By Danny Serratelli, ringside, brickcityboxing.com – Hall of Fame boxing finally brought a quality boxing show back to Newark at the Robert Treat Hotel. Not very long ago, but definitely not yesterday, Gabe LaConte was putting on regular shows and bringing in a nice crowd. Local fans were able to go to the Treat and see future world champions early in their careers, like, Arturo Gatti and Charles Murray and fighters who were local stars as well as future world title challengers like William Bo James.. After LaConte, there have been a few shows here and there in Newark that haven’t usually gone as well, have been postponed, canceled, etc… James Butler vs. Omar Shieka at nearby Essex County College was a good fight, but that was over three years ago and recently the exception to the rule for Essex County.
Main Events has been on and off with shows for the last few years, with the most memorable coming at Schuetzen Park in North Bergen and the RexPlex in Elizabeth, but they seem to have phased out their smaller shows. The only constant with the smaller shows in New Jersey for the last three years has been KEA boxing who have delivered 10 quality shows during that time, with nine of them in New Jersey. KEA has already featured world champions and recently KEA regular Wayne Johnsen was featured on The Contender” season 3 and made it to the final 4.
The Hall of Fame Show which was orchestrated by Donna Duva-Brooks tonight was a step in the right direction for bringing the club shows back to Newark. It should not be very difficult to do after the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and Prudential Arena “The Rock” have been built walking distance from the Robert Treat, I personally plan to look at all three of the venues for future boxing dates/shows, it is something that can and should be done to bring the Brick City Boxing’s glory days back. Gabe LaConte returned to the Treat to support the cause to bring the fights back to Newark and presented awards to two very deserving individuals in, Newark’s fighting fireman, William “Bo” James and former New Jersey Devils great, Ken Daneyko.
In the main event of the evening in a 178 pound fight, Brooklyn, New York’s Shaun George, 16-2-2, 7 KO’s won a unanimous decision over Jackson Tennessee’s Tom Reid, 35-20-1, 13 KO’s. George swept on all 3 cards 100-90. Reid, to his credit came to fight, but he was outworked by George. George was originally scheduled to fight former USBA and NABF champ and world title challenger, Eric Harding, until Harding pulled within the last week.
In the co-feature of the evening, which turned out to be the fight of the night, Newark, New Jersey’s Brick City Bullet, Alex Perez, 9-0, 7 KO’s won a hard fought unanimous decision over the game Flint Michigan product, “Madbomber” Cory Peterson, 7-2, 4 KO’s. The welterweights went to war and Peterson showed that despite taking the fight on short notice, he was in shape and he came to take it to Perez. Perez who exclaimed before the fight that he was ready to do “whatever it takes” did just that.
Perez easily outboxed Peterson for the first 2 rounds picking him apart with hard shots, but then he decided he wanted to get down and dirty and beat Peterson at his own game in the trenches. While Perez held his own going toe to toe, he allowed Peterson to connect with some of his bombs and steal a couple rounds on all judge’s scorecards. In the final 2 rounds, Perez mixed up his approach, but was untouchable when he worked behind his jab and used his legs. The fight was a war from beginning to end as neither fighter tried to take any time off in the bout. In the end the all three judge’s scores read 58-56 for Alex Perez. Perez is looking to fight more often and continue to fight against good fighters where he can continue to improve his craft.
Butler New Jersey heavyweight, Scott Fairlamb, 5-0, 3 KO’s returned to the ring after a layoff of over 4 years to score a TKO over Knoxville Tennessee’s Dino Weingarten, 1-2 at :55 of round number 1 to start the evening.
Local prospects Jorge Diaz, 2-0, 2 KO’s and John Watson, 1-0 were both victorious in their Newark debuts. In a bantamweight bout, Diaz stopped Antonio Vera, 0-3 at 1:35 of round number 1. Watson, who fights out of Irvington, New Jersey, was impressive in his pro debut sweeping on all three cards 40-36 to capture a unanimous decision over Philadelphia’s Fitzgerald Johnson, 1-2 in a super middleweight bout.
The Event was sponsored by Gencarelli’s Pizzeria & Restaurant Lounge, 501 Bloomfield Avenue Newark, NJ 07107. I personally recommend their food, good people and a nice place.
Brickcityboxing sends its love and prayers out to Lou Duva who I was told left early in the night not feeling well. Get well Lou!