By Ken Hissner: At the Heartland Event Center, in Grand Island, Nebraska, Saturday celebrating ShoBox the Next Generation’s twentieth anniversary, Marshall Kauffman’s King’s Promotions, Dmitriy Salita’s Salita Boxing, Lou DiBella’s DiBella Entertainment, and Tony Holden Productions presented in the Main Event unbeaten Super Middleweights Kalvin “Hot Sauce” Henderson lost to Isaiah Steen over 10 dull rounds. In the co-feature, Welterweight Janelson Figueroa Bocachica was fortunate to get a majority draw against Shinard Bunch.
In the Main Event Super Middleweight Kalvin “Hot Sauce” Henderson, 14-1-1 (10), #166, of Fayetteville, ARK, lost to Isaiah Steen, 16-0 (10), #168, of Cleveland, OH, over 10 dull rounds.
In the first two rounds, Henderson used an effective jab and counter right. In the third round, Steen, in the opening seconds, rocked Henderson with a right followed by a left on the chin.
Before the first minute expired, it was Henderson hurting Steen with a right on the chin. Henderson was cut on the left eyebrow from an accidental head butt. In the fourth round, Steen did more dancing than fighting dropping the round.
In the fifth round, with little landing, it was Steen with a right to the chin of Henderson in the final minute. In the sixth round, Steen’s jab had Henderson unable to cut off the ring. In the seventh round, at the halfway point, Steen landed a flurry of punches of another lack of action fight.
In the eighth round, Henderson did more posing than fighting until the final ten seconds landing his best punch of the night, a right to the chin of Steen, who won the round with his jab.
In the ninth round, Steen continued landing a jab while on the run, with Henderson doing little in return. In the tenth and final round, Steen moved and jabbed while Henderson did little in return.
Scores were 96-94 and 97-93 twice, as did this writer have it. The referee was Mark Nelson.
In the co-feature, the No. 15 WBO ranked Welterweight Janelson Figueroa Bocachica, 17-0-1 (11), #146 ½, of Detroit, MI, was fortunate to get a majority draw against Shinard “Showtime” Bunch, 15-1-1 (13), #146 ½, of Trenton, NJ, over 10 ugly rounds.
In the first two rounds, Bunch outworked Bocachica. In the third round referee, Drake warned Bunch again, unclear for what. Bocachica landed a low blow giving Bunch a minute rest. Bunch used an effective jab taking the third and fourth rounds. In the fifth round, Bunch received yet another warning, this time for holding, but it was him outworking Bocachica.
In the sixth round, Bocachica continued hitting behind the head, never getting a warning. Bunch ended the round with his best punch, a lead right on the chin of Bocachica.
In the seventh and eighth rounds, Bocachica seemed to win his first two rounds, scoring more punches. In the ninth round, it was close, with Bunch landing a solid right uppercut on the chin of Bocachica in the final ten seconds. In the tenth and final round, Bunch used effective left hooks off jabs. Another ugly fight, thanks to Bocachica.
Scores were 97-93 Bunch, 96-94 Bocachica, and 95-95 with this writer 98-92 Bunch. The referee was Kirk Drake.
Featherweight southpaw Martino “Titan” Jules, 11-0 (2), #125 ¼, of Allentown, PA, defeated Super Featherweight Aram “Warrior” Avagyan, 10-1-2 (4), #129, of Yerevan, Armenia, and Glendale, CA, over 8 ugly rounds.
In the first two rounds, Avagyan rushed forward with head down, not throwing many punches, while Jules countered with uppercuts from both hands with referee Mark Nelson never warning Avagyan. In the next two rounds, Avagyan was wearing down Jules while the referee in the last seconds finally warned Avagyan for pushing.
In the fifth round, Avagyan received his second warning using his forearm to the throat. Jules ended the fight with right uppercuts to the chin of Avagyan. In the sixth round, Jules used an effective jab keeping Avagyan at bay until the final minute of the round.
In the seventh round, Avagyan received his third warning for using his head which should have lost him a point but didn’t from the referee. The round was close, with Avagyan possibly having an edge.
In the eighth and final round referee, Nelson warned Avagyan for the fourth time, this time for butting, threatening to take a point which should have happened after a third warning, this time for head butts.
A fifth warning came without a deduction. In the final minute, a counter left uppercut from Jules on the chin dropped Avagyan to a knee for an 8-count. Avagyan made it an ugly fight.
Scores were 78-73, 79-72, and 77-74, as did this writer. Avagyan was fined $2,000 for coming in three pounds overweight.
Ring Announcer Mark Fratto