Fight night at FedEx Forum
Lester “Big Daddy” Macro got a nice surprise before Saturday night’s championship boxing card at FedEx Forum. Then he got the dream of a lifetime.
Macro, a 69-year-old who has been blind since his 20s, got to hold and be photographed with one of the American Boxing Federation’s new championship belts that would be awarded later in the evening.
Minutes later, he was cheering his heart out as grandson Macro Hall Jr. won his pro debut with a third-round TKO of Demario Brent of Washington, D.C., in the night’s opening bout.
And the emotionally charged victor pointed to his grandfather and said, “He’s my life, my everything. I owe him everything.”
Big Daddy savored the victory hug with his grandson as much as he did holding the title belt, and dreamed about what might happen one day.
“Macro’s been working towards this moment for 10 years,” he said of his 23year-old grandson. “We knew he could do it.”
Oh, sure “Vicious” Vivian Harris got his Big Payback, as championship boxing returned to FedEx Forum for the first time in a decade Saturday night, turning the tables on DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley of Washington in a 12-round rematch.
He got the fur-lined ABF Continental Americas super welterweight belt – his first since holding the World Boxing Association Super Lightweight belt from 2002-05.
But it was an action-filled undercard that energized and entertained a crowd of 2,500-3,000 spectators – in particu-
Pete Wickham
lar a stunning 3-0 performance by Hall and two other local fighters, who were never known as anything but underdogs.
“And it gives an entirely new hook the next card that’s held here. A great local hook,” ABF President Jeremy Lantz said.
Hall withstood an early flurry from Brent in the first round, then had his way against a tired foe.
It was much the same script for Memphis heavyweight Grover Young (13-25-1), who took control of his fight against Javonta Charles of North Las Vegas, who had started his pro career with four straight knockouts but who couldn’t overcome a 40-pound edge to the beefy Young — though not as beefy as a month ago.
“I was at 269 when I started training for this fight,” said Young, 0-10-2 since his last win in 2015. “Gave up on trainers I had but then I found Lamario (Lewis at Fitness Edge) and I’ve recommitted.”
And West Memphian Donald Ward (10-7-1) walked out of FedEx Forum with the ABF USA Mid-America Super Middleweight belt after a convincing eightround decision over Charvis Holifield (7-3-1), one of three fighters on the card managed by undefeated world champ Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s promotion company.
“I’m the guy who’s supposed to lose,” said Ward, who figured out in the first round that Holifield didn’t have a match for his speed. Now … I’m a champion, and who knows what can come next.”
Lewis worked the corner for Ward on Saturday but said, “He did the work on his own (after losing a last-round February knockout in Houston). Having the opportunity to fight here was also a powerful incentive.”
Fans got a six-round show from fivetime world champion Ava Knight, who returned from a two-year absence with a decision. And a dominating knockout performance by Las Vegas fighter Lavelle Bellows over Lamar Harris of St. Louis, a decisive answer to their trashtalking/shoving match at weigh-in. The wins earned Knight and Bellows – both Mayweather fighters – ABF belts for their resume.
By contrast, the 12-round main event between Harris, a 40-year-old native of Guyana, and the 44-year-old Corley, was a tactical, often tentative, and reminded several fans that it was near midnight and time for bed.
Harris (33-12-2), who seemed to get the judges’ lean after landing a right and a good flurry on Corley (51-31-1) in the third round, said he was happy to get the rematch against Corley, a former world champ who won their May 2017 match by decision in Raleigh, N.C. Vivian Harris, Brooklyn, New York (33-12-2) def. Demarcus Corley, Washington, D.C. (51-31-1), 12-round unanimous decision — won American Boxing Federation Continental Americas Super Welterweight title Lavelle Bellows, Las Vegas (18-2-2), def. Lamar Harris, St. Louis (9-16-2), TKO, 48 seconds into fourth round of scheduled eight-rounder — won ABF USA Super Middleweight title Donald Ward, West Memphis (10-7-1) def. Charvis Holifield, Fremont, Ohio (7-3-1), 8-round unanimous decision — won ABF USA Mid-America Middleweight title Ava Knight, Chico, California (15-2-4) def. Leesa Daniels, Austin, Texas (1-3), 6round unanimous decision — won ABF USA Female Bantamweight title Grover Young, Memphis (13-25-3) def. Javonta Charles, N. Las Vegas (4-1), TKO :40 of fourth round, heavyweights Macro Hall Jr., Memphis (1-0) def. Demario Brent (1-1), Washington, D.C., TKO :51 of third round, welterweights
“I’m grateful to Lank (promoter Langston Hampton Jr.) calling to offer me a rematch I didn’t think I’d get,” said Harris, who said he was able to slip his right hand in more effectively over southpaw Corley’s left-hand punches. “And the people in this city, I love 100 percent. They have been nothing but friendly and welcoming. You never know when you fight in a new place, but this was a blessing.”
Hampton’s reaction to his first hometown promotion will have to wait for another day. After the bouts his job got much tougher. Mayweather, whose organization helped put together the fight card, flew into town just before a postfight party at Cook Convention Center. He parked himself behind a flank of security guards in one corner of the earpounding music stage while a couple of hundred guests swirled around.
Hampton spent the next two hours playing buffer/maitre d’ to the line of partygoers – letting through a limited number of folks to take photos with Mayweather, who refused interview requests from local media. One of the photos was with Corley, who lost a decision to “Money” in 2004.