By Boxing Bob Newman at ringside
Super Lightweight George Rincon wasted little time in handling matters against Corey, “The Warrior” Gulley. With roughly five seconds to go in round one, a picture perfect right to the chin dropped Gulley on his back. He beat the count and looked recovered entering the second. Moments into the round however, a Rincon right dropped Gulley again. Rincon decided to close the show with a flurry, pinning Gulley on the ropes, prompting referee Gary Rosado to jump in at 0:37 of the round. Rincon now 4-0, 2 KOs, while Gulley evens out at 2-2-2.
Featherweights Kevin “The Kraken” Rivers, Jr. and Diuhl “Elegante” Olguin waged a fantastic battle over six, technical but exciting rounds. On paper, it looked as though Rivers, Jr. was being fed a durable if not beatable journeyman in Olguin. Olguin however, didn’t read the script. Each man tried to force their game plan, looking for openings, firing crisp shots and avoiding what they could. In round three, Rivers walked into a hard right and blinked several times in the moments afterward, trying to clear his head. A minute later, Rivers missed a wild left hand and went down from his own momentum, an Olguin right missing over the top of Rivers’ head. Referee Schiavone however was at a bad angle and ruled the slip a knockdown. The fight was otherwise even in terms of effort and results. Sensing the fight was in the balance, both combatants went for it all in the sixth and final round. The “knockdown” in the third proved the fatal difference as Don Ackerman had it 58-55 Olguin, Kevin Morgan saw it 58-55 Rivers, Jr. and Don Trella decided matters at 57-56 for Olguin via split decision. Rivers, Jr. drops to 14-2, 10 KOs, while Olguin moves to 13-9-3, 9 KOs.
Bout #3 was a case of fitness over flab as fit & trim Alexander “Lights Out” Vanasse, 200.75 lbs., took apart 233.5 lb. Ray Santiago in three one sided rounds. Vanasse moved to-and-fro, picking his shots until the third when he shook Santiago and went in for the finish. It took a minute or more of constant punchiness to the head and body until referee Charlie Fitch had seen enough, saving Santiago from more punishment. The time was 2:08 of the third. Vanasse lives up to his ring moniker of “Lights Out” as he is now 4-0, 4 KOs, while Santiago slides to 2-8.
Syracuse’s Luis Vargas was last in the ring twenty seven months and 60 pounds ago. A former welterweight, Vargas displayed his ring skills as a pint-sized heavyweight against division dreadnaught Damian Lewis. Despite the huge weight gain, Vargas did virtually as he pleased, firing blistering combos to the head and body of Lewis throughout the scheduled four round affair. Lewis did have a sense of urgency to start the fourth, going on the attack for a moment and landing a few of his own. But it was to no avail as Vargas finished strong and Lewis was further bloodied for his troubles. Don Ackerman tabbed it 39-37 while Glenn Feldman and Eric Marlinski saw it 40-36 all for Vargas, now 3-0, 2 KOs. Lewis continues his slide at 0-8-1.
The opening bout of the night pitted local cruiserweights Lawrence “Bullet Proof” Gabriel and Brad “The Viking” Vargason against each other. Gabriel earned his nickname when, as a bouncer at a local tavern, he took four bullets from a gunman who was trying to enter the establishment and survived. Less than a year later, he made his pro debut a winning one and entered this bout against the debuting Vargason at 1-1-1. Gabriel landed the first telling blows moments into the bout, staggering Vargason. Vargason answered back with his own shortly thereafter and it was back and forth with little defense by either man. Early in the second, Gabriel landed a nice four punch combination, leaving Vargason teetering on unsteady pins. A push to the canvas by Gabriel nullified a certain legit knockdown. Less than a minute later, another pinpoint combo to the head did the trick, downing Vargason for a count of eight. Rising on wobbly legs, Vargason was rescued by referee Danny Schiavone at 2:19 of the second. Gabriel secures his first KO win and goes above .500 at 2-1-1, 1 KO. Vargason starts out at 0-1.