Photos by SnapLocally.com

Truax (left) Williams (right), Courtesy SnapLocally.com

In front of a full house at the St Paul Armory, “Golden” Caleb Truax and Phil “The Drill” Williams did something nobody predicted would happen, they fought to a draw. To the fans point of view this decision was split among party lines, both sides feeling their guy got robbed. I even pulled some of the professional fighters in attendance and it was an even split as to who they thought had won the fight, again following their party lines. My vantage point was somewhat obstructed so I could not give a completely accurate scoring myself. Joey “Minnesota Ice” Abell  finished his destruction of Josh Gutcher in exciting fashion at 55 seconds of the second round. Ismail “Sharp Shooter” Muwendo lived up to his moniker with precise strikes until his fight was stopped after the 5thround. Full results below. Stay tuned for more on the Truax/Williams fight from Laura Zink.

Derek Winston exhibition Jake Backus - This was one of the more spirited exhibitions I have seen. I think if Winston would use his length more he would be a very tough foe.

Meier (left) Copp (right), Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Charlse Meier over Dan Copp (UD 40,36/ 39,37/ 40,36) - This was a pretty fun fight. Meier was able to control things when he stuck to his boxing and using his jab. To Copp’s credit he was very game in this fight, he did much of the pressing and was able to land a fair amount of his punches.

Courtesy SnapLocally.com

James Owen over Antwan Robertson  (UD 40,36/ 39,37/ 40,36) - Superman vs Batman, Robertson came to the ring in his customary Superman attire while Owen was sporting a Batman T. From opening bell until the final moments of the fight Batman controlled the ring. As soon as both fighters entered the ring it was clear to me that Robertson was the much smaller man and Owen took full advantage of that in forcing almost all the action and stalking Robertson around the ring for pretty much the entire fight.

MMA

Zach Juusola over Shaine Emmons (Arm Bar)

Travis Reddinger over Elias Jones (Ground and Pound)

Boxing

Muwendo (right) Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Ismail “Sharp Shooter” Muwendo over David Laque (Ref stopped the fight after the 5th) - Muwendo continues to impress me hugely. Laque looked quite a bit bigger to me but that did not stop Muwendo from dishing out punishment over the 5 rounds the fight lasted. Ismail Muwendo was sharp as ever with his jabs and pretty much whatever else he threw. I think it was only Laque’s size advantage that kept him on his feet throughout. I dont think it will be long before we hear much more from Sharp Shooter.

Joey "Minnesota Ice" Abell, Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Joey “Minnesota Ice’ Abell over Josh Gutcher(Stopped 55 seconds into the 2nd round) - Not too much to say about this fight. Abell is just a man amongst boys in most cases when he enters the ring. One only needs to look at Abell as he enters the ring to know what separates him from so many. Abell seemed like he would knock Gutchers head off with every strike landed. Ice stunned Gutcher on several occasions with varying punches from jabs to straight lefts, hooks and you name it, almost every throw could have been a game ender.

Truax (left) Courtesy SnapLocally.com

“Golden” Caleb Truax Draw Phil “The Drill” Williams (Draw 97,94 T/ 96,94 W/ 95,95) - This was a much different fight than I expected. Phil Williams learned his lesson against Matt Vanda and decided to let his hands go during his fight with Truax. Early in the contest it seemed Truax’s superior boxing skill would win the day but as the rounds went on and Williams kept increasing his offense the fight grew very close. Like I have stated before from my vantage point I would not feel comfortable giving any score other than I saw it as a close fight. The two biggest things I took away from this one is, Phil Williams was able to learn from prior mistakes and used his full arsenal in this fight, and Caleb Truax has a chin, a very good chin.

Again, stay tuned for Laura Zink’s peice on the fight.

Joey Abell, Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Joey “Minnesota Ice” Abell (25,4) is set to face Josh Gutcher (18,11) April 23 at the St. Paul Armory as part of the Truax/Williams show. Minnesota Ice also has a date at Nelson Mandela Memorial Stadium in Kampala Uganda May 29. Coming off the controversy from his last fight December 4, Ice is looking to get back into the ring in a big way. Minnesota’s heaviest hitter took some time to answer a few questions from The League below.

M….Its now been more than 4 months since your fight with Butler, do you have any final thoughts from that night?

Joey Abell

Abell….

No not really, I have put that behind me. I try and learn from my mistakes but a lot of what happens in the ring is instinct, adrenalin, and or rage. Thats why your taught to follow the ref’s instructions.

 
M….Do you see a rematch with Butler in your future?

Abell….I don’t think so. There hasn’t been any interest from either camp since the fight and a bit of hostility still exist. I would certainly fight Butler again if the terms were right.

 
M…. Has it been difficult waiting and watching as the various changes  have happened with your upcoming fight in Africa?

Abell….It has been difficult both mentally and physically. I have been training hard for months now and thats very tough on the body. You should only train hard for 4 weeks before a fight, so as the date keeps getting pushed back I have to continue to train. Hopefully we have it right now and I am ready for the next two fights.

