Some of the best boxers in Michigan delivered an action-packed night of boxing Sept. 12 at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, MI.
The night began with Flint native Christopher Thomson (3-0, 3KOs) putting on a great performance versus Eric Hadley in a four-round middleweight bout.
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As the opening bell sounded, Thompson immediately found the range by using a sharp, fast jab. He then mounted combinations and offensive pressure which allowed him to trap Hadley in the corner and unleash a barrage of punches. Thompson dropped Hadley with relentless punches but Hadley quickly stood to his feet. Thompson immediately got back on the offense, firing off another barrage of punches that sent Hadley tumbling to the canvas once again.
The referee stopped the fight. Thompson won by TKO in the first round.
The card continued with Flint native Darrion Lawson(3-0, 3KOs) making quick work of his opponent, Isaiah Cobbs in a four-round heavyweight bout.
In the opening round, Lawson met Cobbs in the center of the ring and immediately landed a lead hook that staggered him. Moments later, Lawson landed a perfect left hook that knocked his opponent down and out.
Lawson won by KO in the first round.
The next bout was a four-round middleweight bout between Flint native Jaquan McElroy (2-0,1KO) and Lamar Bolden.
In the first round, McElroy patiently set up combinations to the head and body as Bolden repeatedly lunged in. Bolden’s wild offense left him open for counter opportunities and McElroy made him pay.
McElroy picked up the pace in the next round, applying more pressure with combinations. The relentless pressure and body attack slowed Bolden down and allowed McElroy to land clean punches to the head. At the end of the round, McElroy knocked Bolden down with a combination ending with an overhand hook. Bolden stood to his feet but was saved by the bell.
McElroy saw his opportunity to close the show in the third, as he followed with even more pressure and combinations. Bolden retreated as he was hurt with a clean body punch from McElroy. Bolden tried to weather the storm but McElroy unleased a barrage of punches that closed the show.
The referee stopped the fight. McElory won by TKO.
The next bout saw another heavyweight matchup that didn’t go the distance but it wasn’t a knockout. Flint native DeAndre Savage(6-0,6KOs) faced Keshawn Jackson in a six-round bout.
The bout began with Savage applying offensive pressure and Jackson on the retreat. Jackson seemed unwilling to engage with Savage due to the power of his punches.
In the second round, Savage knocked Jackson down after barrage of punches. Jackson stood to his feet but was clearly hurt and trying to evade Savage’s aggression. Savage backed Jackson into a corner and began firing combinations. Jackson went down from a body punch but Savage accidentally landed another blow to the face as Jackson went down on a knee.
Jackson was unable to continue and the bout was ruled a ‘no contest.’
The TV opener bout saw Flint native Leon Lawson III(16-1, 9KOs) make his return to the ring after over a year out of action against Luis Alberto Veron of Argentina.
In the first-round, Lawson III patiently out-boxed his opponent with a long, fast jab. Lawson III kept his opponent at a distance which made it easy for him to evade Veron’s attacks. Midway through the round, Lawson III staggered his opponent with a powerful 1-2 punch combination. He remained patient as he continued to build momentum.
Lawson III picked up the pace in the second-round landing more combinations after setting it up with jabs. He applied more pressure and started to back his opponent up but still remained patient.
A similar theme played out in the third-round as Lawson III was sharp, accurate and methodically breaking Alberto Veron down.
Lawson III’s moment came in the fourth round as he landed an explosive counter overhand right hook that sent Alberto Veron tumbling to the canvas.
Alberto Veron tried to stand to his feet but quickly fell back to the canvas. The referee stopped the fight. Lawson III won by TKO.
The second TV bout saw Inkster native Da’Velle Smith(9-0,7KOs) deliver an impressive KO performance against Esau Herrera De La Cruz of Mexico.
Smith floored De La Cruz seconds after the opening bell, showcasing lightning-quick hand speed along with devasting power.
After hitting the canvas a second time, De La Cruz was counted out in the fourth round.
“The atmosphere was great,” said Smith. “The fans definitely wanted to see me get him (De La Cruz) out of there and finish him. I expected to dominate in great fashion. I could have done better, and there are still things I need to tighten up. I haven’t fought in about seven months, so I thought I did pretty good.”
The co-main saw Grand Rapids native Joseph Hicks(11-0,7KOs) add to his perfect record after an eight-round unanimous decision victory over Detroit native Ronnie Austion.
The bout was a highly tactical battle as both fighters displayed excellent hand speed and ring IQ. Hicks’ consistent offense and pressure throughout had Austion mostly on the backfoot, trying to evade punches.
Austion was clever and landed solid counter punches but did not throw enough punches to push Hicks backwards. Hicks picked up the pace as the fight went on which gave him the nod on the judges’ scorecards.
The main event saw Flint native Ardreal “Bossman” Holmes Jr.(16-0,6KOs) displaying championship-level skills against Cuban veteran Hugo Noriega(10-3,5KOs). Holmes Jr. defended his USBA junior middleweight title for the second time.
Over the course of 10 rounds, Holmes Jr. showcased excellent head movement, out-boxing and counter punching from the southpaw stance. His long, fast jab kept Noriega at a distance. Noriega tried to close the gap by lunging in with combinations but Holmes Jr. repeatedly met him with clean counter punches.
Whether it was left-hand pull-counter or check right-hook, it seemed like Holmes Jr. had a counter for everything Noriega threw. Whenever Noriega got close enough to unleash a barrage, Holmes Jr. displayed excellent head movement and defense from the ‘Philly Shell’ guard.
Noriega was a tough competitor and never stopped coming forward but was unable to mount much offense against the slick Holmes Jr. “Bossman” cruised through the final two rounds as the bout went to the judges’ scorecards with Holmes Jr. scoring the unanimous decision victory.
Holmes Jr. said after the fight that he’s grateful to share the card with his brother Jaquan McElroy in front of the hometown crowd.
“It’s a dream come true,” Holmes Jr. said. “To be able to share the card with my brother and fight in front of my hometown was amazing and I am ready to do it again. I fought a really tough guy in Noriega. Cuba has some of the best fighters in the world. I appreciate him coming out and bringing the intensity. It makes me that much better.”