21.04.06 – By- Danny Serratelli, ringside: Last night Newark, New Jersey’s Super Middleweight contender Jerson Ravelo, 16-1, 11 KO’s, returned to Lou DiBella’s Broadway Boxing Series and scored his second consecutive 1st round Knockout. In his first fight after about a year and a half layoff, Jerson returned last month making his first appearance on the Broadway Boxing series. He scored a first round against Raynard Darden, 9-13, 4 KO’s. Last night the knockout came against an opponent who gave Jeff Lacy some trouble until Lacy caught up with him in round number 8..
The opponent, Donell Wiggins, 24-8, 14 KO’s, was expected by many to be a tough opponent. However, Jerson who is as calm and cool as they come felt him out for about a minute and then shot a right hand that was a thing of beauty. The lone right was timed perfectly and it was apparent immediately that Wiggins would not beat the count.
While skeptics will say, he hasn’t even fought 2 full rounds in the last year and a half, at this point of his career that really does not matter much. Jerson’s plan is to stay busy like he was early in his career, and if he does everything will fall right into place for him. He wants the big fights with any of the champions in or around his weight class. As Jerson said last night, “I would want to fight anyone who’s going to get me closer to a title shot. I want to fight fighters that are gonna set me up for big fights”
Jerson is not sitting back and waiting for things to happen this time around, he is appreciating everything more, and is driven to make it happen. He will be fighting for the 3rd time in 2 months when he appears on Main Events “Back To The Future III” show on May 11th at Scheutzen Park in North Bergen, New Jersey. Other fighters and trainers already know that Jerson is a force to be reckoned with at 168 pounds, and soon enough anyone who is not familiar with him will be.
Jerson was 96-15 as an amateur, was the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame’s amateur boxer of the year in 1998 and 1999, and he was a 2000 Olympian. He is a dedicated fighter and a consummate professional who despite several extended layoffs due primarily to managerial problems and a few injuries years ago, always stays in the gym and in fighting shape. He has been waiting until he would be given the opportunity to step back into the spotlight, and it looks like his time has finally come.
In the main event, which was an IBF bantamweight eliminator South African Silence Mabuza 19-1, 15 KO’s won a unanimous decision over Ricardo Vargas 39-12-3, 13 KO’s. Scores were 120-107 and 117-111 twice. The victory puts him in a position to fight a rematch with bantamweight champion Rafael Marquez, who scored a 4th round TKO over Mabuza last November.
Curtis Stevens, 12-0, 10 KO’s also won a unanimous decision over ring veteran Carl Daniels, 49-8-1, 31 KO’s. The judges scored the bout 79-71, 79-72 and 77-74 all for the winner Curtis Stevens. Stevens makes up half of the “Chin Checkers” with Jaidon Codrington being the other one. Stevens hurt Daniels on several occasions, but the veteran southpaw knew how to survive and was effective at times. Stevens, like Codrington has fast hands and looks like he overwhelms opponents with punches in bunches rather than devastating knockout power. It was a good performance and good experience for Stevens went 8 rounds for the first time as a professional with a seasoned veteran.
In Attendance, Brooklyn’s Finest:
Paulie Malignaggi- 21-0, 5 KO’s who is looking forward to his fight with Miguel Cotto on June 10th at Madison Square Garden.
Zab Judah- 34-4, 25 KO’s, fresh off of his fight with pound for pound champ Floyd Mayweather.
Roberto Benitez, 4-0, 3KO’s another former Olympian and rising star.
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