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Rising Upper Darby
super middleweight Brandon Robinson scored a rousing TKO
over Ernest Amuzu in the main event Friday night at the 2300
Arena in South Philly. The end came in round three of the
scheduled eight-rounder. It was a sloppy brawl, filled with
hard punches and aggressive action. Robinson mounted an
early body attack which drew the fight into close quarters
right off the bat. Amuzu, a heavily muscled Ghanaian
fighting out of Prichard, AL, was willing to battle
Robinson, but fell short when it came to trading blows.
Robinson appeared more comfortable in the trenches, and won
the first two rounds with more activity and a more effective
assault. Amuzu landed too, but he could not get things
going. In round three, the battle continued until Robinson
backed Amuzu into a neutral corner and blasted away. Brandon
tagged his opponent several times, but just when it looked
like the African might fall, he fought back hard and even
turned his way out of the corner. However, Robinson kept
swinging and once again pinned Amuzu back in the same
corner.
Robinson threw a series of looping shots intended to end the
right. Suddenly, he caught Amuzu with a wild right, and the
punch staggered him and sent him reeling backward. Robinson
charged forward and landed a second aching right that
slammed against Amuzu’s jaw and sent him reeling backward
again. The force of the punch left Amuzu rubbery and referee
Blair Talmadge jumped in to save him from further
punishment. The time was 2:04 of round three.
The showy stoppage raised Robinson’s record to 11-1, 8 KOs.
This was his eleventh straight victory. From ring center,
Robinson called out Glassboro, NJ super middleweight Derrick
Webster, saying that it was the fight he wanted next. That
might be a good match, but I’d be surprised if Webster
accepts the challenge. Robinson might offer too much risk
for the big-fight-seeking Webster. But make no mistake, that
pairing would be a toss-up. Amuzu’s record fell to 24-4, 22
KOs. This was the first time he was stopped.
WILLIAMS HOLDS OFF GRAYTON
In the co-feature bout, LA welterweight Terrell Williams
remained undefeated with a unanimous decision over DC’s
David Grayton. The DC southpaw almost didn’t make it out of
the first round when a hard right by Williams sent Grayton
to the canvas mid-way through the opening round. However,
Grayton proved to be a tough customer. He climbed to his
feet and remained the aggressor throughout the entire bout.
But Williams made
Grayton pay for his aggression most of the night. In round
two, Williams nailed Grayton with another right that sent
him down again. Hopelessly behind on the cards after two
rounds, Grayton kept charging, doing his best to turn the
fight in his direction. However, Williams was an effective
sharp shooter, and continued to hit Grayton cleanly as he
rushed in. Exclusively using right hands, Williams built a
massive lead on my card. He continued to string together
winning rounds, then scored another knockdown in round six,
again with a sharp right.
Grayton refused to quit, but the amount of punishment he was
taking began to look excessive. Most hoped that Grayton’s
corner would stop the fight after round six, but when they
didn’t, hope shifted to referee Eric Dali to do the smart
thing beginning in the seventh. But the DC fighter made it
difficult for anyone to deny him more time, because he was
so willing to fight and never took a backward step.
Then in round eight, Williams began running out of gas.
Suddenly, Grayton was back in the fight, and although he was
far from fresh, David began abusing the fading Williams.
Grayton won the last three rounds on my card. He never came
close to stopping Williams, but it was a bona fide rally and
made the competitive, but one-sided bout suddenly thrilling.
After ten full rounds, I had Williams up by a score of
97-90. The official scorers also saw the fight clearly for
Williams. Dewey LaRosa had the bout 98-90. Lynn Carter saw
it 97-92. And James Kinney scored the fight 98-89.
Williams, 17-0, 13 KOs, looked impressive for seven solid
rounds, but was seriously tested down the stretch. He
struggled, but passed this tough trial. Grayton left with a
record of 15-3-1, 11 KOs. He was soundly beaten, but left
with tough guy bragging rights.
YUNUSOV BLASTS MONREAL
Southpaw Anvar Yunusov, 5-0, 2 KOs, blew out Mexican Angel
Monreal, 10-11-1, 3 KOs, with two knockdowns in round one
that compelled referee Eric Dali to halt the fight at 2:39
of the opening round. The first knockdown came courtesy of a
right hook-left hand combo. Monreal survived, but it was
clear that the end was imminent.
