PHILLY BOXING HISTORY - July 13, 2024 |
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IBF welterweight world champion Jaron "Boots" Ennis scored a decisive fifth-round TKO over former champion David Avanesyan to defend his title for the first time. The fight was promoted by Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing as "The Homecoming" and a juiced crowd of 14,119 packed South Philly's Well Fargo Center to celebrate the occassion of Ennis' first fight in Philadelphia in nearly six years. All-in-all, it was an excellent event that featured eight bouts and a massive dose of great atmosphere that doesn't happen very often - in Philly.
After a raucous ring entrance that had the crowd dizzy with excitement and Team Ennis feeling the love of 14,000, the champion went right to work after a hiatus of one year. Ennis started in an orothodox stance but switched to lefty part-way through the opening round. Avanesyan came right at Boots, and Ennis responded with some probing shots upstairs before digging to the challenger's body.
In one such attack, an Ennis punch landed below the belt and Avanesyan crumbled to the canvas. As referee Eric Dali led Ennis away and the crowd loudly booed, Boots appeared frustrated by his error and maybe even a little worried. Had Avanesyan stayed down from the low blow, it would have ruined this spectacular event. However, Avanesyan isn't built that way. He's tough and game and after taking advantage of a few minutes of recovery time, David trudged back into the fray. The action resumed and continued until the round elapsed.
Begining in round two, the pattern for the fight was quickly established. Without question, Ennis, switch-hitting all the way, was in control. He was faster, sharper, and landed with more frequency. However, Avanesyan remained in the fight, landing often to Ennis' head. They traded in the second and third. Avanesyan pressed Boots to the ropes in the third where he scored well.
In round four, Ennis picked up the pace and began landing his punches in flashy, deadly series. These punches came from every angle - from both the right and left side. His body attack ramped up as well, hurting the challenger with debilitating blows downstairs. Avanesyan fought back, still landing, but the difference in punching power between the two was clear. Yes, Avanesyan was landing and occassionally stinging Ennis, but Jaron's punches were an entirely different caibre. He punched through Avanesyan and David was feeling it.
At first, the fifth round was competitive with Avanesyan landing perhaps his best punch of the night - a solid left hook - after working on Ennis up against the ropes. However, later in the round, Ennis slammed Avanesyan with a left hand that sent him crumbling to the canvas. Of course, the gutsy challenger got up and continued, but the writing was on the wall. At this point in the fight, he seemed to be unravelling and rapidly wearing out. As the round wound down, the side of Avanesyan's face showed a significant swelling. The injury was bad enough to suggest that his jaw might even be broken. The bell sounded to end the fifth round.
When Avanesyan returned to his corner, it did not take long for the doctor, Ava's handlers, and ultimately referee Dali to call an end to the fight. The TKO went into the books as a stoppage at 3:00 of round five.
Ennis kept his crown and improved his record to 32-0, with 29 KOs and 1 No Contest. It was a convincing win and more ammunition to fuel the discussion that Boots is the future of boxing - at least in and around the welterweight division. After a one-year layoff, he still looked sharp and dangerous. The commerical success of the event - more ticket sales than anyone expected - all but made certain that Ennis would be back to Philly for another world title fight in the future.
Avanesyan, 35-6-1, 18 KOs, fought hard and tough but lost for the second time in his last three starts. The other defeat was a sixth-round stoppage by Terrance Crawford - the man Ennis wants as soon as Eddie Hearn can arrange it.
With Crawford chasing a massive payday against Canelo Alvarez , it's not likely that Ennis will land a fight with Crawford anytime soon. However, it is a fight that every boxing fan would like to see. So who knows? Crawford would be a serious step up in competition for Ennis, but Boots looks as ready as anyone for such a challenge. Given that Crawford is in no rush to neet the Philadelphian (he gave up his IBF belt rather than face him), Boots can take additional time to improve his already-exceptional game and add a bit more experience to his resume. Either way, the future is bright for Ennis and for Philly fight fans who proved they were tired of watching their cahmpions on TV and actually came out in force to a live fight. Congrats to Boots, Matchroom, and to Philly, all three entites got it right on Saturday night.
