Ringside Report: Spike O’Sullivan Wins Bloody Boston Beatdown

BOSTON ​—​ ​When​ ​the​ ​Irish​ ​came​ ​to​ ​Boston​ ​in​ ​the​ ​late​ ​1840s​ ​during​ ​the​ ​great​ ​potato​ ​famine, they​ ​found​ ​it​ ​difficult​ ​to​ ​gain​ ​meaningful​ ​employment​ ​in​ ​Beantown.​ ​Those​ ​new​ ​American​ ​citizens were​ ​told​ ​in​ ​no​ ​uncertain​ ​terms​ ​that​ ​they​ ​need​ ​not​ ​apply.​ ​True​ ​to​ ​their​ ​fighting​ ​form,​ ​many​ ​Irish turned​ ​to​ ​prizefighting​ ​to​ ​make​ ​a​ ​living​ ​in​ ​the​ ​United​ ​States.​ ​It​ ​served​ ​their​ ​troubled​ ​people​ ​well.

So​ ​when​ ​Irishman​ ​“Spike”​ ​O’Sullivan​ ​comes​ ​back​ ​to​ ​Boston​ ​saying​ ​he​ ​wants​ ​to​ ​fight​ ​world middleweight​ ​champion​ ​Gennady​ ​Golovkin,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​with​ ​the​ ​knowledge​ ​that​ ​nothing​ ​of​ ​any​ ​value comes​ ​without​ ​a​ ​fight.​ ​O’Sullivan​ ​has​ ​been​ ​calling​ ​for​ ​‘Triple​ ​G’​ ​since​ ​the​ ​first​ ​time​ ​I​ ​saw​ ​him​ ​box in​ ​Boston;​ ​a​ ​KO​ ​of​ ​Melvin​ ​Betancourt​ ​on​ ​a​ ​PBC​ ​televised​ ​show​ ​from​ ​nearby​ ​Agganis​ ​Arena.

That​ ​was​ ​over​ ​two​ ​years​ ​ago.

Golovkin​ ​is​ ​still​ ​the​ ​middleweight​ ​champion.

And​ ​Spike​ ​still​ ​wants​ ​to​ ​fight​ ​him.

“I’ve​ ​never​ ​been​ ​knocked​ ​down​ ​and​ ​I​ ​don’t​ ​believe​ ​anyone​ ​can​ ​knock​ ​me​ ​down.​ ​I​ ​also​ ​hit​ ​very hard​ ​with​ ​the​ ​power​ ​to​ ​knock​ ​anyone​ ​out;​ ​Cotto,​ ​Saunders,​ ​Eubank,​ ​Canelo.​ ​But​ ​Golovkin​ ​is​ ​the world​ ​champion​, ​so​ ​why​ ​not?​ ​That’s​ ​why​ ​I’m​ ​in​ ​this​ ​sport,​ ​to​ ​be​ ​the​ ​world​ ​champion.”

“If​ ​GGG​ ​wants​ ​a​ ​drama​ ​show,​ ​he​ ​can​ ​fight​ ​me.”

Boston​ ​based​ ​Murphy​ ​Boxing​ ​and​ ​Golden​ ​Boy​ ​Promotions​ ​on​ ​ESPN​ ​Desportes​ ​partnered​ ​on September​ ​30​ ​for​ ​a​ ​rare​ ​but​ ​welcomed​ ​​Saturday Night at the Fights ​at​ ​the​ ​House​ ​of​ ​Blues​ ​on Lansdowne​ ​Street​ ​behind​ ​Fenway​ ​Park​ ​where​ ​the​ ​Red​ ​Sox​ ​clinched​ ​their​ ​division​ ​just​ ​a​ ​few hours​ ​before​ ​the​ ​first​ ​bell​ ​rang.​ ​

According​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Murphy​ ​Boxing​ ​website:​ ​“Spike​ ​O’Sullivan​ ​will look​ ​to​ ​get​ ​another​ ​crack​ ​at​ ​the​ ​elite​ ​of​ ​the​ ​160​ ​pound​ ​division​ ​if​ ​he​ ​can​ ​get​ ​past​ ​Nick​ ​Quigley.”

