Friday
May082009
May 8, 2009
Tonight, amidst the machine gun-clad troops and military paraphernalia that lines the glass cases of the Lexington Avenue Armory here in the heart of New York City, a very different type of war awaits fans and soldiers alike. Once again, it’s time for Friday Night Fights, hosted by Justin Blair and
Church Street Boxing Gym. The vast center chamber of the Armory has been converted to house the cordoned stage where tonight’s battles will occur. The dark belly of the fortress contrasts the bright evening sky outside. Fight fans, a good mix of white and blue-collar folks, still excited to be out of work for the weekend, line up single-file outside, brochures in hand, sizing up tonight’s matches. Inside, event staffers frantically buzz about making last-minute preparations while tonight’s stars, the fighters, methodically move through their pre-fight routines. Thai liniment, tape, gauze, and nerves: all the standard fare is present in both red and blue corner locker rooms. After all, tonight is the “Big One,” the annual crown jewel of the Friday Night Fights shows, and everyone wants to make their presence felt - and remembered. Time seems to flow at a different rate inside the venue than it does outside of it, and before anyone realizes it, a crowd of hundreds has packed itself into the large hall and the first bout is imminent. The excitement is palpable. A pretty young woman is brought onstage and belts out a wonderful rendition of the national anthem to a deferential audience. With formalities concluded, it’s finally showtime…
Bout #1
Tim Amorim
Sitan Gym, PA
VS
Ognjen Topic
North Jersey Muay Thai
5 x 2 min. rounds
Official Scoring:
Judge A:
B:
C:
48 – 47
48 – 47
48 – 47
Unofficial Scoring:
50 – 46
Winner:
Ognjen Topic
Topic starts looking to land left middle kicks from distance while Amorim looks for his right low kick, trading techniques at an even pace. Topic is able to score often with his jab-straight right, sneaking his right hand through Amorim’s tight guard. Amorim lands some solid low kicks, but Topic scores better with hard left kicks to the body and accurate right hands. Second round sees much of the same, with Topic keeping his distance, firing left kicks at Amorim as he steps in and occasionally letting a left hook-straight right go to score. Topic shows good defensive skills to evade Amorim’s hard low kicks. The third opens with a determined Amorim, looking more confident and aggressive than he did in previous rounds, trading low kicks with Topic. Though eating some heavy leg kicks early in the round, Topic is generally able to avoid the lion’s share of the damage by stepping back slightly and taking the foot instead of the shin. Neither fighter controls the third convincingly, but Amorim’s confidence level clearly jumps. His pace begins to quicken and going into the fourth, he makes the wise decision to try and turn the match into a fight. The intensity of both fighters picks up. Amorim looks to land strong straight rights, but Topic shows good defensive skills. Topic lands several good low kicks this round, setting them up behind his jab and left hook. Also, Topic looks to score slightly better in the clinch with better control and knees, though neither fighter lands anything big. In the fifth, Amorim comes on strong, catching Topic with a flush straight right in the corner. Topic answers with accurate left hooks, one which lands very cleanly on the jaw of Amorim. Topic looks somewhat winded, though, and Amorim is the fresher of the two. Amorim cannot leverage the advantage, however, as Topic decides to spend much of the last round in the clinch where he is not susceptible to Amorim’s attacks. Topic is awarded the victory for effective attacks, strong defense, and better ring generalship.
Bout #3
Jen Szecker
Cool Hearts Muay Thai
VS
Laurie Cahill
Ardon Sweet Science
3 x 2 min. rounds
Official Scoring:
Judge A:
B:
C:
30 – 27
29 – 28
29 – 28
Unofficial Scoring:
29 – 28
Winner:
Jen Szecker
Szecker opens up with right middle and low kicks trying to soften Cahill up. Szecker adds the straight one-two to her attack, and lands a solid jab-straight right to the body that stops Cahill in her tracks. Cahill is slow to start, not quite sure what she is dealing with and how to approach her opponent. In several brief clinch episodes, Cahill seems to exert a lot of strength and wears a strained expression on her face. In the second, Szecker looks to land more one-twos and low kicks, and begins to mix it up with Cahill. Cahill lands a clean one-two in one of the exchanges that sends sweat sailing from Szecker’s head. Neither fighter lands many effective shots this round, however: Cahill spends much of the round moving back and circling while Szecker stalks her but generally cannot find the right low kick she is looking for. Cahill looks winded by the end of the second. In the third, Szecker finds her range and begins to land her low kicks once again. Cahill spends almost the entirety of the round moving back as the aggressor, Szecker, stalks her methodically and scores. Szecker is awarded the decision by the judges for a more effective offense and pushing the fight by moving forward.
