Dwayne Taylor and Munib Al Samani Shine on CLIP Promotions Detroit Card
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
*Photo Credit: Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media
Detroit, MI(November 20th, 2021)– In the co-main event of an eight-bout card promoted by Carlos Ilinas CLIP Promotions at Soundboard Nightclub, Motor City Casino, Detroit, Michigan, rising welterweight prospect Dwayne Taylor scored an impressive first-round knockout over a debuting muscular Trequan Shields. This KO brought down the cheering capacity crowd in the house and stole the show, as evidenced by the crowds of fans and supports for Taylor outside the event after it ended, on Friday night, November 19, 2021.
Taylor, now 2-0 with one knockout, Detroit, Michigan, knocked out Shields for the count at 1:04 of the first round after cutting off the ring and trapping Shields in his own corner. Despite having the physique and former world champion Cornelius “K2” Bundrage in his corner, Shields could not fight. This is not to put down the matches put forth by the promoter. Of the four pro debuts on the eight-bout card, two debuts won, and two debuts lost. That kind of performance by pro debuts is outstanding, all factors considered.
In the other co-main event, super lightweight Munib Al Samani, 2-0 with two knockouts, Dearborn, Michigan, also scored a first-round knockout to close the show, putting away limited Clayton Crossian of Battle Creek, Michigan. Crossian was also knocked out by Taylor in the first round of the previous CLIP Promotions show in September 2021, and in light of his consistently being knocked out in the first round, needs to find himself a different profession.
Undercard Results at Soundboard Nightclub, Motor City Casino Detroit
Antonio Louis Hernandez TKO 4 Daryl Cunningham (1:52). Aging junior middleweight and middleweight contender Daryl Cunningham, age 47, 43-10 with 19 knockouts, was unsuccessful in his comeback attempt after two years of out of the ring. This bout was supposed to go off at 154 pounds, and Cunningham, whose last comeback opponent pulled out in September 2021, took this bout at 168 pounds against an unknown opponent taking the bout on less than two weeks of notice, with Cunningham fighting essentially in the wrong weight class. Hernandez, 6-11-2 with three knockouts, age 22, Kansas City, Kansas, had youth, weight class advantage, and more recent hard work on his side.
Hernandez had started his career 1-9, and has now gone 5-2-2 in his next nine bouts, including going undefeated in his last five bouts against opponents with a combined 71 wins. Besides Cunningham, Hernandez defeated a 9-0, and drew with another 9-0 in his most recent ring appearances. That being said, that kind of improvement and hard work indicated he was in the gym, dangerous, and not a bum. In that, boxing records can be deceiving and need to be interpreted.
In the first round, Hernandez got off first almost immediately, testing Cunningham with a flurry of power shot combinations to the head on the ropes. Cunningham survived, but clearly the look on his face and in his eyes in rounds two, three and four indicated he had not fully recovered, and suddenly knew he was in over his head. Cunningham landed a few punches, but when he did punch (with one exception) whatever he threw overall did not shake or move Hernandez, who waited patiently in rounds two and three to see if there was any significant response from Cunningham. There was not. In round four, Hernandez came forward, cutting off the ring, and tested Cunningham again with the same style flurry of head power shots to Cunningham suddenly trapped in his own corner. Hall of Fame referee Frank Garza should have stopped the bout right there, but surprisingly did not, giving Cunningham’s ten bout win streak in the past five years the benefit of the doubt. Cunningham reeled along the ropes. Hernandez attacked again to end it, and down went Cunningham on his back, who barely beat the count but was out of it. It was all over at 1:52 of the fourth round.
Cunningham remains a popular Detroit personality and ticket seller. Above 154 pounds, his true fight weight, short of tomato can opponents, the going against solid opposition is tougher. A 168 pounds super middleweight fighter will enter the ring close to 175 pounds, which is three weight classes above where Cunningham should have been. The issue is not just age. Because of the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus pandemic, fights and opponents have been falling off boxing cards like mad, putting promoters across the country and around the world in a “quick fix” situation to find opponents. That being said, this leaves promoters in a quandary to find opponents on short notice to save their boxing cards now in many cases. Cunningham did not have to take this bout, but did, as opponents have been hard to find.
