Last noche’s ESPN traveling tour stumbled onto
Augusta, Georgia for a sad joke of a heavyweight main
event featuring Derek "One Man Riot" Bryant and Taurus
"The Bull’ Sykes.
Took two two stanzas of slow, lumbering, awkward
inaction, with the "Riot" struggling without
directions while the "Bull" kept him occupied with a
roundhouse arm punch here and there, before things
would change come candle three.
With both resting on the inside, and hack third man in
the ring Jim Korb imploring either to toss a punch or
two, it was Bryant taking the initiative with a short
right uppercut that dropped Sykes heavily to the
canvas - before the bell came to the rescue "The Bull"
would fall a second time.
Finally, stanza four, and the carnival like smoker
would end with Sykes once again being dropped when
both scored with simultaneous "power" punches - the
"Riot" stumbled backwards and the "Bull," as if on cue
fell to the canvas with no thought of beating any
count.
Enters the books Bryant by KO at 1:57 mark of stanza
4.
Post Scripts: Derek Bryant ~ good news, goes to
19-4-1, 16 KO’s … bad news age 35, and regardless of
the Tessitore touting, the nasty bare truth is "a
barrel of laughs" is more fitting a sobriquet than the
"one man riot" he proudly displays on the ring trunks.
Taurus Sykes ~ best advice here
is to return to Brownsville Brooklyn and hang out with
Zabba-Dabba and Iron Mike when they visit. Think the
handle "Bull" he wears is more half a word than
anything intimidating. Big in size at 235 pounds but
that is where it ends.
Opening prelim fights showed local favorites facing
safe opponents: featherweight four-rounder sees Leon
Bobo going to 13-0, 2 KO’s against a game but
outgunned Francisco Zepeda that dropped to 16-3,
9KO's.
Both worked from the port side, the taller and bigger
in size Bobo with all the advantages - didn’t need
hack referee Brian Stutts’ penalty deduction gift for
a Zepeda low blow in stanza two. Scoring unanimous
Bobo 40-35,-40-35, 40-35.
Comments: Bobo ~ excellent natural ability and the
southpaw style a plus. One glaring negative that must
be corrected is his dropping both hands to the side
while in punching range - won’t work against real
opposition.
Zepeda ~ also worked from the
portside but shortchanged in power department - did
his best to compensate against much taller foe by
bringing the mail from the start. Not a chance.
Semifinal bantam affair with local favorite Rayonta
"Sting Ray" Whitfield solving a very unorthodox gamer
in Evaristo Primero to the tune of 79-71, 79-71,
78-72. Whitfield undefeated at a now 13-0, 7 by
knockout was clearly the bigger, stronger puncher.
Toss in quickness and better skills which made for a
happy evening for "Sting Ray" and his band of merry
followers in attendance - who, among them, included
fool referee Geo Chip that did the point deduction
thing in stanza two when Whitfield had been slow
getting out of the proverbial gate.
Closing comments: Whitfield ~ at age 24 still has time
to iron out the wrinkles. The obvious positives are
more birth given than gym learned at this point. Jury
still out.
Primero ~ age 29
with a now rap sheet of 14-9-1, 7KO’s wears "opponent"
label lifer. Tricky and willing but strictly small
arms fire in clout department.
Referees in charge of
the action ~ small town variety at its worst - or
best, for those big on the Moe-Curly-Larry series of
yesteryear. All three, Jim Korb (main event), George
Chip (semi prelim), Brian Stutts ( 4-round opener)
should be collectively docked for the night’s stipend.
For no better reason they unanimously embarrassed one
of the original 13th states.
