For Whom the Bell Tolled: 2022 Boxing Obituaries PART TWO (July-Dec.)

Published

2 years ago

January 1, 2023

This is the concluding segment of our story in which we pay homage to boxing notables who left us in the past year.

July

July 12 – JERRY PELLEGRINI. A welterweight who was a barber by trade, hence his nickname, “The Fighting Barber,” his rather pedestrian record (28-12-1) obscured the fact that during his prime in the 1960s he acquired a big following in his native New Orleans. At age 78 at his home in Chalmette, Louisiana, from complications of pulmonary fibrosis.

July 27 – MAURENZO SMITH. A journeyman heavyweight who was still active at the time of his death, Smith, a widower, was shot dead by the estranged husband of the woman he was dating at a Houston-area restaurant. He won his last eight fights by stoppage, seven in Colombia, advancing his record to 29-13-4 before he drew his last breath at age 44.

August

Aug. 4 – JOHNNY FAMECHON. The Aussie version of Willie Pep, the silky-smooth Famechon was one of Australia’s most admired sportsmen. He won the WBC world featherweight title in 1969 with a 15-round decision over Jose Legra in London and won two of his three title defenses before quitting the sport at age 24 with a record of 55-5-6. In Melbourne at age 77 after a long illness.

Aug. 9 – LARRY BUCK. Born on a ranch in Washington’s Yakima Valley, Buck, a light heavyweight based in Seattle, turned pro in 1966 at age 29 after serving in the Army and compiled a 25-5-4 record. He was stopped only once, that coming on cuts. At age 86 in Shelton, Washington.

Aug. 15 – RODOLFO MARTINEZ. One of many outstanding boxers spawned in the Mexico City barrio of Tepito, he won the WBC world bantamweight title in 1974 with a fourth-round stoppage of three-time rival Rafael Herrera and made four successful defenses before losing the belt to the great Carlos Zarate. He finished 44-7-1 (35). At age 75 in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico where he was suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Aug. 20 – GODFREY STEVENS. One of the few Chileans to fight for a world title, Stevens was recognized as the South American featherweight champion when he challenged WBA belt-holder Shozo Saijo in Tokyo in 1970, losing a 15-round decision. He finished 68-10-3 while answering the bell for 717 rounds. In a nursing home in Canberra, Australia, at age 84.

Aug. 22 – JIMMY FARRELL. Fighting exclusively in New England, the Bay State featherweight compiled a 17-4-3 record in a five-year career that began in 1975. When his fighting days were over, he ran a series of boxing gyms in and around Quincy, Massachusetts that produced 40 regional amateur champions and dozens of pros. At age 69 after a long battle with cancer.

Aug. 27 – MOGENS PALLE. Elected to the IBHOF in 2008, Palle was the face of boxing in Denmark for more than 60 years. The second-generation promoter manufactured a slew of European champions, beginning with Tom Bogs, and several world title-holders, notably super middleweight Mikkel Kessler. At age 88 in Copenhagen where he was battling cancer,

Aug. 28 – EVERETT “BIG FOOT” MARTIN. The quintessential gatekeeper, Martin fought 15 former or future heavyweight title-holders. He went the distance with George Foreman, Michael Moorer, Tony Tucker, Larry Holmes and Wladimir Klitschko in their first encounter and outpointed Tim Witherspoon, finishing 20-39-1 in a 17-year career that began in 1984. At age 58 in his hometown of Tyler, Texas. Details are sketchy.

Aug. 29 – RIGOBERTO RIASCO. After failing to take the world featherweight title from Alexis Arguello (L TKO 2), he dropped down in weight and became the first modern super bantamweight champion. He retired in 1976 after losing the belt to Royal Kobayashi, returned for an encore in 1981, and finished 26-9-4. At age 69 in his native Panama City from an undisclosed illness.

Aug. 31 – TED SARES. A prized member of the TSS family where he was our most active contributor to the Forum, Sares fell in love with boxing as a boy in Chicago, authored dozens of stories for online boxing magazines, and was always ready to lend a helping hand to an ex-boxer in need. A world-class professional powerlifter into his 80’s, the New Hampshire resident was 85 when he passed away within days of learning he had pancreatic cancer.

