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ROBINSON WINS PA TITLE |
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The expected 10-round chess match between Ray Robinson and Terrance Cauthen took a sudden turn toward the dramatic half way through round two, when Robinson ended the fight with a single punch that not only earned him victory, but the PA State Welterweight championship as well. The fight started as expected with the two southpaws circling each other. But before long, both combatants began punching and it was clear that the fight was taking a different route than many had predicted. There was action right off the bat. Cauthen moved forward and worked his way inside the lanky Robinson with body shots. One of these punches landed hard and the sound of the shot thudded through the Newtown Athletic Center gym. Once inside, Cauthen tied up his younger opponent and slipped in a few sneaky shots. After being drawn into a couple of these clinches, Robinson adjusted and did his best to keep his distance from Cauthen. This became the early pattern of the fight. As the first round wound down, Robinson ripped Cauthen with a right hook that hit the mark. It was an omen of things to come. In the second round, the pattern continued, but things were about to take a quick turn. At one point, Cauthen landed a punch that seemed to hurt Robinson. His knees buckled and he lost his balance. A moment later, Robinson tripped to the canvas. No knockdown. When the action
resumed, Cauthen swooped in for another clinch. As the two
Cauthen rolled around in pain. He made it to his hands and knees. Then all the air was sucked out of the room, as everyone realized that Cauthen, now pawing at his eye, seemed to be looking for a way out of the fight. Robinson stood in a neutral corner and waited. Later, he said he was praying that the fight wouldn't end that way. Luckily, it didn't. For the experienced Cauthen, 36 years old in two days, the fight essentially ended for him right there on the canvas. He did his best to draw the disqualification, but to his credit, referee Rosato didn't fall for the trap. After that, Cauthen was all out of game. Once Cauthen made it to his feet, Rosato penalized Robinson for the late hit and waved the two fighters back into the fight. But Cauthen's heart was no longer in it. Robinson moved in behind his jab. He landed a combination that further pushed Cauthen toward quitting. Cauthen took a knee, but got right up as Rosato counted for the knockdown. As the action resumed, Robinson stalked a little closer from the outside and let loose a crushing right hook that dropped Cauthen on his back; his left arm draped over the bottom strand of rope.
The win was a resounding one for Robinson - not surprising, but surprisingly dramatic. It NEVER hurts to score a knockout, especially the one-punch variety. And this one was a beauty. The short night was Robinson's third straight win, and improved his record to 14-2 with 6 knockouts. He also won his first piece of professional hardware, the PA state championship belt.
It took a few minor adjustments, but Robinson certainly ended the fight with a boom. Cauthen slipped to 36-8 (9 KO), and very well could be at the end of the line. All four of the other bouts that filled out the card went the full distance.
All three judges scored the fight for Farmer. Steve Weisfeld and Dewey LaRossa saw it 59-55, or 5-1 in rounds. Alan Rubenstein had it one round closer at 58-56. Farmer's record stands at 5-3-1 (1 KO), while Cooley is now 2-2 (1 KO). It was a fast-paced scrap that entertained the fans.
Atlantic City's Decarlo
Perez returned to the win column with an easy unanimous
decision over Lenwood Dozier of Glen Burnie, MD. Dozier was
passive through
Approximately 600 fans came out for the first-ever boxing show at the Newtown Athletic Center, and BAM Boxing Promotions' second promotion. Shawn Clark was the alternate referee, and Larry Tournambe was the ring announcer. |
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fighters
wrestled for the power position, Cauthen hit Ray with a
sneaky shot to the head. The punch angered Robinson and for
a moment he lost his cool. As referee Gary Rosato stepped in
to pry the fighters apart, Robinson nailed Cauthen with a
solid punch. After a beat, Cauthen tumbled to the canvas,
face down. 
The
referee called an end to the fight immediately. Cauthen struggled to
get up. Call it the last gasps of his career. The time was
2:06 of round two. 
"It
feels amazing," Robinson said after the fight. "Especially
to have so many people come out and support me. It feels
like everybody who was there at the beginning was here now
to see me get this (belt) around my waist. I lost my head a
little bit, and I was scared, honestly. I started praying.
Let's get this show back on the road. I wanted this to be a
class fight. I wanted to come out with a boom." 
In
the semi-windup, fighting southpaw fireplug Tevin Farmer out
worked Kareem Cooley over six rounds to win a one-sided
unanimous decision in their lightweight bout. Farmer is the
type of boxer that is easy to like. He always comes to
fight, is better than his so-so record indicates, and is
extremely fun to watch. Against Cooley it was no different.
He swept through the first four rounds to build a nice lead
in the fight. Toward the end of round four, Cooley nailed
Farmer with a hard shot that either hurt him, or gave Cooley
some much needed confidence. In the final two rounds, Cooley
generally got the better of the action, but a hard right
hook by Farmer made Cooley's body sag at the bell and closed
the show. 
Philadelphia
junior welterweight Hasan Young made a successful pro debut
with a four round decision over Cassius Clay of Las Vegas.
The busy Young constantly moved forward and dominated the
action, while Clay only tried to survive throughout the four
rounds. Young dropped Clay in round three and administered a
beating that might have warranted a mercy stoppage, but
referee Gary Rosato let it go to the finish. Clay was
penalized one point in the final round for holding and
wrestling. Judges Weisfeld and LaRossa scored it 40-34,
while Rubenstein saw it 40-33. Clay falls to 0-3, all three
of his opponents were making their debut. 
most
of the fight, and waited so long to land a single big punch,
that we wondered if he'd ever decide to even throw one.
Dozier picked up the pace and won the fourth round mostly by
pinning Perez on the ropes and working his body. But Perez
was back to form in the final two rounds, sticking and
moving and piling up the points. Weisfeld and Rubenstein
gave Perez five of the six rounds (59-55). LaRossa had it a
shutout (60-54). The win upped Perez' record to 7-2-1 (2
KO); Dozier went to 7-5-1 (3 KO). It was the first start at
junior middleweight for Perez, and his corner seemed to
think it was the key to his success. 
In
the opening fight of the night, junior middleweights Ben
Lovett (at left in camouflage trunks) of Philadelphia and
Oscar Pagan of Camden both made their professional debut.
Lovett stayed busier throughout the four rounder to claim
his first win by scores of 40-36 (Rubenstein), 39-37
(LaRossa)and 38-38 (Weisfeld). The majority decision made
Lovett 1-0 and Pagan 0-1.