Last nite’s Solo-Boxeo twin-bill from Atlantic City, N.J. delivered the goods with two action affairs that went the distance - Henry Bruseles nipped veteran war horse Ben Tackie in the opener, and Jesus Soto-Karass  got the unanimous nod over durable Chris Smith in the main event. 

Show opens with junior welters Bruseles-Tackie - the younger age 27 Puerto Rican Bruseles, arrived with glossy rap sheet and a five bout winning streak. Last loss via TKO to Mayweather back on January of 2005. 

Tackie of the Bronx, N.Y. via Ghana, beginning to show age at a now 33, but always tough and durable - still, enters on three bout losing streak.   

Tackie the busier over the early two stanzas with much of the work on the inside - is clear Bruseles not big enough puncher to swap shots with the slower but physically stronger Tackie. 

Bruseles then opts for the outside game - quicker and better movement has Tackie unable to get off - and so it went, on my unofficial Bruseles in command after six candles. 

Then numero seven - surprise, as Tackie extracts an effective range finder from the trick bag - the jab! - and with it, the wily vet is back in the game. 

Tackie pressure then grabs number eight before it goes one for me and one for you over the final stanzas nine and ten - my unofficial math then had it all square at 95-95 in points and 5-5 in rounds. 

Official tallies translate to how difficult this fight was to score: Bruseles 96-94, 98-92;Tackie 96-94.

 

Post Scripts:

• Bruseles (27-3-1, 15 KOs) ~ age 27 - decent technique when working on the outside with counters on the mind. Still, lack of punching power too big an albatross to be successful at next rung of the ladder.

• Tackie (29-10-1, 17 KOs) ~  a now 40 bout career and advanced boxing age of 33/34 translates to club fight venues to the finish line. Earns curtain call for having never been stopped. Tough and durable not enough once message from brain to trigger finger is couple seconds late to locate target.                    

• Referee Harvey Dock: Passing grades.

• Scoring department: some raised eyebrows when Bruseles 98-92 announced. Agree or not, most rounds were coin-flip variety, and it could well have gone the other way with Tackie being the rewarded.
  
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Feature bout a WBC-Continental America welter title affair with Mexico’s Jesus Soto-Karass scoring the unanimous decision win over Chris Smith of NYC via West Indies.

 

Rest of the story: Smith answers the opening bell bringing it to a slower Karass - mucho Smith right hands scoring radar-like - Karass shows good chin but little else.

 

Then numero two and Karass having the better - and with it the start of a grueling affair that saw good things and ugly as well with nasty inside mauling and brawling.

 

With much of the action at close quarters it would be the younger Karass catching the scoring judges eye as he would return home with the small club bauble to the tune of 98-92, 96-94, 96-94.

 

Post Scripts:

• Jesus Karass (20-3-3, 14 KOs) ~ age 25 - enters at #11 on both WBC-WBO charts. that’s the good news. Bad news, once going beyond the tale of the tape we discover them three debits arrived courtesy of Yuri Foreman, Freddy Hernandez, Nurham Suleyman. With no hint of clout in them mittens, best advice here is shelve that Continental Amerk trinket and let it collect dust. The elite at welterweight a whole different species - and carry surgeon general warning.
• Chris Smith ( 21-5-1, 13 KOs) ~ age 33 - not the prospect he once was prior to losses to Bundrage, Oscar Diaz, Sharmba Mitchell, David Estrada. Still, can pick up chump change competing at triple-A level. Could have gotten the nod last noche - but loss may be blessing in disguise.
• Referee Eddie Cotton ~ not the best but had no negative impact working this one.

 

GEL  -