Battle of Champions V: Recap and Results

(photos courtesy of Michele Vespi)

With Chris Algieri fighting tonight, Long Island Gladiators promoter Chris Cardona called upon yours truly to handle MC duties tonight. I had a blast. Thank you, Chris and Gladiator Promotions, for the chance to put on the ol’ tux and handle the mic for the evening. I hope the crowd enjoyed it as much as I did.

Let’s get to the fights already…

Rene Ducos def. Jake Imperatore (decision)

This was a close fight that saw both men coming at one another and scoring with punches – and a few kicks, I recall – throughout. Ducos was a little busier with the kicks in the opening round. Fast action in Rd. 2, with both guys hitting really hard. Imperatore focused on the body, Ducos on the head. Ducos’ corner implores him to kick, not just headhunt. Close fight. Ducos opens the third round with some kicks, but an undaunted Imperatore keeps coming forward. In a Don Frye/Yoshihiro Takayama moment, both men stood toe-to-toe and traded 5 or 6 hooks to the head, which fired up the crowd. Imperatore hit 2 good front kicks to the body that backed up Ducos, who answered with punches. Very close, exciting fight.

Nick Marrero def. Frank Erdman (decision)

Marrero hammered Erdman throughout the three rounds, and Erdman not only hung in, but countered with some good punches of his own. This, however, only seemed to rejuvenate Marrero, who kept the heavy hands coming all night. Blistering right hands and ripping shots to the body didn’t even wobble Erdman, but the power and efficiency of Marrero’s strikes would take its toll eventually. Flurries of uppercuts and big right hooks to the head in Rd. 2 seemed to take some steam out of the Erdman train, but he came forward with punches. IN Rd. 3, the end seemed upon us for a bloodied, cornered Erdman, but nope; he took the kicks and the right hands to the head, and kept swinging. Erdman’s durability and heart were as impressive as Marrero’s fists and feet.

Chris Levy def. Robert Diggle (decision)

These two went bananas to kick things off. Diggle (pictured below, right) scored with wide, looping shots, whereas Levy was more measured, tighter in his attack. Either way, they put on a great fight. Halfway through Rd. 1, the frenzied pace slowed, and it was Levy who found his range and slowed Diggle with kicks. Levy sidestepped a bull rush in the second and scored with a crisp right hand in the center of the ring. In the third, the pace again picked up; Levy scored early with a good kick to the lead thigh, which backed Diggle against the ropes. Still, though, Diggle’s b-line attack found its target with some regularity in this fight. Long story short: Levy was the matador, and Diggle was the bull.

Carlos Canas def. Chris Torres (decision)

The story in this fight was Canas closing the distance, doing work inside, and keeping the explosive Torres from getting off. In the first round, Canas came in with short punches and smothered Torres, who eventually settled in, circled left, and established a good striking distance. The highlight of Rd. 1 is Torres throwing 2 hard kicks at the end of the round. More smothering from Canas in Rd. 2, but then a good side kick landed on Torres, who answered with a flurry of punches with his back against the ropes before the two are tangled. In Rd. 3, Torres landed a hard body kick, and Canas countered with hooks to the body. Again the two fighters get locked up, and Torres lands some good body shots in close. Canas is banging away with hooks, and Torres is connecting with counters. When they weren’t tied up, there was some great action.

Dom Giaimis def. AJ Grivas (decision)

With a heavy cheering section urging him on, Giaimis exploded upon the opening bell, practically sprinting across the ring. Fists were everywhere, it seemed, and it was hard to even make out who was landing what for a while there in Rd. 1. Giaimis clinched the victory with damaging lead left hooks and impressive punch production to a cornered opponent. Grivas, though, spilled and drew blood in this fight, and his kicks stunted the Giaimis attack a few times. Non-stop action from Giaimis and Grivas.

Thomas Kern def. Zach Rosen (decision)

Good action early in this one. Rosen (pictured below in white) landed some hard kicks to Kern’s lead leg, but Kern retaliated with punches that backed up Rosen. He kept coming toward Rosen all night, despite body and leg kicks from Rosen. In Rd. 2, Kern opened up with a left hook to the body, a body kick, and a straight right hand. From then on, Kern seemed very comfortable with his punches and mixed them up with his kicks effectively in combination. Rosen spent the later part of Rd. 2 pumping the left jab, seemingly loading up the right hand. In the third, Rosen countered a punch combo with a right, but Kern answered with a head kick. Rosen kept coming, though, and scored with a leg kick and a body kick. Kern recovered tight away and dropped Rosen by kicking out the back leg. Back up, Rosen landed a good straight right hand, and Kern charged in through the jab of Rosen. A right from Rosen, a counter left hook from Kern. An overhand right from Kern had Rosen in the corner, and they’re tangled in the final seconds of the fight.

Daryl Dixon def. Vic Torres (KO, Rd. 2)

Awesome Rd. 1. Fast action, precise punches, and thumping kicks. Both men moved and attacked well. Torres got off first with kicks and had Dixon in the corner early on. Dixon barely misses with a high kick, which Torres counters with a right hook. More body work from Torres, and then a body kick from Dixon. Right hook from Torres; 1-2 counter from Dixon. Torres scored with a body kick and a follow-up left hand. Dixon kicks high again at the round’s end.

