KO Digest Ringside Report - Lundy dominates, Polish Prince KO's Soto

SALEM, NH — With a brutal heat wave in full effect in the New England area and temperatures outside climbing into triple digits, DiBella Entertainment and ESPN Friday Night Fights brought boxing back to the historic Rockingham Park race track for the first time since 2007.

Thankfully, the temperature at ringside was considerably cooler but that didn't stop the fighters from bringing heated action to a capacity crowd of 1,100 frenzied fight fans. 

In the televised main event, "Hammerin" Hank Lundy was a hammer all night, and his opponent was a nail. Lundy did exactly what he needed to do (box) to win his important crossroads fight against Nigerian brute Ajose Olusegun. Fans will remember Olusegun, 139.8, for the awful beating he took last year at the heavy hands of Lucas Matthysse. For the 29 year old Lundy, loser of his last two fights, this was truly a must win situation. Few expected he'd be able to deliver and many, including this reporter, assumed Lundy would be hammered by Ajose. By boxing southpaw, using his jab, and moving smartly—Lundy, 140, controlled the ring and limited the heavy exchanges while hammering his confused opponent when suitable opportunities presented themselves. Fans were expecting a war but instead what they got was a boxing match that featured one way skirmishes in favor of Philadelphia's Lundy.

Lundy all business before, during, and after the fight

KO Digest scored every round for Hammerin Hank, a 100-90 shutout. Official scores for Lundy were unanimous 98-92, 98-92, and 100-90. The victory returns Lundy to the win column and it also returns him to the status of legitimate top ten contender in the talent rich junior welterweight division. Said the victorious Lundy who raised his record to 23-3-1, 11 KO's, "I'm a southpaw killer. Everybody counted me out. I told the world I'm a big player at 140 and I can punch. I want the champ and if I can't get the champ, I want Lucas Mattysse then I want Danny Garcia."

The co-main event stole the show at Rockingham Park and produced a highlight reel moment! Known as "The Polish Prince" — Quincy, MA's popular junior lightweight prospect Ryan Kielczweski entertained his fans with a nice display of boxing, even managing to mix in power punches to the body in the third before settling back down into cruise control in the fourth. The fight was taking an uncharacteristically aggressive tone in fifth when Kielczweski, 128.6, suddenly caught lightning in a bottle.

The Polish Prince celebrates the KO of the Night

His opponent Miguel Soto brought an intimidating 11-0, 11 KOs record into the ring but power only helps when you can land it and the Puerto Rican was sporting a Rahman-esque lumpy right eye in the fifth when Kielczweski layed his man out with a single left hook at 2:59 of the round. Soto, 129.2, literally bounced off the canvas face first while Kielczweski went understandably crazy in celebration! The unbeaten Police Prince improved his record to 17-0, 4 KOs while Soto loses his "0" and falls to 11-1, 11 KOs.

This was your KO Digest "KO of the Night" and ironically it couldn't have been scored by a less intimidating puncher! That explains what Kielczweski wished for today when he blew out the candles on his birthday cake. Happy 24th to the Polish Prince!

The Animal Kinch looks up at the Prince

Charles Williams TKO4 Aaron Kinch - This heavyweight undercard match featured tall against tubby as the rangy "Prince" Charles Martin, 239.4, took his time beating 264 pound Aaron "The Animal" Kinch into submission in the fourth round of a scheduled six. Kinch did his best Butterbean impression in the first with looping overhand lefts and rights that his more seasoned opponent avoided to deliver his own shots. Williams scored a knockdown in the third off a right hook and poured it on in the fourth to bring a referee stoppage at 2:55. Martin, St. Louis, MO goes to 9-0-1, 8 KOs while Kinch, Newark, NJ, falls to 5-2, 1 KO.

Gerald Schifone W4 Noel Garcia - It was a successful middleweight pro debut for Brockton, MA's Gerald Schifone, 155.4, as he pounded out an easy 4-round decision over the game but extremely limited Noel Garcia, 150.4, from nearby Springfield, MA. Official scores were little more than a formality. All three judges scored the fight 40-36 in favor of Schifone who hurt his now 2-19 opponent to some degree in every single round of the fight.     

Russell Lamour TKO1 Aquilano Brandao - In the evening opener, Portland, ME middleweight prospect Russell "The Haitian Sensation" Lamour (4-0, 2 KOs) made short work of Worcester, MA's Aquilano Brandao at 1:46 of the first round after scoring three knockdowns, including one from a wicked right hand to the body, before the fight was waved off. It was a tough pro debut for Brandao, 160.4, but it was just the kind of win Lamour, 164.6, needed after looking shaky winning a decision in Lowell, MA last March against rugged trialhorse Eddie Caminero. 

Santos finally disposes of Marlon Hayes

Alexis Santos TKO4 Marlon Hayes - This one was fought after the Main Event and what a heavyweight "fight" it was—NOT! Hayes spent the first three rounds posturing and acting like a general fool before Santos (Lawrence, MA) finished him off with an accumulation of punishment in the fourth.

The unfit Hayes collapsed in a heap in a corner and the referee mercifully (finally) waved this one off to the delight of local fans there to see Santos hurt somebody. Santos, 221, goes to 10-0, 9 KOs while Hayes (who began his career as a middleweight) slips to 23-12. Fans love Santos, that's for sure!

Chris Gilbert TKO3 Luis Viramontes - Little more than a tune-up for Vermont's junior middleweight Chris "Gumby" Gilbert, 147.8, as he applied more than enough pressure and punishment to convince the elder looking Viramontes, 149.6, not to answer the bell for the 3rd. Gilbert improves to 9-0, 7 KO's while Viramontes goes home to Brockton with a cut on the back of his head and a 3-3-1 record.

In a heavyweight "walk-out" bout, the Henry Tillman trained Jonathan Hamm (247.6, Atlanta, GA) lost a majority decision to the Jack Loew trained Daniel Martz, 252, over the distance. Scores were 57-57, 59-55, and 58-56 in favor of Martz. Hamm goes to 7-2 while Martz improves to 9-1. Neither fighter looked particularly like a future champ!

Images and Word by Jeffrey Freeman