Gonzalez, 13-4 (9), landed the occasional jab/left cross combination (both fighters were southpaws), but O’Connor’s punches landed with more force.
“He was a tough opponent,” said O’Connor. “His punches were kind of looping, so I tried to land down the middle. I wanted to go to the body and slow him down. I work hard on my jab and everything works off it.”
Former U.S. Boxing Association junior featherweight champion Jason Pires of New Bedford, Mass. and John Revish of Gold Meadow, La. fought to a six-round majority draw at welterweight.
Revish, 10-1-2, (8), knocked Pires down twice in the second round with right hands. Pires battled back to rock Revish in the later rounds, causing Revish to bleed from his nose by the end of the fourth and staggering him in the sixth. Robert Paolino and Walter Stone scored it 56-56 and Glenn Feldman scored it 56-55 for Revish.
The 35-year-old Pires, 22-3-1 (9), was an alternate on the 1996 U.S. Olympic team and Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s roommate.
“I’m a slow starter,” Pires said. “He’s a true warrior. I’d like to do it again, but at eight or 10 rounds.”
This was Pires’ first fight since March 6, 2009 and just his third since a ninth-round stoppage loss to Rocky Juarez in 2003.
“Rocky Juarez was the only one who had any pop at that weight,” Pires said. “I feel strong here. [Revish] was quick and he was a good counterpuncher.”
Revish, a two-time national amateur champion, went six rounds for just the second time in his career. He is trained by former World Junior Featherweight Champion Kennedy McKinney.
“I felt like I could have done a little more,” said the 26-year-old Revish. “I was trying to finish him and that’s always a mistake. You want to let the knockout come to you. I got a little impatient. He felt like he was heavier and that surprised me. I didn’t expect him to be that strong. I’d love to fight him again when I’m in better shape.”
Female junior welterweight Jaime Clampitt of Warwick, R.I. won a six-round majority decision against Jill Emery of New York. The scores were 59-55 (twice) and 57-57. Clampitt is now 21-4-1 (7); Emery is 9-3 (3).
Middleweights Joe McCreedy of Lowell, Mass. and Dhafir Smith of Upper Darby, Pa. fought to a six-round draw. Stone scored it 59-56 for McCreedy. Feldman scored it 59-55 for Smith and Steve Schultz scored it 57-57. McCreedy is now 11-4-2 (6) with one no-contest; Smith is 22-19-7 (4).
Heavyweight Jessie Barboza of Barnstable, Mass. knocked out debuting Richard Mason of Long Island, N.Y. in the second round of a scheduled four. Barboza, 3-0 (3), dropped Mason with a right uppercut. Danny Schiavonne reached the count of 10 at 1:45.
Sean Eklund of Lowell, Mass. avenged an earlier loss to Eddie Soto of Pawtucket, R.I. with a six-round unanimous decision. Eklund won the Eastern Boxing Association New England super lightweight title with scores of 58-55 (twice) and 59-55. Eklund, 7-4 (1), dropped Soto in the fifth round with a right hook to the body. Soto dropped to 12-1 (4). Last February, Soto won a six-round split decision against Eklund.
Super middleweight Keith Kozlin of Warwick, R.I. stopped Roberto Burgess of Philadelphia at 1:59 of the first round in scheduled four. Kozlin, 5-0 (3), dropped Burgess twice before referee Charlie Dwyer stopped the fight without a count. Burgess is now 4-3 (2).
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