Last night, professional boxing returned to Massachusetts for the first time in 1½ years, due to pandemic restrictions, as Vertex Promotions presented it first show, “Fight Night on the Charles at Moseley’s,” at Moseley’s On The Charles in Dedham, Massachusetts.
“Fight Night on the Charles at Moseley’s” also marked the initial pro boxing event ever held in Dedham, the town located on Boston’s southwest border that was settled in 1635. Vertex Promotions’ first show was a sellout, in fact, people were turned away at the door.
“I thought we’d do very well because I know Ryan Roach, and he refuses to fail,” an ecstatic Vertex Promotions president Dave Clark commented about his company’s first promoted event. “I was a little bit surprised how well everything went. We have a really good team (Clark, Roach and Mark Porter). Ryan is a manager, but he really helped us out a lot with his experience. Everybody was happy, even the fighters who didn’t win. They all said they want to work with us again. They loved it in Boston and some of them had never been there before.
“I won’t lie, though, it our first experience and I was stressed the last month, but we’re all very happy now. The crowd was awesome. I want to thank the fans, our staff, and especially the fighters. We couldn’t have done it without all of them. We’ll enjoy this for a little while and then keep things going. We’re steamrolling now and we want to keep those kids active.”
Undefeated junior welterweight Ray Jay “The Destroyer” Bermudez (13-0, 10 KOs) lived up to his nickname in the main event, stopping an over-matched Bergman “The Snake” Aguilar (15-9-1, 5 KOs) in round two to capture the vacant NBA Continental crown.
Bermudez, fighting out of Troy, New York, dropped Aguilar, the former WBA FEDALATIN super featherweight champion, in the second round with an overhand right. Three left hooks to the body put Aguilar on the canvas again, and the end came moments later when Bermudez decked his Nicaraguan opponent for a third and final time with a perfectly place left hook to the body that left Agular grimacing in pain. He was unable to beat the count and Bermudez had a new belt to add to his ABF American West super lightweight strap.
Pre-fight, Bermudez correctly predicted Aguilar wouldn’t last past five rounds. “I saw that his body was open and that was the way to attack him,” Bermudez said after the fight. “I went to work and knew and wouldn’t last too long. I’m ready to fight anybody my team picks. I’m ready for the big dogs!
“I’ve been trained out of Boston (with his uncle, head trainer Hector Bermudez) the last four years and have a nice fan-base. I’m like fighting in New England.”
In the co-featured event, highly touted welterweight prospect Jim “The Slim Reaper” Perella (8-0, 6 KOs) overcame the first knockdown of his young career, albeit it from a questionable shot that appeared to hit Perella behind the head, en route to a third-round win by technical knockout of Rakim Johnson (6-12-1, 5 KOs).
Perella, fighting out of Mansfield, MA, has a strong amateur pedigree having won the New England USA New England and New England Golden Gloves four times each. His class showed from the start as he boxed effectively, using his jab to set-up his other punches, and other than the flash knockdown in the second round, he cruised past Johnson. Perella registered knockdowns in the first with a big right hand, followed two rounds later by a body shot, and then another liver shot to close the show midway through the third.
Another undefeated promising prospect, Francis “Frank The Tank” Hogan (7-0, 7 KOs) nearly went the distance for the first time in his pro career, but halfway through the sixth and final round, the southpaw finished strong with a left that Isiah “Murder” Hart (6-2-1, 4 KOs) was unable to withstand. Hart was also floored in the second round by a pair of lefts from Hogan (below right), the reigning New Hampshire Super Welterweight Champion, as well as a 2019 New England Golden Gloves champion.
Boston lightweight Jonathan de Pina (5-1, 3 KOs) pitched a shutout against journeyman “Money” Mike Fowler (7-38, 2 KOs), winning all six rounds for a unanimous decision victory. Pina dropped Fowler twice, once in the second and again in the third, by consistently trapping him the ropes, but Fowler was able to survive.
Weymouth, MA welterweight Eric “Gladiator” Goff (3-0, 3 KOs) continued to impress against Austin Reed Ward (0-7), who was knocked down in the opening round by an overhand right, and a barrage of unanswered punches led to a stoppage in the middle of the first round.
In a fight between pro-debuting welterweights, Boston’s James Murrin took a close but unanimous 4-round decision from Michael Oller Da Silva. Murrin’s aggression put him in early control, but Da Silva got back in the fight with a knockdown to make it close in the judges’ scoring (39-37, 38-37, 38-37).
Worcester, MA junior lightweight Alex Rivera (1-0, 1 KOs) turned in a powerful pro debut, battering Richard Bernard (1-4-1) from the opening bell until a 3-punch combination in the opening round resulted in a knockout.
The first fight of the night only lasted 30-seconds as Boston cruiserweight Bernard Joseph (2-0, 2 KOs) needed only one well-placed body shot to put Francisco Neto (1-14-1, 1 KO) on his knees and aching in obvious pain.