By Kurt Wolfheimer
Photos: Ray Bailey

Saturday night before a packed house in the Grand Ballroom at Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, rising junior middleweight contender “King” Gabriel Rosado (16-5, 9KO’s) captured the interim NABA junior middleweight title with a hard fought twelfth round stoppage of fellow Philadelphian Jamaal “Da Truth” Davis (12-8, 6KO’s). Also on the seven bout card promoted by Peltz Boxing Promotions, undefeated junior welterweight prospect Ronald Cruz (11-0, 8KO’s) continued to impress with a third round stoppage of Dillet Frederick (7-4-3, 4KO’s).

You had to throw out the records in the main event as two of Philly top junior middleweights put a classic Philly war. Both Gabriel Rosado and Jamaal Davis knew a win could catapult their careers up to the next level and it was a chess match from the opening bell.

Davis, normally a slow starter, came out with a snapping left jabs and movement to pick his spots and take the opening round. Rosado found his mark in the closing seconds of the opening round with a right hand. Davis continued his movement in the second, picking his spots to dive in and snap quick one two’s

Rosado would not be deterred and stepped up his own game in the third, cutting off the ring and timing Davis’s lunges with heavy counter rights up top. Davis became more careful and constantly shot single shots and then bounced his way out of punching range.

Rounds four through six were choppy rounds as referee Alan Huggins constantly had to warn the fighters for infractions. It was clear that Rosado was trying to get Jamal into a slugfest which he was sure he could win. Davis fought smart though and continued to picks his moments. It would not be enough as Rosado’s power and aggressiveness seemed to be slowing Davis down and more big punches were landing.

Just when it looked like Davis might fold, he appeared to get his second wind as his became stronger as he shot them through Rosado’s gloves and they found their mark. Now Rosado was the one caught off guard as he tried to work the body. Unfortunately one shot drifted below the border causing a minute stoppage as Davis walked off the pain. It appeared to energize the “Da Truth” who pressed forward exchanged in the center of the ring with the heavier handed Rosado

The fight turned tough in rounds nine through eleven as Rosado continually found more and more spots for heavy combinations that were wearing down Davis again.

Knowing he was behind on the scorecards, Davis went on the attack in the opening of the twelfth and final round with short combinations. Rosado was more than willing to trade and stunned him with a short uppercut behind two big body shots. The uppercut wobbled Davis and Rosado immediately followed with a right hand on the button. Davis covered as he retreated to a corner. Rosado saw his opportunity and unleashed a several unanswered punches, forcing the referee to step in and call a halt to the proceedings at the 1:01 mark of the final round, giving Rosado the interim NABA junior middleweight title.

A jubilant Rosado spoke on the fight and its importance moments afterward. “I had to cut down the ring on him because he was moving really fast. I knew I was stronger than him, but I think that I was a bit over anxious in the early going and tried to load up on my shots too much,” said Rosado.

“This is the type of fight people want to see,” reiterated Rosado. Jamaal (Davis) was on his a game today but I was just stronger and it showed.”

My stamina was great out there and I never was tired. Billie Briscoe, my trainer is a master at what he does and he gives me so much confidence from the corner. My whole corner men, Joey “Eye” Intrieri and my pops, keep it real and let me know exactly how I am doing. They tell me if I lost a round or if I am winning the rounds and they motivate me.”

King Gabriel Rosado moves one step closer to national recognition as his record jumps to 16-5, 9KO’s, while Jamaal Davis who put on show, slips to 12-8, 6KO’s.

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In the co-feature Ronald Cruz (11-0, 8KO’s) continued his destructive warpath up the junior welterweight ladder with a crunching third round stoppage of Dillet Frederick (7-4-3, 4KO’s).

The bout was originally scheduled for last October but Frederick had to pull out, which led Cruz to shock and KO former Golden Gloves champion Jeremy Bryan. Now with unfinished business left, Cruz looked to settle the score once and for all.

