By: Coach “K” – November 20th, Twin River Event Center, Lincoln, Rhode Island Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports Inc. presented “Autumn Classic” saw the leather flying like Autumn leaves falling in a Nor Easter.
The action started with Roxbury, Massachusetts Maceo Crowder the brother of 2008 U.S. Olympian Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade making his pro debut picking apart, buckling then putting to rest Reidsville North Carolina’s Duane King also making his pro debut. Crowder out boxed and dropped King in the opener, buckled his knees with a heavy lead right hand in the second before finishing him with a clean 1-2 at 1:48 of round three..
Next up was heavyweight action with Worcester, Massachusetts’s Rashad Minor, 3-1, 3Ko’s acting like the Titanic taking revenge on Hannibal, Missouri’s ’s Lance “Iceberg” Gauch, 1-2, 1Ko’s sinking him with a heavy looping right to the head forcing referee Danny Chiavonne to wave it off at 2:47 of round two.
Bout number three featured 2008 NY Gold Glove Champion Joe “The Irish Bomber” Smith Jr.’s destruction of Eden, North Carolina’s Brandon McGowen’s pro debut. “The Bomber” used a tight defense to withstand an initial wild and wide McGowan assault before using a stiff jab to backi McGowen to the corner then planting a jack hammer straight right to the solar plexus, crushing hook to the liver combination reminiscent of “Irish” Bobby Cassidy dropping and stopping McGowen at 0:45 of round one where he remained for over five minutes. Smith trained by former pro light heavyweight standouts, brothers Phil and Gerry Capobianco and Chris Canzona continues his impressive start at 2-0, 2Ko’s leaving McGowen flat looking for his first win.
The “Autumn Classic” was beginning to look like a full fledged winter storm and Providence, Rhode Islands southpaw super middleweight standout Vladine Biosse would keep it coming dead on track blasting out Davenport, Iowa’s Jeffrey Osbourne with an unanswered eleven punch combination forcing referee Danny Chiavonne to call it at 1:25 of round one. Biosse kept his zero matching it with his fifth victory while Osbourne fell to 8-15-2, 3Ko’s.
In the first of three co-features “The Hurricane,” four-time women’s world title holder Jamie Clampitt, 20-4-1, 7Ko’s turned up quite an “Autumn” storm herself returning to the ring after a twenty month layoff to blow out North Carolina’s #10 ranked Rachel “The Joker” Clark, 4-3-1, 3Ko’s. Clampitt made the “Joker” look like a prankster winning every round hands down, some could have easily even been scored 10-8. Clampitt did all her measuring in the opening round then began to land with big right hands before putting it all together banging from both sides to Clarks head and body, several times throwing and landing ten punch combinations. Clampitt used a good jab to set up her power shots targeting Clark’s body, ripping inside outside hooks and uppercuts giving “The Joker” nothing to laugh about prompting some in the nearly capacity filled event center to call for the bout to be stopped. The judges cards were announced a 60-54 shutout times three.
The semi main event showcased Framingham, Massachusetts 2008 US Olympic alternate light welterweight “Irish” Danny O’Connor who entered banking nine wins against zero losses in his first fourteen months as a pro. O’Connor totally out classed Rock Hill, South Carolina’s James Hope 4-3, 4Ko’s with a slippery “Patriot Missle” answering defense leaving a totally baffled and frustrated Hope talking to himself as he ate multitudes of counters. O’Conner showcased his complete package of skills, demonstrating a clean snapping southpaw jab, stinging straight lefts, body shots from both sides, boxing and banging all before turning and countering the South Carolina fighter leaving him the only “hope” to be put out of his misery which O,Connor several times appeared only one punch away. The impressive victory moves “The Irish Sensation” to 10-0, 3KOs giving Hope his third loss to go along with his four Ko wins. All three judges scored the one sided beating 60-54 O’Connor.
Following a very spirited National Anthem by Mark Antonelii the main event featuring “Irish” Joe McCreedy, 11-4-1, 6Ko’s taking on “Sugar” Ray Leonard’s “The Next Great Champ” reality show winner, Otis “Triple OG” Griffin, 21-6-2, 8Ko’skept the event center rocking.
The eight rounder was valiantly contested with McCreedy starting fast winging shots with both hands then falling in grabbing on. McCreedy continued to fall into his right after punching eventually allowing Griffin to turn the tide in the fifth round scoring regularly with some heavy uppercuts from both sides. McCreedy to his credit was game and kept coming forward firing away until the end as both fighters had their moments but it was Griffin’s jab and landing the cleaner harder shots that earned him the judges scores of 78-75, 77-76, and 78-74. The victory gives Griffin his second straight win since losing to Jeff Lacy and Marcus Oliveira early 2009.
Overall it was a very entertaining “Autumn” evening of rock and sock ‘em boxing highlighted by the devastating punching of the “Irish” Bomber Joe Smith Jr; a world championship caliper battle by spotlighting the return of “the Hurricane” Jamie Clampitt and the world class skills demonstrated by a defensively sound and offensively skilled Danny O’Connor leaving everyone looking to forward to the next CES boxing show scheduled for December 10th at The Roxy in downtown Boston. See you there. For more information go to www.cesboxing.com.or more information about