FEATHERS GET ESPN BOXING MACHINE GOING
Mashantucket, CT-And while nobody is yet calling him the next Acelino Freitas, Brazil’s Valdemir Pereira, 125 lbs., won a 12-round unanimous decision over Thailand’s Phafrakorb Rakkietgym, 125 ?. The ESPN 2 main event might have been a more competitive than the shutout, 118-108 across the boards it turned out to be. But it wasn’t. Unable to finish the badly hurt Thai in the second round, Valdemir put it on cruise control. And before you ask how can a 118-108 score be a shutout? With one round even, and a point taken from Pereira, this for low blows in the 10th, the now 23-0, (15 KO’s) Pereira is recognized by the IBF as champion at 126 lbs. Rakkietgym is now 51-4, (33 KO’s).
TEDDY REID GETS HIS DOSE OF KARMA?
Having once launched a spear of a butt at a guy during a fight I won, and was winning, I can tell you that sometimes on occasion that a boxer does indeed commit fouls intentionally. Although I lost a point, the bottom line was it was an asinine act that to this day just can’t be explained. A few turns of the Roman calendar later, and you have Teddy Reid doing something similar (and stupid) against JC Candelo. One difference, it would cost him the fight! Rabbit punching, and acting like a fool, this cost Reid, 155, points in both the seventh and tenth rounds. The wide difference in scoring, Reid 95-93, Candelo 97-91, & 94-94, made it a split decision draw. JC got rocked in the tenth, but won a lot of the early heats. A draw may have been just in had the points not been deducted, Reid, Palmer Park, MD, by way of Jamaica, wins on two cards. Reid is 23-7-2, (17 KO’s), Candelo of Denver, CO, walks away at 26-8-4, (18 KO’s).
“FILIPINO FLASH” IN SHOWTIME’S MAIN EVENT
Temecula, CA-Nonito Doniair, 114, General Santos City, PI, found the first Showtime main event a tough going. The once-beaten Pinoy would drop Kahren Harutyunyan, 113 ?, in the second round. But the Armenian was no chump, as he did enough to have a 97-92 card read in his favor after ten rounds. Unfortunately Kahren, also had a 97-92 score against him. A 95-94 tally for Donaire meant a split decision win for the Filipino. Donaire improves to 14-1, (8 KO’s). With NO KO’s, Kahren is 13-3.
HERNANDEZ DRILLS UNBEATEN HARRIS
Touted no more, Tyrone Harris, 132 ?, Lansing, MI, looked good for about six minutes. And unfortunately, for Harris anyway, his match with Israel Hernandez, 132 ?, Mazatlan, MX, was an eight rounder. With Hernandez bleeding badly from above an optic, he launched an uppercut that hurt Harris. Some will say the fight was stopped a bit too soon, and that was at least debatable. Dropping to 14-1, (12 KO’s) is Harris. With the upset, the Mexican puncher Hernandez is 12-1-1, with all 12 wins being whacks! (Tip to perspective managers, never engage a guy that’s 11-1, all 11 being KO’s.)
ANOTHER HARRIS GETS TO WINNER’S CIRCLE!
Ranked jr. welter Vivian Harris, (no relation to Tyrone), Brooklyn, NY, won a ten round walkover bout over the less than average (22-20-2, 5 KO’s) Marteze Logan, Covington, TN. Yawn, yawn, Harris is 26-2-1, with 17 KO’s. Manager Shelly Finkel’s (12-0, 11 KO’s) charge Nick Casal, Niagara Falls, NY, won a six round UD over Jose Noyola, Mexico.