Bout #6
Jodino Lopez
Janjira Muay Thai KS
VS
Chris Kwiatkowski
Church St. Boxing Gym
5 x 2 min. rounds
Official Scoring:
Judges:
n/a
Unofficial Scoring:
n/a
Winner:
Chris Kwiatkowski
TKO – 2nd Round
Lopez comes out strong looking to land something substantial and Kwiatkowski looks to answer in kind. Kwiatkowski begins to land big low kicks and seems to have the power advantage over Lopez. Midway into the round, Kwiatkowski jumps in with a clean left hook to the jaw that drops Lopez for an eight count. Lopez appears to be hurt but makes the count. Shortly after, Kwiatkowski connects with a knee from distance to send Lopez to the canvas a second time, and he is counted again. Lopez gets up and survives the round, but still looks a bit shaken as he comes out for the second. In round two, Kwiatkowski connects flush with a straight right that hurts Lopez; he receives another count. The action begins again and Kwiatkowski lands a hard right knee from the outside and Lopez goes down for the final time, as referee Chris Wagner has seen enough and stops the bout.
Bout #8
Osvaldo Dominguez
Sitan Gym PA
VS
Liam Tarrant
North Jersey Muay Thai
3 x 2 min. rounds
Official Scoring:
Judge A:
B:
C:
29 – 27
28 – 28
29 – 27
Unofficial Scoring:
29 – 27
Winner:
Osvaldo Dominguez
The opening round sees both fighters predominantly in the clinch. Both trade knees, with Tarrant getting the better of the exchanges with heavy straight knees. While Tarrant lands the better knees, Dominguez seems to be the stronger of the two and looks unfazed. Dominguez remains poised and lands some effective straight left hands from his southpaw stance that Tarrant does not seem to pick up on. The second round sees more action from the outside, with Dominguez firing heavy left middle kicks and Tarrant trying to answer with his right kick. Dominguez lands a good straight left to the body. Throughout the round, Dominguez is able to move just enough to make Tarrant’s right middle kick miss its target slightly. The clinch exchanges in this round favor Dominguez, who lands good knees and leverages his strength to control Tarrant. Tarrant looks visibly frustrated but keeps pushing forward. The third sees Dominguez landing big left kicks and accurate straight left hands. The strength of Dominguez seems to have worn Tarrant down in the first two rounds and he looks worse for wear. Dominguez lands a big straight left hand that catches Tarrant clean and he drops to the canvas. Referee Wagner starts the count and Tarrant is on his feet quickly. Dominguez, still poised, goes on to land some more straight lefts as the round closes. Dominguez is awarded the victory by the judges, showing a stunning performance beyond his experience against a very tough Tarrant.
Bout #9
Travis Lerchen
Mango Tree Fitness
VS
Eric Utsch
Fairtex
5 x 2 min. rounds
Official Scoring:
Judges:
n/a
Unofficial Scoring:
n/a
Winner:
Travis Lerchen
TKO – 1st Round
Both fighters open looking to hurt the other. Lerchen starts with effective left kicks from his southpaw stance. Shortly into the round, Utsch opens up with his hands and lands several clean, hard shots. Lerchen is willing to trade and they stand toe-to-toe exchanging punches. Utsch seems to be losing out on the exchange, and Lerchen caps it off with a solid left hand that drops Utsch for a count. Utsch, clearly still feeling effects of the hard shots, pulls himself off the canvas. Lerchen jumps on him again, another exchange ensues. Utsch eats another solid left that puts him down for the second time. He is counted by Referee Wagner and shows his grit by rising once again. Jongsanan, in Utsch’s corner, screaming, pleads with Utsch to grab and clinch as he gets up. Utsch does not hear and/or heed Jongsanan’s advice and looks to stand in front of Lerchen once again. Lerchen looks to finish the fight, and with Utsch’s back on the ropes, lands a solid punch over Utsch’s teep. Referee Wagner has seen enough and calls a halt to the bout. Utsch has his wits about him, though, and the stoppage seems to be somewhat premature. No doubt Wagner has Utsch’s best interests in mind, but it seems Utsch could have continued while reasonably defending himself. In any case, Lerchen gets the victory by TKO in round one.
