Brick City Fight Night: Newark’s Best Shine on a Stacked Undercard

NEWARK, N.J.–Promoters and matchmakers are quick to take criticism in boxing but rarely receive credit when they get it right. That credit is due here. Thomas LaManna and Rising Star Promotions, in association with ProBox Promotions, built this card the right way around the core of the Brick City’s top emerging fighters.

Keith “Tsunami” Colon, 10-0, 10 KOs, Yoell “Boy Boy” Cooper, 1-0, 1 KO, and Emmanuel Chance, 4-0, 1 KO, of nearby East Orange represent the next wave out of Newark, and all three were given the kind of opportunity that many of the Brick City’s best fighters did not always get in the past. They were showcased at the premier venue in their city and, for Colon and Chance, on ProBox TV, providing exposure across the United States and beyond. If there was one notable name missing from that group, it was flyweight prospect Anthony “Big Back” Johns, 11-1, 6 KOs, but he is currently scheduled to fight back here in June.

Too often, fighters from this area are left inactive or mishandled, their careers slowed not by lack of ability, but by poor decisions behind the scenes. Whether it is a lack of resources, unwillingness to work with the right people, or simply bad judgment, the result is the same: missed opportunities and stalled momentum. In a sport where timing is everything, inactivity can be as damaging as a loss.

That is what made this card stand out. It was built with purpose. Fighters were given rounds, opportunities, and real matchups. Teaming with ProBox TV reinforced that approach, delivering a platform built on legitimate 50-50 fights, where runners, holders, and low-volume punchers are not welcome.

Undercard Highlights and Rising Stars

The ProBox TV telecast opened with a true rising star from the Brick City, as featherweight Keith “Tsunami” Colon, 10-0, 10 KOs, took center stage. The former national-level amateur once again showed why he is considered one of the area’s most promising prospects.

The 23-year-old Rutgers student was scheduled for eight rounds for only the second time in his career. Entering undefeated with all knockouts, Colon faced veteran Luis Almendarez Morales, 8-5-1, 3 KOs, of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, who had gone 5-0 with two knockouts over his previous five bouts.

Colon fought with poise and patience, breaking his opponent down before ending matters decisively at 2:38 of the first round, marking his third first-round knockout. Since making his professional debut in the same building nearly two years ago, he has consistently shown maturity, never rushing into exchanges and instead systematically breaking opponents down.

His lone bout to extend beyond three rounds came three months earlier against veteran Alberto Guevara, 28-9, 13 KOs, when Colon stopped him at 1:09 of the seventh round. Colon continues to look like a seasoned professional, using intelligent body work, level changes, and a varied attack. He remains a prospect from the Brick City well worth watching as his level of opposition increases.

In the walkout bout, longtime Newark amateur standout Yoell “Boy Boy” Cooper, 1-0, 1 KO, made his professional debut. A highly decorated amateur with extensive experience in national competition, Cooper entered to a sustained buzz and delivered, stopping Emmanuel Gonzalez, 0-4, at 1:33 of the first round.

Just 18 years old and still a high school senior, Cooper is now 1-0 with 1 KO and clearly another fighter from the Brick City to keep an eye on as he transitions into the professional ranks.

In one of the most competitive fights of the night, bantamweight Emmanuel Chance, 4-0, 1 KO, of nearby East Orange, New Jersey, (with Shakur Stevenson in the building and visibly cheering him on from ringside) opened the fight sharp against Angel Munoz, 3-3, 2 KOs. Chance took the first two rounds, scoring a knockdown midway through the second round, but the game Munoz came battling back.

At just 19 years old, Chance was fortunate to leave with his undefeated record intact. For the remainder of the fight, Munoz applied consistent pressure, forced exchanges, and made Chance uncomfortable throughout. What ultimately preserved the decision for Chance was the fact that he dropped Munoz in the second round.

After the final bell, there was some uncertainty as the scorecards were read. Judge Lynne Carter had it 58-56 for Munoz, but judges Mark Consentino and Ron McNair had it 57-56 for Chance.

From ringside, I also had Munoz winning the bout 58-56, reflecting his aggression and overall effectiveness, but I would not call it a robbery, as the judges only differed on one close round. Munoz showed enough to earn either future opportunities or avoidance, depending on who is making the decisions and with what intentions. Chance will learn from this and has unlimited potential.