M….At first it sounded as though you may face Francois Botha, do you think you may get a shot at the winner of Botha/Holyfield?

Abell…. That depends on what happens tonight in Las Vegas. If its a snoozer probably not, but it could end up very exciting and a match with Botha in Africa (should he win) might be a huge draw because he is from South Africa and he has a huge following.

 
M….Tony Grygelko informed us that your contracts have been signed for a fight May 29 in Africa, will you still be fighting Al Cole? If so, how much motivation will be gained from your first fight with him?

Abell….The May 29th date should be good. We just signed the contract and I have received some up front money. Money is usually a good indicator if the fight is on. Al Cole is still the opponent and I am extremely motivated to fight him again. He was a bit cocky after the last fight and I look forward to fighting 10 three minute rounds if it lasts that long.

 
M…. How close do you think you are to getting at some of the top guys in the heavyweight division?

Abell….Our plan is move into that category after four more fights following Africa. We expect to start challenging in the top twenty in less than a year.

 
M….Given the madness of December 4 and all that happened, how eager are you to get back to the business of boxing on April 23?

Abell….I am very anxious, its been too long for me. I love boxing, the crowds, and of course the money.

 
M….Do you know much about your opponent?

Abell….Just from clips that are available on the internet. He has fought some quality opponents and I am definitely not taking him lightly. I have learned that lesson.

M….You are one of the fighters frequently spotted at boxing events here in Minnesota, are there any MN guys you are particularly interested in following?

Abell…. I am a huge boxing fan and especially like to watch Minnesota Boxers. Its kind of a club here because its still in its early stages of development. Caleb is of course fun to watch because we train at the same facility. It has been a bit frustrating though trying to get good matches and crowds in Minnesota. I am not sure if its because we don’t really have experienced and established promoters or the fan base just isn’t here. I suspect its the former.

M….How busy of a year do you see for yourself?

Abell….We are planning on 3 or more fights after the Africa fight. Maybe 1 of those will be overseas but nothing is firm yet.

 
M…. Where do you hope to be a year from now in boxing?

Abell….Well assuming I keep winning, I expect to be challenging the top twenty in the heavyweight division. I have no interest in being a club fighter so I will keep looking toward the top and see how far I can go.

 
M….I have always been hugely impressed with your power, but in a recent interview with Tony Grygelko, he said your speed is very hard to match in a big man. What would you describe as your greatest strengths in the ring?

Abell…. I think my biggest asset as a heavyweight fighter is my athleticism, being able to move in the ring gives me a great advantage over the slower heavyweights.

Tony Grygelko (second from left), Courtesy SnapLocally.com

M….Seconds Out Promotions has been very busy the last couple years, how hard has it been putting so many shows together?

Tony Grygelko…. Our team has put a tremendous amount of hard work in over the years and there has been struggles along the way but we have never stopped our progression towards becoming not just the best fight promotion in the Midwest but to be considered one of the best in the world. Our endeavor has been no different than any other company trying to make it in this volatile economy and we have been able to keep growing because we understand that in today’s market you need to be innovative and have the ability to change the mold of the industry that you are working in. We have branched into promoting hybrid events which have included both boxing and MMA, along with launching into the MMA market as a whole. We have provided true value to our fighters that we have represented and most of all, we have provided our fan base with some of the most exciting events that Minnesota has ever seen.

 
M…..You are now quite active in MMA as well as boxing. I am a fan of both sports but that does not always seem to be the case with boxing fans and MMA fans, why do you think that is? And do you thinking working with both sports helps fans from the other to gain more understanding and enjoyment from each combat sport?

Tony Grygelko…. What I see with MMA is a younger age demographic that has a hunger for a high impact and fast paced sport to fill their entertainment needs and that is exactly what MMA  brings them but I think we have witnessed a big change in the fight fans over the year. By exposing the younger demographic to the sport of boxing we have created a more complete fight fan who comes to both of our events to enjoy the explosive matchups. 

 
M….What is the story with Joey Abell’s fight in Africa, is that fight still happening?

Tony Grygelko…. It sure is! We just signed the contract yesterday and the fight will now be taken place on May 29th.
 

M….I have talked with several fighters who have felt Abell’s power and they all confirm it to be world class, what do you see in Joey Abell’s future?

Tony Grygelko….  I think Joey has all of the attributes to become a champion and his power is like nothing most people in boxing have ever seen but I the most over looked skill that Joey has is his speed. There is nobody in boxing today that is as big as Joe that can match his hand speed.

 
M….”Golden” Caleb Truax, what comes to mind?

Tony Grygelko….  Total package!! Not just a the total package of a boxing champion but the total package of a amazing person. He dedication to self improvement is what makes him very special. The kid is truly “Golden”!

 
M…. I along with many others have noticed Truax’s rapid growth over the last year, what do you attribute that to?

