the bout leading with the left jab and following with a straight right. Hillario did connect with a looping right early in the fight to give Chucky a taste of the canvas. Mussachio regrouped and used his distinct height advantage and superior speed to earn the duke. While the win was deserved, one judge mistakenly saw the fight 59 -55 while the other two had it at 57 – 55.

Chuck Mussachio vs. Santiago Hillario fight photos









Chicago Heavyweight Malachy Farrell was also on the bill and he scored an impressive 1st round kayo victory over Rick Zufall. Farrell improves to 14 – 0 (11 ko)

Malachy Farrell vs. Rick Zufall fight photo



Vinnie Madaleone (26 – 3 19ko)made quick work of Dan Whetzel, scoring a 2nd round TKO.

Raymond Briggs beat up Gerald Jordan and scored a 2nd round kayo.

Audley Harrison’s (20 – 2 15ko’s) career is in the toilet. Tonights performance may have flushed him out completely. The former Olympic Gold medalist mopped up the 9 fight card with a very unimpressive in a 3 round stoppage of hand picked Lousiana peach Andrew Greeley. Greeley took a knee in the third after a couple love taps and did not rise because of trouble with his eye sight.





If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keithfmt3@hotmail.com

Return to www.phillykeith.com for more great sports coverage

Demetrius Hopkins Ishe Smith headline Wednesday Night Fights

photos by Jay McGuigan, story: Jeff Imbrogno

The Borgata played host to ESPN2’s Wednesday Night Fights as part of a huge week of boxing in Atlantic City; a week that will feature two Hopkins as the main event. Antonio Tarver, the other half of Saturday’s Main Event, made a ringside appearance to do an interview for ESPN. Tarver exuded confidence as he walked around the ring donning a shirt stating, “Legend Killer.” With two of boxing’s finest preparing to do battle this Saturday, two rising stars took center stage in the co-main events on Wednesday.

The Main Event: Demetrius Hopkins vs. Michael Warrick

The pre-fight buzz was about Hopkins failing to make weight. At the first weigh-in, he was 143 pounds, and weighed-in at 142 pounds on his second try. After the fight, Hopkins said he felt the effect of having to cut the extra weight. He said, “[he] felt a little fatigued.” The fatigue definitely showed. His opponent, Michael Warrick, on the other hand, entered the fight in top shape. Warrick had a high energy level and gave Hopkins a tough fight.

Round 1
Warrick was very aggressive, pressing Hopkins early. Hopkins stayed back and picked his spots to throw counters. The first round featured very little action and neither fighter was able to land big. Warrick, the more active fighter, took the first round on all three scorecards.

Round 2
Warrick kept pressing Hopkins in the second round, but struggled to land anything on Hopkins. Hopkins, again, stayed back and countered. Hopkins landed a strong right hand midway through the round, but did little else. Hopkins took the round on all three scorecards.

Round 3
Hopkins began to warm up. Warrick continued to push Hopkins. The two exchanged left hands early in the round, but Warrick was unable to land anything substantial after that. Hopkins began to show off his superior reach and quickness, landing a few big counter left hooks. Hopkins won the round on all three scorecards.

Round 4
Hopkins continued to dance as Warrick charged him. Hopkins was able to do some damage in the middle of the round with a big counter left hook. Warrick seemed fazed by the hook and lost some aggression. Hopkins responded by pressing Warrick. He used his jab more and landed a hard right toward the end of the round. Hopkins won the round on all three scorecards.
Round 5
There was little action in the round until Warrick hurt his left knee in an exchange. Hopkins pounced on Warrick as he hobbled around the ring. Hopkins landed a several strong left-right combinations, but was unable to land a big blow cleanly. Hopkins won on all three scorecards.

Round 6
Warrick seemed to shake off the knee injury and continued to attack Hopkins, who seemed content to remain in a defensive position. Hopkins failed to capitalize on the momentum he built in the previous round. Warrick scored effectively with the jab, but was unable to land power punches. I thought Warrick outworked Hopkins and took the sixth round. One judge agreed, but the other two awarded Hopkins the round.

Round 7
Another close round as Warrick continued to battle. He scored with the jab and landed a big left hook in the middle of the round. His energy and that punch along with Hopkins’ continued dancing gave him the round on two of the three judges’ scorecards.

