Report/Photos by Boxing Bob Newman

Topeka’s favorite son John “The Iron Man” Cantrell, not only promoted Saturday night’s Westridge Fight Night at Westridge Mall, he headlined the 8-round heavyweight main event! Nearly 2500 raucous fans packed the venue to capacity to watch Cantrell take on the much more experienced Jesse Bryan. It became apparent from the outset that Bryan didn’t come to lay down and would use his vast experience to pull every trick out of his bag. Cantrell for his part, utilized his speed, and superior conditioning to power box his way through this bout. In the third round, Cantrell trapped Bryan in his own corner for a solid minute, trying his best to end it, but Bryan wouldn’t budge. The fourth, however, was a different story. This time, Cantrell trapped Bryan in a neutral corner and didn’t crowd his own punches, allowing room to deliver solid right after solid right to the head of Bryan. Bryan buckled, sagged and finally went down, the referee stopping matters at 1:16, raising Cantrell’s record to 11-0-1, 10 KOs. Bryan falls to 21-10-2, 16 KOs. Cantrell called out Jake Paul immediately afterward, to the roars of the partisan crowd. We shall see.

In the opening bout, light heavyweight DeAngelo Clardy took on Benito Mayorga in a scheduled 4 rounder. It was action all the way as both took turns teeing off on each other. Three straight rights to the head dropped Clardy to his hands and knees, where he barely beat the count. Incredibly, he actually stormed back in the final thirty seconds of the round. Rounds three and four were more exciting give and take. The final tab was 39-37 and 40-35 x 2, all for Mayorga in his pro debut to go to 1-0. Clardy falls to 1-8, 1 KO.

Welterweights Anthony Adams and Michael Stevens went at it in a scheduled 4 rounder. Adams toyed with Stevens, dropping him in the first and the second, Stevens’ corner mercifully coming up on the ring apron to ask the ref to halt the count at 2:54 of the second. Adams goes to 2-1, 3 KOs, while Stevens continues his slide at 0-3.

Ira Johnson took on Deonta Williamson in a welterweight 4 rounder. This was a mutt and Jeff affair as the three inches taller Johnson stalked Williamson, albeit recklessly as he often was rocked by wild counters. Williamson took a knee in the third to get a reprieve from a body blow barrage by Johnson. Williamson also lost his mouthpiece int the third. All in all, it was a sloppy bout, with both fighters swinging for the fences. Final tally was 39-36 across the board for Johnson who moves to 3-2, 2 KOs, while Williamson dips to 0-2.

Female feather Danielle Bennett absolutely steamrolled Jasmine Blanson in just 44 seconds of the opening frame. The 5’10” Bennett was clearly the more skilled of the two, with the much shorter Blanson looking like she never set foot in a boxing gym. To her credit, Blanson never went down, but just took punches, while occasionally flailing in desperation. Bennett barely broke a sweat in improving to 8-2, 2 KOs, while Blanson starts out, and hopefully finishes her ring career, at 0-1.

Lady lightweight Kayla Williams wasted no time as she absolutely annihilated Nataley Pendergrass in 23 seconds. Williams went right for the kill, landing vicious shots until Pendergrass slumped to the canvas, thinking about getting up, then reconsidering her situation, prompting the ref to wave it off. Williams evens up at 1-1, 1 KO, while Pendergrass starts out at 0-1.

Jr. feather females Brittany Dukes and Jessica Link threw leather over 4 rounds. Once again, the height disparity was evident as Dukes came in at only 5′ even, while Link towered over her at 5’6″. Both girls gave it their best, but the the height difference made for clumsiness, with more than one throw down and tackle as both girls toppled to the canvas. In the end, Link came away with a 40-36, 39-37 and 38-38 majority decision victory, to move to 1-1. The tough luck Dukes plummets to 1-7, 1 KO.

Heavyweights Tyler Rowe and Russell Harris threw their weight at each other in a big way and surprisingly, the smaller man Harris, had more pop. Harris dropped Rowe twice in the first round, the second time for the full count with Rowe lying on his back, stunned. Harris moves to 3-1, 3 KOs, while Rowe falls to 1-2, 1 KO.