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Diane Fisher (Dee Lee Prom’ns)
with matchmaker Nick Tiberi kept Delaware boxing going with a show
on Saturday night, 10/5, at their usual location, the Hockessin PAL.
About 500 fans came out for a fine card, but with some new twists.
The show was highlighted not by a particular fighter but the return
of the Pennsylvania Commission to run the card. Delaware has none of
its own, so various other states have exercised oversight of the
local shows. PA Commissioner Greg Sirb held sway over a long and
successful program at Dover Downs, only to be replaced. First
Virginia and recently Alabama were the supervising commissions. Now
Pennsylvania is back, which is good news, as they always do a fine
job. Sirb had a kung fu card in Pennsylvania simultaneously so
Deputy Commissioner Mike Arnese was in charge of the event in
Delaware.
Secondly, the show didn’t
feature so much local talent but highlighted veteran contender and
multi-titled “Hammerin’” Hank Lundy, of Phila. Lundy’s had a
checkered career of ups and downs, and launched another (and final?)
title run with his performance this night. Hank won as expected, but
three big upsets on the undercard made it a signature evening. Joe
Divon kept time while Nino Del Buono did the ring announcing.
LUNDY WINS DECISION
Hank Lundy, 138, Phila., 30-8-1 (14), got just about everything he
wanted but a knockout from willing and stubborn veteran Robert “Red
Hot” Frankel, 138 ¼, Denver, over eight rounds. Action was brisk
from medium range throughout, and Lundy got a hard workout while
looking good. He blocked punches smartly, getting hit with few clean
shots although there were plenty thrown. It was a good action fight
throughout, but completely dominated by the favorite. Lundy
established control with quicker hands and defense in the first,
while the game underdog kept up a steady pressure of glancing blows.
Hank switched southpaw in the second, trying to corner Frankel who
kept up a steady patter of snappy short punches. Just before the
bell, it almost worked, as Robert was jarred by a right in his own
corner. Lundy went back to orthodox in the third and again scored a
big right just before the bell.
In the fourth, both hit the
canvas, but not from knockdowns. Lundy ducked a shot and Frankel
fell onto his back, with both collapsing in a pile. Action remained
steady, one at a time with no one putting together combinations. But
Lundy was beginning to dish out punishment instead of just points.
Hank was hurting Frankel with lefts in the fifth, one at a time,
until a big miss almost spun Henry to the canvas. Late in the round,
however, Frankel was in trouble from the steady tattoo, but the bell
came to his relief. In the sixth, the visitor had begun to fight
defensively while Lundy coasted. Frankel revived his offense in the
seventh, which may have been his only winning round. Lundy just
played ‘possum at southpaw, but action warmed to a big finish in the
final minute. This continued through a heated final round, as the
banged up underdog still fought hard while Henry tried to take him
out. The two exchanged seriously throughout, with Lundy gathering
momentum, but couldn’t stop the game foe. Marc Werlinsky and Adam
Friscia scored 79-73, Jimmy Kinney 80-72, unanimous for Lundy, of
course. Shawn Clark refereed.
KING WINS UGLY
The semi-final eight was dreadful in terms of execution but a crowd
pleaser in terms of vigorous physical action and the drama of the
contest. Chris Thomas, 173 ¼, Toms River, NJ, 13-1-1 (8), took on
Roy “Mr Bang Bang” King, 172 ½, Johnson City, TN, via Brooklyn,
12-4-1 (6). The contest changed direction several times, so who was
winning at any given moment was not evident. Action was good at the
start, with Thomas pressing and King countering. By late in the
round, King was finding the range and a solid left rocked Thomas,
too late to finish. This led to a reversal of momentum in the
second, King now coming forward with Thomas backing up, while action
remained good and close. King was forcing the fight in the third and
scoring the cleaner blows, but not taking control. Thomas seemed to
be unraveling, as he lunged with his whole body while throwing
punches, yet kept it close. Chris continued the lunging in the
fourth while Roy tried to pinpoint the lunges. Thomas rallied late
and had a prolonged two-hand volley that brought up the crowd. Wild
action became more ragged, and more crowd pleasing, in the fifth.
King finally broke out of even trading with a three-punch combo.
Chris’ left eye swelled and he was in some distress until between
rounds, when cutman Joey Eye repaired it.
