BENGAL BOUTS: Matassa ends furious fight with a win over Owens
By JEFF BALTRUZAK
Sports Writer
The first fight of the 150-pound weight class started with a fury, as Tom "T.K." Owens attacked the higher seeded Chris "Shezzy" Matassa, throwing a five-punch combination immediately after the fighters touched gloves. Matassa successfully countered Owens, using a superior reach to jab his way out of the ropes en route to a semifinal win Wednesday.
"My jab is the advantage I use to win fights," said Matassa. "My coaches tell me that, and my corner tells me that."
It was then Matassa's turn to attack, landing a solid head shot that put Owens' back briefly on the mat. The first round ended with Matassa's jab dominating.
The second round took on a different tone, as Owens found ways to get inside Matassa's reach and drive the junior into ropes.
"He's a tough fighter," said Matassa."I was just backing up instead of moving to the side and he got me up against the ropes and into the corner."
The rest of the round was punctuated by even exchanges, with each fighter landing punches and moving effectively.
Matassa began the third round by landing a huge hook. Owens dropped to one knee, took a breath and stood up to take a standing eight count. The referee stopped the fight at the one minute mark in the final round.
As expected, Brock "Landers" Heckman came out of his corner swinging against Tucker "The Wicked Bad Bostonian" McGree. And for the first 30 seconds of the bout, he landed many of those punches, especially his hooks earning his right to the title fight.
Still, McGree proved himself to be a brawler throughout the tournament, and he stood up to Heckman throught the bout.
Heckman was furious in the second, as a strong combination knocked McGree into the turnbuckle, his second fall of the fight. After a standing eight count, Heckman started to dominate despite his bleeding.
In a fight where hard punching and fast exchanges were the rule, Heckman not surprisingly emerged with a unanimous decision.
155 lbs.
Past champion Sean "The Erie Kid" Nowak entered Wednesday's semifinal having only fought a round and a half in this year's bouts. Tom "Frenchman" Pierce has battled in the both the preliminaries and quarters, and will continue on to the finals as he upset Nowak in a split decision.
The first round began with Nowak attempting to establish his jab, to mixed success. He landed several quality punches, but the freshman Pierce confidently moved inside to keep the fight even.
The second round was more of the same, as Nowak could not get gain any consistent ground on Pierce, with the younger fighter counter-punching effectively enough to keep Nowak away.
Pierce put together a round to remember in the third. The fight was stopped three times in the round to control Nowak's bleeding, and the crowd got behind Pierce as he gradually took control.
The second semifinal featured a reprisal of last years' final in the weight class, with second seeded Jeff "The Pittsburgh Kid" Dobosh entering the ring against Paul "He-Man" Mehan. Dobosh had not previously fought this year, as Robert "Little Mac" McColgan forfeited their quarterfinal bout.
For Dobosh, not fighting on Monday was major disadvantage.
"When the fight started, I felt sloppy," said Dobosh. "It's hard to go in there cold when everybody else has been fighting."
The first round had the mark of two veteran fighters, with each waiting patiently to attack. The second round would be more aggressive, but neither fighter was able to establish any dominance.
"It was tough for me to land combinations," said Dobosh. "I couldn't find a rhythm the whole fight."
Dobosh started to gain the upper hand in the third. Overall, he landed more punches throughout the fight, but the outcome was hardly decided when the referee picked up the judge's cards showing Dobosh had won a unanimous decision.
160 Pounds
Dennis "Thursday Night" Abdelnour might want to change his nickname to "Wednesday Night" after his unanimous decision over Mike "The Militia Man" Melby. Abdelnour showcased his quickness against the sophomore Melby, moving around the ring with the confidence that comes with a fourth year fighter.
Abdelnour kept Melby at bay the entire fight, not allowing the younger boxer to get land effective jabs and score points with the judges. Abdelnour landed body blows on Melby consistently all three rounds.
"I think I took [his reach] out of play at the beginning," said Abdelnour. "I kept my hands high and worked his body."
Melby received a standing eight-count after an exchange in the third, but the fight was not a blowout.
Joe Smith controlled his bout against second seeded Travis "Posse" Alexander on his way to a unanimous decision. Alexander repeatedly and aggressively went after Smith, only to have his charges effectively countered with strong punching.
Smith has established himself as a heavy hitter throughout the tournament, and his showdown with Abdelnour should be quick with big-time punching.
But Abdelnour's experience and preparedness will be tough for Smith to match.
"Every time I get in the ring with the crowd and everything it gets a little easier," said Abdelnour. "I feel like I'm fighting the best I ever have now."
All Sports Stories for Thursday, March 1, 2001
