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Boxing pitchman Damon Feldman brought his traveling ring show back to Philadelphia Wednesday night with a five-bout show at the Roxxy Club in the Bamboo Bar on North Delaware Avenue. The main event between Philadelphia cruiserweights Kamarah Pasley and Brian Donohue ended in a six-round draw. The fight had the makings of a rugged battle between boxer Pasley and brawler "Wild Man" Donohue, but only lived up to expectations in spurts. Still it was a solid scrap between two honest combatants. Southpaw Pasley cracked Donohue early in the first round with a thudding left, but the punch barely phased the always game "Wild Man". Pasley took the round, but Donohue charged back in the following two rounds to take a slight lead on my scorecard. Brian's surge relied on his grinding style and all-out effort, while Pasley's jab went quiet. Donohue bullied Pasley around the ring, and looked to dock along the ropes whenever he could. Pasley was the bigger and quicker man, but he seemed to hibernate during this stretch. Kamarah managed to punch his way back in round four, and evened up the score after an effective round. As that period wound down, Pasley landed well to the head and body, and it seemed to pay dividends in the final two rounds. Pasley appeared to win the last two rounds of the fight. Kamarah jabbed and fired his straight left, as Donohue grew less active as he tired. Still the action was fairly close. After the six rounds were over, I had Pasley up 58-56, or 4-2 in rounds. Official judge Dave Greer's tally agreed with mine, 58-56. However, Joe Pasquale and Dewey LaRosa overruled that score with their 57-57 scorecards, which made the fight a draw. The bout was quite close, and although a surprise, the official call was no robbery. Pasley went home 6-6-1, 2 KOs. Donohue's record went to 2-5-2. After the fight there was talk of a possible rematch by Damon Feldman, and both fighters, who are friends outside the ring, seemed very open to the idea. Because of the draw, neither fighter went home with the XBC Cruiserweight Championship belt, which was at stake. There were a set of four preliminary bouts, each scheduled for four rounds. Switch-hitting junior welterweight Lonnie Jackson Jr., of Philadelphia, won a unanimous decision over Providence RI's Josh Beeman is a lively four rounder. Jackson stormed out to an early lead in the bout, dropping Beeman with a left hook in round two. Lonnie also added the third round to his column before fading badly after a volley of body shots by Beeman seemed to take his breath at the end of the third. Jackson huffed and puffed through the final round, but had enough of a lead on the cards to secure the victory once it went to the cards. Two of the three judges, Greer and LaRosa, scored the fight 39-36 for Jackson, while Joe Pasquale had the fight a point closer at 38-37. My score was 39-36, Jackson. With the win, Jackson remained unbeaten, 3-0-1, 1 KO, while Beeman added another loss to his 5-14-4, 2 KO, journeyman record. The best fight of the night was a four-round punch-out between two cruiserweights making their professional debut. Philadelphian David Murray got the win after a hard right hand dropped Bristol, PA's Mike Moore in round three. Murray hurt Moore a couple times before, but this rocket right finally floored the game fighter to set up the finish. Moore beat the count, but referee Shawn Clark halted the bout once Moore regained his feet. It was a spirited brawl, with both fighters throwing and landing. However, I gave Murray, 1-0, 1 KO, the first two rounds before his fight-ender found Moore's, 0-1, chin. It was a wild battle, but Murray, with his heavier hands, had control at all times. North Philly's Fred Jenkins Jr. returned after a 17-month layoff, and won a decision over Ruben Ortiz. I gave Jenkins all four rounds, but Ortiz was a tough and hard-charging opponent, which belied his puny 0-1 record. The fight felt closer than my 40-36, but Jenkins, who even tried switch-hitting a few times, maintained control. Judge Joe Pasquale also had it 40-36. Dewey LaRosa gave Ortiz one round and turned in a 39-37 tab. However, Dave Greer thought each fighter won two rounds, and had it 38-38 after four. Jenkins, 6-1, 2 KOs, was surprised by the scores, but went home the majority decision winner nonetheless. Ortiz fell to 0-2, but put up a very good fight. In the opening bout of the night, Brick, NJ heavyweight Dan Pasciolla outworked a heavy-breathing Lonnie Kornegay of Baltimore to win a unanimous decision. Two of the three judges, Greer and LaRosa, gave Pasciolla every round, and scored 40-36. Pasquale had it 3-1 in rounds for a 39-37 score. I had the fight 40-36 for Pasciolla, 2-1. Kornegay, 1-10-2, is a frequent visitor to Philly who usually gives a better effort than on this night. The venue was a night club, and the smallish ring was installed right on the dance floor, making it a very intimate space for a fight. Many boxing notables were in the house, including Cyclone Hart, Bryant Jennings, Jesse Hart, Eric Hunter, Marvin Garris, Garrett Wilson, Mike Everett, Dante Selby, Charles Hayward, and approximately 300-400 spectators crowded the room. Feldman's Champions of Tomorrow IV returns on December 12th, at a venue yet to be named. |
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