Bout #10
Rami Ibrahim
Sitan Gym, PA
VS
Justin Greskewicz
Cool Hearts Muay Thai
5 x 3 min. rounds
Official Scoring:
Judge A:
B:
C:
47 – 47
48 – 46
47 – 47
Unofficial Scoring:
47 – 47
Winner:
Draw
The first round sees both fighters vying for control of momentum, staying outside and looking to land hard punches and kicks. When the fight moves into the clinch, Ibrahim lowers his head excessively, leaving Greskiewicz in control. Greskiewicz shows cleaner techniques and controls the fight better this round, edging out Ibrahim. In the second, Ibrahim picks op the pace and looks determined to land his punches. He connects with some good straight rights and occasionally lets a right high kick go. Ibrahim is clearly the aggressor. Greskiewicz finds it hard to get going and is unable to establish his rhythm due to Ibrahim’s pressure. Ibrahim fires some big punches and often finds himself off balance as he wings hard left hooks and right hands. The third round is similar to the second, as Ibrahim has continued success with his right hand and scores well with hard left inside low kicks. Greskiewicz manages to intermittently get some left middle kicks off as Ibrahim steps in, but fails to do so on a consistent basis, to the ire of his corner. Greskiewicz still does not look like he has established a rhythm and Ibrahim is in control. Going into the fourth, Ibrahim continues to look for his right hand, straight and over the top. However, Greskiewicz is able to land a big right knee followed by a big throw that shifts the momentum in his favor. Greskiewicz now realizes he can be successful with a knee attack and looks to capitalize. As he steps in again to land another big knee, his targeting is off and hits Ibrahim with a very hard low blow. Ibrahim is clearly hurt and remains on the ground writhing for approximately two or three minutes before he gets to his feet. The crowd gets antsy and wants the fight to continue, as does Greskiewicz, standing in the neutral corner, but the blow is heavy enough to warrant the break. Ibrahim spends another two or three minutes regaining his composure and the action continues after Greskiewicz is penalized a point for the low blow. Both fighters have gotten a bit of time to rest and the fight starts again with a renewed sense of urgency. Ibrahim lands a good right hand, but Greskiewicz is able to take the round scoring big with a throw and another knee, though the point deduction plays against him. Going into the final round, Ibrahim looks to land his most effective attack of the match, his right hand, as Greskiewicz looks to use his knees and left kick. The fighters end up in clinching distance often this round where Greskiewicz is clearly in control with Ibrahim looking uncomfortable, lowering his head excessively, and grabbing Greskiewicz’s leg to prevent his knees. All things considered, Greskiewicz seems to have slightly edged Ibrahim in the match, but the point deduction plays against him and the contest is called a draw.
Bout #11
Ben Yelle
n/a
VS
Joe Sampieri
Renzo Gracie Academy
3 x 3 min. rounds
Official Scoring:
Judge A:
B:
C:
29 – 28
30 – 27
29 – 28
Unofficial Scoring:
30 – 27
Winner:
Joe Sampieri
Sampieri opens up with quick right middle and low kicks while Yelle tries to mount his own low kick attack. Yelle is a bit slow to start, however, and has a difficult time following up his kicks with something more substantial. Sampieri moves fluidly between orthodox and southpaw footing positions and lands a number of low kicks to Yelle’s left leg which he cannot seem to find an answer for. It is Sampieri who pushes the pace, landing a good right hand and a big left middle kick in addition to his low kicks to take the round. The second round sees much of the same, with both fighters trying to attack the legs. Sampieri gets off much quicker and lands more frequently, however, and mixes in strong right and left middle kicks throughout, once again effortlessly switching foot positions. Yelle has a hard time finding his rhythm but tries to answer Sampieri’s kicks with his own, middle and low. Yelle’s kicks are more than often blocked by Sampieri, though, who shows a strong defense. Sampieri also clearly dominates the clinch encounters, throwing Yelle several times this round. Going into the third, Yelle knows he must do something big to win and begins to step in heavy with his hands. But Sampieri is able to draw Yelle in, smother his punches, and transition into the clinch, where Sampieri is dominant. Yelle does not have an answer to Sampieri’s clinchwork, and is hit with straight knees and dumped multiple times. Sampieri is awarded the victory by unanimous decision.
