Popular junior welterweight Mike “Bad Man” Ohan turned in a workmanlike performance in Saturday night’s “The Next Chapter,” presented by Granite Chin Promotions, on a very hot , humid evening at Bridgewater Veterans Club in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.
Ohan (16-1, 9 KOs), the former New England Welterweight Champion, kept fans from his nearby hometown of Holbrook happy, taking a 6-round, majority decision from his Argentinian foe, Jonathan “Yoni” Ariel Sosa (7-14-2, 4 KOs).
Ohan buzzed Sosa with a left hook early in the fight, found his rhythm and closed the opening round on a strong note, hurting his opponent during an exchange with a snapping right. Ohan pushed the pace in the second, throwing crisp combinations, effectively countering as well.
In the third, Sosa came out more aggressively, keeping Ohan off balance, but Ohan soon regained control. Ohan used his jab more in the fourth and two rights to the head and two lefts to the body put Ohan back in total control.
In total command, Ohan cruised in the fifth and pressed the action the sixth against a game Sosa, who kept coming back every time he looked like the fight was about to be over, right to the final bell.
“He (Sosa) is a tough journeyman,” Ohan said after the fight. “He’s gone the distance with some good guys. It was a good fight and now we move on to the next one. I’ll talk to Chris (promoter Traietti) and see what’s next.”
Ohan often went to Sosa’s body
In the co-featured event, New Bedford (MA) light heavyweight Edet “Papito” Mkpanam (8-0, 7 KOs) remained undefeated, knocking out Larry “Slo Mo” Smith (13-51-2, 9 KOs) in the third round with a vicious right to the head. Referee Jackie Morrel immediately waved off the fight as soon as Smith hit the canvas.
Mkpanam had nearly put Smith to sleep early in the second round with a left hook that put Smith on his back. The resilient Smith, however, beat the count and continued against his heavy-handed opponent.
The scheduled co-feature for the vacant Massachusetts Middleweight Championship between Julien “Black Dragon” Baptiste (4-2, 2 KOs) and Anthony “The Gentle Savage” Andreozzi (3-2, 1 KO) was canceled midway through the show because Andreozzi became ill in the locker room.
“It was another great show,” Granite State Promotions president Chris Traietti commented. “The Vets Club draws real boxing fans. Everyone stepped up, the hometown guys as well as the out-of-town fighters. Ohan fought an experienced guy and got in some quality rounds. I’m excited about his future.”
Junior middleweight Luke Iannuccillo (3-0, 2 KOs), of Methuen (MA), pounded cagey Las Vegas fighter Rynell Griffin (80-54-2, 2 KOs) from the opening bell, at one point landing 24 unanswered punches when he pinned Griffin on the ropes. Iannuccillo’s dominance lasted right to the end for a shutout, winning all four rounds on each of the three judges’ scorecards.
Brockton’s (MA) David “The Blessed One” Ribeiro (1-0-1, 1 KO) and Rhode Island junior middleweight Alfred “Keenan” Raymond (1-2-1 (0 KOs) fought to a 4-round draw. Riberio, a 20202 New England Golden Gloves champion, started cautiously and fought tentatively for the first two rounds, but he let his go much more in the third, effectively countering the awkward fighting Raymond. It wasn’t enough in the end, though, to pull out a win for the local favorite.
In the opening bout, Brockton heavyweight Kirk Wilmart (1-0, 1 KOs) had an impressive pro debut, flooring Wewerton Silveira Silva (0-4) three times, the last signalling the end as the fight was stopped late in round one.