By Thomas Scherr – Saturday November 15th, Tommy Karpency will enter the ring at the Waterfront Hotel in Morgantown, West Virginia. He will be taking another step forward in his progression up the Light Heavyweight ladder. At just 22 years of age, Tommy has plenty of time to develop and hone his skills, and his promoter and manager, Steve Simons has carefully moved Tommy forward so far.. Tommy’s early career was made up of relatively nondescript foes, most with losing records; but in his last five fights Simons has stepped up the level of competition. In each of these fights, his opponent was a grizzled veteran with a winning record and plenty of experience. Tommy lacked an extensive amateur career and has had to gain “on the job training” in these fights. For the most part, Karpency has faired well, accumulating a record of 3W-1L-1D, included a highly disputed loss in his only nationally televised fight.
Karpency’s opponent Saturday night, Lee Fortune, will test Tommy’s development as a prize fighter. Fortune carries a record 29W-24L-2D into the ring, along with a wealth of experience and veteran savvy gained from fights with Tony Ayala Jr, Jonathan Reid, and Hall of Fame member Hector Camacho. While largely inactive recently, Fortune has compiled a record of 5W-1L in his last six fights, and should be an interesting challenge for the younger, less experienced fighter.
The light heavyweight division is loaded with aging veterans such as Bernard Hopkins, Antonio Tarver, and Roy Jones Jr. Chad Dawson has clearly staked his claim as the next great American champion, but he will need challengers. Young US based fighters such as Karpency, Chicago’s Cedric Agnew, and Brooklyn’s Jameson Bostic look to step up to that challenge. Tommy hopes to take his next step forward Saturday night.
Other fighters featured on Saturday’s card include Pittsburgh’s Jimmy Lubash, Youngtown’s Billy Lyell, and Morgantown’s Andrew Snow. Tickets are available in Morgantown at Kegler’s sports bar or at Ashebrooke Express. Call 304-290-0291 for reserve seats.