MASHANTUCKET, Conn. (April 1, 2011) – For the second time in a year, “Hammerin’” Hank Lundy captured a championship on national television. Now he’s ready to take on the best in the world in the lightweight division.
“Anybody at 135 [pounds] – WBA, WBC, IBF – bring ‘em on,” Lundy said Friday after beating Patrick Lopez, 99-91, 97-92, 95-94, for the vacant NABF lightweight title in the main event of ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” at the Foxwoods Resort Casino’s Fox Theater.
“‘Hammerin’ Hank don’t fight bums. I don’t run from anybody. As you saw tonight, I fight the best fighters in the world. These guys with the belts don’t want to fight anybody. What more do I have to do? I’m willing to fight anybody in the world, and I think the guys with the belts should do the same.”
Lundy’s victory highlighted Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “Coming Attractions” show, which featured the best and brightest stars in professional boxing. Providence, R.I., super middleweight Vladine Biosse (11-0, 6 KOs) scored his second win on national television with a fifth-round knockout victory over St. Louis’ Tim Connors (10-3, 7 KOs) in ESPN’s co-feature (Biosse also won on “Friday Night Fights” against Joey McCreedy in July of 2010), and hometown hero Elvin Ayala (22-5-1, 10 KOs) stopped Joey Gardner (7-2-1, 1 KO) after four rounds in a super middleweight special attraction.
As for Lundy (20-1-1, 10 KOs), Friday marked his 10th win in his last 11 fights with the last four coming on national television. Almost a year ago to the date, Lundy outlasted Tyrese Hendrix in Memphis, Tenn., for the vacant NABO lightweight title. Now he’s the reigning NABF lightweight champion with an eye on an even bigger prize.
“The champions need to fight me,” Lundy said. “Bring them to me and we’ll rumble.”
On Friday night, Lundy utilized his jab and fought a patient fight against Lopez, a former two-time Venezuelan Olympian noted for his ability to land hard shots to the body. Lundy dropped Lopez (20-4, 12 KOs) with a short right hook in the second round and dominated the middle rounds before Lopez fought back toward the end.
“I have a lot of respect for him,” Lundy said of Lopez. “One hundred and thirty-five pounds? They need to put that sucker at welterweight! I knew he’d come to fight. My plan was to utilize my jab and hit him with angle punches. When I knocked him down, I hit him with an angle punch. I’m all business. Anyone who watches ‘Hammerin’’ Hank knows I’m focused and everyone knows you can’t handle a focused ‘Hammerin’’ Hank. The world will soon see.”
The co-feature starred Biosse, a former college football player at the University of Rhode Island who kept his perfect record intact with his second knockout victory in a month.
After setting the pace in the opening round, Biosse battered Connors in the second, first scoring a knockdown on a sweeping overhand right that nearly sent Connors through the ropes, and then continuing the onslaught with four big left hands that kept Connors leery of utilizing his jab. Connors survived the third and fourth rounds, but Biosse continued to out-jab and out-work his opponent before unloading in the fifth. Biosse cracked Connors with a left hook to the head 37 seconds into in the round, sending Connors to his knees for the final time.
“You have to learn how to pick your battles,” Biosse said. “You have to be smart and be patient. I caught him in the early rounds and you could see he looked hurt. In my previous fights, you would have seen me go nuts and jump all over him.
“That can sometimes be bad, and sometimes you can put yourself in a bad position. This time, the strategy was to be smart and be patient, and pick my spots.”
Ayala was equally impressive in his win over Gardner, overwhelming his opponent with body blows until Gardner succumbed to a hard left hook to the ribcage in the fourth. Ayala dropped Gardner (7-2-1, 1 KO) twice in that round, forcing Gardner to quit on the stool before the bell sounded for the fifth. A former world-title challenger who fought 12 hard rounds against IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham in 2008, Ayala used his experience to his advantage and controlled the ring throughout the fight.
Christian Lao (1-0, 1 KO) of New Haven, Conn., opened the show with a thrilling knockout in his professional debut, dropping lightweight Theo Desjardin (0-1) of North Attleboro, Mass., with a vicious right hook to the body 1:22 into the opening round. The referee stopped the bout before Desjardin made it to his feet.
Also on the undercard, middleweight Rick Dawson (3-0, 1 KO) of New Haven returned to the ring for the first time in nearly 10 months and scored a 40-36, 40-36, 40-36 unanimous decision win over gritty veteran J.C. Peterson (1-10) of Fort Myers. Coming off his first professional victory on Feb. 4 against Ledyard, Conn., native Brian Macy, Peterson gave Dawson all he could handle, but Dawson remaining patient, doing most of his damage to the body.
In arguably the most exciting – and most difficult to judge – bout of the undercard, middleweight Greg McCoy (2-3-1, 1 KO) of New Haven and Tafari Lawton (2-1-1) of Orlando staged an epic back-and-forth battle that ended with Lawton taking home a 40-35, 39-36, 38-37 unanimous decision win. The tide turned in Lawton’s favor when he dropped McCoy midway through the third round. Bloodied and bruised, McCoy fought back, but Lawton survived the final round for his first win since his professional debut in 2008.
The night ended with an upset as Bryan Abraham (3-5-2, 3 KOs) of Schenectady, N.Y., shocked previously-unbeaten prospect Dominic DeSanto (5-1-1, 5 KOs) with a technical knockout 2:21 into the opening round of a scheduled four-round lightweight bout.
For more information on “Coming Attractions,” or any of CES’ upcoming shows, visit www.cesboxing.com.