Ted Sares

September

Sept. 1 – EARNIE SHAVERS. Recognized as one of the hardest punchers in the history of boxing, Shavers KOed 69 of his 90 opponents, finishing 75-14-1, but came up short in two stabs at the world heavyweight title, losing to Muhammad Ali (L 15) and Larry Holmes (L TKO 11). In retirement he became a Christian minister and motivational speaker and turned up frequently at autograph shows. At age 78 after a lingering illness at the home of a daughter in Roanoke, Virginia.

Sept. 7 – BORGE KROGH. A two-time Olympian, Krogh was 43-8-5 (9 KOs) as a pro during an 8-year career that began in 1964. Although prone to cuts and lacking a big punch, he rose to #2 in the WBA ratings and was briefly the European lightweight champion. In retirement he became a respected trainer and then a high school math teacher. At age 80 in his native Aalborg, Denmark.

Sept. 13 – HORACIO ACCAVALLO. The most underrated flyweight of all time in the estimation o f the noted boxing historian Matt McGrain, the Argentine southpaw was in his second reign as a world champion when he left the sport in 1968. He was 49-1-1 over his last 51 fights, finishing 75-2-6. In retirement, he built a successful chain of sporting goods stores. At age 87 in a Buenos Aires nursing home after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s.

Sept. 19 – ISIAH JONES. A 2016 national amateur welterweight champion (he defeated future Olympian Troy Isley in the finals), Jones pro career never took flight; he finished 9-7. A 28-year-old father of three, he was shot dead by his brother during a family dispute at a home in his native Detroit.

Sept. 29 – LUIS QUINONES. A junior welterweight from Barrancabermejo, Colombia, Quinones was 10-0 heading into his 10-round match with his friend Jose Munoz at Barranquila. Knocked down in the eighth round, he fell into a coma and died five days later without regaining consciousness. He was 25 years old.

October

Oct. 2 – EDER JOFRE. Widely considered the greatest bantamweight of all time, Jofre held the world bantamweight title from 1960 to 1964 and went on to win the WBC featherweight title after returning to the sport after a three-year retirement. Victorious in his last 24 fights, he finished 72-2-4. At age 86 in his native Sao Paulo, Brazil, after a lengthy hospital stay for pneumonia.

November

Nov. 2 – JOE LOUIS MURPHY. A 1950s-era welterweight whose parents named him for Joe Louis, Murphy was no great shakes as a pro boxer, going 13-11-2 in documented fights, but for decades he was the glue of boxing in Albuquerque, serving the sport in every capacity. At age 86 in Albuquerque from complications of COVID-19.

Nov. 4 – J.J. JOHNSTON. An actor who performed opposite Al Pacino in the 1983 Broadway revival of David Mamet’s “American Buffalo,” Johnston was best known within the fistic fraternity as a historian and memorabilia collector. He co-authored a book about Jimmy McLarnin and two richly illustrated monographs on the history of boxing in Chicago. At age 89 in his beloved Chicago.

Nov. 19 – MARK POTTER. A burly heavyweight who customarily carried about 235 pounds on his 6’1” frame, Potter was 14-2 when he challenged Danny Williams for the British title in 2000, losing on a TKO 7. He finished 21-5. At age 47 in London from stomach cancer.

Nov. 20 – BUSTER DRAYTON. A former Marine sergeant, he was 32 years old when he won the IBF 154-pound world title in 1986, wresting the belt from Carlos Santos on a 15-round decision. He made two successful defenses in France before losing the belt to Matthew Hilton in Montreal. He was 40-15-1 when he left the sport for a career in law enforcement. At age 70 in his native Philadelphia of unspecified causes.

Nov. 24 – MOISES FUENTES. The lanky Fuentes won the WBO 105-pound title in 2011 and made four successful defenses including a stoppage of legendary, albeit faded, Ivan Calderon. He retired with a 25-6-1 mark but returned to the ring after a three-year absence in October of last year at Cancun and was stopped in six frames by Mexican countryman David Cuellar. He left the ring on a stretcher with a brain bleed from which he never fully recovered, dying at age 37.

December

Dec. 1 – LUCKETT DAVIS. A longtime biology professor at Winthrop University, Davis spent countless hours scrolling through old newspapers in search of missing and misidentified fights and came to be recognized as one of the sport’s foremost boxing historians. A charter member of the International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) he was 90 when he passed away at his home in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Dec. 6 – MILLS LANE. The former Marine was an NCAA boxing champion and 10-1 as a pro before entering the legal profession where he advanced to the post of a district court judge. He went on to become a TV and MTV personality, building on his fame as the third man in the ring for some of boxing’s most bizarre fights, including the infamous “Bite Fight.” He was elected to the IBHOF in 2013, eleven years after suffering a debilitating stroke. At age 86 in Reno.

