Main Events Brick City Boxing Series returned to the Prudential Center’s AmeriHealth Pavilion Friday Night as Newark,New Jersey played host to ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. In the main event, former Junior Middleweight Contender Joel “El Predador” Julio of Monteria, Columbia began his quest to make his mark on the Welterweight Division by scoring a unanimous decision over what appeared to be a somewhat reticent Anges Adjaho.
Julio didn’t appear to be hampered by the drop in weight, but certainly WAS hampered by an opponent who refused to take any chances until very late in the fight and seemed content on just covering up, offering up token resistance, and going the entire ten rounds. Julio certainly did his part, but it takes two to tango and it would seem as though some of the answers regarding his future at 147 were put on hold. Amazingly, Adjaho reacted to the decision as if he’d been robbed, the only ones robbed were those that expected more of an effort from him.
Had original opponent Antwone Smith been in the Ring as Main Events had originally intended, then we’d have certainly seen a better fight, although matchmakers Jolene Mazzone and Russell Peltz deserve no blame as on paper at least, Adjaho appeared to be a better replacement than what we ended up getting out of him. Julio improves to 37-4, 31 KO’s and looks to the future to provide answers that we should have gotten Friday night.
A night that was billed as a possible night of upsets almost proved true for 2008 Olympian Sadam “World Kid” Ali as a Lights Out situation in the Arena, a 16 min power failure at the beginning of the 5th Round, was almost turned into Lights Out for Ali when he had to use survival skills not called on before as a Pro during the final round of the fight. Ali might’ve worn USA socks into the Ring to remind everyone of his amateur success, but he’s now been fully indoctrinated into the Pro game as Revish tested him through out by firing back when Ali landed shots that up to this point had proven too much for his previous competition.
It appeared at least early on in the fight as though Ali might have another easy night of it when early in Round 2, Ali clipped Revish with Left Hook to the top of the head that sent him teetering back into the Ropes and down. Sensing he once again was headed toward a short evening, Ali pressed the action throughout the 3rd, but Revish refused to go anywhere and answered back in a way Ali’s 12 previous foes never have.
After a spirited 4th Round, the two fighters were plunged into darkness to start the fight, and faced the unenviable position of having to resume the fight cold. A 5th round consisting of both fighters warming back up, and Ali returned to pressing the action in the 6th and 7th, but Revish simply wasn’t going anywhere, holding his ground and countering.
Halfway through the eighth and final round, Revish almost caught lightning in a bottle with a righthand followed by a solid left hook that had Ali wobbling backwards. Clinching for the first time in the fight, Ali showed the wherewithal to weather the storm as he used veteran-like patience to clear his head and salvage the victory. This fight can be chalked up as a good learning experience, as Ali lasted the fight and captured 79-72 verdicts across the board from all three judges, and moved to 13-0, 7 KO’s while Revish fell to 10-4, 8 Ko’s.
In a six round Light Heavyweight scrap, undefeated Joel Castillo, Bronx,Ny used impressive body punching throughout, and eventually wore down a game but over-matched Jesse Orta, Dallas,Tx. Orta was dropped early in the second by a hard shot to the stomach and even though he rose and pressed forward, the die was cast and the outcome not in question from that point forward. The scheduled six rounder came to an end at 2:33 of the fourth when the procession of hard left hooks to the body had taken all the starch out of Orta and Ref Earl Morton had no choice but to call a halt to the action. Castillo improved to 9-0(6 Ko’s).
It was a disappointing night for Popular young local Vinny O’Brien,East Hanover, NJ suffered his first professional setback at the hands of Rafael Montalvo of Philadelphia, via a TKO at 2:08 of the fourth round. After an even first round, Mantalvo controlled the second and opened a huge cut over O’Brien’s right eye. O’Brien tried battling back but Montalvo was not to be denied and a viscous hook in the final minute of the fight forced a stoppage from the Ref as O’Brien wobbled back into the Ropes.Montalvo evens his record at 1-1 (1 KO) while O’Brien falls to 2-1, 2 KO’s).
Another local product faired better, as Newark’s own Light Heavyweight Angel Concepcion used superior hand speed in scoring a four round unanimous decision over Teneal Goyco of Philadelphia. Concepcion improves to 5-0 while Goyco falls to 4-2 (2 KO’s). What he might lack in punching power, all his fights have gone the distance so far, he makes up for with determination and good ring generalship.
The performance of the night was certainly provided by Tyrone Luckey, Middletown, NJ who improved to 4-0, all 4 by Ko, with a second round destruction of Sidell Blocker, Hamilton, NJ. A righthand dropped Blocker early in the round, a following shot later brought about a glove touching for a second knockdown and then a stunning left hook produced a third knockdown that had Referee Ricardo Vera waving an end to the mismatch.
It was a good night of action as Main Events attempts to showcase local fighters in much the same manner as it did over thirty years ago at the Totowa,NJ Ice World skating rink during the promotions early days. At least one major promotional outfit understands the importance of local attractions, not just on the top of the bill but on the bottom as well.