You​ ​see,​ ​the​ ​33​-​year-old​ ​O’Sullivan​ ​has​ ​stepped​ ​up​ ​in​ ​class​ ​before​ ​but​ ​was​ ​beaten​ ​back.​ ​In 2013,​ ​he​ ​lost​ ​a​ ​wide​ ​unanimous​ ​decision​ ​to​ ​current​ ​WBO​ ​middleweight​ ​champion​ ​Billy​ ​Joe Saunders.​ ​Then​ ​in​ ​2015,​ ​O’Sullivan​ ​was​ ​stopped​ ​at​ ​the​ ​O2​ ​in​ ​London​ ​by​ ​Chris​ ​Eubank​ ​Jr.​ ​The two​ ​losses,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​“busted​ ​eardrums”​ ​that​ ​came​ ​with​ ​them,​ ​did​ ​nothing​ ​to​ ​defeat​ ​O’Sullivan’s fighting​ ​spirit.​ ​In​ ​boxing,​ ​as​ ​in​ ​life,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​only​ ​quitters​ ​who​ ​need​ ​not​ ​apply.​ ​“It’s​ ​very​ ​difficult​ ​to​ ​fight on​ ​with​ ​injuries​ ​like​ ​those​ ​that​ ​affect​ ​your​ ​balance​ ​and​ ​equilibrium,”​ ​O’Sullivan​ ​told​ ​me.

In​ ​the​ ​Main​ ​Event,​ ​O’Sullivan,​ ​26-2​ ​(18),​ ​stopped​ ​Nick​ ​Quigley,​ ​15-3​ ​(3),​ ​Liverpool,​ ​England,​ ​in the​ ​fourth​ ​round​ ​of​ ​a​ ​scheduled​ ​ten.​ ​Quigley​ ​was​ ​game​ ​in​ ​his​ ​first​ ​appearance​ ​outside​ ​of​ ​the United​ ​Kingdom​ ​but​ ​Spike​ ​wore​ ​him​ ​down​ ​with​ ​body​ ​punches​ ​before​ ​finishing​ ​him​ ​off​ ​with​ ​an accumulation​ ​in​ ​the​ ​fourth​ ​that​ ​bloodied​ ​Quigley’s​ ​face​ ​and​ ​brought​ ​an​ ​immediate​ ​stop​ ​from Arthur​ ​Mercante​ ​Jr​ ​at​ ​1:23​ ​of​ ​the​ ​frame.​ ​“He’s​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​too​ ​tough​ ​for​ ​his​ ​own​ ​good,”​ ​said​ ​O’Sullivan of​ ​his​ ​vanquished​ ​foe.​ ​“The​ ​referee​ ​protected​ ​him​ ​and​ ​I​ ​think​ ​he​ ​made​ ​the​ ​right​ ​decision.”

In​ ​the​ ​first​ ​bout​ ​televised​ ​live​ ​on​ ​ESPN​ ​Desportes,​ ​Golden​ ​Boy’s​ ​23​ -year-old​ ​Filipino​ ​super featherweight​ ​Recky​ ​“The​ ​Terror”​ ​Dulay,​ ​10-3​ ​(7),​ ​got​ ​all​ ​he​ ​could​ ​handle​ ​in​ ​the​ ​opening​ ​round from​ ​the​ ​Joe​ ​Goossen​ ​trained​ ​Darden​ ​Zenunaj​ ​before​ ​succumbing​ ​outright​ ​in​ ​the​ ​third.

Zenunaj,​ ​14-3​ ​(11),​ ​Sherman​ ​Oaks,​ ​California,​ ​knocked​ ​Dulay​ ​down​ ​twice​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first,​ ​once​ ​with a​ ​stiff​ ​left​ ​jab​ ​(“I​ ​hit​ ​his​ ​chin​ ​with​ ​my​ ​knuckle,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​perfect”)​ ​and​ ​then​ ​again​ ​with​ ​a​ ​liver​ ​shot. Dulay​ ​came​ ​back​ ​strong​ ​in​ ​the​ ​second​ ​with​ ​long​ ​slashing​ ​punches​ ​from​ ​the​ ​outside​ ​but​ ​in​ ​the next​ ​round​ ​he​ ​was​ ​dropped​ ​in​ ​his​ ​own​ ​corner​ ​where​ ​he​ ​took​ ​a​ ​long​ ​nine​ ​count.

