130-lb. fighters enter competition in quarterfinals
By BRIAN BURKE
Sports Writer
Those who show up for the start of the Bengal Bout quarterfinal matches Monday night will get an opportunity to see the smallest of the fighters as the 130-pound weight class begins competition.
The first bout of the night matches Tom Steinbach against Brian "The Boxer Rebellion" Kenney.
"Brian is trying to rest tonight for the fight, and he doesn't want to get wrapped up in the media, so I'll be fielding any questions from the press," said Kenney's "press secretary" Daniel Hibey. "[Brian's] an underdog, I'd say, because he hasn't fought anybody. There's some tough guys in his weight class. He really belongs in 125 [pounds] but they didn't have enough fighters."
The other 130-pound pairing features Derrick "Hoof Hearted" Bravo against Coleman Lechner. Bravo enters his first fight hoping to box despite a foot that may not be 100 percent due to surgery over the summer.
"I'm pretty nervous about [the fight]; it's my first year. I sparred against the guys I thought would be in my weight class, but I haven't sparred against [Lechner]," said Bravo.
Bravo will look to negate the reach advantage of the taller Lechner by either staying away or moving in close where it may not be as big a factor.
135 lbs.
At 135 pounds, last year's champion and now a captain, Matt "The Don" Fumagalli begins his title defense when he takes on Tony Hollowell.
Hollowell comes into the fight having defeated Charles Cullen. Although Hollowell is fighting in only his second bout ever, Fumagalli sees his opponent's prior fight as something that will help him in the quarterfinals.
"This is going to be my first fight [of the year]. Tony has a fight under his belt," Fumagalli said. "He's a tough competitor, he's aggressive and throws a lot, so I'll have to counter that."
Fumagalli comes in with a definite edge in experience, but sees expectations as something extra to deal with this time around.
"Nothing's really changed from last year," Fumagalli said, "a little more pressure. A little more is expected of the captains."
The next card of the night pits Ryan Duffy against Guillermo Tijerina. Duffy enters his first fight after a preliminary round bye, while Tijerina hopes to continue the momentum gained from a unanimous decision victory over Eric Ota. Tijerina wants to keep the fight tactical and avoid too many wild exchanges.
"I just want to be calm in the ring. This fight is for a good cause, so I'm not going out there with a lot of stress," Tijerina remarked. "I jabbed pretty well [against Ota], for the most part kept the fight toned down. I'll try to keep that pace against Ryan."
Also coming off a bye, Josh Coleman will take on Russell "The Muscle" Giancola, who was a preliminary round winner over Justin Pendarvis.
"[Giancola] fights really aggressive, so I need to fight smart," said Coleman. "I can't let up on intensity, I need to control the fight. He'll come at me, but I can't brawl with him. That's not my style."
Coleman knows all too well the position he is in coming off a bye.
"I'm a little apprehensive, because last year, I upset the guy [in the quarterfinals], and this year I'm that guy."
Ginacola definitely will concentrate more on form in his second fight.
"I saw a tape of my fight [against Pendarvis]," said Giancola. "My hands were up for about 30 seconds, so I definitely need to keep my hands up."
Another strong contender in 135-pound division is Jason McMahon, who will take on Christopher Cardillo in his first bout of the year.
Cardillo notched a preliminary round win over Michael Moore. He was patient in his first contest, finally breaking the fight open in the second round. His opponent this time around, however, will likely be more disciplined.
145 lbs.
At 145 pounds, defending champion Michael Waldo faces Daniel "The Aztec Warrior" Gonzalez, who emerged from the preliminaries with a victory over Luke Macauley. Although Waldo is the top seed, Gonzalez was impressive in his first round win and could provide a challenge for the champ in his first bout.
Andrew "The Golden Arms" Harms and Anthony "T.J." D'Agostino both advanced to the quarterfinals by chasing their foes around the ring. They will get the opportunity to chase each other when they meet in the quarterfinals. Harms showed to be a hard hitter in his win, but D'Agostino will look to counter with a good jab and straight right.
The next bout features two hard punchers who both knocked down their preliminary round foes. Jemar "Swift-T" Tisby battles Eric Eddy in a fight with definite knockout potential.
"I need to make my nickname fit me, ducking and dodging, moving in and out," Tisby said. "That's what the short guys have to do."
The final card at 145 pounds is a clash between Jason Voss and the experienced Anton Kemps. Voss defeated Walter Pfenning while Kemps enjoyed a bye.
"He's the real deal," Voss said of Kemps, who along with Waldo will be a front runner for the 145-pound belt. Voss won a slugfest with Pfenning, but will need to avoid that type of fight against Kemps.
All Sports Stories for Monday, February 26, 2001