Dec. 11 – BOBBY CASSIDY. Active from 1963 to 1980, the Long Island southpaw fought mostly as a middleweight. He headlined several shows at Madison Square Garden while finishing 59-16-3, a record that would have been better if he wasn’t prone to cuts. His son of the same name became a boxing writer for Newsday. At age 78 in Levittown, Long Island, where he was suffering from dementia.

Dec. 19 – STEVE SMOGER. The Hall of Fame referee was the third man in the ring for more than a thousand fights during a 34-year career that lasted until 2018. A law school graduate and 30-year member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, he also served as a municipal court judge in Atlantic City. At age 79 in Ventnor, NJ, after a long illness.

Dec. 23 – JERRY ROTH. A Las Vegas commercial real estate broker, the Scranton, PA native worked 235 world title fights during a 34-year career as a boxing judge. In 2017, two years after he judged his final fight, he was elected to the IBHOF. At age 81 in Las Vegas of an undisclosed illness.

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For Whom the Bell Tolled: 2022 Boxing Obituaries PART ONE (Jan.-June)

Notes and Nuggets from Thomas Hauser: Callum Walsh Returns to Madison Square Garden

Published

2 days ago

March 17, 2025

Thomas Hauser

On Sunday, March 16 (the night before St. Patrick’s Day), Callum Walsh continued his move up the junior-middleweight ranks with a brutal first-round knockout of Dean Sutherland at the Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden. The seven-bout card promoted by Tom Loeffler featured seven Irish boxers. Walsh stole the show but two non-Irish fighters on the undercard caught the eye.

In the third fight of the evening, Cletus Seldin (known as “The Hebrew Hammer) took on Yeis Gabriel Solano. The last time Seldin fought at Madison Square Garden (March 15, 2024), he took the ring announcer’s microphone after a majority-decision win, dropped to one knee, held out a diamond engagement ring, and asked one Jessica Ostrowski to marry him. The future Mrs. Seldin (who was clad in black leather) said yes, and the happy couple paraded around the ring together. They were married on September 7.

“So I’ve got a ring now,” Seldin says. “And I love married life because I love Jessica.”

A cynic at ringside on Sunday night wondered if Jessica might serve Cletus with a summons and complaint for divorce in the ring after the fight. Not to worry. The couple seems happily married and, after Seldin eked out a majority decision over Solano (now winless in five fights dating back to 2019), Cletus and Jessica announced in the ring that they’re expecting the birth of their first child.

In the next fight of the evening, Irish heavyweight Thomas Carty (255 pounds) brought a 10-0 (9 KOs) record into the ring to face 409-pound Dajuan Calloway (10-3, 9 KOs, 1 KO by).

Carty-Calloway was a poor match for a prospect. A fighter gets relatively little credit for beating a 400-pound opponent. And the problems posed by a physical confrontation with a 400-pound mountain are considerable.

With fifty seconds left in round two, Carty collapsed to the canvas as Calloway spun him around on the inside. Thomas rose, limping badly on a clearly-injured left knee. And referee Jamil Antoine foolishly allowed the bout to continue.

Carty tried to circle away, fell again. And Antoine – more foolishly – instructed the fighters to fight on. There was a third fall that the referee ruled a knockdown. The bell rang. And then the fight was stopped. It goes in the record book as a knockout at 3:00 of the second round.

Worse for Carty, he now appears to be facing surgery followed by a long rehabilitation. There’s no way to know how much further damage was done to his knee in the forty seconds that he was clearly impaired and under assault by a 409-pound man who was trying to knock him unconscious.

But the night belonged to 23-year-old Callum Walsh.

Walsh is from Cork, Ireland, trains in California with Freddie Roach, and came into the ring with a 12-0 (10 KOs) record.

“He’s a pretty good fighter,” Roach says. “He’s getting better. And he works his ass off in the gym.”

Equally important in an age when social media and hype often supersede a fighter’s accomplishments in the ring as the key to marketability. Walsh has the enthusiastic backing of Dana White.