Dobson started slowly and showed none of the fire he had at the final press conference and weigh in. Hackett took the first few rounds and began hurting Dobson with his body shots and combinations to the head as the fight progressed. Even when Hackett's jabs hit the mark, Dobson felt the effect. By the fifth round, Dobson was sporting a blossoming lump on the left side of his forehead, near his temple.
He hung in there and landed well in round six, especially with left hooks and occassional rights. But Hackett kept control - and the lead - as the fight moved through the second half. In the final round, probably the best round of the fight, the fighters exchanged good punches throughout the session. Dobson's best blows came in combination while Hackett worlked the body and fired left hooks and straight rights to Dobson's head. The fight went the full
distance and Hackett won by scores of 96-94 (Tony Paolillo) and
97-93 twice (Mark Consentono and Glenn Feldman). My score was
slightly wider for Hackett, 99-91. The win made Hackett 9-0, with 7
KOs, and earned him his first title belt. Dobson, 16-2, 9 KOs, lost
his second straight by decision). The referee was Harvey Dock.
Vargas landed several straight rights along the way, but her output paled in comparion to Nicholson's consistent and careful offense. Nicholson took no chances in the fight, but then, she didn't need to. Instead, she piled up an insurmountable mountain of points. Although Nicholson's upright, southpaw stance looked a little stiff, Vargas was the polar opposite, but not in a good way. Vargas looked clumsy, sloppy, and at times desperate. By the tenth round, the picture of control, Nigholson, was picking Vargas apart. By the end of the tenth and final round, Skye was landing everything she threw at Vargas.
All three judges, Mark Consentino, Tony Paolillo, and Robin
Taylor, scored the fight 100-90 for Nicholdson. My scorecard, along
with everyone else's in the Arena, was also 100-90. Nicholson
remained undefeated (11-0, 1 KO). Vargas, fighting for the first
time outside the Domincan Republic, fell to 19-2, 12 KOs. The
referee was Shawn Clark.
Coe shook off a nice left hook by Ritter and then put him down with a left hook of his own. Ritter made it to his feet, but Coe did not hesitate to go for the knockout. He ripped Ritter with punishing power punches. After a right hand-left hook combo, Coe landed a looping overhand right that staggered Ritter and prompted referee Ricky Gonzalez to step in. The time was 1:59 of the second.
Coe (9-0-1, 7 KO) scored his fifth consecutive knockout, and won the vacant WBC-USA 175-pound title belt. Ritter (11-2, 9 KOs) lost his second straight fight and his first by stoppage.
The damaged fighter struggled to survive but when Diaz
caught him in a corner and blasted away with a brutal combination,
referee Ricky Gonzalez stopped the fight as Hernandez slumped
against the ropes. He never went down, but the fight was over at
2:36 of round two. Diaz improoved to 29-4, 19 KOs. Hernandez slipped
to 12-2-1, 10 KOs, 1 No Contest.
When the fight started, both fighters let their hands fly. Carto landed solid rights and Buitrgao buzzed Christian with a nice right-left combination. Carto responded with more hard rights and once the Nicaraguan sliped to the canvas. No knockdown. Carto controlled the second round, hitting Buitrago with a right to the head and some nice body work. It was Carto's most dominant round of the fight. The third featured more good back and forth action, but Carto seemed to be wearing Buitrago down with his harder punches. Still Carlos remained dangerous, consisteny landing shots to Carto's head and body. A left hook by Carto dropped Buitrago, but he rose and managed to continue. Carto closed the round with an extended combination that had Buitrago hurt. The bell saved him, but not for long.
In the corner, Buitrago's team surrendered and referee Harvey Dock called the bout over at 3:00 of round three. This was Carto's sixth straight win and the victory raised his record to 23-1, 16 KOs. Buitrgao lost his third straight and returned home with a 38-14-1, 22 KOs, 1 No Contest, record.
In the fourth, Muhammad cracked Brown with a right hand that dropped him and evened the knockdown derby. Muhammad then closed the fight with two good rounds while Brown spent most of the sixth talking, complaining to the ref, and clowning. In return, Muhammad wobbled him with another right. After six full rounds, Muhammad won the bout by scores of 57-55 (Robin Taylor) and 58-54 twice (Mark Consentino and Tony Paolillo). My scores was also 58-54. Muhammad inproved to 5-0, 3 KO. Brown slid to 3-5-1, 1 KO. The referee was Shawn Clark. THOMPSON WINS DEBUT |
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