BENGAL BOUTS: Nowak knocks out "Polish tank" in round two of 155 pound quarterfinals
By JEFF BALTRUZAK
Sports Writer
The first fight of the weight class would prove to be one-sided, as Chris "Shezzy" Matassa pounded Julian "Bel Biv" Devoe until referee Tom Suddes stopped the fight at the one minute mark in the third.
In the first round, it was all Matassa as the junior utilized his superior reach and previous experience to confidently land punches.
"My reach was definitely an advantage for my jab," said Matassa. "Throwing combinations was important for me, especially landing the last punch."
The fight had to be stopped twice in the second round to control Devoe's bleeding, and though he pleaded to Suddes to continue the fight in the third, Matassa was awarded victory.
"If they stop a fight they probably had a good reason," Matassa said. "They're good about that."
A furious combination thrown by Tucker "The Wicked Bad Bostonian" McGree might have won his bout against Luke "Desperado" Busam. The split decision awarded to McGree reflected a tight contest that saw neither fighter gaining the upper hand.
Busam's larger reach keep McGree away in the first round, but McGree was able to get inside to land quality blows in the second.
The third round saw even exchanges until the final 10 seconds to the bell, where McGree delivered a head-snapping combination to Busam and may have swayed this judges his way.
155 pounds
A couple of future lawyers duked it out in the first match of the 160s when Sean "The Erie Kid" Nowak battled Joe "The Polish Tank" Czerniawski. The first round looked more like the WWF than Bengal Bouts as Czneriawski was warned for shoving and much extraneous body contact occurred.
The second round was equally violent as Nowak floored Czneriawski in spectacular fashion, with Czneriawski almost horizontal before he hit the mat.
That knockdown caused the referee to end the bout 22 seconds into the second round.
Czneriawski clearly disagreed with the decision, pointing out he did not receive a standing eight count prior to the fight stoppage.
"It's disappointing to end my career like that, but the Bengal Bouts have done so much for me and I really enjoyed the program," said Czneriawski.
Stephen "The Natural Lightweight" Keppel and Tom "Frenchman" Pierce stepped into the ring in an Alumni Hall civil war. The two fought evenly throughout the fight, both landing solid punches and withstanding attacks from each other. In the end, Pierce escaped with a split-decision win.
160 pounds
Boxing captain Dennis "Thursday Night" Abdelnour made his 2001 Bengal Bouts debut in dramatic fashion, thrashing Vince "The Italian Meatball" Gennaro in a unanimous decision.
Abdelnour might have been too fired up for his match, as he slipped and fell 10 seconds into the first round. The referee began to count, but quickly stopped when Abdelnour pointed out he had slipped.
"I was mad that I went right out there and fell right on my ass," said Abdelnour.
He quickly recovered. Abdelnour delivered blow after blow to Gennaro's head and body, securing two standing eight counts on Gennaro in the final round. He effectively counter-punched when Gennaro attacked, and landed several stunning combinations that could be heard in the cheap seats. Mostly, Abdelnour was effective in sending a message that he is the man to beat in the 160 pound division.
"I wanted to take it to him," said Abdelnour. "I wanted to land four combinations, and I think I moved my head really well and saw everything."
The second seed in the division behind Abdelnour, Travis "Posse" Alexander, faced a more difficult foe in Jeff "Re Re" Ream. Alexander out boxed Ream consistently, but never could land any debilitating blows to Ream.
In the final round Alexander pounded Ream's body on his way to a unanimous decision.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, February 27, 2001