The final three were ugly but
still dramatic. Chris continued vigorous mauling that smothered much
of King’s attempts, as Roy almost retreated into a shell. It could
have been anybody’s fight and the tension was palpable awaiting the
decision. Neither had commanded the action. But after all, the sport
is called boxing, not wrestling, and the judges rightly went with
cleaner punching. Friscia had 77-75 and the others 78-74 for an
elated King. A disconsolate Thomas immediately left the ring. They
do not automatically score for crowd favorites in Pennsylvania, and
not in states under that jurisdiction either. Clark refereed.
FREAK UPSET
Tragedy struck the undercard as huge and hugely popular Stefan “The
Freak” Talabisco suffered his first, and possibly career-ending
loss. In a scheduled four, Talabisco, 264 ½, Elsmere, 4-1 (4), took
on Antwaun Taylor, 216, Cinc., 4-12 (1). The bell rang, the fans
went crazy, and Talabisco charged like a raging bull. This was not
boxing, but somehow it was exciting. Stefan crashed into the
underdog and rammed him into a neutral corner with Taylor clutching
him in a crab hold for want of anything better to do. The two
wrestled vigorously and fans loved it, but little did they know that
it was tiring the favorite. Once a puffing Talabisco let Antwaun out
of the corner, the contest swung dramatically. The underdog began to
throw punches, but late in the round walked into a swiping right
hook counter and went down. Fans went crazy, but it was late in the
round.
Bent on making up, the visitor exploded out for round two, caught
Stefan before he was barely out of his corner, and battered him on
the ropes until a left-right sent the popular behemoth to the
canvas, flat on his back with belly heaving for a 16 second KO. This
could be a huge loss to the local scene.
KIRKLEY & BROTHERS DRAW
The decision was a head scratcher in a four between popular Vinnie
“Hollywood” Kirkley, 144 ¾, New Castle, 3-1-1 (3), and debuting
Zaymar “The Hybrid” Brothers, 148 ¾, Phila. All Zaymar did was
circle widely away to avoid contact while Kirkley ineffectively
stalked after him, trying to pin him on the ropes. Maybe that’s
grounds for a draw. Zaymar was trapped on the strands in the second
and Vinnie unloaded, but Brothers did manage a nifty inside left
hook to enable him to sidestep to safety, then ran for the rest of
the round. The underdog ran through the third, then threw more
punches in a decent final round. It appeared to be the favorite’s
fight, and Friscia scored it 39-37 Kirkley. But the others each had
38-38, making it a majority draw. They evidently gave Brothers style
points, but defense should be to set up offense, and Zaymar had
virtually none.
MENG STOPS RUBIO
In a Mutt ‘n’ Jeff six, Fanlong Meng, 176 ¼, Chifeng, China, 16-0
(10), TKO’d Gilberto Rubio, 181 ½, Los Mochis, MX, 9-9 (6), in 1:36
of round two. Meng was an elongated southpaw with a deep stance
while Rubio was short and pudgy…and hadn’t a clue how to pressure
inside. Fanlong was doing a nice job of keeping Gilberto at arm’s
length and controlling the action until reaching him on the end of a
long left late in the first. Gilberto flopped to his knees and
seemed ready to quit, but got up and made it out of the round. In
the second, Rubio was plastered with another long left, this to the
puss, and went down again. He got up but was stumbling and getting
hit when the referee, Vic de Wysocki, “The Arthur Mercante of DE”,
stopped it.
HARRIS DEFEATS DULIN
Women opened the show in a good four (two minutes) between Unique
Harris, 121 ¾, Phila., 1-3, and veteran Karen Dulin, 119 ¾,
Providence, 3-21-1 (1). At the very start, Harris worked her left,
then dropped Dulin with a beauty of a right. Karen was in trouble
but fought her way out of it, then boxed well to make a good fight
of it for the next three rounds. Nice one-twos won Karen the second
while Unique was strangely quiescent. Harris revived with a solid
rally to take charge in the third, but then Dulin came back and
battled to a close round. Unique was stunned once by a good right in
solid trading throughout the final round. Again the decision was up
for grabs. Friscia scored 38-37 Dulin but the others had 39-36 to
give the split decision to a jubilant Harris. Referee was de
Wysocki. |
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