By Kurt Wolfheimer at ringside
Photos: Darryl Cobb Jr.

Rising Star Promotions put together a big night of professional Boxing at the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, featuring the return of Tommy “Cornflake” Lamanna (27-2-1, 9 KOs) against thirty-seven fight veteran Carlos Garcia Hernandez. Unfortunately, the fight was cancelled when Garcia Hernandez failed to meet New Jersey Athletic Commission medical requirements. Rising Star Promotions would not let the fans down though and presented an entertaining five bout card.

In the main bout of the evening, undefeated bantamweight Ry’shine Collins (3-0, 2 KOs) was taken to the limit, but squeaked out a four round split decision victory over Antonio Lucaine (0-1).

The spotlight was on Ry’shine Collins, a fan favorite, who in just his third fight was thrust into the main event of the evening against Antonio Lucaine, who was making his professional debut.

Collins tried to set the tone early in the opening round with a few left jabs and movement, Lucaine seemed to gain more confidence as each minute passed and threw a few wide combinations late.

Lucaine’s corner screamed at him to push the attack and he did, rushing out of the corner and was wailing away. Collins tried to back him off with jabs and movement, but Lucaine kept advancing even though he was taking some punishment as while fighting on the inside.

Collins seemed to settle back a rhythm late in the third round as he picked his spots and circled behind a few hard-right hands and two punch combinations behind the jabs.

The fight appeared to be hanging in the balance in the fourth and final round and both fighters showed it right from the opening bell, going toe-to-toe. Lucaine would not be stopped by the wide but many arm punches. Collins threw less, but found his mark with the harder and cleaner shots.

The fight went to the scorecards. One judge saw the bout in favor of Antonio Lucaine 39-37, but was overruled by the other two officials who had it 39-37 and 40-36 for the split decision winner, Ryshine Collins.

Zack “The Kid” Dubnoff (3-0, 2 KOs) out boxed a wild swinging Davonn Boone (0-1) over four rounds to capture a workmanlike unanimous decision victory. Dubnoff set the pace right from the opening bell, as he used his jabs to set up his combinations. Boone was on the defensive, but threw a big overhand shot up top that set the crowd into an uproar.

Boone had his moments throughout the final three rounds as some of his big haymakers landed flush However, it was Dubnoff that pushed the fight with enough work that Boone just couldn’t match. All three judges saw it in favor of Dubnoff by scores of 40-36 x 2 and 39-37 respectively for the clear-cut unanimous decision victory

Bantamweight sensation Josue “The Flash´Rosa (3-0, 2 KOs) continued his winning way with a solid four round unanimous decision victory over Steven “Weapon X” Lopez (0-4). Rosa stunned Lopez in the first with an over hand right and followed up with a big three punch combination at the bell. Lopez was game, but Rosa controlled rounds 2 through 4 with sharp combinations en-route to the four round unanimous decision victory by scores of 40-36 x 2 and 39-37.

Local middleweight Robert ”Tiger” Terry (4-0) easily captured a one sided four round unanimous decision over an outclassed veteran Bryan Goldsby (5-13) by scores of 40-36 x 2 and 40-35 respectively.

In the opening bout of the evening, the former WBO youth super welterweight champion Nikita Miroshnichenko (11-0, 3 KOs) won an action packed six round unanimous decision over middleweight Jordan Rosario (3-9).

Miroshnichenko targeted the body in the opening two rounds, Rosario made the rounds hard to call as he caught the Russian with counters up top that snapped his head back. The body work withered a game Rosario and by the fifth round Miroshnichenko was battering him from post to post. Rosario covered, but would just not go down. The work from the previous rounds tired Miroshnichenko in the sixth and final round. Rosario found his mark with a couple of bombs, but the Russian gained his second wind and boxed his way until the final bell. All three judges had the bout in favor of Miroschnichenko by scores of 60-54, 59-54 and 58-56 for the well-deserved, six round unanimous decision victory.

Former world heavyweight champion ”Terrible” Tim Witherspoon and “Merciless” Rey Mercer were on hand to take in the action.

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