By Brad Snyder
Photos: Bob Ryder
The promoters Vi Tran and Kenny Moore successfully packed the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, Michigan, with their 12th installment of The Best of Tomorrow series by Second 2 None Promotions.
In the main event, welterweight Reggie Harris Jr. (6-0, 3 KOs) moved up and tested his skills against Amin El (5-3, 2 KOs).
After a feeling out of each other in the first round, the second round had Harris hunting El around the ring with control of the center. The third brought action, with both fighters trading blows. Yet Harris was able to land a right that connected perfectly to the right side of El’s head. El hopped right up, but acknowledged the power of Harris with a breath, like saying “good shot”. This knockdown opened the floodgates of boxing combinations from the opponents. The remainder of the six-round main event had moments that appeared as if El had Harris in trouble. But, also, there were moments showing where Harris had El in trouble, again. The fight went to the judges with all three seeing Harris win by UD (57-56, 57-56, 57-56).
Promoter Dmitry Salita told me at the weigh-ins, “You’re going to see one of the best Michigan performances this year,” referring to his fighter Ali Izmailov (6-0, 4 KOs). And Dmitry kept his word, as his fighter was able to beat down a very experienced local favorite in James Ballard (10-4, 3 KOs).
It did not take long for referee Patrick Schmidt to have seen enough. Early in the second round, Ballard found himself on the ropes and was not able to fire back. IBF #11, WBC #14 and WBO #15 light heavyweight Izmailov will move quickly up the ranks. Ballard, a durable opponent, was a great measuring stick at the potential of Ali in the future.
In a well-matched super lightweight battle, Kevin Shacks (4-5-3, 4 KOs) came back from a knockdown by a body shot in the 3rd to turn the tides and get a TKO win at the 2:27 mark of the sixth over Mark Anthony (3-3, 3 KOs). Anthony, who looked strong in the beginning, was being punched around the ring in the 6th Round. Referee Cornelius Stevenson made a great stoppage, as Anthony had no answer to the punches at the end.
Marlon Harrington (5-0, 4 KOs) knocked down middleweight Ferris Golden (1-5) twice to win by TKO in the 1st Round.
The opening bout had a good heavyweight fight. Walter Burns was able to knock down Eric Abraham in the first round. Abraham was able to time Burns coming in early in the second round. But Burns, who kept firing the right, knocked him down in the second, again. The four-round contest had Burns hanging on a thread as Abraham really hurt him. Burns held on to improve to (5-0, 4 KOs) with a UD victory (38-36, 38-36, 37-36). The tough loss has dropped Abraham to (6-10, 3 KOs).
The promoters Vi Tran and Kenny Moore successfully packed the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center with their 12th installment of The Best of Tomorrow series by Second 2 None Promotions.
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