Matt Conway defeats Eduardo Pereira, Mary Casamassa wins again in Pittsburgh

 

Both started off patiently working behind their jab and high guard.

 

Pereira landed a clean right hand, gaining the attention of Conway before the end of the third round.  It wasn’t enough to overcome the steady work rate of Conway.  

 

 

 

There was no question as to who won the fight with all three judges scoring it 60-54.

Conway commented after the fight, "It felt great to be back in the ring in front of the hometown crowd. I felt strong and I was excited to mix it up again."

 

Look for Conway to return in the coming months.

 

In the four round co-feature, rising female junior middleweight prospect Mary Casamassa (2-0, 1 KO) stopped the durable Las Vegas native, "The Lioness" LeAnn O’Malley-Still (1-3), before the start of the final round. 

 

Formerly of Pittsburgh, PA, O’Malley-Still brought a few fans herself making for an interesting matchup between the two with contrasting styles and stance. 

 

Casamassa was sharp from the start of the fight up through the end and used their superior height and reach against her shorter opponent.

 

The left eye of O’Malley-Still was badly swollen at the end of the fight. The damage began late in the first round as Casamassa continually met the target with jabs and hooks while moving laterally away from aggressive counters and constant pressure of O’Malley-Still. 

 

The advice of the ringside physician saved O’Malley-Still further punishment and cemented Casamassa’s first knockout victory as a professional. 

 

Casamassa commented, "It felt great to get back in there so soon after my pro debut (May 7)."

 

"I’m looking forward to getting right back in there and continuing my career," said Casamassa. 

 

Casamassa came in at 151.6 lbs while O’Malley-Still weighed in even at 154 lbs. 

 

The evening began with eight amateur fights that progressively excited the crowd.  

 

Amateur results and side notes:

 

Bout 8: 

 

Miguel Francisco (Brownson House) W DQ3 over Khalil Sanders (Pittsburgh Boxing Club - Mount Washington)-150 lbs 

 

This was a very exciting, highly entertaining open level fight between two outstanding boxers. 

 

Francisco, a southpaw, fought aggressively from the start while the switch-hitting Sanders countered and picked his shots well. 

 

Sanders’ mouthpiece flew out of the ring more than once and eventually prompted a referee stoppage after a point deduction late in the third round. 

 

Sanders was the Pennsylvania Golden Glove runner-up.  Francisco, an MMA fighter as well, presents an exciting, aggressive style. 

 

Bout 7: 

 

Devon Siegfried (Ellwood City) W Unanimous DEC over Shawn Johnson (Boyce AC-PAL)-190 lbs 

 

This was a rematch from two weeks ago where Siegfried won by split decision.  

 

This one was more decisive as Siegfried, the 2022 PA Golden Glove champ, fought aggressively and looked to walk down the skillful Johnson. 

 

Johnson took a knee in the second as both traded back and forth up to this point. 

 

Siegfried kept the pressure on and finished strong. He now proceeds on to the National Golden Gloves in August in Tulsa, OK.

 

Bout 6:

 

Mike Williams (Boyce AC-PAL) W RSC2 over Christian Ortiz (Kastle Boxing-Johnstown)-201+ lbs 

 

Williams scored two knockdowns, the latter of the two prompting the stoppage late in the second rounds. 

 

Bout 5:

 

Lauren Michaels (Scorching Boxing-Altoona) W Unanimous DEC over Ashley Harner (Pittsburgh Boxing Club-Mt Washington)-132 lbs 

 

Michaels, the 2022 PA Golden Glove champ, out worked the skilled southpaw Harner over the duration. 

 

Michaels will also head to Nationals in Tulsa this August. 

 

Bout 4:

 

Kevin Burns (Youngstown, OH) W Split DEC over Tony Hozier (Butler Cubs)-147 lbs 

 

An evenly contested fight with both fighting aggressively from the start. 

 

Burns edged it out with a higher work rate. 

 

Bout 3:

 

Nathan Kalfut (Uniontown-Unattached) W Unanimous DEC over Jeffrey Howard (New Castle)-140 lbs 

 

The southpaw Kalfut was aggressive from the start and scored two knockdowns (early and late) in the fight. 

 

Howard regrouped and strategized accordingly against the southpaw look. A valiant effort. 

 

Bout 2: 

 

Emmanuel Towah (Cave Boxing) W Split DEC over Muhammad Lawsal (Southside BC)-135 lbs 

 

Towah was sharp from the start and used his feet well against the fast-handed Lawsal in a very close fight. 

 

Bout 1:

 

Cooper Matthews (Jack’s Gym) W Split DEC over Christian Joseph Jennings (Scorching Boxing-Altoona)-195 lbs Cadet 

 

Matthews started the fight aggressively and hung on despite a late surge by Jennings. 

 

Matchmaker Brian Dillon and Promoter Derek Gionta matched the fights, with the Brownson House holding the amateur sanction. 

 

Promoter Derek Gionta commented, "We had another great show in Washington, Pennsylvania at the Fairgrounds."

 

"It was nice to see Matt Conway come back and get a win. Mary is off to a nice fast start and hopefully we can keep the momentum going there."

 

"I was very pleased with the caliber of fights we made and the fans had an opportunity to see some future professionals on the undercard," said Gionta.