Tony Harrison Shines on USA Showtime, Khurtsidze Sparkles
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent- Ringside
*Photo Credit: Tha Boxing Voice
Bethlehem, PA (March 7th, 2016)– Junior middleweight Tony Harrison is no ordinary Detroit fighter. At 23-1 with 19 knockouts, Harrison is up there with the best. Still, he seemed somewhat out of place in his last two bouts, fought at 156 pounds middleweight. No matter.
Against Fernando Guerrero, 28-4 with 20 knockouts, a Dominican now living in Maryland, Harrison played the hunter while Guerrero, dressed as a Mandingo warrior, clearly was the hunted one in the ring. Guerrero’s game plan failed for three rounds, moving along the ring ropes and taking a pounding due to Harrison’s superior reach. Guerrero, dropped in the second round, finally moved to center ring in rounds four and five and won both rounds, taking the fight to Harrison and backing him up.
Why Guerrero retreated back to the ropes in round six remains a mystery, but that is where Harrison dropped him again, and then finished him for good.
Result: Tony Harrison TKO 6 Fernando Guerrero, Middleweights (1:54)
Referee: Gary Rosato
Avtandil Khurtsidze, 32-2-2 with 21 knockouts, Kutaisi, Georgia, is one of the top 20 middleweights in the world. At 5’4” he is short, and fights in a straight line. His best asset is just keeps punching, a human windmill in the tradition of the late great Harry Greb.
19-0-1 Antoine Douglas was game, but lacked the experience to execute the correct game plan of stick and move, and keep Khurtsidze away. Instead, he allowed Khurtsidze to come right at him, like a pit bull dog chewing on a ragdoll. Douglas went downin round three, then went to center ring in rounds four and five to outbox Khurtsidze. In round six he went back to covering along the ropes, where Khurtsidze dropped Douglas again in round seven. By round ten, Douglas needed a knockout to win, but preferred to settle along the ropes. Douglas, out of gas, took some brutal head shots as Khurtsidze finished him off on his feet.
Result: Avtandil Khurtsidze TKO 10 Antoine Douglas, Middleweights (0:33)
Khurtsidze wins the WBO International Middleweight title. Referee: Benjy Esteves Jr.
Other Bouts at Sands Events Center, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Referees: Eric Dali, Gary Rosato, Benjy Esteves Jr.
Julian Williams TKO 7 Marcello Matano, Super Welterweights (2:24)
International Boxing Federation eliminator bout for the number one ratings position
Ievgeny Khytrov Win 10 Kenneth McNeil, Middleweights
Khytrov, bleeding from corner of right eye, retains the NABF Middleweight title
Joey Dawejko Split Draw 8 Ytalo Perea, Heavyweights
Surprise! Ecuadorian amateur champion Perea trained to win, took Dawejko’s best shots
Anthony Miller Referee’s Technical Decision 1 Terrance Williams, Super Middleweights
2-1 Miller drops and exposes 4-0 padded record of Williams, who stayed on his stool
Amir Shabazz TKO 1 Hakeem Atkinson, Light Heavyweights
3-0 Philly fighter Shabazz dropped Atkinson twice in first to end matters early.
Chordale Booker (Debut) TKO 2 Anthony Allen, Super Welterweights (1:56)
Pro debut for Booker, who dropped Allen in the second and finished him on the ropes.
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