By: Ken Hissner
It was a three hour trip to DC just to see Jaron “Boots” Ennis, 14-0 (12) get his fourteenth win against Ricardo Cano, 17-14-5 (10), of Mexico City who once went the ten round distance with Saul Canelo Alvarez! The show was promoted by Nations Fight Night’s Tatiana Moton Promotions. Matchmaker Chris Middendorf did a fantastic job considering all the talent in the red corner in a small venue at Howard Theatre meaning a small budget.
The Philadelphia hot prospect in the welterweight division didn’t disappoint his fans after sitting in a basement dressing room while the “band played on” and there were six fights prior to your co-feature bout. “I don’t look for a knockout but when he comes it comes,” said Ennis. He dropped a right hand on the chin of Cano followed by a left to the body and another pair of rights and down went Cano for the count. It was all of 0:40 including the ten seconds referee Sharon Sands counted Cano out. That’s fourteen fights in fourteen months for what this writer calls the “best prospect out of Philadelphia since 1984 when Meldrick Taylor won a Olympic Gold Medal” and went on to become a world champion. He is trained by his father “Bozy” Ennis. Middendorf is responsible or had a hand in all of those 14 bouts.
In the main event welterweight southpaw Patrick Harris, 12-0 (8), of Hyattsville, MD, had one durable and pesky opponent in Jesus Lule-Reya, 11-23-1, out of Ft. Myers, FL, who never stopped coming forward and never stopped throwing punches. Referee Brent Bovell was watching the many punches Lule-Reya was taking but with him firing back he let the six round bout continued until the end. All three officials and this writer had it 60-54 for the winner Harris. Harris is a very good prospect.
Returning “home” after one year from suffering his first defeat welterweight Kareem “Reemo” Martin, 9-1-1 (3), of DC, was like a windmill in breaking down the durable Evincii Dixon, 7-19-2 (1), formerly of Lancaster, PA, but now out of Philadelphia, over six rounds winning all six of them per the officials and this writer.
There two women’s bouts with lightweight Tiara Brown, 3-0 (2), of Bladensburg, MD, after a feeling out first round tore into Tammy Franks, 2-29-1 (0), now out of San Antonio, TX, stopping Franks at 0:49 of the second round.
Super middleweight Franchon Crews Dezurn, 2-1 (1), of Baltimore, MD, had a tough opponent before her in Sydney LeBlanc, 4-3-1 (0), of New Orleans, La, but managed to win all four rounds. Her only loss was to 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa Shields.
Hot prospect and former amateur champion welterweight Brandun Lee, 5-0 (4), of Coachella, CA, who at 18 shows worlds of potential as he took apart game Roy Garcia, 4-25-1 (3), of Alice, TX, at 1:23 of the second round as referee Sands had seen enough. Lee recently played Bruce Lee in a film.
Junior welterweight southpaw Tyrek Irby, 4-0 (1), of DC, demolished late sub Anthony Alston, 0-2 (0), of Raleigh, NC, 0:58 of the first round. Opening the show was prospect Shynggyskhan Tazhibay, 5-0) (3), now out of DC, who was a fan’s favorite won all four rounds over southpaw Robert “Hitman” Hill, 7-34-1 (1), of Gulfport, MS, taking all four rounds. Judges were Brent Bovell, Wayne Smith, Eric Irizarry and Tammyi Jenkins with Dave Braslow being the referee for both bouts. Well known Ring Announcer was Discombobulating.