By Boxing Bob Newman

In the main event of Christy Martin’s sold-out show at the Crown Reef Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, New Orleans lightweight Jeremy Hill took out Colombian Deivi Julio Bassa with a four-knockdown beating. Dropping Bassa twice in round two and twice more in the fourth, prompted referee Bill Clancy to halt matters at 2:09 of the round. Hill was coming off his first career loss in March, while Bassa was coming off a recent win in March. Julio Bassa showed excellent ring genetics as he is related to former Colombian world champions Jorge Eliecer Julio and Fidel Bassa. He was able to land some nice counters on Hill, but once Hill realized the naturally smaller Bassa couldn’t hurt him, he opened up, scoring the knockdown and hurting Bassa even when he didn’t knock him down. With the win, Hill moves to 15-1, 9 KOs, while Bassa falls to 22-10, 14 KOs.

In the co-main event, Pawleys Island, South Carolina featherweight Victorino Gonzalez stalked 40-fight veteran Nicaraguan, Julio “The Falcon” Buitrago over six rounds. The former minimumweight Buitrago used every trick in his vast arsenal- footwork, feints, even machismo, sticking his chin out, asking Gonzalez to hit it. To his credit, Gonzalez didn’t take the bait and kept his composure throughout. While Buitrago landed his share of pot-shots, Gonzalez was the busier, aggressive fighter, hence the straight 60-54 scores from all three judges. Gonozalez goes to 5-0, 2 KOs, while the cagey Buitrago moves to 13-28, 3 KOs.

Opening the show, Brooklyn’s Raekwon Butler hammered away on the body of Rock Hill, South Carolina’s Anthony Robbie Rose for a stoppage at 1:03 of round two of a scheduled four round welterweight bout. Rose never went down, but offered little resistance to the attack of the “Iceman.” Butler now 2-0, 2 KOs, while Rose starts out at 0-1.

Salt Lake City, Utah lightweight Gabriel Gaucin wrecked the spindle-of-a-body of Memphis, Tennessee’s Roderick Gilkey, dropping Gilkey four times in round two and a fifth and final time for a referee’s merciful stoppage at 0:13 of the third. Gaucin moves to 4-0-1, 3 KOs while Gilkey’s “0” remains intact at 0-10-1!

North Carolina’s Jose Israel Ibarra and Wilmington, Delaware’s Weusi Johnson went at it for six hard featherweight rounds. Ibarra’s relentless pressure forced the fight but Johnson’s cagey counters found their mark quite often. The judges rewarded Ibarra’s higher work and connect rate with scores of 59-55, 59-55, 60-54. Ibarra is now 5-1, 2 KOs while Johnson falls to a deceiving 3-18-1.

Tampa’s Daniel Bailey smoked Cincinnati’s Aaron Jamel Hollis at 0:42 of the very first round. A vicious right dropped Hollis moments into the first of a scheduled four round super featherweight bout. A follow-up barrage saw Hollis out on his feet against the turnbuckle of Bailey’s corner, prompting referee Bill Clancy to save Hollis from further punishment. Bailey is now 5-0, 4 KOs while Hollis slides to 4-15, 2 KOs.

Welterweight Elijah Seawright made Xavier Martinez look like a bobble-head doll as he viciously dropped Martinez twice, with the all-out follow up barrage prompting referee Dale Frye to halt matters at 2:37 of round two. Seawright moves to 3-0, 3 KOs while Martinez falls to 0-2.

Macon, Georgia lightweight Trayvion Butts and Martinsville, Virginia’s Ryan Venable went at it for four hard rounds, leaving nothing in their respective tanks. Venable was a tad busier, sporting a pressure style while Butts looked to pick his shots, but slowly getting drawn into a brawl by bout’s end. When all was said and done, all three judges saw it the same at 40-36 for the upset winner Venable, now 2-4, while Butts dips to 3-2, 2 KOs.

Charleston, West Virginia’s Anthony Savilla and Erwin, North Carolina’s Emonte Haynes thrilled the crowd with their back-and-forth battle over nearly four rounds, lightweights. While Haynes had many fans from nearby NC, Savilla was promoter Christy Martin’s “West Virginia boy.” The lanky Haynes employed an educated jab and seemed to take the first round by keeping Savilla at bay. Savilla began to battle back with a deliberate body attack, which paid dividends. As Haynes hand dropped, Savilla went to the head with positive results. By the fourth, Haynes sensed the fight slipping away and went for broke. It only opened opportunities for Savilla, who countered with hard shots that stunned Haynes along the ropes. As Haynes’ mouthpiece went flying from Savilla’s pin-point attack and his head flying to-and-fro, referee Frye stopped matters at 2:18 of the fourth and final round. Savilla goes to 2-0, 1 KO while Haynes loses his first at 2-1, 2 KOs.

In an “All-Tarheel” battle, Calvin Dickerson stalked a minimally willing Therran Smalls like a wolf sensing his prey was trapped. Finally, Smalls’ corner waved the towel in surrender at 2:02 of the second round. Super middleweight Dickerson starts out 1-0, 1 KO while Smalls kept his “0” intact at 0-11!

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