Round 8
Warrick looked tired as Hopkins scored on him with the jab through out the round. Warrick behind on the scorecards began lunging at Hopkins in hopes of landing a knock-out punch. Hopkins countered with the jab and the two fighters clinched often. Hopkins landed and Warrick did not. All three judges awarded Hopkins the round.

Round 9
By the ninth round most of the crowd had grown disinterested in a fight that featured more clinches than big punches and good exchanges and many of the fans didn’t see the right cross Hopkins threw in the middle of the round. Unfortunately, Michael Warrick didn’t see it either. The monster right hand connected cleanly with Warrick’s jaw, knocking him unconscious. Hopkins won the fight scoring a KO at 1:59, making his record 24-0-1 with 10 knockouts.

Hopkins was the better boxer in this fight. His hands were faster, his reach was longer, and his defense was excellent. He struggled to match Warrick’s energy level and seemed flat through out the fight. He did, however, display flashes of greatness when he could summon the energy. He overmatched Warrick when he was the aggressor, but he rarely took the initiative. Warrick’s record dropped to 18-4. He fought a hard fight and never gave up. He showed great toughness to come back after injuring his knee in the fifth round and make the sixth and seventh rounds interesting.

Demetrius Hopkins vs. Michael Warrick fight photos




The Co-Main Event: Ishe Smith vs. Pat Thompson

Ishe Smith of ‘The Contender’ fame returned to the ring for the first time in over a year against Patrick Thompson. Smith showed very little ring rust, dominating the fight from the beginning.

Round 1
Smith took control in the first round of the fight, landing power shots and combinations to the head and body of Thompson. Thompson had no response to Smith.

Round 2
The second round featured less action and Thompson was able to land a few punches, but Smith still had control of the fight and won the round.

Round 3
In the third, Thompson’s nose began to bleed. The two fighters had a couple nice exchanges, but Smith once again got the better of Thompson.

Round 4
Thompson was much more aggressive in the fourth round. He scored early in the round with a strong right hook and seemed to show some life in the fight. Smith regained control in the middle of the round by using his jab. Thompson, however, finished the round strong landing a big right hand. He won the round on two of the three judges’ scorecards.

Round 5
Smith regained control in the fifth round and nearly stopped Thompson with a big right hook and a flurry of punches. Thompson was defenseless and falling into the ropes as the bell rang to end round five.

Round 6
The sixth round featured very little action as both fighters seemed to take a round off. They danced and jabbed, but didn’t throw much until the end of the round when Smith landed three right hooks to end the round. One judge awarded Thompson the round, while the other two gave Smith the sixth.

Round 7
Thompson was tired and desperate in the seventh round. He began swinging wildly, but was able to score some punches. Smith used his jab to keep Thompson off and won the seventh round on two of the three judges’ scorecards.

Round 8
In the eighth, Smith was able to hurt Thompson with a right hook and bombard with a flurry of hooks and uppercuts. Thompson somehow stayed on his and survived the round.

Round 9
In the ninth, Smith landed his jab at will, but was unable to land a knockout punch. Smith won the round easily.




Round 10
The tenth round featured much of the same. Smith dominated with his jab and Thompson was too tired to defend against it. Midway through the tenth, Smith asked the referee to stop the fight and began taunting Thompson, who had blood dripping from his nose at this point. Thompson became frustrated, but didn’t give Smith an opportunity for an easy knockout.

Smith won a unanimous decision. (99-91) (99-91) (98-92)

Smith dominated a very mediocre fighter in Pat Thompson. He was faster, had superior defense, and superior skill. Thompson, however, refused to go down or give up. Smith had several opportunities to end the fight, but was unable to finish. This victory, albeit impressive, leads me to believe Smith lacks the power to be an elite fighter in the junior middleweight division.

Ishe Smith vs. Pat Thompson fight photos





Sheldon Rudolph vs. Lorenzo Bethea

The best fight of the night occurred after the cameras were turned off and most of the crowd had left. Bethea, an Atlantic City product, had the support of the hometown crowd, at least what remained of it. The two fighters gave the fans something that had been missing for most of the night, action and excitement. The two fighters stood toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring and landed bombs. There was no fancy footwork, no dancing, no attempt to establish a jab from four or five feet away. The two pounded each other with hooks for three and a half round. Bethea, who had dominated the entire fight, won the fight by TKO in the middle of the fourth round.


If you have any questions, comments or suggestions you can email Philly Keith at keithfmt3@hotmail.com

Return to www.phillykeith.com for more great sports coverage