GHOSTBUSTED
Jack Hirsch watches ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero get blasted out in one-sided fashion
SOMETIMES the business of boxing makes absolutely no sense. On an evening where the newly renovated Nassau Coliseum was hosting boxing for the first time in 31 years, Long Island’s most popular fighter Joe Smith Jnr was fighting in California and Californian Robert Guerrero was heading the bill here. Both sure could have used some home cooking, not that it would have made any difference in the case of Guerrero who was dropped five times and halted at 1-34 of the third round by Texan Omar Figueroa. It was scheduled for 10.
Figueroa, returning to the ring after a 19-month layoff due to hand problems, appeared to punch harder than ever before. After a slow opening round in which Figueroa was forced to the ropes and on the defensive, he lashed out with a right uppercut in the second that dropped and badly hurt Guerrero. The carnage was then on. Guerrero would go down three times in the round, then twice more in the third. It was stopped after Guerrero touched down from a body blow. Some criticised referee Ron Lipton for not halting it earlier, but considering that Guerrero fought back hard after the first four knockdowns we had no problem with the timing of the referee’s intervention.
Despite his devastating performance, Figueroa plans to drop back down to the super-lightweight division where he won’t be at such a size disadvantage. As for Guerrero, who was stopped for the first time in his career, there is no viable alternative to retiring. He has endured substantial punishment in recent fights. The risk of continuing his career is clearly no longer worth it. Seanie Monaghan’s first career setback at the hands of Staten Island’s Marcus Browne magnified just how carefully he had been groomed in his previous 28 fights. Understandably Monaghan’s camp had limited options when his proposed title fight with WBC light-heavyweight champion Adonois Stevenson fell through, but pairing him with Browne was not stellar matchmaking. Monaghan was not expected to win against the 2012 USA Olympian, but the manner in which he was outclassed is disastrous for his career going forward.
A straight left from Southpaw Browne dropped the popular Long Beach fighter in the first round of their scheduled 10. It might have ended in that round had Monaghan not been given a reprieve from a low blow.
In the second a right hook to the ear forced Monaghan to lose his equilibrium and fall back to the ropes. Browne attacked and Monaghan was too shaken to fight back, prompting referee Steve Willis to stop it at 40 seconds of the round. The story of the fight really should be about Browne coming into his own as a special fighter, but you have to feel for Seanie and his large group of supporters who had turned out in force.
Looks can sometimes be deceiving.
Artur Szpilka looked much more finetoned than opponent Adam Kownacki. Yet it was Kownacki who had the greater drive and energy level, stopping Szpilka at 1-37 of the fourth round of 10.
Of the 7,942 in attendance at this PBC promotion, a good many were Polish fans on hand to cheer for their countrymen, heavyweights Szpilka and Kownacki. They made themselves heard and doubtless spurred the aggressive Kownacki on. The fans support withstanding, Kownacki felt a sense of urgency by the third round when his left eye became badly cut. He started to walk Szpilka down and dropped him with a barrage of blows in the fourth. The Pole got up but was driven back by head-snapping blows before referee Arthur Mercante Jnr stepped in. Considering that Szpilka lasted longer and was more competitive against Deontay Wilder, Kownacki’s showing was impressive.
A wonderfully fought contest saw Long Islander Patrick Day win a unanimous 10-round decision over Texan
Eric Walker. Walker, who was unbeaten going in, was dropped in the fourth, cut, and well behind when he mounted a charge to tighten things up on the scorecards. However Day, who has never looked better, had an early cushion to win by scores of 96-93 twice and 95-94.
Minnesota’s Jamal James boxed well early and late, holding off Montreal’s
Jo Jo Dan’s middle-rounds surge. James won a unanimous 10-round decision that was scored 99-91, 98-92, and 97-93.