Rello all blood & guts
Golden in 165 victory
THE 90TH Daily News Golden Gloves came to the world’s most famous gym Wednesday night. Week 2 of the tournament, sponsored by Grotta Azzura Restaurant, began at Gleason’s in Brooklyn, as the 114-pound novice and 165-pound open weight classes swung into action.
The third bout of the night was a bloody one as Paul Rello (Westbury PAL) defeated Daniel Martinez (Sweat Box BC) in a 165-pound novice scrap in front of a standing-room-only audience that included former two-time winners Junior (Posion) Jones and Carlos Ortiz.
“I got the win but this guy put some great pressure on me,” Rello, 25, of Hicksville, L.I., said after the Colony Pest Bout of the Night. “I felt like I won, but it could have gone any way.”
From the opening bell, Rello and Martinez went toe-to-toe in the center of the ring. Rello drew first blood with a looping counter-right that staggered Martinez.
“Coming in, I’m young, my first Golden Gloves,” the 17-year old Martinez said. “I knew I was gonna fight bigger and older dudes, so I knew I had to go with pressure.”
In the second and third round, Martinez, bleeding profusely from his nose, turned the heat up. But Rello never took a step back and won unanimously in a crowd pleaser.
In the 114-pound action, with only five of the nine participants showing up, Gerardo Vazquez (Rustam’s BC) defeated Deo Guyadin (Gleason’s Gym), 4-1. Vazquez showed nice defense, slipping the fast and busy hands of Guyadin. His sharp counter punching won the bout, making this a quarterfinal round victory for the blue corner.
In other 165-pound action, Joshua Peters (Green Fitness BC) defeated Jallot Abdoulaye (Starrett City BC), 4-1. Peters used his distance well in an easy victory.
The Golden Gloves continue 7:30 tonight at NY Athletic Club in Manhattan in a private event.