The three-time Olympic fighter from Tajikistan, now based in
Philly, did not hesitate. He continued his attack. Monreal
fell to the canvas again, but the trip was ruled a slip.
Moments later Yunusov cracked the Mexican with a straight
left that momentarily tangled him in the ropes. He nearly
tipped out of the ring, but instead his body sagged downward
to the canvas, and Dali waved the fight to an end.
JIMENEZ SHUTS OUT MINER
In a four-round bantamweight fight, Alejandro Jimenez of New
Hope, PA, 3-0, 1 KO, scored a shutout unanimous decision
over Philly’s Jerrod Miner, 1-2-2, 1 KO. The fight was
filled with good action, and although Jimenez won each of
the messy-but-entertaining rounds, Miner made it difficult
for him. Round two was the closest of the fight, but still
Jimenez had the edge. All three judges, James Kinney, Justin
Rubenstein and Lynn Carter, scored the fight 40-36.
WILLIAMS DEFEATS FATULLA
DC junior welterweight Keeshawn Williams defeated tough but
over-matched Farhad Fatulla of Philadelphia by unanimous
decision over four rounds. Fatulla tried charging in, but
never managed to get close enough to Williams to make a
difference. All three judges (LaRosa, Rubenstein and Carter)
all saw the fight 40-36.
BUTT TOPS SMITH
Philly’s Daiyann Butt, 2-0, topped Californian Anthony Smith
in their four-round welterweight contest. Smith started fast
and won a close first round on my card. However the lanky
Butt used his rangy form and seven inch height advantage to
carve out a solid points victory. The three judges (LaRosa,
Kinney and Carter) all gave the bout to Butt by perfect
scores of 40-36.
ANDUJAR SHOCKS PEGUERO
Dominican Yueri Andujar made a very impressive professional
debut with his third round TKO upset of previously
undefeated Chrystian Peguero of Philadelphia. Going in, it
appeared that Andujar was being fed to the wolves. In his
two previous bouts, Peguero looked like a serious young
prospect, and I though he was poised to win his third
straight. However, it turned out to be the opposite. Peguero,
off for more than one year, had his hands full from the
first bell, and it was Andujar who mugged the Philadelphian
for the first two rounds. Finally in the third, Andujar
trapped Peguero on the ropes and landed numerous lefts and
rights. Peguero was staggered and nearly went down, but
before he did, referee Eric Dali saved him by stopping the
fight at the 2:06 mark of the third. Peguero lost for the
first time (2-1, 1 KO), and Andujar, 1-0, 1 KO, made a loud
statement.
BERNADIN IMPRESSES IN DEBUT
Lancaster’s James Bernadin also made a notable pro debut
with a two-round drubbing of Christopher Burgos, 1-3-1, in a
scheduled four-round junior lightweight fight. Burgos
started well in the first, but Bernadin stole the round by
staggering Burgos during the final minute. Beginning in the
second, Bernadin was in total control. Burgos tried to press
the action, but Bernadin thwarted every rush with power
shots that stopped Burgos in his tracks. The Philly fighter
could not find a way past Bernadin’s power punches, and they
continued to take their toll. Burgos made one final rush in
the third, but a sharp series of punches by Bernadin floored
Burgos. He got to his feet but appeared groggy, and referee
Blair Talmadge stopped the fight. The time was 2:19 of the
third.
TAZHIBAY BEATS JOHNSON
In the opening bout of the night, DC-based Shyngyskhan
Tazhibay, 7-0, 3 KOs, beat Pittsburgh’s Justin Johnson,
6-18-6, by four-round unanimous decision. Tazhibay landed
freely, and scored his best shot, a hard right, in the
third. Johnson had his best round in the fourth, but it
wasn’t enough to win the round, let alone the fight. Two of
the three judges, LaRosa and Rubenstein, scored it 40-36,
while Lynn Carter had it 39-37, probably giving the fourth
to Johnson. My score was a perfect 40-36 for Tazhibay.
The nine-bout card was promoted by Marshall Kauffman’s Kings
Promotions and drew a full house of about 1,000 fans.
Kauffman returns on September 25th with a show in Bethlehem,
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