Frederick came out with flashy one-two’s up top, but they didn’t seem to faze the heavy handed Cruz who methodically dug several thudding hooks to the body. Frederick began to drop his hands to cover his ribs which allowed Cruz to blast a big left hook flush in the closing seconds of the opening round.

Round two was more of the same as the fight went inside with the heavy handed Ronald Cruz bashing away at Frederick’s exposed ribs.

Frederick desperately tried to turn the bout in his favor early in the third, trading with Cruz in the center of the ring. It would be a huge mistake as a Cruz left hook caught him square on the chin, which was followed by a blistering one two. Frederick started stepping in pot holes before falling to his hands and knees. The badly stunned Dillet Frederick rose to his feet, but was on wobbly legs. Twice, he almost fell back to the canvas before Referee Sammy Viruet called a halt to the contest at two minutes of the third round.

“I knew the bodywork would break him down,” said a jubilant Cruz as he left the ring, raising his record to 11-0 with 8KO’s. Cruz seems to be rounding into quite a prospect and I expect big things out of him in the near future.

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Philly heavyweight Bryant “Bye Bye” (6-0, 3KO’s) Jennings took another step up in class and captured a workmanlike six round unanimous decision victory over Theron Johnson (5-4, 1KO).

Jennings controlled the bout throughout with thudding combinations whenever he got inside, Johnson had a reach and two inch height advantage and would occasionally wing a big shot of his own that made Jennings work carefully when on the outside.

Two judges gave every round to Bryant Jennings (60-54 x 2), while the third official saw it 59-55 giving him the unanimous decision victory.

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Middletown, New Jersey junior lightweight Tyrone Luckey (3-0, 3KO’s), kept his perfect knockout record intact with a third round stoppage of game Philly journeyman Gustavo Dailey (4-11, 1KO) at 1:20 of the fourth round.

Luckey finally tamed the wild exchanges of Gustavo Dailey with a three big left hands in the fourth, that sent him staggering to the ropes. Dailey caught his left hand in the ropes and had to get it loose and covered as Luckey rained down more heavy shots on him. The referee finally had seen enough and waved the bout off at the 1:20 mark, much to the disdain of Dailey and his corner. It may have been an early stoppage as Dailey appeared to have his wits about him, but Luckey was well ahead and would have captured the victory if it went the full four round distance.

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Junior Welterweights Julio Dejesus and Hector Collado put on a classic four round brawl that ringside boxing historian Ken Hissner already feels will be the New Jersey fight of the year.

Both fighters basically threw out their defense in this wild contest.

The winless Hector Collado appeared to be the better boxer, but he was constantly caught with the heavy hands of Julio Dejesus throughout. Late in the opening round, Dejesus caught Collado with a huge right hand while walking in and with his hands held low. Collado rose to his feet and went on retreat during the final seconds of the round.

Both fighters continued to slug away in the second round, but the more muscular Dejesus was the stronger puncher, forcing Collado to hold. Late in the round Collado appeared to have turned the tide and rocked with a classic one-two combo. Dejesus looked hurt but returned fire and both began to trade away. A short from Dejesus sent him back to the canvas for the second time.

From the third on it appeared that it would be the first person to catch the other with a big right hand that would finish the job. Dejesus dropped Collado once more in the third, but both fighters made it surprisingly to the final bell.

All three judges saw it unanimously in favor of Millville New Jersey’s Julio Dejesus, who moves to 5-2-1, 3KO’s, Union City’s Hector Collado remains winless at 0-3-1.

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The opening bout of the evening saw Tommy Garcia of Hartford CT even his record at 3-3 2KO’s with a third round technical knockout of flashy Philly welterweight Paul Fernandez (5-4-2, 3KO’s). The time of the stoppage was forty nine seconds of the third round.

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Atlantic City’s own DeCarlo Perez closed this evening’s action by using his combinations from long range to negate the heavy but wild right hands of Cambridge Maryland welterweight Dontre King and squeak by with a majority decision victory by scores of 39-37 x 2 and 38-38.

Perez ups his record to 3-0-1, 1KO while King drops to 3-9-2.