Duluc Registers Home Win

By Stephen Tobey:DERRY, N.H. After back-to-back decision losses on the road, Gabriel DuLuc was fighting closer to home on Saturday.

The 28-year-old from Dorchester, Mass. snapped his losing streak, stopping Larry Smith of Dallas in the fifth round of a scheduled eight-round junior middleweight bout at the Sports Zone.

“It was tough being on the road,” said DuLuc, while a friend said that he was robbed in his previous two bouts. “It feels good to win again.”

DuLuc (12-3, 3 knockouts) dropped Smith once in the fifth. With Smith’s back turned toward DuLuc, landed a left to the body, forcing Smith to a knee.

While taking his count, Smith told referee Mike Ryan “It was a good body shot.”

Smith got up and the fight continued. DuLuc landed a series of hard uppercuts with Smith on the ropes before Ryan stepped in to stop it at 1:40.

Though DuLuc was in control for the first three rounds, he picked up the pace in the fourth, landing more and more solid shots to the body.

“He was covering his head really well,” DuLuc said. “He left the body open and I targeted it.”

Smith, a former Texas welterweight champion, dropped to 10-35-1 (7).

In the co-main event, New England light heavyweight champion Richard Rivera of Hartford, Conn. stopped Randy Campbell of Bowerston, Ohio 37 seconds into the first round of a scheduled six at cruiserweight. Rivera (7-0, 6 KO s) dropped Campbell with a right hand while Campbell was in a corner. Campbell got up, but his right ankle was injured and he was unable to put any weight on it, forcing referee Leo Gerstel to stop the fight.

Campbell (3-19, 2 KOs) was carried out of the facility on a stretcher and taken to a nearby hospital with what was suspected to be a broken ankle.

Irvin Gonzalez of Worcester, Mass. the UBF All-American super featherweight champion, stopped Francisco Medel of Sonora, Mexico in the first round of a scheduled six at junior welterweight. Gonzalez (9-0, 8 K Os) dropped Medel with a left hook. Medel got up but after more body shots, Ryan stopped the fight at 1:57. Medel dropped to 12-13 (8).

Chris Traietti, the New England cruiserweight champion from Quincy, Mass., stopped James Morrow of Lafayette, Ind. in the third round of an eight-round heavyweight contest. Gerstel stopped the fight 53 seconds into the third, Traietti is now 26-4 (21); Morrow dropped to 12-23-3 (5).

Paddy McGee, a native of Ireland now living in Dorchester, Mass., won his pro debut with a first-round stopped over Bardraiel Smith of Philadelphia in a four-round junior welterweight contest.

Smith (0-3) took a knee shortly after the opening bell, before McGee could make his way across the ring. McGee landed a right hand to the head and Smith went to the mat. Smith’s corner threw in the towel. Ryan initially stopped the fight, but New Hampshire commission personnel at ringside informed Ryan that a corner could not stop a fight by throwing in the towel. The fight continued. McGee landed another punch. Smith hit the deck again and the fight was over at 1:12.

Travis Demko, a welterweight from Stoughton, Mass., won a six-round unanimous decision over Paul DeSouza of Somerville, Mass. Judges Mike Nolin, Frank Wells and Martha Tremblay scored it 60-54. Demko is 6-1 (1); DeSouza is 0-11.

Welterweight Anthony Velasquez of Springfield, Mass. knocked out Shavonte Dixon of Philadelphia in the first round of a scheduled four. Velasquez (2-0, 2 K Os) dropped Dixon twice. The second knockdown came with a right hand that put Dixon through the ropes. Ryan waved off a count at 42 seconds. Dixon dropped to 0-3.

Omar Bordoy, Jr. of Danbury, Conn. won a four-round unanimous decision against Carlos Galindo of Woburn, Mass. at junior welterweight. Wells and Tremblay scored the fight 40-35. Nolin scored it 40-36. Bordoy improved to 5-0 (1). Galindo (0-2) took everything Bordoy dished out at him and stayed on his feet until just before the final bell, when he took a knee. Galindo got up just before the final bell.

Junior middleweight Ricky Ford of Claremont, N.H. stopped Jaco Matos of Woburn, Mass. in the first round of a scheduled four. Ford (2-1-1, 1 KO) dropped Matos (0-2) twice before Ryan stopped the fight at 1:47.

Super middleweight Chris Thomas of Beachwood, N.J. stopped John Hantzopoulos of Lynn, Mass. at the end of the seconds round of a scheduled six. Hantzopoulos’ corner stopped the fight at the end of the second. Thomas improved to 8-0-1 (5); Hantzopoulos dropped to 0-2.