Tony Grygelko….  It’s because he understands that he is only as good as the people he surrounds himself with. He has great people in his corner that make consistent efforts to help him and Caleb understands the value of them. When I say people in his corner I don’t just mean his management or his trainers, it’s also his family, friends, and most of all his fans!

 
M….I thought Kerry Hope was a great victory for Truax, what are your thoughts from that fight and Kerry Hope as a fighter?

Tony Grygelko…. I think we saw exactly what we wanted to see. Caleb was in a tough fight that challenged him to learn after each round, that’s the type of fights you need are building towards a championship.  Kerry Hope could have beaten any other middleweight in the state that night, he just happened to run into the best of them all.

M….You guys answered many a fans request by putting on Truax vs Williams, how did this fight come together?

Tony Grygelko….  Well Caleb and Phil are in my mind the best middleweights in the state. I know Phil has struggled over his last couple of fights but he has now found a new focus and I believe we are going to see a new Phil Williams on April 23rd.

 
M….What do you see this fight doing for its winner?

Tony Grygelko….Well I would love to see Kolle step up and fight either one of these fighters. I don’t think he could last one round with fighters that possess the power that both Caleb and Phil have. Remember the Paul Williams fight!!! I really don’t think that fight will happen so I think the winner of the April 23 fight will look to get out on the national scene.

M….Do you have the rest of the card rounded out? Or any hints as to what other fights we may see?

Tony Grygelko….Well we had Marcus LeVesseur and Mike Richman slated to compete in MMA action but they had the UFC tryouts and well let’s just say they won’t be able to fight on the 23rd.  As for the boxing we are looking to put Jon, Charles, and Ismail to a test. We are also happy to announce that we will have Antwon Robertson and Derek Winston on the card. Both these fighters are original products of Lyke’s Boxing Gym.

M….The last couple of years have been quite active in Minnesota boxing, how do you see boxing in our state?

Tony Grygelko….I think we rate up there with some of the most active states. We certainly have the talent and the fans to be considered the best state of boxing. Hell we are the Midwest right? As my good friend Roger Mayweather always says… The best fighters come from the Midwest!

M….What are some things you think Minnesota boxing fans have to look forward to?

Tony Grygelko…. Well lets all come out and support the two best Middleweights in the state on April 23 and at that event I have a real big announcement to make for June!

M…. How would you rate Minnesota’s fighters? Any guys you are excited about?
 

Tony Grygelko….The best fighters come from the Midwest!
If I was going to dip into the vast talent pool here in Minnesota I would want to work… I’m not telling!

Well if you look at the true 8 weight classes in boxing you could say Minnesota is talent rich.

Flyweight

Antwan Robertson

Bantamweight

Vincente Alfaro

Featherweight

Ismail Muwendo

Lt Weight

Jason Litzau

Welter

M Kayango

Middle

Caleb Tuax

Lt Heavy

Marcus Oliveria

Heavy

Joey Abell

Fighter that I am the most excited about is Cerresso Fort. I think with the right team this kid could be very good. I think he has made some move recently that has shown the he really is ready to start making some big steps with his career. I wish him the best of luck!

M….Thanks for sharing with our readers. Is there anything you would like to add?

Tony Grygelko….Don’t forget to get your tickets for the St Paul Brawl. Tickets are available at www.ticketweb.com

Truax to Battle Rival Phil Williams April 23!

For Immediate Release

St. Paul, MN (April 6, 2010) - Highly touted super middleweight Caleb “Golden” Truax will meet in-state rival Phil “The Drill” Williams at the St. Paul Armory Friday, April 23, in the main event of Seconds Out Promotions’ “St. Paul Brawl”.

A flawless 14-0 with 9 knockouts, Truax is amongst the top up-and-comers in the Midwest. The Osseo, MN native stopped five of his last seven opponents, most recently outpointing well regarded Kerry Hope in the World Boxing Federation’s Fight of the Year.

Williams, a dynamic power puncher, looks to get back on track following two recent setbacks. At 11-3 with 10 KO’s, Williams owns knockout victories over former title challenger Antwun Echols, underrated Marcus Upshaw, and twice decked unbeaten contender Marcus Oliveira before coming up short. A resident of Minneapolis, MN by way of Queens, NY, Williams is confident he will tarnish Truax’ perfect record.

Truax and Williams meet over ten rounds for local bragging rights, as the Minnesota State Super Middleweight title will be up for grabs.

In the eight round co-feature, cement fisted heavyweight Joey “Minnesota Ice” Abell battles 31 fight veteran Josh “The Griz” Gutcher of Albia, IA. A fan favorite based out of Coon Rapids, Abell sports a 25-4 record with 24 wins by knockout. Having fought in the U.S., Sweden, Canada and Saint Lucia, Abel is globally recognized as a devastating puncher.

Unbeaten featherweights Ismail Muwendo and Gustavo Espinoza meet over four rounds, while crowd favorites Jon “Iron Man” Schmidt, Charles Meier, Derek Winston and Antwon Robertson will appear in separate bouts against opponents to be announced.

