Rising prospects and contenders from Michigan delivered standout performances at a boxing event on June 6, in Verona, NY as part of the International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend.
The fight card, titled “Hall of Fame Fight Night” presented by Salita Promotions in collaboration with All The Smoke Fight took place at the Turning Stone Resort Casino.
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Prior to the DAZN-televised portion of the event, Detroit middleweight prospect Da’Velle Smith went against Antonio Todd in an eight round bout.
Smith started the first half of the fight finding a home for his patented jab and straight right hand.
In the final two rounds, Smith’s pace slowed as Todd remained relentless and won those rounds just by being more active.
The bout went to the judges’ scorecards with Smith scoring the unanimous decision victory.
Puerto Rican super bantamweight prospect Ashleyann Lozada kicked off the broadcast with a TKO victory against Carmen Vargas in just 27 seconds of the first round.
At the opening bell Lozada unleashed a barrage of punches that backed Vargas up. Vargas was unable to evade the relentless onslaught of punches and didn’t return fire so the referee stopped the fight.
Flint native and Undisputed Women’s Heavyweight World Champion Claressa Shields congratulated Lozada after her performance.
“I was surprised because I thought this fight would be an all-out war,” said Lozada in a post-fight interview. “The thing is that my hands came through. I saw my opponent get a little dizzy, so I told myself this is my moment. I attacked her and finished her.”
Grand Rapids native Joseph Hicks Jr. had a tough super welterweight bout against hard-hitting veteran Wendy Toussaint. Hicks was unable to slow down the aggressive and relentless Toussaint as he defeated by split-decision.
From the opening bell Toussaint had his foot on the gas, throwing a high volume of a punches as Hicks Jr. retreated.
Hicks Jr. had no counter for Toussaint’s forward pressure and heavy combinations as he was unable to land a significant blow to back his opponent up.
Hicks Jr. survived until the final bell but lost on two of the judges’ scorecards. Toussaint claimed the vacant IBF USBA Super Welterweight title.
“I know was stronger than him in there,” said Toussaint. “He threw some punches but nothing that could hurt me. He didn’t have the power to hurt me. When you have an opponent like him who can move, it can be challenging but I fought through it.”
In the following bout, another Grand Rapids native Joshua James Pagan put on a dominant performance against James Bernadin in a 10-round lightweight fight.
From the opening bell, Pagan established his distance and rhythm by using a long and accurate jab as he circled around the ring.
Pagan remained patient as Bernadin stalked forward to get in range and throw combinations.
By the third round, Bernadin turned up the pace but was still unable to land significant punches due to Pagan’s evasiveness. Pagan countered Bernadine’s aggressiveness with superior speed and punch placement.
When Pagan got in a groove, his hand speed allowed him to lead most punch exchanges and even back up Bernadin.
The bout went to the judges’ scorecards with Pagan scoring a unanimous decision victory.
“Bernadin had a tricky style,” said Pagan in a post-fight interview. “He used the Philly Shell, so I had to figure out a way to deal with that. He countered pretty good off it too. I had to be cautious. He came out really aggressive in some rounds, and I needed to adjust.”
“My jab and straight rights were working,” said Pagan. “I can tell he was getting frustrated in there. I just needed to stay moving to his weak side and utilize my jab.”
In her promotional debut, former Undisputed Women’s Super Middleweight World Champion Franchón Crews-Dezurn put her Unified Super Middleweight Championship status on the line against Citlalli Ortiz in the evening’s co-main event.
Representing Mexico in the 2024 Olympic Games, Ortiz went toe-to-toe against the towering Crews-Dezurn in an action-packed matchup. Closing the distance throughout the fight, Crews-Dezurn successfully defended her WBC and WBA Super Middleweight titles via majority decision.
In a highly anticipated heavyweight tilt, Florida’s Brandon Moore faced undefeated Stanley Wright.
Moore utilized movement and a long jab to establish range and control the pace of the fight. In the second round, Moore scored a knockdown as Wright walked into a combination.
Moore sustained a cut above his eye from an accidental clash of heads in the third round, causing the fight being stopped in the fifth round and going to the judges’ scorecards. Moore secured the victory via unanimous decision, extending his winning streak to four.
“These guys can’t get around my jab,” said Moore in a post-fight interview. “I could tell from the beginning that Wright was jumping in and taking a lot of risks.”
Moore also said he wants to fight American heavyweight contender Jared Anderson next.
--> Local prospects and contenders featured in upcoming boxing showcase in New York