Broadway Boxing Ringside Report: Monaghan Wins

A rowdy crowd came to Manhattan’s Roseland Ballroom on Thursday night to cheer on area favorites in the latest installment of DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing series.

Long Beach NY’s Sean Monagahn (13-0 entering 8 KO’s, 174 lbs) headlined the card in pursuit of the WBC Continental Americas Light Heavyweight title. He faced durable Romaro Johnson (11-6-1, 6KO’s, 173 lbs), of Joliet, IL, in the ten round contest.

With a loud contingent of Long Beach residents cheering every combination he threw, Monaghan stopped Johnson at 2:30 of the eighth round when the ringside physician called a halt to the bout.

Monaghan was relaxed and composed throughout the fight. His top physical condition enabled him to use his feet and keep his head moving as he worked to break Johnson down. A sharp right hand that consistently found the mark, mixed in with a solid body attack, gave Monaghan momentum through the first three rounds. In the fourth and fifth Monaghan continued to take control of the fight by landing  combinations. Johnson fought back gamely and connected with some punches of his own, but none appeared to hurt Monaghan.

In the sixth and seventh rounds Johnson began to absorb a lot of punishment as Monaghan stepped up his attack and started landing big shots to end the seventh. The eighth found Monaghan landing a left and then connecting with a big right uppercut. He followed that up with several three and four punch combinations. The tough Johnson, with swelling under his right eye, was staggering around the ring. The ringside physician had seen enough. Monaghan returned to Long Beach with a light heavyweight title.

Promising Puerto Rican prospect Thomas Dulorme faced tough as nails Albert Herrera in the ten round welterweight co-feature. Dulorme (14-0, 11 KO’s, 146 lbs), of Carolina, PR, is a talented fighter with a lot of potential. He started the fight fast and strong using a sharp jab and letting his hands go with multi- punch combinations. It appeared as if Herrera (8-6-1, 5 KO’s, 144 lbs), of Riverside, Ca, might be quickly overwhelmed. Dulorme continued with fast hands and strong combinations through the second, third, and fourth rounds, working upstairs and down. When the fighters moved into close quarters Dulorme connected with short, accurate punches to the head and ripped Herrera’s body. The fifth round began with a caution from the referee to both fighters to break cleanly from clinches. Dulorme put Herrera against the ropes with a good left, right combination and continued his body work. As the round ended Dulorme was unloading with knockout bombs that missed the mark. As the sixth round began Herrera, to the surprise of many in attendance, was still on his feet. While his record indicated he might have been an early KO victim, his fighter’s heart would not allow it. In the sixth and seventh rounds Dulorme continued with an impressive attack and landed multiple punches. Herrera’s corner would not allow their man to continue after the seventh round concluded. Dulorme was awarded the TKO victory and continues his climb up the Welterweight ladder.

Queens, NY standout Will Rosinsky faced Aaron Pryor Jr., of Cincinnati, OH, in an eight round super middleweight bout. A local hero was facing the son of a boxing legend. Rosinsky (15-1, 9KO’s, 168 lbs) started the action by jabbing and trying to get inside the reach of the taller Pryor Jr. (16-5, 11 KO’s, 168 lbs). Pryor Jr. responded by clinching and tying Rosinsky
up. The compact Rosinsky continued to move inside and work the body through the second and third rounds. Pryor Jr. used his length and advantage in reach to try and halt Rosinsky’s attack. As the third round ended it seemed that Pryor Jr. was beginning to tire and that he was not engaged
100% with the proceedings at hand. With his fiancé shouting instructions and urging him on from ringside, Rosinsky began the fourth by using his jab and muscling Pryor Jr. around the ring. He added an uppercut that snapped Pryor Jr.’s head back and also connected with several right hands.

The fifth and sixth frames had Rosinsky continuing a busy pace and succeeding with impressive body work, uppercuts, and right hands.   Rosinsky finished the final two rounds with a busy and efficient attack, while Pryor Jr. chose to lean down on his shorter opponent and last the distance. Rosinsky earned a unanimous decision with scores of 79-72 (twice) and 78-74.

Brooklyn’s Gabriel Bracero brought a vocal group of fans with him from his Sunset Park neighborhood as he faced Jermaine White, of Las Vegas, in an eight round Welterweight clash. Bracero (18-1, 3 KO’s, 141 lbs) brings a lot of fans to his fights, but his supporters held their breath when a cut opened over Bracero’s left eye shortly after the opening bell. It appeared to be caused by an accidental head butt. Bracero kept his composure and closed the round by landing several combinations. In the second round another cut opened below Bracero’s left eye with blood streaming down his face. This development  gave Bracero a second opponent to consider, as the ringside physician was now watching intently. With his fans roaring their support, Bracero stepped up his jab and continued throwing punches with both cuts bleeding. Bracero’s cut man earned his check between the second and third rounds, as he got the cuts under control. Bracero opened the third frame with a big right hand. White had a point deducted for using his head which opened a third cut at the center of Bracero’s forehead. Bracero finished the round with a big left hand. At the start of the fourth round the referee called the ringside physician over to look at Bracero’s cuts. The doctor allowed the action to continue and Bracero resumed with a sense of purpose. He opened up on his punches in an attempt to end the fight early. White began targeting Bracero’s left eye with his punches, trying to worsen the cuts. The fifth and sixth rounds saw both fighters engage in furious exchanges. Bracero unloaded with heavy shots looking for the KO, and White countered well and landed punches of his own. In the final two frames Bracero and White continued the exchanges. Bracero landed combinations and also scored with his body attack. White proved to be a tough and lasting opponent, but as the fight ended he was battered and bruised. When the scores of 80-71, 79-72, and 77-74, all in favor of Bracero, were read the crowd erupted in wild cheers.

Sonya “The Scholar” Lamonakis had a pocket of fans cheering and waving signs as she entered the ring for her six round heavyweight contest against Tiffany Woodard. With former world champion Buddy McGirt manning her corner, Lamonakis (6-0-1, 1 KO, 234 lbs) started throwing bombs from the opening bell. Woodard (4-6-2, 3 KO’s, 198 lbs) was more than
happy to engage in a slugfest. Over the course of the six rounds the two heavyweights traded bombs and left the crowd wondering which fighter would make it to the final bell. The result was a split draw decision with scores of 58-56 for each fighter and a third score of 57-57. Lamonakis and Woodard may have a score to settle with each other.

Brooklyn lightweight Floriano Pagliara (12-4-1, 6 KO’s, 132 lbs) faced another Las Vegas fighter in Rynell Griffin (6-9-2, 2KO’s, 132 lbs). Pagliara executed a smart and patient game plan over the six round fight to earn a unanimous decision with scores of 59-55 across the board.

In the first bout of the evening undefeated junior welterweight Ivan Redkach (10-0, 9 KO’s, 140 lbs) of Los Angeles, Ca, scored a first round TKO over Dedrick Bell (7-14, 5 KO’s, 135 lbs) of Memphis, TN. The referee called a halt to the contest at 1:55 of the opening frame as Redkach overwhelmed Bell with hard combinations and body shots.

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