With mixed martial arts’ interest at an all time high, Seconds Out added three special attraction MMA bouts to the card. Middleweight Jedidiah Jones meets Isiah Mahto in a highly anticipated three round rematch, while well regarded locals Travis Reddinger and Zach Juusola meet opponents TBA.

Tickets for the “St. Paul Brawl” are $25 for general admission and $75 for VIP and are available at ticketweb.com. Doors to open at 7 pm. The first bell is slated for 8.

The St. Paul Armory is located at 600 Cedar Street St. Paul, MN 55101.

When retired professional boxer Tony Grygelko found himself unable to stay out of the gym, he realized that his passion for boxing was undeniable. At age 29, Grygelko formed Seconds Out Promotions. By utilizing the vast boxing knowledge of world-class trainer Ron Lyke, Grygelko and Seconds Out quickly became a hit.

Through determination, integrity and hard work, Seconds Out strives to become a top promotional firm by giving young fighters the ability to showcase their talents to a worldwide audience, along with offering fans the highest quality of entertainment. Seconds Out is committed to recruitment and development of the best and brightest young fighters to help achieve our mission.

Seconds Out Promotions’ current stable of pugilists includes undefeated prospects “Golden” Caleb Truax, Marcus Oliveria, Michael Faulk, Ismail Muwendo, dynamite fisted Heavyweight Joey “Minnesota Ice” Abell, Willshaun Boxley, Charles Meier, Jon “The Ironman” Schmidt, and Mohammed Kayongo.

For more information, go to www.soboxing.com

It was announced today that Joey will be fighting Al Cole in May of this year in Nelson Mandela Stadium for a 12 round WBF heavyweight title.   This will be ICE’s biggest fight to date and certainly draw the largest crowd he has ever fought in front of.  Mohammed Kayongo, the African Assassin, will also be joining ICE fighting professionally for the first time in his homeland.  He is the #1 rated welterweight in Uganda.  The fight will be promoted throughout Africa and will be offered on  gofightlive.tv .  Nelson Mandela himself was invited along with many heads of state from surrounding African countries.  Flight/hotel packages will be available soon and will be posted.

Coming in May-2010

THE AFRICAN MELTDOWN

Minnesota ICE vs ICE Cole

Nelson Mandela Memorial Stadium, Kampala, Uganda

Joey Abell, Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Sources close to the situation informed me a few days back that there was a chance that Joey Abell would be taking the place of Evander Holyfield in a title fight with Francois “The White Buffalo” Botha (47,4,3) and now it is also posted on Abell’s website among other boxing blogs and sites. Although the fight is not yet a done deal, contracts and terms are not yet finished, the fight looks to be set for February 27 at Nelson Mandela Memorial Stadium in Kampala Uganda.

This would be a huge fight for Ice coming off the fiasco that was December 4. Abell had said prior to his fight with Raphael Butler that in 2010 he wanted to be in some higher profile type fights and this would be a nice start. Francois Botha started his professional career in 1990 racking up an impressive record with his only losses coming to premier fighters. His first loss was to Michael Moorer by way of TKO in the 12th round in 1996, his second loss came to Mike Tyson by KO in round 5 of a 10 round contest, Botha then lost to Lennox Lewis by TKO in the 2nd round of a 12 round fight, his only other loss was to current heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko in round 8 of a 12 round fight. At 41, Botha has to be making his final push for the top. Joey Abell may have more time, but has said there needs to be some major steps forward in 2010. Lets hope papers get signed and contracts done so Uganda can get some Minnesota Ice.

Truax (right) Courtesy SnapLocally.com

2010 looks to be a fun year for Minnesota boxing. Matt Vanda and Phil Williams have big fights on the 29th of this month and February has pro boxing in each of its first two weekends. From all I have been told and read both MSC and Seconds Out Promotions plan on another very busy year of boxing. Andy “Kaos” Kolle called out Matt Vanda and Caleb Truax towards the end of 2009 and rumor has it that Kolle/Vanda could be right around the corner if all goes well. The Fistic Mystic reported that there were bids sent out to Hinckley Grand Casino for a Caleb Truax/Kenny Kost fight and Matt Vanda / Andy Kolle 2, with Vanda/Kolle 2 winning out (Fistic also reported that nothing was final on Vanda/Kolle as contracts were not done at that time). Lets hope that both of these fights stay alive or at least some pairing of these four happens. Below are some MN vs MN fights we would love to see in 2010 if things continue to go well for the fighters mentioned. Big national or tv fights rank high in our book, but this is just Minnesota possibilities and we realise some of them may not make sense to the fighters for several reasons.

