(MIAMI) What looked like a dismal season only four weeks ago, has suddenly turned positive for the Memphis Force as they continued their strong late season surge with another 3-2 win against the Miami Gallos in Miami Sunday night.
The Gallos were back at home this evening to take on the Force at the Fillmore Miami Beach. This would be the fourth and final time the two teams would meet in the inaugural WSB season, with the Gallos looking to even the score after dropping two out of the three matches to Memphis.
But the Force held their ground in this road test and secured their third WSB Americas victory in the last four contests. In the process, they leapfrogged Miami for third place in the conference standings with one match remaining.
This evening it was the lightweights (61 kg/134 lbs) that led off the action as Miami Gallo Adrian Martinez (Milwaukee, Wis.) took on Memphis Force boxer Yahman Phelps (Cincinnati, Ohio). Both fighters came into the bout searching for their first victory of the WSB season and it would be Phelps that would come out on top, winning 50-45, 50-45, 49-46.
The second bout of the night brought together heavyweights (91+ kg/201+ lbs) Craig Lewis (Detroit, Mich.) of the Miami Gallos and Javonta Charles (Memphis, Tenn.) of the Memphis Force. In a back-and-forth battle, it would be Charles who would eventually prevail to secure the second win of the evening for his Memphis team with a split decision, 48-47, 45-50, 48-47.
Ahmed Elbiali (Sunny Isles, Fla.) came into his light heavyweight (85 kg/187 lbs) bout against Robert Brant (St. Paul, Minn.) determined to keep the Gallos in contention for the win. It would be an uphill battle for Elbiali, as the more experienced Brant forced Elbiali to chase him around the ring. But Elbiali took his time and wore Brant down with solid punches to the head and body, getting the decision, 48-47, 48-47, 48-47.
“All day the only thing I could think about was winning,” said Gallo Ahmed Elbiali. “I had never fought Robert before, but he was a fighter I always followed because I thought he was one of the best, and I just beat the best.”
In the forth bout, bantamweight (54 kg/118 lbs) Gallo Daniel Molina (Miami, Fla.) made his WSB debut and had no small task facing 2009 amateur world champion Detelin Dalakliev (Pleven, Bulgaria). Molina came out holding nothing back, making Dalakliev fight him toe-to-toe. Both fighters would stay strong throughout, but when it was all said and done the split decision victory would go to Dalakliev, 48-47, 46-49, 48-47.
With the night’s win already secured by Memphis, Middleweights (73 kg/160 lbs) William Williams (Conyers, Ga.) and Marquis Moore (Washington, D.C.) closed out the evening with an exciting back and forth bout that had Williams come away with the win, 49-46, 49-46, 48-47. Williams now moves to 4-1 on the season.
“Going into the fight I felt the pressure to win,” said Gallo William Williams. “My opponent was very strong, but I felt very strong as well tonight and I just kept my composure throughout to get the win.”
Both teams will have a lot to say before the season’s however with the tightly-contested league title still up for grabs between Mexico City Guerreros and the Los Angeles Matadors. Those top-two teams face each other Monday night in Los Angeles. The final match for the Memphis Force comes March 16 against the Mexico City Guerreros while the Miami Gallos season finale will take place on Thursday, March 17 when they take on the Los Angeles Matadors at the Fillmore Miami Beach for a St. Patrick’s Day match highlighting Irish boxers Kenny Egan and John Joe Joyce.