Ring Announcer Alex Barbosa Brings Boxing Back to Camden, New Jersey After 34 Years
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Camden, NJ (August 30th, 2022)– A hop, skip and a jump across the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia brings you to the Battleship New Jersey, in Camden, New Jersey. The battleship was decommissioned in 1991. The last time boxing was staged in Camden was 1988.
Along comes flyweight boxer turned ring announcer Alex Barbosa, whose new promotional group, R & B Promotions, brought professional boxing and the Battleship New Jersey both back on life on Sunday afternoon, August 28, 2022. The temperature went from 73 degrees to 93 degrees in the sun by the time the boxing card started under the canopy aboard the battleship. Hundreds of Camden and Philadelphia locals showed up for the unique battleship eight-bout card, and they were not disappointed, as the action spoke for itself.
“We will be back at Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on October 29, 2022, the general public and boxing fans are all invited, we hope everybody will come join us!” exclaimed Barbosa, as a cool ocean breeze cooled the event in the final hour after darkness had set in and the battleship lights were turned on and lit up the Camden harbor.
In the main event, undefeated 9-0 welterweight prospect Tahmir Smalls of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, blasted out outclassed 4-8-1 Joel Guevara of Charleston, West Virginia, knocking him down four times in the first round before sending him down for good at 2:42 of the first round. Referee Ricardo Vera had seen enough of the mismatch to put a merciful end to it with Guevara down and out.
In the postfight interview, Smalls noted “I’m ready for better opposition. I’m ready for an eight-rounder. I fight at 147 and 154. My next bout will be at 154, hopefully in Alex Barbosa’s next show in Atlantic City. This was a good all-around fight card. I liked it. You usually cannot breathe this clear. With the water (around the battleship), you could breathe clear. It made me fight more relaxed. You can breathe easier, and box more comfortably.”
Result: Tahmir Smalls TKO 1 Joel Guevara, Welterweights (2:42)
Smalls knocked Guevara down four times. A mismatch. Referee: Ricardo Vera
R & B Promotions Seven Bout Undercard Results, Battleship New Jersey, Camden
Anthony Dill (Pro Debut) TKO 2 Ramses Brown (Pro Debut), Junior Middleweights (3:00)
Kickboxer Dill wins the battle of six and a half footers. Brown retires with a broken nose.
Dill was warned for rabbit punching by referee Eddie Claudio in round two.
Tunde Fatiregun Win Split Decision 4 Greg Hackett Jr., Cruiserweights
Scoring: 40-36, 39-37 for Fatiregun. 39-37 for Hackett.
David could not stop Goliath! In a ridiculous height disparity, 0-2 Fatiregun of Queens, New York, was more than a foot taller than Philadelphia’s 3-20 short and pudgy Hackett! The fighters went around in circles without holding. Fatiregun landed tapping jabs with no power, while Hackett swung with power for the atom bomb power shot knockout punch. Entertaining match. Hackett, who was too small to hit Fatiregun, swung at open air as he could not reach Fatiregun. Hackett did not know what do for four rounds, and neither did the crowd nor the judges, resulting in the scorecards going a strange three different ways!
Tyrone Arzeno TKO 2 Eder Clervoix, Bantamweights (3:00)
In “Battle of the Dark” (as the ship’s lights were not turned on yet as the sun set), Philadelphia’s Arzeno gets his first win over Montreal’s Clervoix, unable to continue. Arzeno, 1-1, returns to the ring after an absence of five years.
Drew Aguilar Win 4 Carlos Nunez, Super Lightweights
Scoring: 39-37, 39-37, 39-36 for Aguilar.
Aguilar, returning to the ring after a layoff of nine years, came out of his corner like a cannon throwing thunder in the first round, and decked Nunez immediately. Nunez had a heart, though, and arose to survive the four round distance with some decent counters.
Eliezer Almeda Win Split Decision 4 Aaron Newmones, Super Welterweights
Scoring: 40-36, 39-37 Almeda. 39-37 for Newmones.
Newmones more active in rounds one and two. Almeda landed more effective blows. Close bout. Camden’s 2-2 Almeda caught in surprise war with Atlantic City’s 1-1 Newmones.
Danny Murray Win 6 Michael Gibbons, Welterweights
Scoring: 59-54, 59-54, 59-54 for Murray. Gibbons was knocked down in fourth round. In nasty round five, Gibbons fell through ropes, got up and pushed Murray through ropes.
Davon Hall TKO 3 Timothy Tyler, Light heavyweights (3:00)
In a battle of winless fighters, Hall outpointed Tyler in rounds one and two. In the crazy third round, both fighters tumbled to canvas after wrestling with each other. Hall, whose mouthpiece came out later in round, was also warned for hitting off the break. Hall later fell out of the ring, climbed back in, but gave up between rounds when he ran out of gas.