Rodriguez Victorious, Alcine Held To A Draw At Mechanics Hall

Lou DiBella Entertainment and Broadway Boxing presented an evening of professional boxing on Saturday, August 20, 2011, in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. World ranked contenders Edwin Rodriguez and Joachim Alcine headlined a seven bout card at Mechanics Hall. The 1,033 fans in attendance witnessed the 400th professional card at Mechanics Hall. SecondsOut’s Derek Bonnett sat ringside to call the action as it unfolds.

In the opening bout, Worcester’s Gabriel Duluc controlled four rounds of action in a four round 140 pound bout. Duluc punished Noel Garcia with overhand rights and straight punches for the full twelve minutes. Garcia proved his beard was made of stern stuff after absorbing everything Duluc had to offer. Garcia landed sparingly, but never backed down. Duluc moved his record to 2-0 (1). Garcia, from Springfield, MA., fell to 2-11-1 (1). All three judges scored the contest 40-36.

Thirty-six year old heavyweight prospect, Kelvin Price of New Iberia, Louisiana, USA, met Joseph Rabotte in a six round contest. Price spent the first few reounds measuring his opponent and scoring with his jab. The right hand began to follow it with more regularity as the fifth round unfolded. In the final two rounds, Price looked like a legit prospect as he fought with more fire and increased his punch output. Price bled from an abrasion beneath is left eye throughout. Late in the bout Rabotte bled from a cut on the corner of his left eye. The jab of Price pickd up a lot of snap in the sixth and bloodied the nose of Rabotte. Price improved to 11-0 (6) as a professional. Labotte dipped to 11-17-1 (3). The judges’ cards read  60-55 and 60-54 twice.

In a super bantamweight rematch, New Haven, Connecticut’s Luis Rosa met Shawn Nichol for the second time since June, when he won a six round majority decision. The action wasn’t exactly Marquez-Vazquez-esque, but the two legitimately fought like they had something to prove to the other. Rosa was the faster, more powerful fighter throughout, but Nichol’s technique was finely honed for a .500 fighter. However, it was the busier Rosa, who asserted himself over Nichol over the course of the six rounds. Nichol landed the best placed punches, but they were few in number. Rosa enhanced his dossier to 8-0 (5). Nichol dropped to 5-6 (5). The judges’ scorecards were 59-55 thrice.

Former WBA 154 pound champion, Joachim Alcine, broke a thirteen month inactivity streak tonight against Jose Medina of Quincy, MA. in a middleweight bout. Alcine, fighting out of Quebec, Canada, fought passively early on to allow Medina early success with the jab and overhand right. Alcine fought well in spots, but Medina was consistently the busier man and grew in effectiveness as the fight developed over three rounds. Alcine’s edge in experience and clean countering brought him back into the fight as Medina’s left eye began to swell and trickle blood. However, Medina appeared to pull away in the later rounds and had Alcine fighting wildly in the fight of the night at Mechanics Hall. The crowd clearly favored Medina, but the judges ruled the bout a draw. One scorecard favored Alcine 78-75. A second favored Medina 78-74. The third decided the outcome at 76-76. SecondsOut scored the bout 77-75 for Medina, but none of the three judges’ cards appeared off the mark. Alcine’s record is now 32-2-1 (19). Medina is 14-9-3 (6).


 


 

Quincy native, Ryan Kielczewski put in his his most complete performance as a professional against the very game James Lester of Detroit, Michigan. Kielzewski’s handspeed was on display from the opening round, but the feather-fisted  junior lightweight packed no thunder in his four and five punch combinations. Kielczewski fought from bell to bell throwing to the body and head. His punches didn’t always landed cleanly, but he blinded Lester with his offensive and never allowed his opponent to win a round. The Polish Prince dropped Lester along the ropes early in the sixth with a powerful right hook.Lester took a knee seconds later after a follow-up barrage. Lester started the seventh with vigor, but soon found himself back on his knee willingly. In the closing seconds of the bout, Lester’s nose was split at the bridge. In the end, Kielczewski improved his ledger to 11-0 (2).  Lester fell to 9-6 (4). The judges scored the bout 80-69 and 79-70 twice.

In a bout worthy of the title My Big Fat Greek Weigh-In, Sonya Lamonakis, a New England favorite, boxed Tiffany Woodard in a six round women’s heavyweight bout. Lamonakis and Woodard kept the corwd roaring throughout a lot of holding and smothered shots. Lamonakis did rock Woodard late in the second with a crisp combination. The two slugged it out wildly without much grace until the sixth round was complete. What the bout lacked in skill, it made up for in entertainment. Lamonakis remained unbeaten at 6-0 (1). Woodard dipped to 4-5-1 (3). The scores were 57-57, 58-56, and 59-55.

In the main event, super middleweight contender Edwin Rodriguez made his first appearance under the tutelage of new trainer Ronnie Shields. La Bomba weighed in as a light heavyweight for this bout, but still looked well-conditioned. Rodriguez used the jab well to set up his power shots, but was still easily hit by Chris Traietti. Rodriguez won the first two rounds clearly and forced Traietti into retirement on his stool after the round completed. Traietti attributed the surrender to a body shot he absorbed in the third. Rodriguez enhanced his ring credentials to 19-0 (14). Traietti fell to 10-3 (6).

For further boxing discussion, contact Derek DBO Bonnett on Facebook or at mabfan@comcast.net.