Jason Litzau, Courtesy of SnapLocally.com

Jason Litzau vs Wilton Hilario - We know this is probably a pipe dream for the time being

Andy Kolle vs Caleb Truax - This fight seems a ways off with what has been reported

Vanda landing on Williams, courtesy SnapLocally.com

Andy Kolle vs Matt Vanda - Probably the biggest fight out there in terms of money and turnout

Matt Vanda vs Caleb Truax - Another pipe dream as they share the same gym and trainer

Caleb Truax vs Phil Williams - I really like this fight

Joey Abell vs Raphael Butler - I still would like to see this fight, but dont have much hope of it happening

Gary Eyer (right), Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Gary Eyer vs Jeremy McLaurin - might be too soon for such a meeting, but I love the fight.

Brad Patraw vs Ismail Muwendo - weights are slightly different and this may also be too soon, but I love this fight.

Jeremy McLaurin, Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Jeremy McLaurin vs Ismail Muwendo - same as above

Opinions expressed in this piece are the authors, I have heard countless opinions on this from those who were at the fights and those who have only seen the video. The crazy thing is, almost everyone saw this a little different than each other. Jason Timlin is going to be joining us as a writer going into the new year, MNBoxingleague.com will be going through some changes we will discuss at a later date.

The Video Is Out!

By: Jason Timlin

Mayhem in the ring, Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Abell vs Butler fight ruled a no contest is on video for the world to see and a few things can be taken from this tape. First off here is the web address you can see the fight, MinnesotaBoxing.com

Instead of dissecting this fight like one normally would I suggest you go straight to the 6:10 mark so you can see the action. The tape shows Abell landing a big left that stuns Butler and Abell charges forward as Butler falls backward to the corner eating 6 straight punches before going down. Next Butler picks himself up off the canvas to take the standing 8 count. The end of the round bell rings but it becomes obvious the referee doesn’t hear the bell. He instructs the fighters to fight. Butler drops his gloves and takes his first step toward his corner. Abell hits Butler with a right hand then looks at the referee! Next Abell measures Butler with a short right, and lands a knockout left hand. Butler falls to the canvas and it’s clear he is out before he hits the floor. At the 6:39 mark of the video the referee starts his count. He makes it all the way to the count of two before his attention is caught by Butlers corner man who has entered the ring and starts to push Minnesota Ice. It becomes clear to a viewer that referee Bobby Burnette did not know the round was over when the knockout took place. It is very unclear if Abell heard the bell. Abell did clearly hear the referee tell them to fight! The decision to call this a no contest was correct because the referee clearly gives instructions to fight because he didn’t know the round was over. I think Butler was still dazed and didn’t pay attention to the instructions given by the referee because he heard the bell and desperately wanted the minute break between rounds.

Now let us examine the second fight in the ring. I’d just like to say that I don’t think anyone should be suspended! All involved knowingly partook in an unsanctioned street fight. I don’t think the commission that oversees boxing in Minnesota needs to take any action. I didn’t see any victims in the video footage. Now that I got that out of the way let us get back to the brawl. Abell’s corner men jump into the ring and a second fight begins. At the 6:45 mark everyone involved in the second fight is in the ring. Punches are thrown and it’s hard to see who is hitting whom. Referee Bobby Burnette is trying to break up the brawl when Abell jumps into the mess. At the 6:51 mark Joey goes over Burnettes back to grab Butlers corner man O’connor. Abell appears to execute the DDT a move made famous by Jake the Snake Roberts of professional wrestling. O’connor suffered a broken ankle and it can’t be seen on the video tape, but if I had to guess it was Abell’s take down that got the job done. That is about all there is anyone needs to see to know about this fight.

I have heard talks about a rematch. How could a rematch happen? It sounded as if the whole crowd was pro Abell. I have also received accounts from some in attendance that the pro Abell crowd was drunk. A promotions team must take this in to consideration. Abell brings in a following who buys drinks at the Target Center price. These are all good things to have! None of Abell’s drunken fans stormed the ring during any of the fighting, instead they just chanted Abell’s name. Butler’s fans, where were they? Were they buying expensive beers all night? Did they even make anti Abell noise after the shots Butler took after the bell? You sure couldn’t hear them! Butler was also down in the first round! How could anyone offer the same money to Butler as they did for the first fight? Why would Butler take less money for a rematch?

Just one last point before I wrap this up. Had almost any other fighter been in the same situation as Abell was in, I think the fight continues. Sure a guy might land three punches after the bell but he probably wouldn’t knock his opponent out. During the round break the referee, and the time keeper would work something out and a decision would be made if a point should be deducted. Abell’s biggest problem was the explosive power he possesses. He put his opponent out cold, rendering him unable to fight on. Most boxers in the state will never have to worry about that happening when they fight. We would all be left to ponder if a point should have been taken away in the first round, had most anyone in the state had been fighting instead.

The Fight – December 4^th 2009

By: Laura Zink

Photos by SnapLocally.com

Joey Abell (center) just after final blow, Courtesy SnapLocally.com

It was boxing. All of it: the promise, the grit, the terror, and the chaos. It was a night that no one saw coming.

The fight last night at the Target Center was more than anybody thought it would be… and for reasons that they never thought it could be. But it was, for everything that it was, a night of boxing that will be remembered in Minnesota boxing history forever.

