Anderson Wins Battle, Lartey Wins War in Newark
By Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media Correspondent
Newark, NJ (January, 20 2013)–Welterweight Michael ‘Slick’ Anderson of Newark won the battle and answered every question about whether or not he was a world class ten round fighter in the main event of a seven bout card at Robert Treat Best Western Hotel in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday night, January 19, 2013, co-promoted by Renee Aiken’s All Out Promotions and Global Boxing. A capacity Newark area crowd was in attendance and was very verbal in support of local area New Jersey fighters.
Anderson won the battle by winning the sixth, eighth and tenth rounds, jabbing the opposition while moving and not getting hit. Anderson realized the potential vested in him at the start of his career by Sugar Shane Mosley, in his first trip past the fourth round since his career began in 2007.
Welterweight southpaw Emmanuel Lartei Lartey of Ghana won the war, not necessarily as the better fighter, but most certainly the busier one for the majority of the ten rounder. Big promoters have overlooked Lartey thus far, who won the lesser known RCB Northeastern Regional Welterweight title with this win. Though Anderson’s corner held hometown advantage, Lartey, 14-0-1, 7 knockouts, Accra, Ghana, fighting for the fourth time in the United States in 11 months, was not bothered by the shouts of the locals, and followed his corner’s advice to let his hands go while a cautious Anderson usually did not, a key points difference on the cards.
Lartey, an experienced 12 round fighter who had prepared well in Gleason’s gym for a bout against an orthodox style fighter, carried out his game plan to drag the bout into the fifth round to perfection and brought Anderson into uncharted waters.
From the fifth round on, Lartey appeared a more confident fighter, despite losing several rounds, because he believed his experience gave him an advantage.
Anderson’s best chance appeared to be to finish Lartey early, where his solid 10 knockouts within the first four rounds occurred and had Lartey concerned. Anderson, 12-2-1, 10 knockouts, found no answers in the first four rounds, then had to fight a faster pace when Lartey accelerated the tempo from the fifth round on.
Lartey tried for a knockout in the ninth round, when his corner advised him the judges might be influenced by the local crowd and would give the bout to Anderson. Lartey had Anderson somewhat in trouble, but lacked the power to do real damage.
While Anderson showed he was a legitimate 10 round fighter in the process by going the full ten rounds with heart and stamina in the best ring showing of his career, the Anderson corner made a critical mistake in accepting the main event of a seven bout card at Robert Treat Best Western Hotel in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday night, January 19, 2013, co-promoted by Renee Aiken’s All Out Promotions and Global Boxing. The mistake was not made by the fair matchup.
The mistake was Anderson’s corner taking a ten round regional title bout against a southpaw, without having adequate sparring preparation with southpaws in the gym. There was no valid reason Anderson to lose this bout while winning three of the last five rounds. Anderson was frustrated from the start by Lartey’s awkward southpaw fighting style, a short strong fighter who combines superior head movement, leaning on his back legs, pressing forward, and working off the jab slipping punches. Lartey did not fight like a traditional southpaw would fight.
Anderson’s performance was also affected by an accidental head butt from Lartey, which cut the corner of Anderson’s left eye, causing blurred vision.
This writer can understand the dilemma faced by the Anderson camp in having pending bouts rescheduled several times, and making the decision with the promoter to take the Lartey fight after waiting for a fight too long. But Southpaw fighters are still a very tricky business. If Anderson had six weeks sparring with southpaws instead a week or two, Anderson could have won this bout. Regardless, Lartey was willing to let his hands go and try to win the bout by the punch count. If Anderson had let his hands go early on, the bout could have been much closer, but Anderson could not figure Lartey out as well in the early rounds as he did later.
Anderson was most effective when he used height and reach advantage in rounds six and eight to keep Lartey on the outside out of range, and not let him inside. This is what Anderson needed to do for all ten rounds, but Lartey put too much pressure on him in the rounds Lartey won, using singly placed body shots and head jabs to score points by volume.
Looking at the bout in retrospect, former World Middleweight champion Iran ‘The Blade’ Barkley had an answer for matchmakers and promoters who put their fighters into uncomfortable situations for which they were not adequately prepared for or uncomfortable with. “You just say no. You tell them no,” noted Barkley. Probably the Anderson camp should have said no to this bout until they had sufficient preparation time in the gym for Anderson to spar with southpaws. However, given Lartey’s awkward southpaw style, Lartey is difficult to prepare for.
Result: Emmanuel Lartei Lartey Win 10 Michael Anderson, Welterweights
Scoring: 98-92, 97-93, 97-93 Lartei Lartey. Referee: Earl Brown
Lartei Lartey wins the RCB Northeastern Regional Welterweight Championship
In two preliminary bouts to the main event, super middleweight Derrick Webster got a six round split decision ‘gift’ over veteran ringer Darnell Boone. All offense was Boone’s. Webster did little more than hold for most of the bout, without much punching back. Frequent holding made the bout somewhat difficult to score. Webster, dropped twice in his last bout in Atlantic City, did show a better defense.
In a bombs away bout between Newark heavyweights, Newark Tyyab Beale knocked down the previously undefeated Aaron ‘The Animal’ Kinch to win a six round unanimous decision. Both fighters were careful not to punch themselves out. Kinch seemed to be winning until he got dropped in the fifth round for a flash knockdown which proved the difference in a crowd pleasing slugfest.
Philadelphia fighter Maurice Amaro entered the ring in the best shape of his seven bout career, and stopped veteran Abdellah Smith of Queens, New York, at 2:41 of the second round to open the card. Smith was on the canvas on all fours when the count reached nine from referee Ricardo Vera. Smith’s corner waved the towel, signaling the end. Amaro gave Smith a beating, who appeared winded and about of gas when he went down. Amaro, 2-5, is a better fighter than his record indicates.
Newark Undercard Results, Ring Referees Ricardo ‘Ricky’ Vera and Eddie Cotton
Derrick Webster Win Split Decision 6 Darnell Boone, Super Middleweights
Tyyab Beale Win 6 Aaron Kinch Heavyweights (Kinch down in fifth, no count)
Peter Reyes (debut) TKO 3 Oscar Pagan, Middleweights (0:50 of third round)
Shakir Aquel Dunn TKO 2 Tobias Molina, Welterweights (1:07 of second round)
Anthony ‘Sweet Tooth’ Jones Win Split Decision 4 Issa Coulibaly, Middleweights
Maurice Amaro TKO 2 Abdellah Smith, Light Heavyweights (2:41, Smith down)
Michael Anderson and Oscar Pagan both had minor cuts on the corner of the left eye which appeared to require a few stitches. Despite a Madison Square Garden card at the same time, Newark’s local fight card had a enthusiastic capacity crowd.
Promoter Alex Kut of KEA Boxing was a presence at ringside with co-promoter Renee Aiken, as was former World Cruiserweight champion Al ‘Ice’ Cole.
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