Fights at Fenway Park - First ime in almost 70 years

As a native of Galway, Ireland. Thomas O’Toole didn’t grow up with the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park, but he’s come to appreciate what they mean to his adopted hometown.

On Saturday, he headlined the first boxing card in Fenway since 1956, winning a 10-round unanimous decision against Vaughan Alexander of St. Louis.

“It’s huge,” said the southpaw super middleweight, who improved to 14-0 (9 KOs). “I’ve learned a lot about this place, and it means a lot.”

Martha Tremblay, Joe Apice, and Mark Cardarelli scored the fight 100-90.

Alexander dropped top 19-13-2 (12).

O’Toole controlled the distance throughout the fight with his jab. Earlier in the fight, he got himself into range by pushing Alexander off him, but as the fight progressed, he kept Alexander on the end of his jab, landing occasional power shots with his left hand.

“I knew I had to bump him off early,” O’Toole said. “I had to make sure I could keep him in range. I figured it would be like that all night.”

 The last time there was boxing at Fenway Park was June 16, 1956, when former world welterweight champion Tony DeMarco outpointed Vince Martinez in a non-title 10-rounder.

Nolan Brothers Boxing, a relatively new promoter in the Boston area, put on the show, which took place in a concourse area under the bleachers in center field, keeping the fighters and crowd dry during the heavy rains that fell during the early fights.

Two-time world title challenger Abraham Niva earned a stoppage victory when German Ivan Meraz retired in his corner after the third round of a scheduled eight. 

Nova had Meraz on the canvas four times in the second round though referee Johnny Callas ruled two of them slips. Nova improved to 24-3-1 (16).Meraz dropped to 65-73-3 (41).

Jahye Brown won an eight-round unanimous decision against Khiary Gray in a junior middleweight bout. The scores were 79-72 (twice) and 77-74.

Ross Rodriguez won a six-round majority decision against Greg Bono at middleweight. The scores were 58-56, 59-55, and 57-57.

Middleweight Rico DePaolis won a six-round unanimous decision against Anthony Hines. The scores were 59-56 for DePaolis (twice) and 58-56 for Hines.

In the first female bout ever at Fenway Park, Lexi Bolduc of Hudson, New Hampshire, outpointed Sara Couillard of Montreal in a six-round bantamweight bout. The scores were 60-54 (twice) and 58-56. 

Bolduc (2-2) avenged a loss to Couilard from 2024, which was also a unanimous decision. 

“I tried not to wait (this time),” Bolduc said. “I wanted to be first and be aggressive. She was very aggressive, and I had to up my game.

Couliard dropped to 1-3.

Shaniel Rodriguez stopped Rakkm Johnson in the second round of a scheduled four-round super middleweight fight. Rodriguez dropped Johnson four times, twice in the first and twice in the second. Referee Marcel Varela stopped it at 2:01.

Heavyweight Jareed Gaines stopped Victor Hugo Costa in the fourth round of a scheduled four. Gaines knocked Costa down in the third and again in the fourth before Johnny Callas stopped the fight at 1:03.

Heavyweight Harold Roy won a four-round unanimous decision against Tracey Johnson. All three judges scored it 40-36. Johnson announced his retirement after the fight.

In the first bout of the evening, Bobby Lang stopped Anthony LeBate in the third round of a scheduled four at light heavyweight.