In the second, Dixon misses a spinning back kick and hits the mat. Torres goes to work on the lead leg. Another good body kick from Dixon. Torres had Dixon cornered, came in with a left kick and some punches, but Dixon’s kick lands (loudly) below the belt. After a breather, Torres again had Dixon in the corner and does some work to the body before the two are tangled. After the separation, Torres again comes in on a cornered Dixon, whose spinning back kick lands on Torres’ jaw, dropping him to the mat and nearly through the ropes for the KO. Did Torres slip on the way in? Either way, Dixon’s kick was right on the money, putting an end to what had been an excellent kickboxing fight.

Jess Vondolin def. Lisa Becker (decision) – PKF NY State Bantamweight Title Fight

Vondolin (purple trunks) comes out fast, firing shots left and right; Becker finally lands a body kick and creates some space for herself. Vondolin attacks the lead thigh. Vondolin lands a right hand, which Becker counters with rights and lefts. Vondolin comes in with punches, but Becker stood her ground. The 1-2-lead leg kick combo scores well for Vondolin in the latter part of Rd. 1.

Again Vondolin opens the new round like a maniac, but Becker’s tight right hand down the middle backs Vondolin up a bit. But now here she comes, and Becker is trying to set up her jab. Becker lands 3 good right hands and is the one moving forward. A very good exchange as Vondolin has her back against the ropes. In the center of the ring is an even exchange of strikes. Again the 1-2-lead leg kick combo is effective for Vondolin, but Becker would land one good right hand that would slow down Vondolin.

In Rd. 3, Becker opens fast, but Vondolin comes back and trades bombs with Becker. Head kick from Becker is partially blocked by Vondolin, but it certainly gets her attention. Vondolin answers with a body kick before the two trade kicks and punches. Slugfest in Rd. 3. A cracking right from Becker lands on Vandolin against the ropes. Vondolin comes back, but Becker nails her with a left this time. Vandolin counters with a few good jabs and a body kick. A tired Vondolin pours it on in the final ten seconds as Becker looks to land one more stinging punch. Great fight.

Jaqs Hughes def. Elyse Tomasello (decision) - PKF NY State Featherweight Title Fight

Fight of the night, as far as I’m concerned. The taller Hughes (all black) took some heavy punches from the resilient Tomasello, but outlasted her and poured on punch combinations in the latter portion of the action. In the first round, both fighters threw bad-intending kicks. Hard. And they landed. Tomasello kicked like a mule, and Hughes countered with punches in succession. A front kick from Tomasello backed up Hughes. A Superman punch from Hughes missed, and Tomasello countered with a right hand. Hughes ducked another right and landed her left. Hughes was looking for the lead left hook, circled out, and landed a body kick to Tomasello. Body kick from Tomasello; Hughes counters with 3 fast punches before the two tangle. A spinning back kick from Tomasello is slightly off target. A piece of someone’s headgear goes flying. Weird. Tomasello comes in with a straight kick and a right hand. Hughes is stalking now and lands a right-left-right hook to the body combo. Hughes bounces, ducks a right, avoids a spinning back fist and the two are tangled.

More heavy shots to open Rd. 2: Tomasello throws hard to the head, and Hughes rips a left to the head and another follow-up left to the body. A big right from Tomasello; body kick from Hughes. More crushing, surgically precise hooks to the body from Jaqs Hughes come, but Tomasello lunges in with an overhand right that glances. In the center of the ring, the two trade body kicks. Hughes hits the 1-2 and pours on punches. Tomasello seems to be fading as Hughes turns up punch production.

Tomasello misses a high kick early in Rd. 3, but Hughes does not miss with her punch combinations, upstairs and down. Tomasello’s chopping right hand cracks Hughes on the back of the head, drawing a warning from the ref. Hughes lands a Superman punch. Tomasello is undaunted, but Hughes’ crisp punches are slowing her down now. A right from Tomasello grazes the headgear of Hughes. Both fighters stalk: Hughes scores with combos, Tomasello with single shots. Big head kicks and a right hand from Tomasello, but Hughes stings her with a right. Two more left hands and a right to the body from Hughes. This is awesome. Hughes lands a body kick and an eight-punch combination that thrills the crowd. Great fight.

Watch the video here.

Ernie Bryan def. Tom Carlo (TKO, corner stoppage) - PKF NY State Heavyweight Title Fight

Bryan drops Carlo in the opening seconds with a short right (I think). He’s up to answer the eight-count, a little bloodied, though. Bryan lands some hard punches but is warned for holding Carlo behind the head. The referee calls time, Carlo’s corner inspects the damage to his face, and calls it.

See you guys back at GLO in February for Battle of Champions VI, featuring Jordan Carroll, Josh Foley, Bobby Campbell, Terrence Hill, Vin Iuzzolino, Chris Lovarco, and more.