Everything started out normal enough. The show began in a junior middleweight warm-up kick-started by a furious advance from a debuting fighter, Jacob Dobbe, who lost steam after the first round and was soundly out-boxed by a fighter, Saverino Garcia, who already had a pro fight under his belt.

Next, an enormous “Russian Giant,” Boris Shichporenok(6-1), grappled and socked an MMA fighter, Will Gillette (pro debut), as Gillette tried to barrel through the enormous reach, height, and 48 pound weight advantage of his competitor.

“He got 2 bowls of cereal and you only got one!” Gillette’s corner screamed during round one. “Move! Move! You got to make him work…but throw punches, too!”

And though Gillette moved, the “Giant” caught him with two lumbering head shots which sent Gillette flat on his stomach in 57 seconds of round 2. He got up and walked over to his corner, and much to Gillette’s surprise, the ref called the fight….and the crowd thunderously booed in disagreement.

“It’s time to switch the ref!” one member screamed. “The fight ain’t over!”

Then things began to get even more…unexpected.

Tony Lee (left) Courtesy SnapLocally.com

The much awaited pro debut of decorated amateur fighter Tony Lee began with a surprise for Lee which would only be heard from his corner. There was something his trainer did not tell Lee about his opponent, Hector Orozco (1-3).

I didn’t know that he was a southpaw coming into the fight,” Lee said after the fight. “Before the bell rung, I said, ‘He’s a f**king southpaw.’ Excuse my language. I am sorry. I said, ‘Otis, he’s a southpaw.’ And he just said, ‘Use your jab and do what you do.’ Otis knew that he was a southpaw, but he doesn’t want me thinking about it. Otis wants me to fight my fight. He knows that I think too much when I fight southpaws. And before the bell rung I said, ‘He’s a southpaw.’ He said, ‘Do what you do. Do Tony. Do Tony Lee.’ And after the fight, after the bell rung, I was mad as heck at Otis, and he knew it. I said ‘You didn’t say…’ and he was like ‘Hey man! We do what we do. That’s why I didn’t tell you. It’s because we do what we do. People need to adjust to you. It is a one man show…and tonight was your night. Now you know. You can do what you want.’ It was a good fight. He was tough. He was a southpaw. I hate southpaws. He has way more experience than me. It was his 5^th fight and it was my 1^st fight. He beat a guy who was 6 and 0. So I did good.”

His trainer’s surprise worked to Lee’s advantage. Using his remarkable speed and reflexes, Lee soundly out-boxed Orozco, and with a countering quick flash of rights, he even got Orozco down on his knee in the beginning of the fight.

“The first round he threw a wild right hand and I dipped under and hit him with a short right and a right cross and clipped him. It was a flash knock down. I didn’t even feel it go through my arm, but it was enough to put him down. That was a highlight for tonight. The second and third round I threw a few jabs that stung his head pretty good. The fourth round I felt like my hand was hurting. He hit me with a punch that hit my glove, so my hand started dropping, so I kind of gave it to him…I didn’t pick up the steam, but, all in all I dictated the fight and I controlled it.”

And a few more fights in, Gary Eyer (6-0-1) got a surprise of his own when he entered the ring for the battle of the undefeated against Levi Cortez (3-0). Eyer admitted to having no idea that Cortez’s pressure would be so constant…and so challenging.

“I really didn’t think that he was going to be like that,” Eyer said after the bout. “I thought that he was going to be a little bit easier. I thought that I was going to be able to use my reach and that he wasn’t going to be kind of awkward a little bit…I didn’t use all my arsenal…kinda made it hard. He’s good but he was holding a lot. Every time I got close to him, he grabbed me…and I was just trying to score little points, you know, to show that I was doing my best to try to win.”

And did Eyer ever have to work for it. The first two rounds were filled will looping overhand rights from Cortez and barreling tangles which tied Eyer up.

“I was waiting for him to get tired,” Eyer said. “That’s what I thought. I thought that he was going to get tired in a 6 round fight. I thought, ‘he’s just gonna get tired eventually and then I’ll get him.’”

But Cortez didn’t get tired, so Eyer had to use sheer force of will to get through the pressure and the tangles so he could set up and unleash some of his shots. He found his chance in round 3 and shot a left hook through the furious advance of Cortez which sent Cortez to the canvas. But Cortez was not the kind of fighter who would let one knock down count him out, and as Eyer went in for the kill, Cortez tossed overhand shots and barreled in like a torpedo sending the two tumbling to the canvas and wrestling on the floor.

“The left hook, I don’t know how that one happened,” Eyer commented about the first knockdown. “I just threw a hook and it landed good.”

But round 4 was clearly a struggle. Cortez landed a big 1,2 at the beginning of the round which sent Eyer’s head flying back.

“Dance, Gary! Dance!” trainer, Chuck Horton, screamed from Eyer’s corner.

And as Eyer moved, he began to try to time Cortez, but the consistent furious advance sent the timing into a time warp, stifling blows before they could even register. But then, Eyer landed again. In round 5, Eyer gave Cortez a taste of his own overhand right, sending Cortez to the canvas again.

