Carl Frampton’s Commonwealth Super-Bantamweight title defence at York Hall, Bethnal Green on Saturday 28 January against Kris Hughes is completely sold out.
The unbeaten 24 year-old belt-holder tackles the Scotsman live on Sky Sports 1 and HD1 in the first defence of the title he claimed in September with a clinical four-round stoppage of Australian Mark Quon at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast.
That victory took his record to 11-0 and he is aiming to make it a round dozen against the 24 year-old Hughes, whose only loss in 16 fights came when he faced Jamie Arthur for the vacant Commonwealth title in October 2010 in east London.
Chief support on the night sees Erick ‘The Eagle’ Ochieng meet Nick Quigley for the vacant English Light-Middleweight title, while hot Islington Middleweight prospect John Ryder looks to extend the unbeaten start to his career to nine fights against Pole Mariusz Biskupski.
Daniel Cadman and Robin Reid meet in an eight-round Super-Middleweight clash, unbeaten Lightweight talent Ryan ‘Crash Bang’ Taylor faces ‘Rockin’ Robin Deakin, popular Enfield Light-Heavyweight Andreas Evangelou takes on Robert Studzinski and there’s a debut for Canning Town Cruiserweight Wadi Camacho against Moses Matovu.
Rosado stops Soto-Karass, More! – Bam on boxing
Hometown Heroes
Anyone who has been involved in running an event knows from experience that things are bound to go wrong. For Saturday night’s fight at the Asylum Arena in South Philadelphia it seemed like everything that could go wrong, did; until the fights started.
This night, from beginning to end, was everything a fight fan could want. There was an energy building in the venue from the start of the show that just exploded once King Gabriel Rosado stepped into the ring.
The show was great from top to bottom. The entire stable of hometown fighters won and fought their hearts out. The show for the Philadelphia fighters started with junior welterweight Naim Nelson’s unanimous four-round decision over Bridgetown, New Jersey’s Pedro Andres. This fight should have ended early, but Andres’ heart, that of your classic Mexican fighter, helped him go the entire four rounds.
Nelson had four inches or more in height on his opponent—a sizeable advantage–but if Andres moves down in weight and continues to fight with the heart showed against Nelson, he can probably do well.
Welterweights Jose Peralta Alejo, of Jersey City, NJ, and Lenwood Dozier, of Glen Burnie, MD, fought a one-sided fight. Alejo was too sharp, too energized for Dozier and he earned a unanimous six-round unanimous decision.
The New Ray Robinson, a tall local southpaw welterweight, faced the king of upsets, Doel Carrasquillo, of Lancaster, PA. The fight was a tough one for Robinson, who was questioned after the fight if all the pivoting and moving he did was part of his game plan. It was and it was one of the only ways to beat Carrasquillo, unless you are Ronald Cruz , the Bethlehem, PA, slugger those body shots broke Carrasquillo down last summer.
Though Robinson got the win, Carrasquillo looked better than he has in many of his fights even though it was not enough. A couple of clean Carrasquillo right hands landed flush on Robinson’s face, proving Robinson does not have the glass jaw that many pure boxer’s have. It turned out to be a good fight even after Robinson lost the sole of his shoe in the second round.
The best fight of the night followed the Robinson-Carrasquillo bout when Rosado (gold trunks) did something no other fighter has ever done before. He stopped Jesus-Soto-Karass, of Los Mochis, Mexico (purple trunks), in five rounds! Rosado was the first to stop Soto-Karass, who previously had boxed Alfonso Gomez, Gabriel Martinez, Yuri Foreman and Mike Jones, going the distance each time. Every fighter steps into the ring wanting to win but Rosado did more than that, a lot more.
Rosado looked great! He placed his shots perfectly. Short, clean, crisp and strong punches landed every time he threw. The difference in Rosado, compared to most fighters on television, is that he is not scared of anyone and it shows. He does not fight cautiously and he understands the importance of looking good, not just winning. He is every fight fan’s dream. Perhaps Saturday night was just the beginning for the fearless King Rosado. He is a perfect mesh of your old-time fighter and your current-age marketer.
The television audience got a treat in the Rosado vs. Soto-Karass bout, then watched Cuban light-heavyweight Sullivan Barrera earn a six-round a decision over Ohio’s Damar Singleton. Though the fight was good, it did not have the energy and fan attachment that the television opener and headline bout had.
The main event featured South Philadelphia native Maurice Byarm and North Philadelphia’s Bryant Jennings. The energy was back in the crowd as the two local heavyweights went toe-to-toe. This was a risk for the two undefeated fighters, a risk they both took and both deserve respect for stepping up and continuing the Philadelphia fighter history of jumping at opportunities and not being afraid of letting their hands go.
Byarm is known for his power, Jennings for his boxing ability. This was a heavyweight bout where both fighters were active, but Jennings’ shots were clean and crisp. The fight seemed to get a little sloppy in the later rounds, but it did not matter because the energy and the heart of both fighters were evident from beginning to end.
Their styles meshed well and styles make fights. Byarm (left) does not fight like your typical southpaw. His come-forward style played into Jennings’ (right) game plan. Jennings threw a lot of punches, stayed busy throughout the fight and let his athletic ability carry him.
