Good
Crowd, Sparse Action at Bert's Warehouse
Posted: June 7, 2008
by Lindy Lindell
Five summers
ago, I was the matchmaker for a show in Taylor, Michigan. I made
the matches top to bottom. The show bombed, an artistic and financial
failure. That I was fired was largely justified. There were complications
beyond my control then and I have shied away from getting licensed
as a matchmaker since because the situation has so badly worsened
that I no longer think it is possible to account for 14 boxers to
make seven (reasonably entertaining) fights involving the budgetary
constraints necessary in the putting together of a club show boxing
card.
Two local groups are attempting to put on monthly shows in the metro
Detroit area. Both are proceeding correctly by having low-key main
events--that is to say, inexpensive fights of no more than eight
rounds. Both, too, are going with the format of having pro-am cards,
a good idea, I believe, though some purists like John Brown believe
that having amateur fights mixed with the pros only cheapens the
pros. Having amateurs on the same program with the pros is pretty
much a necessity for a promoter in Michigan if that promoter is
desirous of giving the folks who attend their moneysworth.
Heavyhitter Promotions is biting the bullet this month (June 20)
by scheduling seven pro bouts and junking, at least for the present,
the amateurs. Last night, Undisputed Promotions had planned ten
amateur contests and four pro bouts, with Aaron Pryor, Jr., in the
eight-round main go against a credible opponent, Anatoly Dudchenko.
One of the
pro bouts looked iffy two days before the fight, but things looked
generally good according to promoter Rubin Stovall and Kronk trainer
Javon Hill, who is at least partially involved with the matchmaking.
Then things fell apart. I was phoned the day before the fight and
told that there would be no professional bouts.
The night of the fight, I discovered that the amateur side of the
card was also ravaged by fallouts. The announcer kept it positive,
incorrectly blaring to the crowd that "extra" amateur
fights were added to presumably make up for the junking of the pro
bouts.
The bouts themselves were, overall, just fair. Ironically, the final
bout, between two Kronk junior-middleweight boxers was the best
bout of the night: Leandre White and Raymond Harris, fought in spirited
fashion, slugging away until the final bell--thus breaking the pall
of the dull and clinch-ridden contests that preceded. Disappointing
was
the clash between Kronk's J'Leon Love and Canadian Lucas Welniak;
they had scrapped in an entertaining bout in the same venue just
a month before, but on this night their styles did not mix and the
referee spent much of the bout untying their clinches. For the
record, Love won both fights.
The good news is that the show was well attended and that promoter
Stovall has strung together three shows in successive months. I
don't think that has been done in many years.
Results:
Bruce Martin, 114, Coleman Young, W3 Jordan Rutland, 112, Motown.
Darin Lawson, 112, Flint, W3 Ronnie Austion, 114, Kronk.
Brandon Colston, 152, Elite W3 Anthony Barnes, Kronk, 160, Kronk.
J'Leon Love, 173, Kronk, W3 Lucas Welniak, 172, Border City.
Leandre White, 152, Kronk, W3 Raymond Harris, 157, Kronk.
|
|
