The ESPN2 traveling fistic carnival played the upstate New York, Saratoga Springs race track scene for a club fight card of action - heavyweights Vinnie Maddalone and Shannon Miller shared top honors while wowing those in attendance with a throwback donnybrook of pitch & catch.

Both big guys traded the sweet science skills for a repetitive head on collision course that shouted "knockout" from the opening gong - and sure enough, it was local favorite Miller down from a looping right hand early in round one.

A second Maddalone right hand late in the stanza saw Miller once again hitting the canvas … and only the bell saved the game, and unbeaten Shannon.

Stanza two sees a recovered Miller holding his own with assortment of accurate counter punches - and the affects showed on Maddalone who returned to his corner bleeding from a cut over the left eye.

Come stanza three it was evident what once looked like a short night’s work for the heavy fisted Maddalone had converted to a coin-flip affair as both swapped advantages.

Entering candle five, my unofficial had Miller up 2-1-1 in rounds, but Maddalone ahead 38-37 in points - either way, the scribbling on the wall shouted it had no prayer of going to the judges.

Both stayed with the game plan during what would be the final round, and during an exchange of power punches, it was a surprisingly picture perfect Maddalone left hook to the chin that dropped the curtain.

Miller somehow managed to beat the count, but referee Eddie Claudia made the correct call once looking into the glazed eyes of a beaten combatant - time went 1:55 of stanza five.

Post Scripts: Maddalone ~ goes to 25-2, 18 KO’s but at age 31 is clearly in a what you see is what you get trick bag. Tough guy contest skills that can easily be read by any foe that has reached middle school level of pugilistic learning. The offense is limited to a looping Hail Mary right hand - and the left-hook closer last evening was more by accident than design. Big heart- mediocre chin doesn’t fare too well down that proverbial pike. But will entertain those that enjoy a brawl.
                       Miller ~ is now a 11-1, 6 KO’s entity and at age 31, with no more than a dozen fights - the Maddalone pairing was his first against a fighter batting over .500 - if still considering any return to action after last evening, the opposition should be of caliber that earned him the prior unbeaten 11 with six stoppages.

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Middleweight semi-final saw Soviet transplant Andrey Tsurkan (22-2, 14 KO) halting Julian Burford (12-2, 10KO) during stanza five of a one-sided affair that had Burford accepting the assignment on four day notice.

From the opening bell it was Tsurkan delivering the mail and Burford remaining afloat with a stamina saving selective counter here and there. Burford was the bigger puncher but Tsurkan much the busier.

No knockdowns, but non-stop punishment had this one steadily going the not very pretty to rather ugly route - ringside doctor correctly called it no-mas at 1:05 of round five.

Closing Comments: Andrey Tsurkan ~ puts it in drive and tosses them in bunches … negatives are shortage of punching power and availability to return fire suggest the club fight route is here to stay.
                                  Julian Burford ~ Has the genes of a family of prior fighters - also has been a bad boy that stole a promising career … at a now age 36 with 13 priors should never have taken the bait.

GEL

Comments can be emailed to George Elsasser

8-20-05