“The second one, I was just like, ‘Ok. I’m not moving my head. I am not fighting as good as I should. This is gonna suck,’ And I just kinda said, ‘Eff it,’ and I said, ‘I’m just gonna time his overhand right with one of my overhand rights and I’m gonna get him.’ And…thank God. And you know, the first time I got him…it took forever to get back in there. It was like waiting, waiting, waiting. I woulda had him out….The second one, I definitely felt, yeah, that ‘you could’ve went down there.’ The first one? I don’t know how that happened.”

And for the sixth round, Cortez, bleeding from a split upper lip and a broken nose, and Eyer, bleeding from the mouth, clashed again and socked it out, Cortez with his overhands and tangling, and Eyer now fighting his way into and out of every advance. With the scent of blood in the air both fighters slammed at each other at 10 seconds out, pounding each other on the ropes until the final bell. And when the unanimous decision was called in his favor, Eyer, let out a sigh of relief, not due to the decision, but because he knew that he had just fought the hardest won fight in his entire career.

“This fight was hard and I just…I’m definitely not cocky but, I will just say that it definitely humbled me,” Eyer commented. “Um…I’m just gonna train harder, and uh…I wouldn’t mind fighting him again.”

“But don’t tell him that I will be throwing two or three punch combos at him the whole time…instead of just one shot….don’t tell him that,” Eyer joked. “I know how to fight him now.”

And then, after the joy and the glory and the fights rolled on, the crowd got a shock that few predicted or were even prepared for. When fans bought tickets to this fight, surely they did not expect to see the end of an era. But in the co-main event, it happened…and all due to the furious hands of Larry “The Razor” Sharpe (23-7). After a seven year pro boxing career, 29 professional fights, and a star-power which inspired a new era in Duluth boxing, Zach “Jungle Boy” Walters retired from boxing after being knocked down and then knocked out in 56 seconds of round one.

Larry Sharpe (right) ending the fight, Courtesy SnapLocally.com

“I didn’t think that it was going to happen that fast,” Sharpe said after the fight. “In my mind I expected that I would bang to the body and apply the pressure and I would stop in about the fourth…that was my game plan. I thought that after I went to the body for the first few rounds that his hands would come down and I’d land some clean up top.”

“I knew that he was a good boxer so I planned to come forward and apply pressure,” Sharpe continued. “I’ve gone 10, 12 rounds the last few years, so going 8 rounds, I wasn’t worried about my gas tank. I just put the gas on early and my plan was actually to go to the body more early on, but he stood in front of me a lot longer than I thought he was gonna and he was there for me to hit so…in training I was practicing going up with my shots because I knew he was a taller fighter…and they were landing. They were landing, and I could tell that he was hurt so I just went in for the kill.”

And if that weren’t enough shock for the fans to stomach, the main event threw everyone into a state of complete and utter confusion. In the first heavyweight Minnesota State Title fight in 32 years, the fight was ruled out after round 1 due to disqualification.  (It was changed to No Contest) After Raphael Butler got soundly rocked by Joey Abell in round one, something truly terrible happened. Just as Butler was pulling away from Abell and dropping his hands at the end of the round, Abell moved in and threw an uppercut and two shots to the head which made Butler go stiff and fall backwards onto the canvas. Dan O’Conner leaped into the ring and began pushing Abell and screaming at him. Ron Lyke jumped into the ring to defend his fighter as cornermen from all sides began storming the ring. Abell, stunned, did his best to try and break up the pile of battling cornermen. And Butler, as he began to awake from the knockout, lifted his head to see the dogpile tumbling out of control at his feet as he still lay on the canvas. And as everyone fell over each other and the fight began to peter out, it became clear that Abell didn’t know that he threw those final devastating punches after the bell. As Butler was getting up, Abell could be seen in his corner mouthing, ‘I didn’t hear it. I didn’t hear it.’ Butler, realizing that Abell clearly did not intend to hit him after the bell, took the mike and put his arm around Joey and telling the crowd, “It was an accident. We are going to do it again.” And the crowd, shocked by the events that had just taken place, resolutely booed and even broke out into a couple of fights of their own. But after the earthquake and the aftershocks in the crowd subsided, almost everyone, from the fans, to the fighters, to the commissioners, and even the employees at the Target Center stood there for a moment with mouths agape, dumbstruck at the events which has just transpired. It was a fight finish which was truly surreal.

But for all that last night was, the fight at the Target Center will not soon be forgotten. For many in attendance last night, that fight showed boxing for what it is: blood and guts. Equally critical in all its circumstances, be they high or be they low, boxing shows us what life looks like when it is stripped down to its most crucial characteristics. Be it greatest glory, the toughest challenge, the deepest upset, or the most unpredictable chaos, boxing makes us focus on life’s biggest moments, and in the most brutal detail, it shows us the things we want to see, the things we don’t…and the things that we just can’t look away from. And that fight at the Target Center last night had it all.

