Hometown favorite Eslih Owusu pleased his Worcester fan-base
The only hometown fighter on the card, Worcester junior middleweight Eslih Owusu (10-1, 5 KOs), simply brought too much into the ring for Texas journeyman Larry “Slo Mo” Smith (13-55-2, 9 KOs). A past World Boxing Council (WBC) World Youth title challenger, left-handed Owusu threw punches in bunches, sending Smith down in the fourth via a left hook. Owusu finished off Smith in the following round, trapping the Texan in the corner until Smith went down for the final time.
In his stiffest test to date, three-time New England Golden Gloves Champion Felix Parrilla (8-0, 7 KOs), of New Haven (CT), faced 2008 Ecuador Olympian Luis Porozo (16-8, 9 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round featherweight match. Parrilla displayed every punch in his vast arsenal, after breaking down Porozo with a steady diet of body shots, picking up the pace in the third round as the clear aggressor. At this point Parrilla was in complete control of the action, battering Porozo who suffered a flash knockdown in the fourth, and Porozo was penalized a point in the fifth for holding. The punishment Porozo had suffered showed in the sixth and when he unwisely turned his back to Parilla in a neutral corner, the referee had seen enough, and he quickly stopped the fight.
Cuban amateur star Dany Lafos Poll (1-0, 1 KOs), a 2021 AIBA Youth Champion, had an encouraging pro debut, blasting overmatched Jeremy Gregory (0-8-1) all around the ring until a vicious left to the body dropped Gregory. The referee waved off the fight at the 2:46 mark of round one.
“The Outlaw” Ryan Venable (2-13-1) upset previously undefeated lightweight prospect Calixto Cruz (2-1), of Springfield (MA), dropping Cruz with a stunning right hook in round one. Cruz came back strong, but he fell short on the judges’ scorecards, losing a four-round split decision.
Canadian lightweight Thomas Blumenfeld opened the show quickly, stopping Richard “Hard To Hit” Bernard (1-13-1) midway through the opening round. A 2020 Commonwealth Games silver medalist, southpaw Blumenfeld decked his opponent with a multi-punch combination, then moments later he closed the show with a sweet right-left combination.
Official results below:
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OFFICIAL RESULTS
MAIN EVENT – VACANT IBA AMERICAS SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Steve Sumpter (9-0, 7 KOs), Pittsfield, MA
WDEC8 (80-72, 80-72, 76-76)
James Perkins (12-1-1, 9 KOs), Lynn, MA
(Sumpter won IBA Americas super middleweight title)
CO-FEATURE – VACANT USBF ATLANTIC WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Denzel Whitley (12-0, 7 KOs), Holyoke, MA
WKO1 (0:25)
Hector Esnar Bobadilla (9-15-1, 4 KOs), Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico
(Whitley won the USBF Atlantic welterweight title)
JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Eslih Owusu (10-1, 5 KOs), Worcester, MA
WTKO5 (0;53)
Larry Smith (13-55-2, 9 KOs), Mesquite, TX
Dany Lafos Poll (1-0, 1 KOs), Santiago, Cuba
WTKO1 (2:46)
Jeremy Gregory (0-8-1, 0 KOs), Auburn, NY
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Carlos Gonzalez (7-0, 7 KOs), Springfield, MA
WTKO6 (1:29)
Johnny Campbell (0-1), Plymouth, MA
Thomas Blumenfeld (3-0, 2 KOs), Springfield, MA by way of Canada
WKO1 (1:36)
Richard Bernard (1-13-1, 0 KOs) Waianae, Hawaii lbs.
Ryan Venable (1-13-1, 0 KOs), Roanoke, VA
WDEC4 (38-37, 38-37, 37-38)
Calixto Cruz (2-1, 0 KOs), Springfield, MA
FEATHERWEIGHTS
Felix Parrilla (8-0, 7 KOs), New Haven, CT
WTKO6 (1:11)
Luis Porozo (16-8, 9 KOs), Santo Domingo, Ecuador
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