No word on how a fighter from the keystone state is eligible to contest for a New York State title! 

Stevens was coming in after fighting only two weeks ago, avenging his only loss with an eight round win over Marcos Primera, while Smith fought one month ago, winning a ten rounder against Kippy Warren.  Perhaps the relatively short rest for each fighter contributed to the less-than frenetic pace in this bout.  Steven moved forward, pressed and fired his vaunted power shots, but at a lower rate and with not as much sting as normal.  Smith was cagey, using his natural height and size advantage to try and tie up and out maneuver the shorter slugger Stevens.  Neither fighter was ever in trouble as Stevens pitched a near shutout in an otherwise competitive bout, 100-90, 100-90 and 99-91.  With the win, Stevens improves to 15-1, 11 KOs and Smith dips to 17-12, 6 KOs. 

In the main supporting eight rounder, Albany, New York’s undefeated Wayland Willingham, 143 lbs. was put to the test by tough as nails Carlos Molina, 145 lbs. of Appleton, WI by way of Michoacán, Mexico.  Molina is remembered for his last two fights: a disputed draw and a majority decision loss to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the first of which most observers saw Molina winning.  Molina hadn’t fought since the rematch loss last February, but was predictably tough against the slick, fast southpaw Willingham.  This was a tale of two halves as Willingham easily won the first four rounds, dropping Molina in the third with a perfectly timed lead right to the temple.  Things turned from the fifth round on as Molina kept on the pressure with vicious body work, Willingham noticeably tiring, and retreating with his punch output diminishing noticeably.  Perhaps sensing the fight slipping away, Willingham found a second wind in the seventh, firing beautiful combination and moving out of harm’s way to decisively win the round.  The effort may have taken the last bit of energy out of Willingham as Molina took the eighth.  In the end, the knockdown and seventh round rally saved Willingham from a draw as all three judges scored the bout the same: 77-74.  The distance showed on Willingham as this was his first scheduled eight rounder.  Willingham moves to 11-0, 6 KOs and Molina drops to 8-3-1, 4 KOs. 

Opening the evening was a pair of Jr. Lightweights with Luis Rodriguez of Humacao, PR pounding debutante Jose Guzman of Bronx, NY.  Rodriguez was too strong, dropping Guzman hard in the final round, but failing to finish his foe.  Rodriguez gets his first win and goes to 1-0-1 while Guzman gets an unkind welcome to the pro game at 0-1. 

Featherweights Francisco Palacios, 128 lbs. of Bronx, NY and Vineash Rungea, 127 lbs. of Queens, NY by way of Brentord, England, battled to a four round draw.  It was a matter of the pressure of Palacios vs. the back-peddaling defensiveness of Rungea.  All three judges scored the bout 38-38.   

Jr. Welter Daniel Sostre, 140 lbs. of Vega Baja, PR had too much for Troy, NY’s Broderick Antoine, 142 lbs. over four rounds.  While Antoine showed good skills, Sostre was simply better with more, unleashing combos, power and movement to dominate in the eyes of all three judges 40-36.  Sostre improves to 2-0 and Antoine evens out at 2-2, 1 KO.