By John Gabriel Thompson: Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell (23-0, 20 KO’s), brother of super middleweight star Andre Dirrell, headlined at the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa in Cabazon, California this evening on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights. Dirrell looked superb against Kevin Engel (18-5, 15 KO’s), though the stoppage may not have been quite what he wanted. In one of the exciting televised undercards Aaron Martinez scored a win over previously undefeated Joseph Elegele.
All four of Engel’s losses were by stoppage and Engel had only won one bout in his last four (or three in his last seven), with his most recent defeats coming at the hands of undefeated fighters. The undefeated Dirrell showed great hand speed and accuracy, dominating Engel, whose eye started swelling before the end of the first round.
In the second, Dirrell was landing at will. He hit Engel with a left jab and followed up with a right which put Engel down for the first time. Dirrell later landed a right which sent Engel’s mouthpiece flying across the ring. Then, with half of the second round to go, Dirrell landed a hard low blow and Engel went down, clutching the ropes. Referee Lou Moret had been behind Dirrell and must not have seen the punch stray low, because he started a count instead of ruling it a foul. Engel motioned to Moret multiple times that the punch was low, but Moret continued the count and Engel failed to get up in time.
Some in the crowd booed and others cheered when the announcer declared Dirrell the winner. Ringside commentator Joe Tessitore wisely put it, “Well, the crowd is booing because they know of the low blow… But Dirrell was going to win the fight in some fashion…”
In one of the televised undercards, Joseph Elegele (12-1, 10 KO’s) of Winter Haven, Florida lost his perfect record in a hard fought decision loss to Aaron Martinez (15-1-1, 3 KO’s), originally from Mexico City but now fighting out of East Los Angeles. Elegele stalked his opponent in the first, looking for something big. In the final forty five seconds of the round, however, Martinez managed to turn Elegele around, putting his back to the ropes. Martinez kept his head in Elegele’s chest and did some fantastic inside work, dazing the undefeated Elegele with some hooks to the head. With twenty seconds left in the round, Elegele looked hurt. He tried to move away against the ropes and Martinez followed with punches, sending Elegele down. He got up leaving no time left in the round for the action to continue, but looked shaky as he walked to his corner.
Martinez tried to go to work in the start of the second, but a headbutt slowed down the action, opening a cut over Martinez’s eye. Elegele took control of the fight in the second half of the second round by keeping distance between them. He also controlled the next few rounds, though Martinez was able to connect flush occasionally when he would get inside against his taller opponent. Elegele looked a little tired by the end of the sixth and Martinez seemed to recognize it. With twenty five seconds left in the seventh round, Martinez caught Elegele with a counter right which seemed to hurt him. Martinez jumped on Elegele for the remainder of the round but Elegele made it to the bell.
Martinez tried to finish Elegele at the start of the eighth and final round, trying to press him back to the ropes, and at first it looked as though he might stop him. Elegele had his legs under him though and again managed to put some distance between them. Then another headbutt occurred, a bad one, and both fighters looked hurt. Also, an enormous gash opened on Martinez’s head, and after the doctor took a look at all the blood pouring out of it he signaled to the referee to stop the
bout, The fight went to the score cards and two judges scored the match 77-74, and the other 76-75 (my score as well) all for Aaron Martinez. Martinez would go to the hospital after the match due to the severity of the cut.
Also in action, Kurtiss Colvin (6-0, 5 KO’s) from Austin, Texas stopped Cleven Ishe (3-2, 1 KO) from Los Angeles in an exciting bout. Ishe took this fight on nine days notice, and had lost his last bout just two weeks ago. Colvin looked extremely confident to the point of cockiness in the first, but backed it up with some serious haymakers (some of which landed just off target). Colvin went to war at times in the second as Ishe tried to mount an offence, and at other times
Colvin elected to bob and weave to avoid punches.
Ishe had has best moments in the start of the third round, landing some haymakers. Colvin responded with a vicious haymaker to the head and then nodded at Ishe and waved him forward. Ishe instead moved away, choosing not to continue exchanging with Colvin. As Colvin chased after Ishe, he caught him with a wicked right to the jaw, and Ishe went down so hard he did a little somersault before he could get up. As the action continued, Colvin continued to land haymakers to the head and body. Ishe did not throw back, prompting Referee Lou Moret to step in and stop the match.
Due to the main event being cut short, fans were treated to an additional televised bout between Dushane Crooks (2-0, 1 KO) and Greg Baca (0-1) who fell short in his pro debut, but may have started his career off by making some fans. Both men went on the attack from the start, and Joe Tessitore remarked, “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots to open this up.” Crooks seemed to have the advantage at first, until he fell back into the ropes and Baca landed some shots forcing Crooks to hold for a moment. Crooks came back with a hard right hook and the action continued with both men slugging away. Crooks landed a hard left hook
which got the crowd’s attention, then landed a right which put Baca down for a moment. Baca tried to get up and continue as if nothing had happened but the referee correctly separated them and issued a standing eight count for the knockdown. Later in the round a headbutt opened a cut under Baca’s right eye.
Baca absorbed some punishment in the second round, losing his mouthpiece at one point as Crooks loaded up with counter left hooks. He landed one after another, staggering Baca on more than one occasion. After a few of those he hit Baca with some right hooks. Crooks had to be wondering what was keeping Baca up. Baca bravely come forward in the third, his aggression keeping Crooks from being able to load up with anything big, though he lost his mouthpiece again and was warned by the referee. Both men let their hands go in the fourth, but then Baca lost his mouthpiece again, prompting the referee to deduct a point from him. This seemed to add some motivation for Baca, who really brought it in the final minute or so, though Crooks had landed well earlier in the round. All three judges scored it 39-35 for Dushane Crooks.