Callum seems more at ease with the media now than when he fought at Madison Square Garden a year ago. And he has a new look. His hair is shorter and no longer dyed blond.

“It’s a new year, so time for a new look,” Walsh explained. Later, he added, “I don’t want to be a prospect anymore. I want to be a contender. I expected the road to be tough. I’ve never had anything easy in my life. I’ve worked as a fisherman. I’ve worked on a cargo ship. I like this job a lot more. They have big plans for me. But I still have to do my job.”

Sutherland, age 26, was born in Scotland and has lived there his entire life. He came to New York with a 19-1 (7 KOs, 1 KO by) record and, prior to fighting Walsh, noted, “I’m under no illusions. Fighting an Irishman on St. Patrick’s Day in New York; it’s all being built up for him. If it goes to the scorecards, no matter how the fight goes, I’m unlikely to get the decision. But when the bell rings, it will be only me and Callum. I’ve watched his fights. I’ve studied his habits and rhythm. I’ve been through hard fights. He’s untested. This is my big opportunity. I’m not here to be part of Callum’s record.”

Talking is easier than fighting. When the hour of reckoning came, Walsh was faster, stronger, better-skilled, and hit harder than Sutherland. Indeed, Callum was so dominant in the early going that round one had the look of a 10-8 round without a knockdown. Then Sutherland was flattened by a right hook at the 2:45 mark and any thoughts as to scoring became irrelevant.

It was Walsh’s best showing to date, although it’s hard to know the degree to which Sutheralnd’s deficiencies contributed to that showing. What’s clear is that Callum is evolving as a fighter. And he’s the kind of fighter who fits nicely with the concept that Turki Alalshikh and Dana White have voiced for a new boxing promotional company. Whether they’ll be willing to put Walsh in tough is an open issue. UFC puts its fighters in tough.

****

There was a void at ringside on Sunday night. After more than four decades on the job, George Ward is no longer with the New York State Athletic Commission.

Ward was the model of what a commission inspector should be. I watched him in the corner and in dressing rooms countless times over the years. A handful of inspectors were as good as he was. Nobody was better. Later, as a deputy commissioner, he performed the thankless back-of-the-house administrative duties on fight night while other deputy commissioners were enjoying the scene at ringside.

George and Robert Orlando (who, like George, is a former New York City corrections officer) also normally presided over pre-fight weigh-ins. That’s worth mentioning here because it ties to one of the more unfortunate incidents that occurred during the tenure of former NYSAC executive director Kim Sumbler.

On November 1, 2019, Kelvin Gastelum weighed in for a UFC 244 match against Darren Till to be contested at Madison Square Garden. The contract weight for the fight was 186 pounds. It was known throughout the MMA community that Gastelum had been having trouble making weight. Before stepping on the scale, he stripped down completely naked and a towel was lifted in front of him to shield his genitals from public view. Then, to everyone’s surprise, his weight was announced as 184 pounds (two pounds under the contract weight).

How did Gastelum make weight? Video of the weigh-in showed him resting his elbow on his coach as he stood on the scale.

Why am I mentioning this now?

Ward and Orlando know all the tricks. While they were readying for the Gastelum-Till weigh-in, Sumbler told them that they were being replaced on the scales by two other commission employees who had been brought to New York City from upstate. They asked why and were told, “Because I said so.”

George Ward was one of the behind-the-scenes people who make boxing work. He’ll be missed.

****

Six years ago, Gene Pantalone wrote a traditional biography of former world lightweight champion Lew Jenkins. Now he has written – shall we say – a creative biography of lightweight great Freddie Welsh.

Welsh was born in Wales in 1886 but spent most of his ring career in the United States. He captured the lightweight crown by decision over Willie Ritchie in 1914 and relinquished it to Benny Leonard three years later. BocRec.com credits him with a 74-5-7 (34 KOs) ring record in bouts that are verified and were officially scored. If “newspaper decisions” are added to the mix, the numbers rise to 121 wins, 29 losses, and 17 draws. Many of the losses came when Welsh was long past his prime. He’s on the short list of boxing’s greatest fighters. The only knock out he suffered was when he lost the title to Leonard.

Chasing The Great Gatsby is styled as a biography of Welsh and also an advocacy brief in support of the proposition that Welsh was the inspiration and model for the title character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s seminal novel The Great Gatsby. I’m unsure how factually accurate Pantalone’s work is in some places. Also, too often, he uses big words when small ones will suffice. For example:

“He was a pugilistic virtuoso, a pummeling poet with fists of fury and a keen intellect. His duality was evident in every aspect of his being, an amalgamation of the vicious and the benevolent.”

