Tony Mack with Randy Phillips, Photo by Wesley Ortiz
By Tracy Morin at ringside, MemphisBoxing.com; Photos by Wesley Ortiz
Rumble at Resorts, held February 23, 2012, at Resorts Casino in Tunica, Mississippi, showcased two promising prospects—and gave four less-experienced fighters tough tests on their way up the ranks.
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Closes Fight Trilogy With a Win Over Nicole Woods
By Tracy Morin at ringside/Photos by Wesley Ortiz, MemphisBoxing.com
Kim Connor ©Wesley Ortiz, Memphisboxing.com
In the main event of Fights at the Fitz on August 25 at the Fitz Hotel & Casino in Tunica, Mississippi, Kim Connor (9-2-2, 4 KOs) scored a decisive decision win in her third fight against Nicole Woods (11-9-2, 3 KOs). The female lightweights had met twice in 2010 (the first ending in a draw and the next a unanimous decision for Connor), and both were out to prove their superiority to a packed crowd–including female boxing gold medalist Claressa Shields, who sat ringside in a special appearance.
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By Tracy Morin, MemphisBoxing.com, Photos by: Wesley Ortiz
In the main event, the middleweight Taylor (29-4-1, 18 KOs) began the fight cautiously, as did opponent Caleb Truax (18-0-1, 10 KOs), who seemed to take several rounds to warm up. The gun-shy Taylor landed mostly jabs, with a couple of glancing overhand rights thrown in, for the first couple of rounds, but by round three began to advance behind the jab and ripped off a three-punch combo; meanwhile, Truax tried, with minimal success, to counter. Read more »
By Tracy Morin at ringside, MemphisBoxing.com
Four back-to-back first-round knockouts were bookended by two four-rounders that went the distance at the latest Fights at the Fitz at Fitzgerald’s Hotel & Casino on March 24 in Tunica, Mississippi. The enthusiastic crowd was treated to plenty of action with fighters from both coasts and regional fan-favorites duking it out–frequently to devastating conclusions.
In the opening junior middleweight bout, John Thompson from Newark, New Jersey, displayed a cracking jab from the opening bell, which he used in tandem with uppercuts to the body to dominate Los Angeles-based Bryan Brooks in a one-sided battle. The lunging, off-balance Brooks landed in the single digits in each of the four rounds, and Thompson’s jabs did more damage than Brooks’ best shots, leading the three judges–Gerald Deming, Reccia Mullins and Mack Thornton–to score all four rounds for Thompson, 40-36.
by Tracy Morin, Memphisboxing.com
Tracy Morin: This weekend, Karim Mayfield and Patrick Lopez will meet at Fights at the Fitz. You’ve seen both fight this year. What impressions of the fighters can you share?
Teddy Atlas: I think it’s a step up for Mayfield; he’s stepping up in class a little bit. He stepped up a little bit in his last fight, against Forbes on Friday Night Fights, and I got a peek at him. Read more »
Andre Berto | Photo by Scott Foster
By Tracy Morin @ ringside, Memphisboxing.com
Despite a tropical depression swelling on the Gulf Coast, a lively and vocal crowd gathered at the Beau Rivage Theatre at Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi, for the card billed “Battle in Biloxi,” with seven fights designed to test several prospects, including four undefeated fighters, and showcase a few cagey veterans.
Slovenian-born Jan Zaveck (31-1, 18 KOs), who fights out of Germany, brought a substantial supporting crowd for his U.S. debut, where his IBF welterweight belt was on the line vs. Andre “the Beast” Berto (27-1, 21 KOs), who was coming off his first loss, against Victor Ortiz in April. However, Zaveck couldn’t turn the significant audience support into a win over Berto, who lived up to his nickname by coming out aggressively and showing off his speed and power. Berto has faced some criticism–namely, that he doesn’t sell tickets because he isn’t exciting to watch, or that he can’t fight on the inside–and apparently wanted to use this fight to prove otherwise by letting his hands go, engaging in vigorous exchanges and staying busy throughout. Luckily for fans, Zaveck also came to engage, making for an exciting contest.
Memphisboxing.com Report by Michael Sheffield,
Fighter Q&A’s by Tracy Morin
After a three month absence, Prize Fight’s Fights at the Fitz made its return to Tunica with a 5-fight card featuring promising newcomer Dusty Harrison.
The evening marked Prize Fight’s 92nd straight sellout at The Fitz, an accomplishment that has stretched over the last seven years. With any
luck, Prize Fight will have sellout number 93 during the next event October 1.
Dusty Harrison vs. Trenton Titsworth
Harrison (1-0), who stole the show during June’s TNT at the DCC event in Southaven would make his Fitz debut against Trenton Titsworth, who had at least a six inch height advantage. Harrison would show a desire to mix it up early with the rail thin Titsworth (who weighed in at 123 pounds, which was debatable).
Titsworth proved he can take a punch, as Harrison would land several hard jabs. However, the effectiveness of the punches may have been tempered by the fact that Harrison had to reach up to hit his opponent. Titsworth resorted to holding Harrison halfway through the fight, and that strategy would allow him to survive the fight and deprive Harrison of his first knockout, even though he clearly had his opponent in trouble quite a few times. Harrison would take a unanimous decision, 40-36.
By Tracy Morin at ringside, Memphisboxing.com
The March edition of Fights at the Fitz offered up five bouts that showcased a range of styles, from hard-hitting heavyweights to slippery southpaws.
The welterweight main event saw Pittsburgh’s Jesse Lubash (14-0, 8 KOs) taking on the more experienced Germaine “Silky” Sanders (27-8, 17 KOs) from Chicago. Round 1 was a feeling-out round, with both fighters testing their jabs, though Lubash also found success with several snapping body shots.
Lubash dominated round 2 as he hooked off the jab and landed two solid rights en route to a knockdown. Sanders fell again while pressed to the ropes (ruled a slip by referee Randy Phillips), and Lubash continued throwing left hooks and body shots that left Sanders disoriented—and in the wrong corner—after the bell.
