Smith rounds up the Renegade

By Kurt Wolfheimer

Saturday night at the First District Plaza, Percy Custis of Shuler’s Gym Promotions had to work hard to put together a night of boxing and entertainment for the more than 400+ in attendance. Several fights fell out, forcing Percy to scramble to complete the card at the last minute. The originally proposed main event featuring veteran heavyweights Gerald Nobles and Marlon Hayes had to be scratched, forcing Percy to move 53-fight veteran super middleweight Dhafir “No Fear” Smith against young upstart Quinton “The Renegade” Rankin, who entered the ring with a record of 4-1, 3 KOs. Though the fight looked good on paper, it was a sloppy affair with Dhafir Smith 25-22-7, 4 KOs taking a hard earned six round unanimous decision victory over the slick counter-punching southpaw.

Smith, who is well known in Philly boxing circles as a fighter that can stay with some of the best and pull the upsets on occasions, was the favorite in this one. Rankin though, had other plans and immediately seemed to get confidence as Smith took his time figuring out the visiting North Carolinian.

Early in round two, Quentin was countering well and even leading while on the retreat, but Smith came on strong in the closing moments, with several hard body shots.

Smith definitely had the heavier hands, but he was constantly frustrated at the fact he couldn’t land a clean heavy combination to hurt the young upstart.

The bout changed again in the fourth as a Smith body shot bent over Rankin, but he rushed him, forcing both fighters to tumble to the canvas in a clinch. The fight got choppy when the round came to a close as both combatants exchanged blows well after the bell.

The post bell fighting seemed to anger Smith, who stepped up his intensity in the fifth round, mixing in good combinations to clearly take the round.

Both fighters had a back and forth sixth, but it was clear in this writer’s eyes, that the more experienced Smith had taken the victory. All three judges saw it that way, giving Dhafir Smith the unanimous decision victory by scores of 59-54 x 2 and 58-54 respectively.

In the co-feature, it was a special ladies attraction as Philly lightweight Althea “Lady Thunder” Saunders (3-0-1) captured a well earned four round unanimous decision victory over Montana’s D.J. Morrison (2-12, 2 KOs).

Morrison did box well in the early stages, but it was the power in the hands of Saunders that made the difference.

Late in the second, several good over hand rights bloodied the nose of Morrison and forced her to keep a distance. Morrison was caught against the ropes and Saunders rained down some thunder and lightning, but the bell sounded before she could truly rock her.

Morrison tired in the third and Saunders almost finish it in the fourth and final round with a left followed with a blistering overhand right on the chin. The bell would save Morrison though, but is was to no avail as all three judges saw it easily in favor of Althea Saunders 3-0-1 by scores of 40-36 x 2 and 40-36 respectively.

Undefeated Philly bantamweight and Temple University grad Alex Barbosa captured a hard fought, but one sided four round unanimous decision victory over Luis Rivera 1-3 of Puerto Rico. .

Though Barbosa had trouble with the sharp counters of Rivera in the early going, it was his will that stole the show as he walked through the flurries and battered Luis Rivera in the final two rounds. All three judges saw the bout 40-36 in favor of Alex Barbosa who moves to 2-0, 1KO.

North Philadelphia welterweight Kareem McFarland only needed a minute and a second to dispose of Allentown, PA’s Joel Nieves (0-3), in his pro debut. McFarland quickly hurt the outclassed and apprehensive Nieves with a right hand up top. Nieves backed into the corner and covered up, which allowed McFarland to wail away. After twelve unanswered blows, Referee Hurley McCall had seen enough and waived of the contest at the 1:01 mark of the opening round.

In the opening bout of the evening, heavy handed New York junior middleweight Skender Halili (3-0, 3 KOs) easily captured his third straight stoppage as a pro with a second round technical knockout of winless Philadelphian Terrell Boggs (0-4).

Boggs had problems with the heavy hooks and finally withered in the second round from the constant barrages. Halili put an exclamation in the closing seconds of the second with a straight left that stood up the badly hurt Boggs and followed up with a vicious one two combo as the round came to a close. Boggs wobbled to his corner and looked in no shape to continue. His corner rightfully told the referee to waive the fight off giving Skender Halili a well deserved technical knockout at the three minute mark of the second round.

The night also had an appearance by Comedian Javon Pearson who will be in a television series called “Pushing Forty” in the very near future.

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January 29th, 2012

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