Over the course of 349 pages, that weighs a reader down.

Still, there are some interesting observations and nuggets of information to be mined in Chasing The Great Gatsby. Among my favorites are Pantalone’s description of Jack Dempsey training for his historic 1921 fight against George Carpentier at a “health farm” that Welsh owned in New Jersey; Pantelone’s description of how the stadium that hosted Dempsey-Carpentier was built; and Pantalone’s evaluation of the fight itself, which he calls “a spectacle of titanic proportions,” before adding,” The truth was inescapable. The fight had not lived up to its grandeur, but the event did.”

****

Several of the books that Robert Lipsyte has written during his storied career as a journalist focus on boxing; most notably, Free to Be Muhammad Ali and The Contender (a young adult novel). Lipsyte’s most recent book – Rhino’s Run (published by Harper) – is a young adult novel keyed to high school football, not the sweet science. But the opening sentence bears repeating:

“Punching Josh Kremens didn’t feel as good as I thought it would, and I’d been thinking about it for five years.”

Be honest! Don’t you want to read more?

Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His most recent book – MY MOTHER and ME is a personal memoir available at Amazon.com. https://www.amazon.com/My-Mother-Me-Thomas-Hauser/dp/1955836191/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5C0TEN4M9ZAH&keywords=thomas+hauser&qid=1707662513&sprefix=thomas+hauser%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-1

In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism. In 2019, Hauser was selected for boxing’s highest honor – induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

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Ever-Improving Callum Walsh KOs Dean Sutherland at Madison Square Garden

Published

3 days ago

March 16, 2025

David A. Avila

Ever-Improving-Callum-Walsh-KOs-Dean-Sutherland-at-Madison-Square-Garden

Irish luck was not involved as Callum Walsh won the battle of hard-hitting southpaws over Dean Sutherland by knockout on Sunday.

One right hook was all it took.

“You’re never going to beat the Irish,” said Walsh.

In a contest between Celtic super welterweights Walsh (13-0, 11 KOs) retained the WBC Continental America’s title against Sutherland (19-2, 7 KOs) in quick fashion at the Madison Square Garden Theater in Manhattan.

Usually fights between southpaws can be confusing to both contestants. But Walsh had expressed a fondness for fighting lefthanders then vividly exhibited the reasons why.

Walsh, 24, a native of Cork, Ireland, now living and training in Los Angeles, quickly demonstrated why he likes fighting lefties with a steady flow of combinations from the opening bell.

He did not hesitate.

Sutherland, 26, had only lost once before and that was more than two years ago. Against Walsh the Scottish fighter was not hesitant to advance forward but was caught with lefts and right hooks.

After two minutes of scattered blows, Sutherland fought back valiantly and when cornered, Walsh tapped two jabs then unleashed a right hook through the Scottish fighter’s gloves that floored the Aberdeen fighter for the count at 2:45 of the first round.

“I’m feeling very good. Dean Sutherland is a very good opponent. I knew he was going to be dangerous. That was my best opponent,” said Walsh.

It was the fourth consecutive knockout win for Walsh who seems to improve with every single combat.

“I’m looking forward to the future. I’m getting stronger and stronger,” said Walsh who is trained by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. “Anyone that comes to me I will take him out.”

Other Bouts

Super featherweight Feargal McCrory (17-1, 9 KOs) survived a knockdown in the fourth to out-muscle Keenan Carbajal (25-5-1, 17 KOs) and batter down the Arizona fighter in the seventh and again in the eighth with volume punching.

Carbajal was deducted a point early for holding in round two, but regained that point when he floored the Irish southpaw during an exchange in the fourth.

Despite suffering a knockdown, McCrory continued stalking Carbajal and floored him in the seventh and eighth with battering blows. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stopped the fight without a count.

A rematch between two Irish super middleweights saw Emmet Brennan (6-0) remain undefeated by unanimous decision over Kevin Cronin (9-3-1).

Cronin started quickly with a pressure style and punches flowing against Brennan who resorted to covering and countering. Though it looked like Cronin was building up a lead with a busier style, the judges preferred Brennan’s judicious counters. No knockdowns were scored as all three judges saw Brennan the winner 98-92 after 10 rounds.

