Hector Camacho Jr. wins comeback fight

Despite an intense media blitz surrounding the appearance of international star Hector Camacho Jr, the show filled only about half the house of 800. But once again it was made available on HighterThan7 ‘netcast. Nino DelBuono was ring announcer while Fenton Lemmon counted the final 10 for Harold Lederman and Bert Cooper.

It takes two to make a good fight but unfortunately only one showed up for the main event between Camacho Jr, 169 ½, Quitman, TX, 59-7-1 (33), and Victor “El Pollito” Abreu, 161 ¾, La Romana, DR, 9-6 (5), scheduled eight. Fighters often fail to live up to menacing nicknames bestowed on them by publicists, but this was an inopportune time for the “Little Chicken” to prove to be just that. After some preliminary rat-a-tat, the southpaw favorite fired a booming left to the ribs. The Little Chicken went fluttering straight back, knees folded him to a sitting position, and he sat there grinning and made no attempt to rise as “The Arthur Mercante of Delaware”, Vic de Wysocki, counted him out. Had he done this about six miles to the north, in Pennsylvania, he’d have likely had his purse held. But Delaware has no commission, the Alabama commission graciously ran the show, and will likely prove more forgiving.

The major ticket seller, 45-year-old Stefan “The Freak” Talabisco, 270 ¼, Elsmere, 4-0 (4), faced a sacrificial opponent whose fake ring name was longer than his talent, Machiavelli “Polydeuces” Siberius, 213 ¼, Parkersburg, WV, 0-6, scheduled four. Entertaining while it lasted but far more a wrestling match than boxing. The southpaw Talabisco exploded out at the bell and threw his bulk on the hapless shmoo, who hadn’t the strength to stand up to it. Leaning forward with both hands pumping push-punches, the favorite muscled the underdog to his (Talabisco’s) own corner and literally clobbered him down. With nowhere to go and unable to fight his way out, Siberius sank like the Titanic and de Wysocki counted him out, at 1:45 of round one. The fans loved it!

Ironically, the only upset in ten bouts came against one of the better local prospects, Vinnie “Hollywood” Kirkley, 146 ¾, New Castle, 3-1 (3), in a four with Steven Pulluaim, 145 ¼, KC, MO, 3-1 (1). In a range-finder first, the stalking Kirkley found himself in trouble against the towering visitor’s height and long reach. Pulliam was the only one punching. The two banged heads at the start of the second as Kirkley tried to cut down the distance, bothering Pulluaim. The visitor fought less and circled more, letting Vinnie into the fight. They were showing each other too much respect in a tame third, with Pulluaim’s long punches scoring enough. Action increased a notch in the final round as Kirkley let his hands go more while trying to turn it around and may have edged the round. In many crummy venues, this would have been stolen. But not here. Dorothea Perry, visiting judge from NY and VA, scored 39-37, Gail Jasper and Rose Vargas (Lacend) 40-36, unanimous for Pulluaim.

Another young talent did well, as David Stevens, 192 ¼, Reading, 2-0 (1), hammered out a unanimous decision over Kwame “Boot the Boxer” Benson, 196, Concord, NC, 0-2, in a good four. Well, he didn’t give Kwame the boot, but David dropped him in the second with a sharp right counter coming out of an exchange. Benson was bombarded but stood up gamely and got out of it. Stevens then mounted a second charge to the bell. David had Kwame on the hook again in the third. Action moved from mid range to inside, with some rugged exchanging until a short left hook buckled Kwame’s knees and nearly dropped him again. But again he fought his way out under punishment. The final round was solid trading by both, with the stocky favorite firing short hooks with both hands out of a shallow stance. All 40-35.

A third local hopeful just escaped but showed ring generalship, as David “One-Two” Murray, 174 ½, Wilmington, 9-2-1 (6), grabbed the brass ring to beat Andre Espeut, 174 ½, Iowa City, IA, 5-8 (4), in a good, tight four. Despite the final scores, the underdog won the first with a muscular attack while the favorite circled wide and nearly conceded the round. Espeut started the second ambitiously, but his attack was too much muscle and not enough execution, as he threw punches wide and expended energy. Murray got into his rhythm, popping as he circled, and edged a close round. The fight went to closer quarters in the third, with Murray’s short, inside punches commanding. The final round was back at long range, with the favorite picking his punches well against the tiring underdog. All scores 40-36.

