By Eugene Sirota
While the temperatures outside reached the triple digits during the day, Peltz Boxing Promotions’ latest professional boxing card heated up the Bally’s Grand Ballroom to a degree that rivaled the July midday heat. As always with any Peltz card, the event ran smoothly with completive fights and no lulls in the action.
Middleweight Patrick Majewski , (19-1, 13 KOs) fighting out of Atlantic City since 2003, pleased his hometown fans with a 5th round TKO over Cleveland’s Chris Fitzpatick ( 15-2, 6 KOs). With the win, Majewski captured the vacant NABF title and the top 15 rating in the WBC that comes with it.
In the second round, Majewski opened up a nasty cut on Fitzpatrick’s right eyelid with a straight right. As the fight continued, Majewski repeatedly landed right crosses that made the already serious gash deeper and wider.
Just before the bell to start the sixth, referee Earl Morton on the advice on the doctor at ringside, called a halt to the bout. Even though Fitzpatrick’s corner looked like it had a handle on the cut and had done good job to control the bleeding to that point, the cut was in the worst possible location and Fitzpatrick seemed to have lost each of the first four rounds, making the stoppage justifiable.
Another Atlantic City prospect, light heavyweight Lavarn Harvell (12-0, 7 KOs), scored another knockout for the highlight reels over Nigeria’s Mojeed Okedara (3-4, 3 KOs). Harvell dropped Okedara twice before ref Randy Neuman stepped in to call a halt to the bout 2:27 into the first. Harvell now has four straight KO victories, including three that have come in the very first round.
Osnel Charles (9-3-1, 1 KO), also of Atlantic City, battled Albany, NY-based Mexican Raphael Luna (4-5-2, 1 KO) to a draw in their six round lightweight bout. Using his superior hand and foot speed, Charles was able to be first when exchanging punches in rounds one through three, easily taking the first half of the fight. The fourth could have gone either way, as Charles got off his bicycle and traded with the shorter, slower Luna toe-to-toe. Luna continued to get stronger in rounds five and sixth, and was able to time Charles, as the hometown fighter slowed. While BoxingInsider had the fight 4 rounds to 2 for Charles, calling the fight a draw also seemed fair.
Philadelphian junior welterweight Naim Nelson (7-0, 1 KO) continued his winning ways against Lebanon, PA’s Esteban Rodriguez (5-3-1, 1 KO) in a six rounder. In the end, judge Joseph Pasquale had Nelson winning every round with a score of 60-54, while judges John McKay and George Hill both had it 59-55 for Nelson.
Wilmington, DE’s Dan Biddle (9-2, 5 KOs) walked away from his six round cruiserweight matchup with Philly brawler Pedro Martinez (6-6, 3 KOs) with a unanimous decision victory. The taller Biddle was able to control the action from the outside, as he caught Martinez with power shots as his opponent tried in futility to close the distance.
In a four round heavyweight bout, Philadephia’s Mark Rideout (1-0) bested Randy Easton (0-1) by majority decision. Rideout started quick, as he rocked Easton numerous times in the first, but was ultimately unable to finish the deal. Easton staged a comeback in the second half, as Rideout got tired and slowed down in the later goings. However, in the end, Rideout had done enough to impress at least two of the three ringside judges, taking the victory in his pro debut.
Philadelphia’s Jesse Hart (2-0, 2 KOs), who was one of the top amateurs in the country and had just missed a shot at going to London at the Olympic trials, breezed right through Jacksonville, FL’s Steven Chadwick (0-4) in a super middleweight bout. After forcing the Floridian to a knee twice with body shots, Chadwick’s corner threw in the towel with twenty-two seconds still to go in the first with their fighter taking unanswered shots against the ropes.
In the opening bout, Cherry Hill, NJ’s Anthony Prescott (1-0, 1 KO) made a statement in his pro debut with a knockout of Philadelphian DeAndre Phillips (0-1) at: 21 of the second round. After a customary feeling out period in the first, Prescott unleashed a hellacious right-cross, left hook combination that had Phillips unconscious before he hit the floor. After about two minute off grogginess, Phillips had come around enough to answer the ringside physician’s questions regarding the city he was currently in and what day of the week it was.