Jennings won the war fair and square and is now the Pennsylvania State Heavyweight Champion and possibly the only chiseled American heavyweight out there.
The author is a senior at Temple University who is now a part of Peltz Boxing. Follow us on twitter @Peltzboxing and our intern @bamonboxing
IABA UPDATE (ELITE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS SEMI-FINALS)
IRISH AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION
Twenty two semi-finals will be decided at the Irish Daily Star sponsored 2012 National Elite Championships at Dublin’s National Stadium this Friday and Saturday.
Current European and Irish Elite light-heavyweight champion Joe Ward opens his Irish defence in a last-four meeting with Davey Joe Joyce Friday.
The winner of the three-rounder – a repeat of the 2011 semi-final which Ward won 8-2 – will progress to face either Eamon Walsh or Ken Egan – who clash Saturday – in the light-heavyweight final.
Ward is one of two Moate BC (Co. Westmeath) boxers between the ropes on Friday evening; Ken Okungbowa meets Con Sheehan, who is aiming for his 5th successive title at two-different weights.
Irish head coach Billy Walsh, meanwhile, believes that Friday’s welterweight showdown between defending champion Adam Nolan and Willie McLaughlin could go all the way down to the wire.
He said: “Adam has grown in stature since the Senior Championships last year and Willie has made the top eight at the World Championships and the top eight at the European Championships, It looks very, very tight.”
London 2012 Olympians Michael Conlan and John Joe Nevin are in action for the first time at the 2012 Championships Friday versus Shane Roche and Sean McComb.
Kilkenny southpaw Darren O’Neill, who like Conlan and Nevin has qualified for the 30th Olympiad, faces 2010 Olympic Test Event silver medalist Conrad Cummings in the 75Kg semi-final in rematch of the 2011 semi-final which O’Neill won en route to claiming his third middleweight title.
Hugh Myres and Evan Metcalfe go head-to-head in Friday’s curtain raiser. The winner will trade leather with 2010 European champion and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Paddy Barnes, who has received a bye, in the light-flyweight final on Friday week.
The St Michael’s Athy BC, meanwhile, will experience mixed emotions on Saturday night despite being assured two boxers in the 60Kg and 69Kg finals.
Eric Donovan meets team-mate David Oliver Joyce in the lightweight semi-final, and Beijing Olympian John Joe Joyce is in against Roy Sheahan in a second all St Michael’s Athy last-four duel at welterweight.
“They (St Michael’s Athy) are guaranteed two boxers in the finals, but unfortunately two of them are going to lose as well. It’s a long, long winding road to qualification, added Billy Walsh, a seven-time Elite champion.”
Boxing begins at 7pm on Friday and Saturday.
The 2012 Elite Championships finals will be decided on Friday, February 3rd at the National Stadium.
Visit www.iaba.ie for all your boxing news.
2012 Elite Championships National Stadium Dublin
Friday January 27th S/Finals (7pm)
49Kg: Hugh Myres (Ryston) v Evan Metcalfe (Crumlin)
52Kg: Michael Conlan (St John Bosco) v Shane Roche (Corinthians)
56Kg: John Joe Nevin (Cavan) v Sean McComb (Holy Trinity)
60Kg: Michael McDonagh (St Marys) v Tyrone McCullagh (Holy Family GG)
64Kg: Ross Hickey (Grangecon) v Niall Murray (Gorey)
69Kg: Adam Nolan (Bray) v Willie McLaughlin (Illies GG)
75Kg: Darren O’Neill (Paulstown) v Conrad Cummings (Holy Trinity)
81Kg: Joe Ward (Moate) v David Joe Joyce (Ballinacargy)
91Kg: Tommy McCarthy (Oliver Plunkett) v Stephen Ward (Monkstown)
91+Kg: Con Sheehan (Clonmel) v Ken Okungbowa (Moate)
Saturday January 28th S/Finals (7pm)
51Kg: Emma Duffy Crumlin) v Ceire Smith (Cavan)
52Kg: Chris Phelan (Ryston) v Ruairi Dalton (Holy Trinity)
54Kg: Michelle Chamber (Castlebar) v Michelle Lynch (Golden Gloves)
56Kg: Michael Nevin (Portlaoise) v Glenn Murray (Corinthians)
60Kg: Carla Wright (Gleann) W/O
60Kg: Eric Donovan (St Michael’s Athy) v David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy)
64Kg: Sarah Close (Holy Family GG) W/O
64Kg: Stephen Coughlan (Bray) v Martin Wall (Crumlin)
60Kg: Patricia Roddy (Bray) v Claire Grace (Callan)
69Kg: Roy Sheahan (St Michael’s Athy) v John Joe Joyce (St Michael’s Athy)
75Kg: Sinead Kavanagh (Drimnagh) W/O
75Kg: Conor Coyle (St Jospehs) v Michael Reilly (Holy Family)
81Kg: Lauragh O’Neill (Paulstown) W/O
81Kg: Eamon Walsh (St Annes) v Ken Egan (Neilstown)
91Kg: Patrick Corcoran (Crumlin) v Christy Joyce (St Michael’s Athy)
91+Kg: Sean Turner (Drimnagh) v David Joyce (Moate)