Dajuan Calloway (11-3, 9 KOs) emerged the winner by technical knockout over Thomas Carty (10-1) who was unable to continue after two rounds when his leg tangled and thereafter was unable to stand. Because he could not continue the fight was ruled a technical knockout win for Calloway in the heavyweight match.

Also

Cletus “Hebrew Hammer” Seldin (29-1, 23 Kos) defeated Yeis Solano (15-5) by majority decision after eight rounds in a super lightweight contest.

Donagh Keary (1-0) defeated Geral Alicea-Romero (0-1-1) by decision after four.

Light heavyweights Sean O’Bradaigh (0-0-1) and Jefferson Almeida (0-1-1) fought to a majority draw after four.

Photo credit: JP Yim

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Nick Ball Wears Down and Stops TJ Doheny Before the Home Folks in Liverpool

Published

4 days ago

March 15, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Nick-Ball-Wears-Down-and-Stops-TJ-Doheny-Before-the-Home-Folks-in-Liverpool

Fighting in his hometown, Liverpool’s five-foot-two fireplug Nick “The Wrecking” Ball stopped TJ Doheny after 10 progressively more one-sided rounds to retain his WBA belt in the second defense of the featherweight title he won with a hard-earned decision over Raymond Ford in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Referee Michael Alexander, with the assent of Doheny’s corner, waived it off following the bell ending Round 10, much to the chagrin of the brave but mildewed Doheny who burst into tears. But then, Doheny’s right eye was closed shut and he was plainly exhausted. This may be the end of the line for the 38-year-old campaigner from Perth, Australia via Portlaois, Ireland who was 26-5 heading in following his first loss inside the distance which came against pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue.

There were no knockdowns, but Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs) was docked a point in round nine for throwing Doheny to the canvas after having previously been warned for this infraction. Earlier, both he and Doheny were warned for an incident that could have ended the bout prematurely. At the end of the first round, Ball extricated himself from a headlock by kicking Doheny in the back of his knee. The challenger’s leg appeared to buckle as he returned to his stool.

Going forward, Ball has many options. The 28-year-old Liverpudlian purportedly relishes a unification fight with WBC belt-holder Stephen Fulton, but the decision ultimately rests with Ball’s promoter Frank Warren.

Other Bouts of Note

In a 12-round bantamweight contest that was close on the scorecards but yet a monotonous affair, Liverpool’s Andrew Cain won a split decision over former WBC flyweight title-holder Charlie Edwards. The scores were 116-112 and 115-114 favoring Cain with judge Steve Gray submitting a disreputable 115-113 tally for Edwards. At stake were a trio of regional titles.

The science of boxing, they say, is about hitting without getting hit. Charlie Edwards is adept at the latter but the hitting part is not in his DNA. He was on his bicycle from the get-go, a style that periodically brought forth a cascade of boos. Cain, who trains in the same gym with Nick Ball, was never able to corner him – Edwards was too elusive – but Cain, to his credit, never lost his composure.

In improving to 14-1 (12), Cain achieved a measure of revenge, in a sense. In his last documented amateur bout, in 2014, Cain was defeated by Charlie’s brother Sunny Edwards, also a former world title-holder at the professional level. Heading in, Charlie Edwards (20-2, 1 NC) was unbeaten in his last 13 which included a comfortable decision over Cristofer Rosales in his flyweight title fight. Charlie relinquished that belt when he could no longer make the weight.

Showboating Cuban lightweight Jadier Herrera, who fought 13 of his first 14 pro fights in his adopted home of Dubai, advanced to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a seventh-round stoppage of spunky but outclassed Mexican import Jose Macias (21-4-2). The official time was 2:31 of round seven.

An all-Liverpool affair between super flyweights Jack Turner (11-0, 10 KOs) and Ryan Farrag (23-6) was over in a jiff. The match, which went next-to-last in the bout order, ended at the 42-second mark of round two. A barrage of punches climaxed by a left hook sent Farrag down hard and the referee waived it off.

The noted spoiler Ionut Baluta, whose former victims include Andrew Cain, forged another upset with a 10-round split decision over local fan favorite Brad Strand. The judges favored Baluta 98-91 and 96-94, out-voting the Italian judge whose 97-93 tally for Strand was deemed the most accurate by the TV pundits.

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