Seldon and Simon club their way to KO
wins! Prospect looks to move up, while former champ hopes to get back.
By Mike Indri -Retired Boxers Foundation
(JUNE 1) Atlantic City - Last night the popular House of Blues club, at the
Showboat Hotel & Casino, was turned into a proverbial House of "Bruise", as
the Rising Star Promotions five-bout fightcard held at the hot nightspot was
filled with enough knockdowns and knockouts to keep any KO-minded boxing fan
happy.
While much of the one-sided action was the result of several mismatches, the
lively crowd did not seem to mind and actually appreciated the gutsy efforts
put forth by the overwhelmed opponents.
Fighting in the main event, former World Boxing Association heavyweight
champion Bruce Seldon overpowered an out of shape, and out-gunned, Livin
Castillo, forcing the Ecuadorian fighter's corner to humanely throw in the
towel at the 53 second mark of round five.
While never tasting the canvas Castillo was literally knocked senseless and
out on his feet at the end of round three. After controlling the first six
minutes of the scheduled eight round contest, Castillo was unable to keep
the stronger and heavier handed Seldon from finally landing several hurtful
body shots, as well as stinging jabs, which lead to Seldon driving several
lethal right hands to the head of the dizzy southpaw as the bell saved the
spent fighter.
Castillo somehow came out for round four and actually got the better of the
ex-champion, who was getting hit with every punch the still dazed southpaw
managed to throw. Luckily for Seldon, the poorly conditioned Castillo's
shots were ineffective and without much pop. Still, it was not a good sign
that Seldon's left eye was badly bruised and appeared to be closing at the
fights midway point. As round five began a motivated and desperate Seldon
came out of his corner looking to end the fight and hoisted many heavy
shots, which an exhausted Castillo was able to slip and avoid. Unfortunately
Castillo did get caught and the KO-minded "Atlantic City Express" followed
up with a bunch of thunderous headshots which had referee Earl Brown
scrambling to pull the raging forty-one year-old fighter off the wounded
Castillo as his towel was flung into the ring to mercifully stop the
beating.
Castillo, now 14-5 (9 KO's), was a one-time prospect that has now been
knockout out in four of his last seven fights, and shamefully entered the
ring last night totally unprepared and not in fighting condition.
"I hurt him to the body," a happy Seldon, now 38-6 (34 KO's), exclaimed
afterwards. "When the cut happened I was taking a lot of shots to the head,
they weren't hurting me but I did not want it (the cut) to stop the fight,
so I looked to take him (Castillo) out."
In the co-feature bout Philadelphia's Lajuan Simon made short work of
Indiana native James Morrow. The USBA middleweight title-holder pounced on
his overmatched opponent from the onset, forcing the bewildered fighter to
take a knee in hopes of regrouping.
Simon, who made note of the fact that fellow prospects Andy Lee & Tyrone
Brunson both had previously registered first round knockouts over Morrow,
then drove his hapless foe to the canvas twice more with thudding right
hands, before referee Ricky Vera called a halt at the 2:23 mark of the first
round. The super middleweight bout was scheduled for ten rounds.
Simon, currently ranked # 13 by the International Boxing Federation, will
need to fight a better class of competition to get serious recognition from
the sanctioning bodies, in his quest to move up in the rankings and in hopes
of getting considered for a world title shot.
Morrow, while game and willing, has lost all three of his fights this year
and five of his last six. Since suffering his first professional loss in
2005 (TKO 2 against Dante Craig), Morrow has only been able to win three of
his last fourteen fights (3-9-1, with 1 no contest). Simon remains
undefeated, 19-0-2 (9 KO's).
On the Rising Star Promotions undercard:
Opening the show Camden, NJ middleweight Alex Sanchez, making his pro debut,
wowed the crowd with his explosive display of power. After a slow start
against Mario Fisher (now 0-2), Sanchez caught the Salisbury, MD native on
the ropes and hurt him with a big right hand. Sanchez showed why he is
called "Too Strong" as he followed with a nasty barrage of headshots that
hammered his wincing foe down to the canvas as the ringside physician ran
into the ring while referee Ricky Vera was stopping the carnage.
Thankfully Fisher, who was stopped this past Feb. in his other loss (TKO 2
against Mike Denby), appeared fine as he walked out of the ring under his
own power.
Middleweight Mike Tiberi continued the assault, taking out his unskilled
opponent William Armstead after depositing the Columbus, Ohio native to the
deck three times within 2:13 of the first round. Tiberi improved to 5-0,
with his third knockout win.
Armstead slipped to 2-6 and has not won a fight since 2005.
In his last fight, a similar first round knockout loss, against talented
Ronny Vargas of New York (02/09/2008), Armstead embarrassed himself after
rolling out, and then rolling back into the ring following Vargas's first
combination. With referee Eddie Cotton counting ever so slowly, Armstead
made it to his feet at the count of nine and three quarters - only to say he
was unable to continue!
The fight of the night honors went to Bryne Green and Gustavo Delli, a pair
of young lightweight that battled in a four rounder.
Green, from Orlando Fla. and under the expert tutelage of Oscar Suarez, one
of the finest trainers and people within boxing, remained undefeated (3-0, 2
KO's) while Philadelphia's Delli remained winless at 0-2.
From the opening bell it was obvious to all that the finely tuned Green was
the better skilled and more proficient boxer, yet Delli won over the crowd
with his determination, concrete chin and toughness, that would make any
"Philly fighter" proud.
Suffering ruled knockdowns in rounds two and four as his gloves touched the
canvas after several of Green's blistering combinations, Delli never stopped
and never took a backward step. Presenting a new look to the twenty-four
year old Green, the southpaw Delli displayed the tenacity and heart of a
grizzled veteran and fought hard to earn the right to be known as the first
fighter to go the distance with the gifted Green.
Both fighters gave the judges their only work for the night as Lynne Carter
scored it 40-35, and both Robert Grasso and George Hill saw it 40-34 for
Green who looked impressive in his unanimous decision victory.
Former world champions Virgil Hill and Tim Witherspoon being on hand further
enhanced the Rising Star Promotions event.
The boxing fans were treated to potential greatness in the likes of Lajuan
Simon and Bryne Greene - both of who exhibited tremendous skill, as well as
the true meaning of boxing in the proud efforts of Gustavo Delli.
The crowd also got to see a big win, a meaningful victory, for Bruce Seldon.
While it was far from perfect, the win provided some much needed jubilation
for the former world champion, who looked happier than he has been in a very
long time.