It​ ​looked​ ​like​ ​he​ ​didn’t​ ​want​ ​to​ ​get​ ​up.

Referee​ ​Gene​ ​Delbianco​ ​stopped​ ​it​ ​with​ ​Dulay​ ​on​ ​his​ ​feet​ ​but​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​fight.​ ​The​ ​Albanian Zenunaj​ ​told​ ​me​ ​after​ ​the​ ​fight​ ​that​ ​he​ ​“prepared​ ​for​ ​a​ ​war​ ​but​ ​this​ ​is​ ​much​ ​better.”​ ​Trainer​ ​Joe Goossen​ ​thought​ ​so​ ​too.​ ​“Did​ ​I​ ​think​ ​it​ ​would​ ​be​ ​as​ ​one-sided​ ​as​ ​it​ ​was?​ ​No.​ ​On​ ​paper​ ​I​ ​looked at​ ​this​ ​one​ ​as​ ​a​ ​dog​ ​fight​ ​to​ ​the​ ​end​ ​and​ ​we​ ​trained​ ​for​ ​a​ ​ten​ ​round​ ​bloodbath.​ ​It​ ​didn’t​ ​turn​ ​out that​ ​way​ ​but​ ​I’ll​ ​take​ ​that​ ​every​ ​time.”

Airing​ ​on​ ​the​ ​ESPN​ ​app,​ ​super​ ​welterweight​ ​Greg​ ​“The​ ​Villain”​ ​Vendetti,​ ​16-2-1​ ​(10),​ ​Stoneham, MA.,​ ​defeated​ ​Casey​ ​Kramlich,​ ​8-1-1​ ​(4),​ ​Portland,​ ​Maine​ ​by​ ​unanimous​ ​decision​ ​score​ ​of 79-73​ ​and​ ​80-72​ ​twice.​ ​Coming​ ​off​ ​an​ ​important​ ​June​ ​win​ ​against​ ​CES’s​ ​Khiary​ ​Gray​ ​at​ ​Twin River​ ​Casino​ ​in​ ​Lincoln,​ ​RI,​ ​Vendetti​ ​is​ ​an​ ​improving​ ​fighter​ ​who​ ​comes​ ​forward​ ​like​ ​it’s​ ​his​ ​job.

Expected​ ​to​ ​win​ ​a​ ​few​ ​rounds,​ ​Kramlich​ ​boxed​ ​from​ ​range​ ​behind​ ​a​ ​jab​ ​but​ ​found​ ​it​ ​difficult​ ​to keep​ ​Vendetti​ ​at​ ​arm’s​ ​length.​ ​Beginning​ ​to​ ​tire​ ​in​ ​the​ ​sixth,​ ​Vendetti’s​ ​forward​ ​motion diminished​ ​but​ ​Kramlich​ ​was​ ​unable​ ​to​ ​capitalize—though​ ​he​ ​did​ ​land​ ​a​ ​nice​ ​left-right​ ​uppercut combination.

When​ ​Vendetti​ ​answered​ ​that​ ​effort​ ​with​ ​his​ ​hardest​ ​punches​ ​of​ ​the​ ​night,​ ​Kramlich​ ​wobbled back​ ​to​ ​his​ ​corner​ ​after​ ​an​ ​especially​ ​hurtful​ ​seventh​ ​round.​ ​Kramlich​ ​is​ ​known​ ​as​ ​the​ ​“Buzzsaw” but​ ​he​ ​looked​ ​like​ ​he’d​ ​been​ ​put​ ​through​ ​one;​ ​requiring​ ​11​ ​stitches​ ​to​ ​his​ ​right​ ​eye.

Also​ ​on​ ​the​ ​ESPN​ ​app,​ ​super​ ​lightweight​ ​Sugar​ ​Ray​ ​Moylette,​ ​7-0​ ​(3),​ ​27,​ ​Ireland,​ ​knocked​ ​out Michael​ ​Clark,​ ​44-18-1​ ​(18),​ ​Columbus,​ ​OH.​ ​In​ ​August,​ ​Clark​ ​quit​ ​on​ ​the​ ​stool​ ​in​ ​Quincy​ ​against local​ ​standout​ ​Derek​ ​Silveira.​ ​Tonight​ ​he​ ​ran​ ​his​ ​losing​ ​streak​ ​to​ ​ten.​ ​Moylette​ ​was​ ​accompanied to​ ​the​ ​ring​ ​by​ ​local​ ​legends​ ​Micky​ ​Ward​ ​and​ ​Dicky​ ​Eklund;​ ​both​ ​of​ ​whom​ ​were​ ​wearing​ ​his​ ​shirt. Knocked​ ​to​ ​the​ ​canvas​ ​twice​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first​ ​round,​ ​Clark​ ​was​ ​down​ ​and​ ​out​ ​early​ ​in​ ​the​ ​second.

