8COUNT PROMOTIONS, INC.
UIC PAVILION, CHICAGO , IL
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2009
The first fight of the night pitted RAMIRO CARILLO ( Chicago ) against JAMAR HAMPTON ( St. Louis , MO ) in a four round event. This was an all-action fight, with both combatants having their moments. Carillo was stunned by a combination from Hampton late in the second, and was actually dropped by a perfect counter right hand in the fourth round, but the judges were more impressed with the accuracy and pressure from Carillo, who they awarded a unanimous (but close) decision, 38-37, 38-37, and 38-36, improving Carillo’s professional record to 2-0.
Next up was young FOSTER NKODO (Chicago, by way of Africa) taking on JOSE FLORENTINO ( Indianapolis , IN ). Nkodo is a slick, stylish boxer, and he had little trouble in taking Florentino into a hard-fought unanimous decision after six rounds for Nkodo. Nkodo’s professional record improves to 4-0 with this victory.
ANTONIO MALDONADO ( Chicago ) needed just over four minutes of fighting to dispose of TIM REYNOLDS ( Pince Bluff , AK ). The “drunken master” style of Reynolds was entertaining to watch, but Maldonado exposed his lack of real defense quickly by forcing the corner of Reynolds to throw in the towel at 1:26 of round two, improving Maldonado’s record to 2-0.
Making his professional debut tonight, ANTONIO AVILA ( Bensenville , IL ) took on GREGORY COGSHELL, sending the Chicago native to the canvas once in each of the two rounds of fighting. After the second knockdown, from a perfect 1-2 combination in the center of the ring, Cogshell was deemed unfit to continue, improving Avila ’s professional record to 1-0 after the TKO stoppage at 0:42 of round two.
Not much to say about DAVID LATORIA’s ( Chicago ) fight against late substitute RICARDO BRADLEY ( Cincinnati , OH ). In all, the fight lasted all of 0:17, INCLUDING the ten-count from the referee. The very popular Latoria will need to step up the level of competition if his early-career fights are to prepare him for bigger challenges. His pro record now reads 2-0, 2 KO’s.
DAVID ESTRADA ( Chicago ) fought CHRIS GRAY ( Vero Beach , FL ) in a slow-paced but deliberately strategic main event. After six rounds of Estrada basically giving Gray a boxing lesson (complete with his entire arsenal of punches), which was impressive, considering the amount of ring rust he needed to shake just to get warmed up, his opponent, Gray, having “slipped” for the fifth time in as many rounds, was deducted a point for the offense. Soon after in the same round, another slip exposed a knee injury for Gray, prompting the referee to stop the fight, since Gray was unable to continue. 1:42 of round six was the time of the official TKO, and Estrada moves up to 27-6.Special thanks to Mr. Dominic Pesoli and Mr. Bernie Bahrmasel of 8Count Promotions, Inc. for supplying Bolo Punch with the necessary credentials to cover this fine event.
Bolo Punch was represented at ringside by Chris Guzman (written report) and Emil Kegebein (photography).