Former New York State Boxing Commissioner Bob Duffy, an associate of this reporter, always warned of the dangers of taking last minute opponents main event fighters were not prepared for or knew nothing about. “I’ve seen entire cards go wrong and careers ruined over doing this!” noted Duffy, about some fighters given last minute opportunity bouts who were totally prepared for the opportunity and did damage. In this particular case, the promoter found Hernandez as the late opponent to take the Cunningham bout, who took it despite the weight class disparity. If that’s the case, don’t take a bout and sacrifice the fighter against a legitimate opponent two weight classes up to save the card. The promoter had asked this reporter’s help to find an opponent for Cunningham at 154 pounds on short notice, and if this reporter had, the outcome of the Cunningham bout would been in Daryl’s favor, all factors considered.
In the undercard “Battle of the Tanks”, heavyweight tubas Rydell Booker, age 40, and Ray Austin fought to a holding tuba tango filled six-round stinky split draw. At 277 pounds, Booker, 26-4-1 with 13 knockouts, and former world title challenger Austin, 290 pounds, age 51, 29-10-5 with 18 knockouts, Cleveland, Ohio, combined for a blubbery 561 pounds. In fact, it was clear from the start, if either fighter had done any degree of serious work for this six-rounder, it would have been an easy fight to win.
At their sizes, neither fighter could move much, so holding became the standard. Austin clearly won rounds three and four with carefully placed pinpoint head and body shots, then tired in the final two rounds. A smaller CLIP Promotions ring had loose ropes similar to the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Kinshasa, Zaire, fought by Muhammad Ali and George Foreman on October 30, 1974. At one point, Booker and Austin lost their footing, and wound up on top of this reporter and a ring judge on the other side of the ropes. Since holding was more practical in this sort of bout, the ropes were never exploited. Since neither combatant appeared to do enough to win, scores of 58-56 Austin, 58-56 Booker, and 57-57 draw appeared neutral and fair given the situation. It was six rounds of heavyweight entertainment. It was not beautiful boxing.
The coronavirus pandemic has made many fighters gym cautious and gym wary, but it does not excuse the fact Booker showed up 29 pounds over his highest fight weight and for Austin’s last three pro bouts he has averaged over 296 pounds, topping 300 in his last bout losing in the third round to Ivan Dychko in Hollywood, Florida two and a half years ago. In Austin’s last win over Earl Ladson in Cleveland, Ohio, in February 2014, Austin weighed 247 pounds in winning the six-round decision. In Booker’s last win, a third-round stoppage of Dieuly Aristilde in June 2019, Booker weighed 249 ½ pounds. Referee Steve Daher did a magnificent job protecting the safety of the boxers, who combined for 91 years and 567 pounds, probably a boxing record of some kind for a heavyweight bout.
Jermarco Holloway Win 4 Rodrigo Solis, (Pro Debut), Welterweights. 4-0 Detroit prospect Holloway had debuting Solis of Grand Rapids, Michigan, down in the first round. Solis was in the house. Scoring 40-35, 40-35, 40-35 was accurate.
Gabrielle Hayes (Pro Debut) Win 4 Nicole Reinhart, Female Super Lightweights. Hayes was slapping punches, and had no power, but she was at least aggressive and took the bout to Reinhart, age 44, 2-2, Ferndale, Michigan, who just could seem to get it started on this occasion against a much young opponent. Scoring: 39-37, 39-37, and 40-36 for Hayes.
Garrett “Sunshine” Ross Win 4 Isaiah Gathings Jr., Junior Middleweights. Gathings, 1-1, Henderson, Nevada, had height and reach advantage, but Ross, 3-1, Sterling Heights, Michigan, was an aggressive inside fighter and outworked him from pillar to post. Scoring of 40-36, 40-36, 40-36 appeared accurate.
Javonni Bennett (Pro Debut) Win 4 Antonio Daniels, Junior Middleweights. The opening bout on the Motor City Casino boxing card. Debuting Bennett, Chicago, Illinois, outworked 1-1 Detroit fighter Daniels, who had height and reach advantage but was not throwing enough.
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