Earlier in the evening, at super middleweight, Mayweather Promotions fighter Erick “The Influence” Kadar Gainous, 9-0, 6 KOs, remained undefeated when referee Ricky Gonzalez halted the bout at 2:48 of the third round against Alejandro Ibarra, 8-4, 2 KOs.

Complete Professional Results

Main Event – Middleweights (10 rounds)
Hebert Conceicao Sousa def. Johan Gonzalez, UD 10
Referee: David Fields
Judges: Lynne Carter 95-94, Ron McNair 96-93, Paul Wallace 96-93

Co-Feature – Junior Middleweights (10 rounds)
Francisco Daniel Veron def. Raul Garcia, UD 10
Referee: Ricardo Vera
Judges: Lynne Carter 97-93, Mark Consentino 98-92, and Paul Wallace 98-92

Super Featherweights (10 rounds)
William Foster III vs. Joshafat Ortiz – No Contest (3:00 of Round 3)
Stopped due to an accidental headbutt, causing a cut to Foster
Referee: Albert Earl Brown

Bantamweights (6 rounds)
Emmanuel Chance def. Angel Munoz, Split Decision 6
Referee: David Fields
Judges: Lynne Carter 56-58, Mark Consentino 57-56, and Ron McNair 57-56

Super Middleweights (6 rounds)
Erick Kadar Gainous def. Alejandro Ibarra, TKO 3 (2:48)
Referee: Ricky Gonzalez

Featherweights (8 rounds)
Keith Colon def. Luis Almendarez Morales, TKO 1 (2:38)
Referee: Ricky Gonzalez

Junior Middleweights (4 rounds)
Yoell Cooper def. Emmanuel Gonzalez, KO 1 (1:33)
Referee: David Fields

Lightweights (8 rounds)
Ofacio Falcon vs. Tackie Annan – No Contest (2:23 of Round 2)
Referee: Ricardo Vera

Super Lightweights (4 rounds)
Elijah Gonzalez def. Danny Murray, TKO 4 (1:05)
Referee: Ricardo Vera

Super Lightweights
Alex DeJesus vs. Gregory Lee – Majority Draw

Battle of the Badges

Before the professional bouts got underway, the Brick City Fight Night Series opened with the New Jersey edition of Battle of the Badges, coordinated by Legacy Boxing Club in association with Rising Star Promotions.

The opening portion of the evening featured amateur fighters, many of them first responders, who were given the rare opportunity to compete inside the Prudential Center on the same night as a nationally streamed ProBox TV card.

The results were as follows:

• Elite Male 165 lbs. – Nasir Morgan Saunders def. Alexander Ceron (Newark EMS) (RSC)
• Masters Male 187 lbs. – Khalil Jannah (Montclair Fire Department) def. Jeffrey Monticello (New Brunswick Police Department) (Unanimous Points)
• Elite Male 187 lbs. – Kyle Jordan (Somerville Police Department) def. Joseph Sulewski (Howell Police Department) (Split Points)
• Elite Male 154 lbs. – Chance Katko Kaspersky (Marine Corps) def. Kristopher Aponte (Clifton EMS) (Split Points)
• Elite Male 198+ lbs. – Evander Jackson def. Dashon Burdett (West Deptford Police Department) (Unanimous Points)
• Elite Male 165 lbs. – Elias Bernardo def. Abedallah Elaiwah (RSC)

Legacy Boxing, owned by Yessenia Montalvo, worked with LaManna and Rising Star Promotions to help make sure these amateurs had the opportunity to fight at the Prudential Center. Montalvo, who also serves as the trainer and manager of undefeated local prospect Lisandra Contreras, played a key role in making that portion of the card possible.

Contreras, who is promoted by LaManna, was originally scheduled to fight on this card, but her bout fell off, apparently due to an issue with an opponent. She will be back soon, and we look forward to seeing her in the ring locally again.

The Brick City boxing family recently lost two members of our boxing family, coaches Tim Wilson and Anthony Carr, “Antlo.” Both were respected figures in the local scene as trainers and as men, and their presence will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families.