In​ ​the​ ​TV​ ​“swing”​ ​bout,​ ​Golden​ ​Boy​ ​prospect​ ​lightweight​ ​Everton​ ​Lopes,​ ​6-0​ ​(2),​ ​outboxed​ ​8-12 (6)​ ​Mexican​ ​Eduardo​ ​Rafael​ ​Reyes​ ​over​ ​the​ ​six​ ​round​ ​distance​ ​to​ ​win​ ​a​ ​split​ ​(!)​ ​decision​ ​59-55, 59-55,​ ​and​ ​an​ ​inexplicable​ ​56-58​ ​for​ ​Reyes.​ ​Fans​ ​booed​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​the​ ​verdict​ ​wasn’t​ ​unanimous. Lopes​ ​is​ ​a​ ​Brazilian​ ​boxing​ ​Olympian​ ​with​ ​a​ ​few​ ​professional​ ​cage​ ​fights​ ​under​ ​his​ ​belt.​ ​What​ ​he lacks​ ​in​ ​power,​ ​he​ ​makes​ ​up​ ​for​ ​in​ ​poise;​ ​gliding​ ​and​ ​sliding​ ​behind​ ​an​ ​educated​ ​punch​ ​output.

Off​ ​TV​ ​Results:

Debuting​ ​female​ ​super​ ​welterweight​ ​Shayna​ ​Foppiano,​ ​1-0​ ​(1),​ ​Everett,​ ​MA.,​ ​stopped​ ​Lamarya Geary,​ ​0-2,​ ​Philadelphia,​ ​PA.,​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first​ ​round​ ​with​ ​an​ ​unanswered​ ​barrage​ ​at​ ​1:36.​ ​Referee Arthur​ ​Mercante​ ​Jr.​ ​called​ ​a​ ​halt​ ​with​ ​Foppiano​ ​pitching​ ​and​ ​Geary​ ​doing​ ​all​ ​the​ ​catching.

Scheduled​ ​for​ ​eight​ ​rounds,​ ​southpaw​ ​super​ ​middleweight​ ​Carlos​ ​Gongora​ ​10-0​ ​(8),​ ​Ecuador, outpointed​ ​Henry​ ​Beckford,​ ​5-7​ ​(1),​ ​New​ ​York.​ ​Trained​ ​by​ ​Hector​ ​Bermudez,​ ​Gongora​ ​scored an​ ​uncalled​ ​knockdown​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first​ ​round​ ​off​ ​a​ ​stiff​ ​right​ ​hand​ ​to​ ​the​ ​hand.​ ​From​ ​there,​ ​the​ ​pace slowed​ ​to​ ​a​ ​crawl.​ ​Gongora​ ​was​ ​awarded​ ​a​ ​unanimous​ ​decision​ ​80-72​ ​and​ ​79-73​ ​twice.

In​ ​the​ ​evening​ ​opener,​ ​welterweight​ ​Mike​ ​O’Han​ ​Jr.,​ ​3-0​ ​(1),​ ​Holbrook,​ ​MA,​ ​stopped​ ​Demetrius Thomas,​ ​0-6,​ ​Philadelphia,​ ​PA,​ ​in​ ​the​ ​second.​ ​Referee​ ​Arthur​ ​Mercante​ ​Jr.​ ​waved​ ​an​ ​early​ ​halt to​ ​this​ ​mismatch​ ​at​ ​2:47​ ​with​ ​“Bad​ ​Man”​ ​O’Han​ ​on​ ​the​ ​attack​ ​and​ ​Thomas​ ​under​ ​assault.

Photo Credit: Emily Harney

Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel.

To comment on this article at The Fight Forum, CLICK HERE.