By Lou McLaughlin: I’ve been a boxing fan since the 70’s going back to Wide World of Sports with Howard Cosell and championship fights broadcast at the dinner hour. Main Events and Peltz Boxing put together an excellent telecast on NBC Sports Program this past Saturday January 21st.
Everything was just enough. The bouts consisted of a 10 round, a 6 round, and a 10 rounder for the Pennsylvania Heavyweight championship. The program started at 9 P.M. ended a bit past 11. Many of the major cable Net works don’t start a program until past 10 with the Main Event sometime close to midnight. I’ve watched many a Pay for View that had as many as four 10 round preliminary bouts of dubious quality before putting on the main event. The addition of boxer B.J. Flores and former boxer and renowned trainer Freddie Roach as commentators giving input as boxing professionals to the ring action. There was just enough filler material between bouts as to the program’s fighter’s history and thoughts on their upcoming bouts.
The fights were competitive and entertaining. The opening junior middleweight ten rounder between Jesus Soto-Karass and Gabe Rosado resulted in referee Steve Smoger stopping the fight at 2:06 of round 5. From round two on Rosado dominated with body to head attacks. By the 4th Round Smoger was looking hard at Soto-Karass who was bleeding from an eye cut and the nose. In the 5th with could not miss upper cuts from Rosado and little offense from Soto-Karass and Smoger did a timely stoppage.
A six round Light Heavyweight bout between Damar Singleton and Sullivan Barrera followed. Singleton had the longer reach at 78 “. But Singleton was just not able to pull the trigger. And it was Barrera with the shorter reach of 73” who had no trouble finding his target winning a unanimous decision with scoring of 59-55 and 60-54 twice.
The main event ten rounds for the vacant Pennsylvania Heavyweight title was between two undefeated fighters Byrant Jennings and Maurice Byarm putting their “0” on the line. Jennings opened very aggressively. By round three Byarm was on the ropes a lot and from round four on Jennings was outfighting him. Jennings went on to win a unanimous decision with scores of 97-93 and 96-94 twice. A trivia side note Byarm’s father Lionel fought Evander Holyfield in Holyfield ‘s pro debut in 1984.
Main Events has more bouts planned this year on NBC Sports. If next programs are as well put together as this Saturday’s it will bring joy to the boxing fan and entice 1st time fans.