Remillard Decisions Magallon!
Ikeke Gets by Smith...

June 13, 2008 - Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford, CT
Ringside Report: Alex Dombroff and Pat Kelley at Ringside
Photos: Emily Harney

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Matt Remillard found himself at home Friday night, fighting in front of a sizeable and noisy audience in his home state of Connecticut.

His right hand didn't have trouble finding home, either.

Remillard dropped Jose Magallon with a thundering overhand right in the fifth round that set the tone for his decision win, retaining the WBC Youth featherweight title in the process. It was the fourth straight time Remillard has been extended the distance in his young career.

The bout took place at the Connecticut Convention Center in downtown Hartford, not far from Remillard's home in Manchester, Connecticut and was promoted by Jimmy Burchfield's Classic Entertainment and Sports.

From the opening bell it was obvious Remillard was quicker, and finding his target at a much better rate than Magallon. His uppercut, in particular, landed with tremendous frequency.

"As soon as I touched his body, he dropped his hands. Then I was able to get him with my uppercut," said Remillard. "One thing I worked on in the gym was letting my hands go." Although Magallon continued to fire back, Remillard looked to gain confidence and get more accurate as the rounds went on.

In the fifth it came to a head. Magallon's head, that is.

Remillard (14-0, 7 KOs) unleashed his best punch of the fight, an overhand right that followed a left hook to the body, which laid Magallon (9-5, 3 KOs) out in the middle of the ring.

Magallon struggled to get to his feet, and it appeared referee Dick Flaherty might stop the fight. Remillard even raised his hands in victory before realizing he had to fight on.

"He fell pretty hard," said Remillard. "I was surprised he got up."

Remillard hardly coasted to the final bell. In fact, Magallon continued with his quick pace not long after getting up from the knockdown, making Remillard work for everything he got.

As the fight wore on, both men seemed to tire and let up a bit. Remillard even admitted taking a round or two off in order to regain the energy he displayed earlier in the fight.

At the final bell, the hometown crowd roared with approval, as the result wasn't in question, even in the hands of the judges, who appeared to have an otherwise tough night.

Final scores were 96-93, 97-92, 97-92, all to Remillard.

After the scores were announced, the crowd again voiced their approval.

"There's a lot of pressure being undefeated and fighting in my hometown," said Remillard. "You can let it affect you two ways. I let it motivate me."

Magallon was disappointed in his performance, "I couldn't let go. I didn't feel the way I usually feel. I fought like (doodie)."

When asked what he might pursue next, Remillard admitted to a case of wanderlust.

"I have a great fan base here. It's a great feeling to have people support you," said Remillard. "But it's time to move out of state. It's time to build a new fan base."

That's one thing Remillard's supporters might not approve of. -- Alex Dombroff

Remillard vs Magallon Photos

Grano Makes Quick Work of Childs!

In the evening's co-feature bout, undefeated Hartford, Connecticut heavyweight prospect Tony "TNT" Grano (14-0-1, 12 KO's) continued his climb up the heavyweight ladder with a first round technical knockout victory over Jefferson City, Missouri's Leroy Childs (13-2, 12 KO's). Grano, with the partisan, hometown crowd boisterously behind him, started out strong from the opening bell, throwing punches in bunches at his much larger opponent. "He was a big, strong, thick guy," Grano stated. "I just threw a lot of combos, barrages, and kept busy."

In throwing his ill-willed punches, Grano did a good job mixing in his attack on both the head and body of Childs. "I knew if I just threw my punches in combos, some of them would get through," Grano exclaimed. And, that's exactly what happened.

After tasting a few right hands from Grano, Childs immediately brought his hands up high and Grano quickly went downstairs, landing two vicious shots to the body of his opponent.

Grano then followed his body attack with a couple uppercuts and a left hook, thus dropping Childs to the canvas.

While Childs did manage to beat the count of ten, rising to his feet around the count of nine, referee Johnny Callas waived a halt to the bout, thus saving Childs from any further punishment. The time of the stoppage was 2:43.

When asked what punch he thought he hurt Childs with, Grano stated "I think every punch hurt him!"

Grano states he is looking at a potential fight in Puerto Rico in August, stating a win in that bout might ultimately land him in the rankings of the WBO.

For now, Grano is just glad to be back living and training in Hartford. "This is where I'm from," Grano stated. "This is my home. My family and friends are here, and this is where I feel most comfortable. I think it showed tonight." -- Pat Kelley

Grano vs Childs Photos

Ikeke Nips Smith!

What was supposed to be a smooth introduction for former title challenger Kingsley Ikeke to Jimmy Burchfield's Classic Entertainment and Sports stable was anything but, as he struggled with journeyman Dhafir Smith in the night's opener to barely escape with a six round split decision.

Ikeke (24-3, 13 KOs) who had lost his last two, including a 2005 knockout at the hands of Arthur Abraham for a middleweight title, looked sluggish in his first fight at light heavyweight.

Smith (20-18-6, 4 KOs), on the other hand, started slowly, but took it to Ikeke more and more with each passing round.

Ikeke's best moments came in the last round when he looked to briefly turn the tide of the fight, using the range, sharp, and straight punches that made him a top contender only a few years back.

By the end, it appeared Ikeke had not done enough with his late rally to end his losing streak.

The judges, however, saw the fight differently, two of them scoring the fight 58-56 for Ikeke. There was a dissenting view, 58-56 for Smith.

The decision drew a smattering of boos from the few fans that arrived in time for the opener. -- Alex Dombroff

Ikeke vs Smith Photos

Irizarry Decisions Harris!

In the second bout of the evening, Hartford's own Addy Irizarry (5-2, 2 KO's) earned a unanimous decision victory over Tampa, Florida's Cim "The Fighting Firefighter" Harris. The bout was Irizarry's second fight in less than a month's time, and her first back on American soil, since dropping a unanimous decision to Cecilia Braekhus back on May 17th in Germany.

Irizarry and Harris appeared to be mirrored images of each other throughout the four-round welterweight affair, with both fighters consistently utilizing a stiff jab followed by right hands to the head of their foe.

While neither fighter ever appeared to be seriously hurt, both women appeared to stagger their opponent on a couple of occasions. The bout was very competitive as the judges at ringside gave Irizarry the nod in almost every round, with scores tallying 40-36, 40-36, and 39-37. -- Pat Kelley

Irizzary vs Harris Photos

Macy Escapes Starnino!

Brian Macy kept his undefeated record intact with a four round majority decision over late replacement Bobo Starnino.

Macy (4-0, 1 KO), who came to the ring wearing a basketball jersey representing his alma mater, UCONN, had trouble dealing with the pressure from Starnino (9-4-1, 2 KOs), who did good work backing Macy up in the early going.

Macy was able to establish himself down the stretch, with his right hand finding a home more and more on Starnino's chin as the fight wore on.

Even still it appeared Macy, who used to deal poker at the nearby Foxwoods casino, needed an ace on the river from the judges to escape with a win from Starnino.

He got just that, winning 39-37, 39-37, and 38-38 on the judges' cards. -- Alex Dombroff

Macy vs Starnino Photos

Other Notes:

Former USBA super bantamweight champion Jason Pires had his fight scrapped when opponent Brian Carden dropped out at the last minute...

Pires's original opponent, Israel "Pito" Cardona, who had to withdraw due to injury weeks ago, was inducted into Jimmy Burchfield's CES Ring of Fire, a group created by Birchfield to honor fighters who have made a difference in the New England boxing scene...

There were several luminaries in the crowd including former champion Marlon Starling and HBO ringside judge Harold Lederman. -- Alex Dombroff

Bonus Photos