Quick Results from Chicago
In the main Event, Super Middleweight Donovan George improves his record to 22-1-1 (19 KO’s) after he KO’s Maxell Taylor 15-3-1 (6 KO’s) in round #8 to claim the Vacant USBA title.
Undefeated Light heavyweight Sergey Kovalev 14-0 (12 KO’s) defeats Julius Fogle 15-7 (10 KO’s) via KO in 1:16 in round #2.
Fan Favorite Genaro Mendez 3-1-1 (2 KO’s) suffers his first defeat at the ends of Undefeated Junior welterweight Javier Loya 4-0 (3KO’s) via UD 39-38,38-37 & 40 X 34. Early in round 1 Loya drops Mendez twice, both time Mendez hops right up and shows no effects of the shots. Mendez comes back and looks strong the rest of the fight, judges scorecards are every place due to how close the fight truly is.
Super middleweight Joe Linenfelser 9-1-1 (7 KO’s) earns a unanimous decision over Jeremy Marts 6-11 (4KO’s)
Luis Santiago 1-0 (1 KO) making his pro debut earns a TKO victory over William Bokhart 0-5 at 2:58 of round #1
Super Featherweights Jeremias Correa 2-0 (1 KO) defeats Anthony Linenfelser 2-3 (2KO’s) all three judges are in agreement 39-37 x 3
Middleweight Ramon Valenzuela Jr 4-0 (1KO) defeats William Chouloute 1-3 (1 KO) via UD all three judges are in agreement 40-36 x 3
Demetrice King Paid In Full For Tua Fight
NEW YORK (April 2, 2011) – Heavyweight Demetrice King has been paid in full, by Gotham Boxing president Cedric Kushner, for his March 19th fight in New Zealand against David Tua. This was confirmed over the phone by King from his home in Jackson, Michigan.
“I had no reason to believe there would be any problems with the promotion given Mr. Kushner’s reputation,” King said. “However, it did cross my mind when a promoter who had scheduled the fight four months prior didn’t purchase our airline tickets until the day before our departure and take advantage of a lesser price booked in advance. When Mr. Kushner returned to the U.S., I told him that I hadn’t been paid by the local promoter, Mr. Tuigamala. Mr. Kushner told me not to worry because he’d sort things out, and guaranteed me I would get every dollar I was entitled to. That was good enough for me, even though the delay caused me and my family an inconvenience, but I knew Mr. Kushner would be true to his word and he was. I hope he can get me more fights in the future.”
King lost a 10-round decision to Tua but left New Zealand without receiving his $10,000 purse due to the insistence by the show’s promoter, Inga Tuigamala, that Kushner was responsible for paying King.
“I was just helping Mr. Tuigamala’s promotional company, Plantation Boxing Gym, in the interest of David Tua and I was not obligated in any way to pay Demetrice,” Kushner explained. “My company, Gotham Boxing, had no financial interest in the event. This unfortunate situation, for me as well as Demetrice and his family, was read by many people worldwide, unfairly projecting my company and I in a poor light. I’ve been in the entertainment business for 35 years between boxing and the rock business and a situation like this is something you would expect to see in the movies or in some other fictional form.”
Late last year, Kushner flew to New Zealand to speak with Tua about plans for his next fight. When Cedric asked David what he had in mind for the holidays, David said he wanted to stay in New Zealand to be with his family and that his friend, former New Zealand rugby player Inga Tuigamala, was promoting a small show on March 19th and he had discussed with Inga for a position for himself on the card. Subsequently, at a meeting – attended by Cedric, David and his wife, Robina, and Inga – it was agreed that David would not return to the United States to train but he would stay in New Zealand to prepare for the March 19th fight. Everyone was in complete agreement. Kushner shook hands with the principals and offered to assist them in whatever manner they required.
Inga soon asked Cedric to assist in securing Tua’s opponent at a reasonable price. Kushner made arrangements through a boxing agent for King to be Tua’s opponent and all parties signed off. Inga approved King’s requested purse, amount of rooms, airfares and other related expenses. Inga then requested that Kushner secure a signed contract as soon as possible.
Robina asked Cedric to assist in securing Tua’s opponent at a reasonable price. Then
Kushner contacted one of his agents who obtained Demetrice King and the deal was struck, subject to Tua agreeing to fight King.
Robina then asked Cedric to forward a Demetrius King-signed contract for David to sign and she could forward a fully executed copy to Maori Television, which had required a signed contract to confirm that the fight was taking place on March 19.
“I was not responsible in any way for paying Demetrice’s purse,” Kushner continued. “I’m David Tua’s promoter and whatever is in his best interest is also in my best interest. Therefore, when Robina asked me for the paperwork, I used a Gotham Boxing contract only as a template, assuming Inga would be fully responsible for all payments as the show’s promoter. I didn’t suspect anything was wrong until Inga told me hours before Demetrice was flying home that Gotham Boxing, not his company, was responsible for paying King. I was blown away. Why would I seek confirmation of his approval for all aspects of the deal – purse, airline tickets, hotel rooms, etc. – if I were paying for the fight? Why did he buy the airline tickets? I still thought he was joking. I wasn’t overly concerned until I returned to New York City and received phone calls of concern and then read numerous stories tarnishing my reputation. I paid Demetrice because I didn’t want him to get ‘stiffed,’ however; all I did was help to secure an opponent for David Tua. It’s a pity that this type of thing has to take place and the poor fighter is made to suffer, but I’m lucky we got to this dealt with.”