A CES Classic Sees
Griffin Get it Done, O’Connor Dazzle
By: Coach “K”
November 22, 2009
(NOV 22) Twin River Event Center,
Lincoln, Rhode Island Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and
Sports Inc. presented “Autumn Classic” saw the leather flying like
Autumn leaves falling in a Nor Easter. The action started
with Roxbury, Massachusetts Maceo Crowder the brother of 2008 U.S.
Olympian Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade making his pro debut picking apart,
buckling then putting to rest Reidsville North Carolina’s Duane King
also making his pro debut. Crowder out boxed and dropped King in the
opener, buckled his knees with a heavy lead right hand in the second
before finishing him with a clean 1-2 at 1:48 of round three.
Next up was heavyweight action with Worcester, Massachusetts’s Rashad
Minor, 3-1, 3Ko’s acting like the Titanic taking revenge on Hannibal,
Missouri’s ’s Lance “Iceberg” Gauch, 1-2, 1Ko’s sinking him with a heavy
looping right to the head forcing referee Danny Chiavonne to wave it off
at 2:47 of round two.
Bout number three featured 2008 NY Gold Glove Champion Joe “The Irish
Bomber” Smith Jr.’s destruction of Eden, North Carolina’s Brandon
McGowen’s pro debut. “The Bomber” used a tight defense to withstand an
initial wild and wide McGowan assault before using a stiff jab to backi
McGowen to the corner then planting a jack hammer straight right to the
solar plexus, crushing hook to the liver combination reminiscent of
“Irish” Bobby Cassidy dropping and stopping McGowen at 0:45 of round one
where he remained for over five minutes. Smith trained by former pro
light heavyweight standouts, brothers Phil and Gerry Capobianco and
Chris Canzona continues his impressive start at 2-0, 2Ko’s leaving
McGowen flat looking for his first win.
The “Autumn Classic” was beginning to look like a full fledged winter
storm and Providence, Rhode Islands southpaw super middleweight standout
Vladine Biosse would keep it coming dead on track blasting out
Davenport, Iowa’s Jeffrey Osbourne with an unanswered eleven punch
combination forcing referee Danny Chiavonne to call it at 1:25 of round
one. Biosse kept his zero matching it with his fifth victory while
Osbourne fell to 8-15-2, 3Ko’s.
In the first of three co-features “The Hurricane,” four-time women’s
world title holder Jamie Clampitt, 20-4-1, 7Ko’s turned up quite an
“Autumn” storm herself returning to the ring after a twenty month layoff
to blow out North Carolina’s #10 ranked Rachel “The Joker” Clark, 4-3-1,
3Ko’s. Clampitt made the “Joker” look like a prankster winning every
round hands down, some could have easily even been scored 10-8. Clampitt
did all her measuring in the opening round then began to land with big
right hands before putting it all together banging from both sides to
Clarks head and body, several times throwing and landing ten punch
combinations. Clampitt used a good jab to set up her power shots
targeting Clark’s body, ripping inside outside hooks and uppercuts
giving “The Joker” nothing to laugh about prompting some in the nearly
capacity filled event center to call for the bout to be stopped. The
judges cards were announced a 60-54 shutout times three.
The semi main event showcased Framingham, Massachusetts 2008 US Olympic
alternate light welterweight “Irish” Danny O’Connor who entered banking
nine wins against zero losses in his first fourteen months as a pro.
O’Connor totally out classed Rock Hill, South Carolina’s James Hope 4-3,
4Ko’s with a slippery “Patriot Missle” answering defense leaving a
totally baffled and frustrated Hope talking to himself as he ate
multitudes of counters. O’Conner showcased his complete package of
skills, demonstrating a clean snapping southpaw jab, stinging straight
lefts, body shots from both sides, boxing and banging all before turning
and countering the South Carolina fighter leaving him the only “hope” to
be put out of his misery which O,Connor several times appeared only one
punch away. The impressive victory moves “The Irish Sensation” to 10-0,
3KOs giving Hope his third loss to go along with his four Ko wins. All
three judges scored the one sided beating 60-54 O’Connor.
Following a very spirited National Anthem by Mark Antonelii the main
event featuring “Irish” Joe McCreedy, 11-4-1, 6Ko’s taking on “Sugar”
Ray Leonard’s “The Next Great Champ” reality show winner, Otis “Triple
OG” Griffin, 21-6-2, 8Ko’skept the event center rocking.
The eight rounder was valiantly contested with McCreedy starting fast
winging shots with both hands then falling in grabbing on. McCreedy
continued to fall into his right after punching eventually allowing
Griffin to turn the tide in the fifth round scoring regularly with some
heavy uppercuts from both sides. McCreedy to his credit was game and
kept coming forward firing away until the end as both fighters had their
moments but it was Griffin’s jab and landing the cleaner harder shots
that earned him the judges scores of 78-75, 77-76, and 78-74. The
victory gives Griffin his second straight win since losing to Jeff Lacy
and Marcus Oliveira early 2009.
Overall it was a very entertaining “Autumn” evening of rock and sock ‘em
boxing highlighted by the devastating punching of the “Irish” Bomber Joe
Smith Jr; a world championship caliper battle by spotlighting the return
of “the Hurricane” Jamie Clampitt and the world class skills
demonstrated by a defensively sound and offensively skilled Danny
O’Connor leaving everyone looking to forward to the next CES boxing show
scheduled for December 10th at The Roxy in downtown Boston. See you
there. For more information go to cesboxing.com.or more information
about. Published on WBAN.
