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J. R. Jowett reporting from
ringside: The Pennsbury Racquet Club in Morrisville, PA, across the
Delaware from Trenton, hosted the auspicious return of one of the
most active club promoters in the NJ-PA area for many years, Nedal
Abuhumoud (Nedal Prom’ns) on 4/27/19. Nedal hadn’t promoted in some
eight years, since the end of his prime attraction, Omar Sheika.
Now backing a new middle
eastern star, Omar Salem, son of “The Egyptian Magician” Kabary
Salem, who once fought for the middleweight title, brought Nedal
back, a welcome addition to the already active local scene. Nedal
co-promoted with “Cornflake” LaManna’s Rising Star Prom’ns, with
Renee Aiken matchmaker. Some 400 – 500 fans turned out for a lively
club show. Mark Fratto was ring announcer, Mike Arnese kept time,
and Kurt Wolfheimer did PR.
SALEM DEFEATS OCLES
In the main event eight, Omar Salem, 168 ¼, NYC, 9-0 (4), met
Antonio Ocles, 166, Quito, Ecuador, 10-7-1 (3). The fight started as
a crowd pleaser, with good action and trading. The underdog went on
the offensive, tagging the southpaw favorite with right leads to
body and head. But with the Egyptian Magician working his corner,
Omar adjusted and began to answer back, including a stiff arm that
drew a caution from referee Shawn Clark.
Trading was solid into the
third, when the underdog charged out with a revved up attack. But
counter punching by the tall, rangy favorite turned the tide, with
Ocles losing his mouthpiece and the Egyptian crowd up. The fourth,
however, sank into a ragtag affair with each trying to set up the
other for sucker punches. Late in the round, Ocles dropped his arms
and taunted.
But Omar nailed down the win in
a big fifth when Antonio tried to bore in, head down in a peek-a-boo
crouch. Salem went underneath and ripped him with uppercuts. The
contest crested and there was no fight left in Ocles thereafter. The
last three were just cameo appearances, with Omar taking potshots
enough to win, until fans set up a “Knock him out” chant in the
final minute of the eighth. Omar tried, but had to settle for a
unanimous decision. Justin Rubenstein scored 78-74, Lindsey Page
79-73, and Jimmy Kinney 80-72.
WINS OVER JONES
Nahir Albright, 134 ½, Phila., 7-1 (2), got a good fight out of
import Tyrome Jones, 133 ½, South Bend, 4-5-1 (1), in a tightly
contested six. The southpaw visitor stalked behind a high and tight
guard, throwing short blows, while the more versatile favorite moved
away and let his hands fly with long punches. A lead right stunned
Jones early in the second, but he resolutely got back into the
action and was applying pressure until he got rocked by a left hook
and Nahir rallied to pull out the round. The third was close with
the slightly sharper punching going to Albright. Nahir put on a good
show of long and limber punching in the fourth, but Tyrome was back
applying the pressure in a close fifth. Nahir closed the show
impressively in good final round action to gain the unanimous
verdict. Allen Rubenstein scored 59-55, Kinney and Justin Rubenstein
60-54.
MORALES RALLIES FOR WIN
There weren’t a lot of clean punches in a mad scramble between
Elijah Morales, 146 ½, Kissimmee, FL, 3-0 (1), and Steve Moore, 146
¼, Orange, NJ, 1-8 (1), four. The popular Morales got off to a bad
start when he was caught off balance by a right in the first and
sent reeling, with referee Eric Dali giving him a count without
going down. Morales regrouped and took control with a stronger
physical attack that had Moore often holding and the crowd going
wild for their favorite. Morales slowed a step and let Moore back
into the fight in the fourth, but still got the unanimous decision.
Allen Rubenstein scored 38-37, Kinney and Page 39-37.
SOWIRKO WINS BY UNANIMOUS
DECISION
Debuting, Jakub Sowirko, 194 ¾, from Sanok, Poland via Trenton, took
a unanimous decision over Charles Johnson, 195 ¼, Wash., DC, 1-2
(1), in a tame four that got a lot more excitement from the crowd
than the (lack of) action deserved. The southpaw Johnson circled and
outboxed the slow and wooden Pole in the first, but did nothing
thereafter to seize control.
There was a decided dearth of
action in the second, Sowirko landing one good right. The favorite
got in a good left-right to rock Johnson in the third, and the
compliant underdog did nothing but circle and virtually gave the
fight away. Nevertheless, it was a majority decision for Sowirko, as
Page scored 38-38 while the Rubensteins gave it to Jakub, 39-37 from
Justin and a shutout by Allen. The winner’s corner was highlighted
by the return of iconic and ancient Trenton fight figure “Mugsy”
Episcopo.
BUNCH BLOWS OUT WOODARD
Debuting Shinard Bunch, 149 ¼, Trenton, wowed local fans by blowing
out hapless Cortland Woodard, 151, Pittsburgh, 0-2, in just 35
seconds of a scheduled four. The rangy Shinard came out with hands
pumping, straight and sharp. The shorter Woodard tried to come in
low, but couldn’t manage the step to the inside and was a sitting
duck for chopping punches. A left-right floored him in the first
exchange and then a crushing right crumpled him, referee Clark
calling a halt without a count.
WILLIAMS STOPS JENKINS
The show opened with the only upset. In a four rounder of debutees,
Wayne Williams, 159 ½, Phila., stopped game Quadeer Jenkins, 159 ¾,
Trenton, in 2:11 of the first round. The two opened in a blaze, with
Jenkins landing some sharp counters but overwhelmed by the taller,
long-armed Williams who fired roundhouses with both hands. Quadeer
went to the canvas in his opponent’s corner and got up to fight his
way out of a blitzing in a neutral corner. The eager Williams leaned
in and didn’t have his feet under him, the resultant push punches
battering but not dropping Quadeer. The local favorite got back into
the fight and tried to establish his game, but when Williams dropped
a long right over Quadeer’s left to stagger him, referee Dali pulled
the plug. |
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