Photos by SnapLocally.com

Mayhem in the ring, Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Last night belonged to Gary “Stone Cold” Eyer and Levi “The Shark” Cortes. Their clash was definitely fight of the night and to many observers fight of the year. Dan “The Common Man” Cole labeled it fight of the year directly after the action. The heavyweight battle we had been waiting for turned into mayhem in the ring. Confusion rained as the first round came to close and Joey Abell landed a vicious combo to Butlers head after the round had ended, causing an all out brawl in the ring between corner men and others, even spilling into the stands. Just prior to this fight Zach Walters was taken down by a buzz saw in Larry Sharpe, and after it was over Walters and his team informed us he would be retiring from the sport. Below is a quick rundown of last nights action. Laura Zink will have a full report with comments from Larry Sharpe, Gary Eyer, Tony Lee and more.

Saverino Garciavs Jacob Dobbe - (UD 40,36/40,36/39,37 Garcia) - Jacob Dobbe started the fight off with heavy pressure and big shots, stalking Garcia around the ring. The effort Dobbe put into that first round seemed to have drained him for the remaining three. Garcia used superior boxing skill to pick apart Dobbe for the rest of the fight.

William Gillette vs Boris- (TKO 57 seconds of 2nd, Boris) - Gillette won the first round in my opinion and then tasted The Russian Giants power in the second. To some it seemed like a quick stoppage, and to me it seemed that maybe Gillette didn’t let the ref know he was ready to continue after being knocked down two times.

Tony Lee (left), Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Tony Leevs Hector Orozco - (UD 39,36/40,35/39,36 Lee) - Lee had Orozco down in the first round. He pretty much put on a boxing lesson for 3 rounds of 4. As usual Orozco was very game and continued to come forward for much of the fight. But the 4th round aside, Lee worked every legal portion of Orozco’s body. Very impressive pro debut for Lee. Laura Zink was able to catch up with Lee after the fight and will have his comments with her report later today.

Dave Petersonvs Silas Ortley - (TKO 1:22 of 4thround Dave) - Peterson had Ortley down 3 or 4 times in this fight, all from body blows. At one point Orley had to unload his cookies in the middle of the ring. Ortely started the fight throwing hard but very wide shots, and against a skilled fighter like Peterson it just left his body wide open. This was definitely not a pretty fight, but it was all Peterson in my opinion.

Gary Eyer (right), Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Gary Eyervs Levi Cortes - (UD  58,54/57,55/57,56 Eyer) - Holy Cow! I said this would be the fight of the night, and it really lived up to that billing. Cortes started the first round like a man possessed. His relentless attack on Eyer left many wondering if if Eyer would make it out on his feet. Turns out we have another Minnesota fighter with a steel chin. Levi Cortes unloaded some bombs square on Eyers face but even as some seemed to stun Eyer they did not hinder his fight. Eyer put Cortes on the mat in the 3rd and 5th rounds and that probably was the difference in this fight. While Cortes was always on the attack and landing some bombs, Eyer seemed to land more punches and did a good job of working the body.  I had Gary winning 4 rounds to 2, but according to the judges scores those two knock downs decided the winner. Laura Zink talked with Eyer after the fight and will include that with her report later today.

Levi Cortes (left), Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Ronnie Peterson vs Tomi Archambault- (Ronnie retired on stool after second round on advice of dr, Archambault) - Archambault got his revenge and his W back in this one. To be honest it never seemed like Peterson was in the fight. I was told that the shoulder that Peterson had surgically repaired last year was re injured and on the Dr’s advice Peterson did not come out for the third round.

Larry Sharpe, Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Zach Walters vs Larry Sharpe - (TKO 57 seconds of 1rst round, Sharpe) - Sharpe told me prior to this fight he had a lot more pop at 170lbs and he showed that in this short fight. The bell rang and he just overwhelmed Walters with huge punches, putting Walters down two times before the fight was called. After the fight we were told that Jungle Boy would be retiring from the sport of boxing. Walters has as much going on outside of boxing and he will now focus on that. We will have more on Zach Walters later in the week. Laura Zink was able to get some comments from Larry Sharpe after the fight and will include in her report later today.

Abell landing final blow of bout, Courtesy SnapLocally.com

Joey Abell vs Raphael Butler- (Joey DQed for Knocking Butler out after the bell 1rstround) - Has been changed to a No Contest. - The first round had both fighters stunning the other with heavy shots, but the real action came after the bell. It is being reported that Abell and the ref did not hear the closing bell, and Joey Abell threw a huge combo on Butlers head, Knocking him out after the round had finished and Butler was not defending himself. This caused an initial ruling of DQ but later changed to no contest. It also cause something straight out of professional wrestling. Before the dust settled the ring was full with corner men and others in an all out brawl. Some were trying to stop the fighting while some were throwing down. The madness in the ring left one or two fights outside of the ring and in the crowd as supporters for Butler and Abell clashed.