Report and Photos by Bob Ryder
Saturday night at the Seagate Convention Center promoter Vick Green (Pulse Boxing) and matchmaker Aaron Rodriguez were able to overcome some late match fallouts to still offer a four bout card to the Glass City boxing faithful that provided some thrills as well as controversy.
In the six round main event, two hometown heavyweights clashed in an attempt to settle local bragging rights.
The more polished looking Cassius Anderson started off quickly against Marquis Valentine, moving in and establishing the pattern that would prevail throughout the entire fight. Anderson would get off a punch or two before either tying up or allowing himself to fall into a clinch. Near the end of the first Anderson was able to clip Valentine with a crisp shot that scored the knockdown. Valentine rose quickly and unhurt, continued on.
The second and third rounds found Valentine able to land some sharp counter punches as Cassius lumbered in without real effect as the big fellows engaged in too much clinching and wrestling on the inside. The fourth round was much the same although it appeared that Valentine was edging ahead and taking control. As the round was ending Anderson seemed to push/shove Valentine through the ropes in Valentine’s corner, however referee Jamie Howe called it a knockdown. Marquis appeared headed for the arena floor but was held back and protected from the fall by his cornermen.
Their assistance led to an immediate disqualification ruling that left the crowd booing and Valentine and his corner incensed. To his credit Anderson (5-1, 3 KOs) did not look thrilled with the way he won. Official result is a DQ at the end of the fourth round. Valentine declined to (5-2, 2 KOs). This one warrants a rematch.
Super lightweight Raymond Castaneda from Defiance, Ohio scored a second round KO at :53 to advance to (3-0, 2 KOs). Castaneda controlled his Wilson, NC opponent Quamel McKeithan (0-3) from the start hurting him with a body shot before dropping him with a right hand for the finish.
In the fight of the night Toledo welterweights Terrance Jarmon and Elias Moreno engaged in a wild bloody brawl that had the crowd cheering. From the opening bell both went at each other. Jarmon was cut over his left eye in the first. Moreno suffered a much worse cut over his right eye in the third and for the rest of the fight bled heavily. Moreno was super aggressive but his punches were wider than the more compact and precise Jarmon’s. Moreno had a point deducted in the fourth and final round for losing his mouthpiece repeatedly which sealed the decision solidly in Jarmon’s favor as he won by scores of 40-35 and 39-36 x 2. Jarmon was making his pro debut while Moreno falls to (2-2, 1 KO).
The opening bout of the night had light heavyweights Maidel Sando of TN clashing with Scott Futrell of St. Louis, MO. Futrell boxed well for the first two rounds as Sando patiently probed for openings. In the third round Sando began to land some hard shots. The fourth and final round saw Sando really open up. Catching Futrell along the ropes, Sando was able to unload and score the KO at 2:40 to improve to (4-0, 3 KOs). Futrell drops to (2-5, 0 KOs).
