Olszewski Beats Alcivar in NY

New York boxing fans packed the Five Star Banquet Hall in Long Island City Wednesday night as Eileen Olszewski (8-5-2, 1KO) defeated Patty Alcivar (7-2-0, 3KO) by TKO to capture the IFBA world flyweight title in an action packed fight.

The scheduled ten round contest, a rematch from a March 27 fight, was the headline attraction in a full night of boxing presented by Uprising Promotions that featured nine other bouts.

As the bell sounded to kick off the main event both fighters went right to the center of the ring and began exchanging combinations. A clash of heads resulted in a small welt under Alcivar’s right eye. The round continued at a furious pace with the 36-year-old Alcivar landing combinations. She’d won a UD8 in the previous faceoff, in the same venue.

In the second round the 45-year-old Olszewski (on offense, above, in Marlene Vazquez photo) began to land a sharp right hand while Alcivar brought the fight to her and countered with several strong lefts and rights.

The third frame found Olszewski mixing some left hands into her attack, which found their target. Alcivar finished the round strongly, scoring with multiple combinations and catching her opponent’s attention.

During rounds four and five the back and forth action continued with both fighters on the receiving end of sharp punches. Olszewski continued to find a home for her right hand. Alcivar used her body to shorten the distance and smother punches before firing her own combinations.

In the sixth stanza Olszewski began to land her uppercut, but the determined Alcivar remained focused and continued to score with combinations.

Olszewski’s left hands began to snap Alcivar’s head back in the seventh round. Alcivar returned to her stool at round’s end with a bloody nose and a right eye that was beginning to swell.

There was a brief delay before the start of the eighth round as the ringside doctor examined the discolored swelling that was threatening to close Alcivar’s right eye.

After Alcivar assured referee Sparkle Lee that she was ready to continue, the bell sounded for round eight.

Olszewski pounced and began firing punches at the damaged right eye. Alcivar gamely fought back, but Lee had seen enough and waved the fight off at fifty one seconds of the round.

In victory Olszewski, who had actor Liev Schreiber as part of her corner, captured a world title for the third time in her career.

The big boys met in a four round heavyweight bout when Brooklyn’s Jarrell Miller (5-0-1, 5KO) faced Macon, Georgia’s Tobias Rice (4-9-1, 2KO).

Although outweighed by 58 pounds, Rice began gamely taking the fight to Miller by using his jab and lateral movement to stay out of harm’s way. Miller used the opening three minutes to find his timing for the home run shot.

In the second round Miller quickened the pace and began firing combinations, buzzing Rice after catching him with a heavy left hand. Rice continued to fight back in what was quickly becoming an uphill battle.

Perhaps sensing the onslaught that would be forthcoming, Rice refused to answer the bell for the third and the jovial Miller was awarded a TKO victory.

It was Brooklyn versus the Bronx as Ian James (2-6-1, 1KO) met Jose del Valle (2-3-2) in a four round lightweight clash.

With a significant height and reach advantage, del Valle earned a unanimous decision over the game but overmatched James.

Light heavyweights faced off when Kings County’s Michael Ocasio (3-1-1, 2KO) and Patterson New Jersey’s Michael Mitchell (1-2-2) battled to a majority draw decision.

Mitchell showed better overall boxing skills but Ocasio would not be denied as he bulled his way in and evened the score.

The popular Valdrin Muriqi (4-3-0) earned a unanimous decision victory over Guyana’s Jermain King (0-1-0) in their four round middleweight fight. King, who was making his pro debut, started with a wide attack. Muriqi kept his focus and boxed impressively, utilizing a wide range of combinations in the win.

The fifth bout of the evening was a four round junior welterweight tilt between Marcos Suarez (1-0-1) of the Bronx, and Itali Martinez (0-0-1) of Mexico who was making his pro debut.

Suarez started off strongly by using his speed and boxing skills to gain advantage over the first two rounds.

Fans were reminded to never question the heart and desire of a Mexican fighter as Martinez gained ground over the final two rounds by being relentless in his pursuit.

The judges all saw it the same way, a unanimous draw.

Brooklyn’s Wesley Cero (1-0-0, 1KO) wasted no time in announcing his arrival on the professional scene, debuting with a crushing first round TKO victory over Japan’s Masaki Aida (0-1-0) in their lightweight contest.

Aida simply had no answer for Cero and was getting bounced around the ring before his corner waved it off at 31 seconds of the first round.

Brooklyn battled Far Rockaway when Submana Abdule (2-7-0, 1KO) stepped into the squared circle against Trevis Hall (4-1-1,1KO) in a four round featherweight bout.

Hall showcased his powerful right hand during the first two frames . At one point in the second round he forced Abdule to take a standing eight count and almost put him away.

In the third both fighters mixed body punches into their attack. In the fourth a well timed right by Hall sent Abdule down. He beat the count, but in the end the judges scored a unanimous decision for Far Rockaway’s Hall.

The second fight of the evening featured lightweights in a four round scrap.

Luis Lebron (2-0-0, 1KO) of San Juan, Puerto Rico squared off against Brooklyn, New York’s Glenford Nickey (2-1-1, 1KO).

Lebron said hello by staggering Nickey with a big right hand shortly after the opening bell. Nickey was game though and used body punches and upstairs combinations to stay in the fight.

The second and third rounds saw both fighters working on the inside in good back and forth action.

In the final frame Lebron landed a big right hand and was looking for the KO. Nickey dug in his heels and gamely answered back.

Lebron earned a tough majority decision.

The evening began with Devaughn Lee winning a majority decision, over Jerrod Caldwell.