The name is Edner Cherry, a 22 year old lightweight with excellent hand speed and very decent punching power … and did I leave out a tad of promise? No question about it the kid may develop … and last night’s action affair with tough veteran Antonio Ramirez was one heckuva battle at the Bay.

Cherry opens stanza one with eye-catching quickness with both hands … easy round to score … and then candle two with Cherry a bit tardy backing off from an exchange, and a Ramirez big right hand lands flush with Cherry down.

Now number three and the kid gets a little help from his friend, the third man in charge of the action … it’s during a sloppy exchange with Ramirez trying to counter a flurry from Cherry when the Dominican stumbles forward to the canvas on all fours - enter "nabor" and referee James Warring who calls it a knockdown.

Then stanza four and the kid with the "Cherry Bomb" sobriquet is on the attack and rocking Ramirez late in the candle with a solid left hook.

Cherry clearly motivated entering number five … abandons the stick-n-pop mode … and Ramirez ready to meet the challenge with wild swinging haymakers … but nearing the midway mark of five a big Cherry hook lands flush, and the 32 year old veteran hits the deck.

Next is something reminiscent of a long ago pre-TV radio show … and the broadcaster cautioning, "Only the Shadow knows" - and what transpires once Ramirez beats the count, only referee Warring knows, or thinks he does.

First, our George Foreman look-alike, is directing Cherry to a neutral corner … several times … apparently the guy Is in need of time to straighten the thinking process … not a chance.

Warring pauses and pauses some more, seems about to begin a standing eight count - the one that wasn’t in affect - next, the confused as everyone else in the joint third man in charge Warring, is seen once again pointing to Cherry to stay put while he escorts a baffled Ramirez to his corner.

On arrival,  Mr. Ref asks for the commish doctor to check out Ramirez … then comes the shout Warring had already stopped the fight .

And what we get is a Cherry win via TKO at 1:11 seconds of stanza five … is now at 16-2-2, 9 KO’s … veteran Ramirez drops to 21-9-6, 15 KO’s … Antonio also quickly dropped out of sight in disgust before the ring announcements commenced.

Post Scripts: Edner Cherry showed natural abilities of speed and power … chin still question mark but rebounding from early knockdown hinted of heart. Jury sequestered but we’ll be seeing him again.
                      Ramirez ~ At wrong side of hill at age 32 with available style doing  combat … punches too easy to read and can no longer put anything together.
                      

                      Ref. James Warring ~ needs a refresher course, if indeed he ever had any prior tutoring in as simple officiating assignment as there is in the entire sports spectrum. Won’t label this guy a "homer" … even with the "nabor" benefiting from a knockdown that wasn’t a knockdown in number three.

Closing comment: First attention getter that had me concerned, was in seeing all referees hooked up with ‘mic’ clipped to belts.  Guess here, and judging by the yapping and foolish instructions to "fite your way out" lunacy, was choreographed at dressing mirror the instant the wiring took place.

GEL                      

7-27-2004