Referee Steve Smoger in Triumphant Return in Pennsylvania at SugarHouse Casino
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
*Photo Credit: Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media
Philadelphia, PA (December 17th, 2016)– Referee Steve Smoger, making only his second appearance in Pennsylvania in two years, refereed three bouts on a seven bout card promoted by Hard Hitting Promotions at SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Friday evening, December 16, 2016. A packed capacity crowd was in attendance as Smoger refereed the eight round main event vacant Tri-State Featherweight championship bout between Luis ‘Popeye’ Lebron and Roberto Rodriguez Corea, a bout which was a hard hitter barnstormer the whole way.
In the main event, Lebron, 7-0-1 with three knockouts, San Juan, Puerto Rico, coming off a six round draw with Tyrone Luckey at SugarHouse this past August, appeared in his first career eight rounder against Roberto Rodriguez ‘Tigre’ Corea, 9-12-4 with four knockouts, Leon, Nicaragua. Records can be deceiving, Nicaraguan fighters being rare, and the name of Alexis Arguello reverberated through the walls of the training rooms as the various fighters on the card got ready.
Corea was a late substitute for Ernesto Garza III, who pulled out at the last minute. Corea flew in from Puerto Rico where he was training for a bout with Marcos Forestal, which had been scheduled for Wisconsin on the same night, but was cancelled this week, making Corea available. Corner men Mike Melendez and sportswriter Robert Brizel (in a rare corner appearance) were in the corner of Corea, making it exciting.
Despite the wide scoring, the bout was closer than the scoring would later indicate, with Lebron and Corea going toe-to-toe for the first six rounds and exchanging power shots. Corea, the shorter of the two, took the bout to the inside and forced Lebron into heated exchanges where he often landed crisp body shots. Lebron won the seventh and eighth rounds outright, and had Corea in trouble in the seventh round, landing crisp power shots to the head, forcing Corea to hold on as the round ended. Corea came back in round right, trying hard, though he did not win the round.
Result: Luis Lebron Win 8 Roberto Rodriguez Corea, Featherweights
Lebron Wins Vacant Tri-State Featherweight Championship
Scoring: 80-72, 80-72, 79-73 Lebron. Referee: Steve Smoger
SugarHouse Casino Undercard Bouts
Referees: Steve Smoger, Eric Dali
David Murray Draw 5 Keemon Evans, Light Heavyweights (57-57, 57-57, 58-56 Murray)
Smoger in middle. Murray won rounds 1, 4 & 6. Evans won rounds 2, 3, & 5. Clean bout.
Two judges had 57-57. Third judge had 58-56 Murray. Scoring appeared neutral and fair.
Christian Carto KO 2 Harold Reyes, Bantamweights (1:14)
Carto landed a powerful body shot and dropped Reyes in the second round in a corner, who took the ten count from referee Steve Smoger on knee and did not arise. Clean kayo.
Jaron Ennis TKO 6 Marcus Beckford, Welterweights (0:55)
8-0 Philadelphia prospect Ennis had Beckford ready to go in fifth, finished it in the sixth.
Brandon Pizarro Win 4 Jesus Lule, Super Lightweights (40-36, 40-36, 40-36)
Preliminary bout to main event at SugarHouse. Lule’s corner disagreed with the scoring.
Jeremy Cuevas TKO 2 Tom Mills, Super Lightweights (0:33)
Wild swinging Florida MMA fighter Mills down twice in first, again in second, fell to 1-7-1.
Kevin Johnson (Pro Debut) TKO 1 Austin Ward, Welterweights (1:42)
Las Vegas prospect Johnson debuts. Kansas tomato can Ward did not throw a punch!
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