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Philly re-opens The Met

Legendary arena hosts first boxing event in years.

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By Jeff J.Jowett: Joey Giardello fought there. So did Russell Peltz’ former matchmaker, the late Harold Moore. And so did PA Hall of Fame trainer Mitch Allen. In fact, so did nearly every Philly fighter in the red-hot era of the early ‘50s. It’s within walking distance down Broad Street from the iconic Blue Horizon of more recent vintage. It’s officially the Metropolitan Opera House, but everyone calls it the Met.

 

The beautifully ornate old building fell into regressive decay beginning in the ‘60s as the neighborhood declined into a crime-infested walk on the wild side. For years it was home to a religious revival denomination, but has lain idle for decades. But the city’s ambitious plans to make center city an arts and entertainment mecca brought the grand old building back to life, “restored down to every detail of its original luster,” according to one writer.

 

Crystal clear acoustics augmented ring announcer Mark Fratto’s intros, as on 2/23/19, Hard Hitting Prom’s (Manny Rivera & Will Ruiz) returned boxing to The Met after an absence of over half a century. Fans responded in kind, with the gate reported at 3700!

 

The main event was a hot local battle for the vacant State Lightweight Title, with Steven Ortiz, 134, Phila., 10-0 (3), upsetting house fighter Jeremy Cuevas, 134, Phila., 11-1 (8), eight. Cuevas established his game with movement to take the opening round, but then may have let the moment get to him as he stood and traded in hand-to-hand combat for the rest of the fight, turning the advantage over to his rival. The persistent Ortiz missed with wide rights, but finally connected with a left hook that floored Cuevas just before the bell in round two. Steven continued to get the better of hard trading, although Jeremy stunned him with a left in round five. Ortiz rocked Cuevas with a left hook in the sixth and dropped him again with a right that finished some hard trading late in the seventh. Jeremy tried to turn it in a heated final round, but Ortiz won on all cards, 79-71 from Jimmy Kinney and 78-72 from both Ron McNair and Dewey LaRosa. Shawn Clark refereed.

 

And another upset had Tre’Sean Wiggins, 140, Newburgh, NY, 11-4-1 (6), beating Sam Teah, 139, Phila., 15-3-1 (7), in a nearly one-sided eight. Teah seemed to have trouble with Wiggins’ southpaw stance, repeatedly getting nailed by lead lefts. He went down in the first but referee Eric Dali ruled it no knockdown as it was a rabbit punch. In the third, the frustrated local was charging in, getting hit by lefts, and twice warned for low blows. The pattern continued without respite, with Teah cautioned by the referee several times as he could not put an effective plan together and resorted to desperation. All scores to Wiggins; Lynne Carter 78-74, LaRosa and Allen Rubenstein 80-72.

 

A wild and crowd-pleasing battle was fought between Malik Hawkins, 145, Balto., 14-0 (9), and Gledwin Ortiz, 146, Bronx, 6-3 (5), over eight action rounds. Both came out throwing bombs in the first, with Hawkins more stylish and putting punches together while Ortiz went for the home run. Gledwin launched a body attack in the fourth while Malik continued to work combos to the head.

 

In a torrid fifth, Ortiz rocked Hawkins with solid rights to the head. Malik came back with movement and defense in an action sixth. Malik battered Gledwin on the ropes in the seventh until a desperate clinch took both of them to the canvas. The stubborn Ortiz rallied and got the better of a solid exchange to the bell. The thriller continued to the final gong, with Ortiz applying pressure until rocked by a left hook that gained Hawkins a breather before Ortiz again dogged him to the final bell. Hawkins got the unanimous decision, 77-75 from Carter, 78-74 McNair, and 79-73 Kinney. Dali refereed.

 

Branden Pizarro, 139, Phila., 14-1 (7), made quick work of Zack Ramsey, 140, Hartford, 8-6 (4), knocking him out in 1:15 of the first of a scheduled six. A wicked left to the body dumped Ramsey the first time and a left uppercut finished him. Clark refereed.

 

Similarly, Gadwin Rosa, 139, Ocala, FL, 10-0 (8), romped over Jorge Luis Santos, 140, Monterrey, MX, 5-3-1 (2), in a scheduled six. Rosa worked the body and fired left hooks to the chin in the first. In round two, a right cross rocked the underdog and a left hook floored him. Santos arose but was being overwhelmed when Dali rescued him, at 1:28.

 

Christian Tapia, 135, Camden, 8-0 (7), blew out David Veras Pena, 136, Odenton, MD, 0-2-1, in 1:28 of the second of four. Pena offered no defense to a relentless battering that had him out on his feet when referee David Franciosi stopped it.

 

An all-action four had Emmanuel Rodriguez, 117, Newark, 4-0, gaining a close but unanimous verdict over Jose Lopez, 116, NYC, 0-1-1. A solid right and then a combination after crisp exchanging had Lopez’ glove touch canvas for a knockdown in round one that may have made the difference in a close contest. Lopez took the second with a body attack and the two traded furiously in a tight crowd pleaser to the final bell. Rodriguez won the unanimous verdict by 38-37, 39-37, and 39-36.

 

Tamar Israeli, 125, Tel Aviv via LV, 2-0-1, and Karen Dulin, 123, N. Kingstown, RI, 3-16-1 (1), battled to a majority draw in a women’s four. Israeli outworked Dulin in the first two but Karen came on in the latter rounds to get scores of 38-38 while one card went to Israeli, 39-37.

 

Popular Bennie Sinakin, 173, Phila., 3-0 (2), KO’d Ron Lawrence, 174, Phila., 0-4, at 2:42 of the first of four. A vigorous body attack and right to the head had Lawrence holding before another right to the chin dropped him for Dali’s count.

 

Debuting Josue Rosa, 119, Phila., beat Willie Anderson, 119, Paulsboro, 0-2, with Anderson not out for the second of four. The taller Anderson rocked Josue with rights twice in the first, but after the doctor checked his left hand between rounds, the bout was terminated in a TKO. Franciosi refereed.

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