Bout #12
Andy Zerger
Janjira Muay Thai KS
VS
Chris Romulo
Church St. Boxing Gym
5 x 3 min. rounds
Official Scoring:
Judge A:
B:
C:
50 – 44
48 – 46
50 – 44
Unofficial Scoring:
50 – 44
Winner:
Chris Romulo
Both fighters come out strong. Zerger opens trying to land left inside low kicks and an occasional right high kick. Romulo decides to answer with big left middle kicks and right low kicks. At one point, Romulo steps in and lands a heavy right knee to Zerger’s midsection. Romulo lands the cleaner, more effective shots and seems to have the sharper techniques of the two. In round two, Romulo returns to his low kick attack. He also begins to land a straight right hand–left knee combination that Zerger cannot seem to figure out. As Romulo steps in a bit closer, he is able to control Zerger fully, landing good knees and stepping out of range again with impunity. Romulo lands a good one-two-hook-low kick combination that scores big and he is clearly in control going into round three. In the third, Zerger tries to walk Romulo down, but Romulo plays the angles well and is does not move back straight, releasing Zerger’s pressure. Romulo again capitalizes with his straight right–left knee combination which Zerger still doesn’t seem to be able to stop. Zerger is tough and keeps moving forward but the pressure from Romulo has him out of his rhythm and a bit discouraged. Romulo elects to play more from the outside, circling and landing crisp jabs from long range that consistently land on Zerger’s nose, which is bleeding a bit. Romulo is very much in control. Round four sees more of the same as Romulo continues to land his knees and big middle kicks, occasionally switching southpaw and letting the left middle kick go from the rear position. Romulo also begins to open up with three and four shot hand combinations, focusing on digging his shots into Zerger’s body. These shots seem particularly effective and Zerger is slowed even more. Romulo is showing his whole arsenal at this point, though Zerger, to his credit, still moves forward, nose bleeding more heavily now. In the fifth, Romulo fights almost exclusively out of a southpaw stance, landing his hand combinations, often incorporating a left uppercut that Zerger doesn’t seem to see. Romulo stays outside and potshots Zerger, occasionally closing the distance to land his left knee. Romulo hits Zerger with a big left kick and Referee Wagner sees it fit to give Zerger a count, which Zerger answers. The match ends shortly after, with Romulo being awarded the decision on all judges’ cards.
Reflecting on tonight’s action, the outstanding performances by both Chris Romulo and Osvaldo Dominguez were particularly memorable and deserve to be mentioned.
Tonight’s display by Romulo, in terms of ring generalship and strong MuayThai technique, must certainly rank amongst his best to date. While fighters cannot compete under full MuayThai rules, even as professionals, here in New York City, Romulo was still able to showcase an amazing display of authentic MuayThai in defeating Andy Zerger. Romulo showed great skill and awareness by exploiting Zerger’s weaknesses with solid technique and preventing him from ever finding his rhythm. With this performance under his belt, a match up with anyone less than the top talents in the Super Middleweight category seems unappealing. If Romulo could be matched with Sean Hinds of the WAT, this would serve the fans and the sport greatly. Both are excellent fighters, technical and experienced. Any fan of the sport familiar with these two fighters can attest to the excitement this fight would engender. In any case, for Romulo, the stars are aligned for a big fight in the very near future.
As for Dominguez, the young man fought leagues out his experience tonight, pulling off a remarkable victory against a very solid Liam Tarrant. Tarrant, coming off arguably the biggest win of his career with his defeat of Marcus Fisher back in March, had both experience and momentum headed into the match. Dominguez, with less than half the formal ring experience of his opponent, exhibited great poise and patience in his deconstruction of Tarrant, culminating in the third round knockdown by way of Dominguez’s straight left. Methodically picking away at his opponent’s openings, Dominguez showed the intelligence and determination of a fighter far beyond his years. If this match is any indication, the future looks very bright for Mr. Dominguez.
5 x 2 min. rounds
Ognjen Topic
North Jersey Muay Thai
Maj. Dec.
Tim Amorim
Sitan Gym
3 x 2 min. rounds
Jen Szeker
Cool Hearts Muay Thai
Unan. Dec.
Laurie Cahill
Ardon Sweet Science
5 x 2 min. rounds
Chris Kwiatkowski
Church St. Boxing
TKO - 2nd rnd 0:42
Jodino Lopez
Janjira Muay Thai, KS
3 x 2 min. rounds
Osvaldo Dominguez
Sitan Gym PA
Maj. Dec.
Liam Tarrant
North Jersey Muay Thai
5 x 2 min. rnds
Travis Lerchen
Mango Tree Fitness
TKO - 1st rnd 2:00
Eric Utsch
Fairtex
5 x 3 min. rounds
Rami Ibrahim
Sitan Gym
DRAW
Justin Greskiewicz
Cool Hearts Muay Thai
3 x 3 min. rounds
Joe Sampieri
Renzo Gracie Academy
Unan. Dec.
Ben Yelle
n/a
5 x 3 min. rounds
Chris Romulo
Church Street Boxing
Unan. Dec.
Andy Zerger
Janjira Muay Thai KS
View Event Gallery
Reader Comments (1)
Nice write up Pat. Man I miss Sitan. What up Marz, good work on the pics.