Boxing

 

Ringside Report: Oliveira Captures Vacant IBU Welterweight Title; Undercard Fighter Removed on Stretcher

By Ron DiMichele

12.01 - If anyone spots Golden Johnson could you please give Rhode Island Boxing Commissioner, Mario Forte, a call? The Texas welterweight was a no-show at Friday’s weigh-in for his IBU World Welterweight title bout with Ray Oliveira of New Bedford, Ma, and his whereabouts remained a mystery at fight time Saturday night. Last minute replacement, Lorenzo Smith of Chicago, Il, lost by 6th round TKO to Oliveira when his corner threw in the towel between the 6th and 7th rounds of a twelve-round bout.

A ripped and ready Ray Oliveira, 147, (44-8-2, 21 KO’s) began digging to Smith’s body at the opening bell and didn’t let up for the next 5 rounds, his punches connecting with more and more authority as the bout wore on. In the 3rd stanza, Oliveira pinned Smith against the ropes and dropped him with a wicked left hook to the midsection. A right to the head put a sagging Smith down again in the 5th, and all could see the end was near. Between the 6th and 7th rounds, Lorenzo Smith’s corner took the matter into their own hands and spared their fighter further punishment.

Lorenzo Smith, 147, (34-4-1, 14 KO’s) looked a bit like the reluctant warrior from the start. He did not appear to be in top shape and spent much of the bout retreating from Oliveira’s pressing attack. This takes nothing away from the victorious Ray Oliveira, who ringsiders observed was perhaps in the best shape of his career and gave his usual 100% effort in the ring.

After the fight, Oliveira credited the victory to his hard training and expressed pride at winning the little-known IBU title belt. He said he was ready to take on all comers and would love to fight for another title belt, but wasn’t so sure he’d get the chance. "I was the most avoided junior-welterweight in the world, and now I’ll be the most avoided welterweight in the world," said Ray immediately after the fight.

In a disturbing preliminary bout, Angel Torres, 127 1/2, (10-2, 3 KO’s) of Manchester, Ct stopped Jose Ayala, 126, (6-3, 1 KO) of Lowell, Ma in the first round of a 6-round featherweight match-up. The fighters appeared evenly skilled on paper, and Ayala came out moving well, but Angel Torres was razor sharp. In the opening minute, he buckled Ayala’s knees with the tail end of a perfect one-two combo. Shortly thereafter, a Torres left-hook put Ayala on the canvas. Ayala was rattled, but still moving well. Torres kept on his mark and soon delivered a flurry which knocked Ayala through the ropes. Ayala was hurt bad, even momentarily unconscious, as he hung awkwardly in the ropes. The fight should have been stopped here. Instead, referee Chubby Gomes helped Jose Ayala to his feet, brushed off his gloves, and allowed the bout to continue without so much as a standing eight-count. Ayala stood against the ropes, and Angel Torres unloaded a roundhouse right which dropped Ayala face first to the canvas. He remained down for at least 10 minutes before being removed from the ring on a stretcher. Reports said Jose Ayala was conscious and speaking after the fight, but was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.

In the evening’s 10-round co-feature, lightweight Gary ‘The Tiger’ Balletto, 137 1/4, (26-1-2, 23 KO’s) of Providence, RI rebounded from his only career loss stopping Juan Polo Perez, 135, (45-30-4, 23 KO’s) at the 3:00 mark of round two. Perez, a Columbian fighting out of Malagana, Bolivia, looked to be at the end of a long career and put up less than stiff resistance in recording his 30th loss in 79 pro fights.

In the most competitive bout of the night, Jaime Clampitt, 144 1/2, (9-2, 2 KO’s) of Narragansett, RI by way of Calgary, Canada, earned a majority decision over game Cynthia Jones, 146, (0-3) of Miami, Fl. The ladies provided almost non-stop action as they battled back and forth in the entertaining 6-round bout. Despite taking some hard shots from Jones, Clampitt was the busier fighter who pressed the action and delivered enough telling blows to deserve the decision.

In 4-round action:

‘Steamin’ ‘ Josh Beeman, 142, (1-0) of Providence, RI won a 4-round unanimous decision over Arnold Hill, 143, (1-3) of St. Petersburg, Fl in a super-lightweight contest. Beeman, an accomplished amateur who won the 2000 Eastern Olympic Trials, looked sharp in his pro debut against the defense-minded Hill.

Joe ‘KO Kid’ Spina, 175, (7-0, 5 KO’s) of Providence, RI was strong in stopping William Bailey, 175, (1-4-1) of Norfolk, Va with a solid left hook to the jaw in the first round of a light heavyweight bout.

Middleweight Bobo ‘The Bull’ Starnino, 161, (2-0) of Providence, RI won a unanimous decision over Manny ‘Cheeks’ Teo, 163, (4-11, 3 KO’s) of Worcestor, Ma.

The evening’s card was a good example of a boxing promoter’s worst nightmare. No-shows, injuries, and last minute replacements threw a wrench into the works and the burden of these catastrophes fell squarely on the shoulders of the evening’s promoter, Jimmy Burchfield. The quality of the bouts suffered from these unpredictable circumstances, but to Burchfield’s credit, the show did go on.

Ron DiMichele’s email address is: rondimi@yahoo.com

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