Zola Saves the Day; Loses the Fight
by Stephen Tobey (April 19, 2003)
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BOSTON, April 18 – Shaun Creegan needed an opponent and the Pendarvis Boxing promotion at the Strand Theater needed a ring. Rich Zola of Brimfield, Mass. delivered on both accounts, filling in for Shannon Miller in the main event of Friday night’s card and supplying, putting together and taking down the ring that was used in the evening’s fights.
In the fight itself, Creegan won the six-round super middleweight bout by unanimous decision. Robert Kaprielian and Nadine Miller scored the bout 59-53, while Ray Delicio scored it 60-54. Referee Ed Fitzgerald took one point from Zola in the sixth round for holding.
“The guy was holding all night,” said Creegan, of Plainville, Mass. “You really wonder what the judges see.”
Creegan (16-2-3, 2 knockouts) was the more active of the two fighters. As the fight continued, Zola (3-22-2, 1 KO) tired and began to hold. In the fourth round, Creegan was cut over the right eye after an accidental head butt.
The fighters exchanged almost as many words as punches in the final round and their argument continued after the final bell, with Creegan yelling at Zola for calling him “a sissy.”
In 1998, Creegan won a four-round decision over Zola when they were junior middleweights.
“Back then, he was very tough,” said Creegan. “He punches about the same, but he’s a lot dirtier now.”
In January, Creegan fought former world title challenger Ross Thompson to a six-round draw.
In another rematch, Jason LeHoulier stopped Tommy Attardo with one second remaining in their six-round middleweight bout. LeHoulier, of Portland, Maine, punished Attardo with hard body punches throughout the fight. In the final round, LeHoulier (6-0, 5 KOs) dropped the South Boston fighter with an overhand right. Attardo got up, but was still on shaky legs, causing referee Paul Wedge to stop the fight.
In November, LeHoulier won a much more competitive six-round decision over Attardo. The 34-year-old Attardo dropped to 10-13-1 (2 KOs). Before his first fight with LeHoulier, he was stopped in four rounds by welterweight prospect Anthony Thompson. Attardo also has losses to Jose Rivera, Jeff Lacey, Yuri Foreman and Peter Manfredo on his record.
Heavyweights Billy Mofford of Randolph, Mass. and Willis Lockett of Takoma Park, Md. Fought to a four-round majority draw. Kaprielian and Miller scored it 38-38 and Delicio scored it 39-37 for Lockett 3-0-3 (1 KO). Mofford is now 4-1-2 (1 KO).
Martin Thornton of South Boston stopped Manny Teo of Hudson, Mass. in the second round of a scheduled four-round middleweight contest. Thornton is now 5-0 (2 KOs); Teo is 4-13 (3 KOs).
Chris Tillman of South Boston TKO’d Philadelphia’s Ronek Ross in the second round of a cruiserweight bout. Tillman is now 3-0, Ross, 0-11.
Debuting junior welterweight Alex Infante of Haverhill, Mass. out-pointed Angelo Smith of Philadelphia over four rounds. The scores were 40-35, 40-34 and 39-38. Smith, who dropped to 0-9, went the distance for the first time in his career.
Junior middleweight Bobby McAndrews of Hudson, Mass. knocked out Bilai Burns of Philadelphia at 1:42 of the first round. McAndrews is now 2-2-1 (2 KOs); Burns is 0-3.
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