A dreadful four between popular Brandon Mullins, 160, Newark, DE, 5-0 (2), and crafty veteran Dontre King, 157 ¾, Cambridge, MD, 7-21-2 (3), thoroughly entertained despite being a nightmare of execution. The compact King tried to bore inside, but was far better at tying up and wrestling than at inside punching. The strong and much bigger favorite tried his best to shorten up his punches, landing enough to win handily, but engaging in an excess of grappling and general unorthodoxy in the process. As early as the first, referee Eddie Claudio, out of NY, cautioned them both for wrestling, then King for rabbit punching and holding. Dontre then tried to compensate by closing the round with grandstanding and taunting Mullins to come on and fight. The ridiculousness climaxed in the second with Mullins vigorously trying to shake off the clutching King, sidestepping and tossing him face first through the ropes. Slumped over the strands with his rear end an inviting target proved too much for Brandon and he took a ridiculous cheap shot at Dontre’s gluteus maximus, a punch you won’t see again in a light year. Making the most of it, King sprawled on his back on the canvas, writhing in feigned agony, while Claudio took Brandon aside and bawled him out. With the escapade finally over, Mullins bailed out and pounded Dontre to the bell. In the third, King was fighting out of a shell and Mullins ripping him underneath like he was digging clams out of the sand. Claudio finally issued a penalty, on King for holding the ropes for leverage. And so it went the distance, a poorly conducted but physically rugged contest that thoroughly delighted the crowd. All scores 40-35 for Mullins, of course.

Justin Riley, 138 ¼, Wilm., 1-1-1, met Hakim Smith, 138 ½, Phila., 1-2-1, in a rematch of their draw on the last show here. This proved a somewhat ragged but reasonably good and competitive four. The southpaw visitor came out ambitiously in the first, fighting out of an odd deep stance with long lefts to the body. Riley was buffaloed at the outset, but got into the fight as Hakim quickly lost steam switched ortho, and began boxing defensively in the second. A long delay for the doctor preceded the third, as Smith’s odd prancing style cast a suspicion of leg injury. But he was exhausted and just buying time. Hakim finally answered the bell and although he looked out of gas, managed to jive his way through the two remaining rounds that reasonably entertained the fans. Riley got the decision, all 39-37.

Maurice Horne, 177 ¼, Middletown, DE, 5-0 (5), easily polished off hopeless Leon DeShields, 175 ¾, Phila., 0-6, in a scheduled four. The southpaw favorite quickly dropped DeShields with a crushing right to the ribs. Outgunned and too small against his rangy tormentor, Leon went down twice more by way of escape from glancing punches and de Wysocki pulled the plug, TKO at 1:31, round one.

Debuting Taylor Krahl, 175 ½, Ft Lauderdale, blasted out hopelessly outgunned Dameron Kirby, 175 ¼, Annapolis Jct, MD, 0-4, in three minutes of the second of four. After some good mixing in the first, Krahl nailed down the round by dropping Kirby with a right late in the session. In the second, the tall and rangy Krahl dug a left to the body to drop Kirby again and after some sparring, decoyed the left and nailed him with a crushing right for a third flooring. Dameron got up but showed no resolve and Claudio called it off.

Milton Jeremias, 131 ½, Porto, Portugal, and billed as Portuguese amateur champion, debuted against hapless southpaw Nyrome Lynch, 133 ¾, Phila., 0-5, in a scheduled four. Nyrome circled wide but was too small against the tall, rangy Jeremias, and gaining distance did him no good.

When Nyrome began clutching desperately in the second, referee Claudio penalized him. Milton took advantage of the opportunity and poured it on with both hands until Claudio stopped it, at 1:09.