Last Thursday night at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville CT, Emmanuel Clottey defeated Michael Warrick by unanimous decision in a 10 round junior welterweight contest. Returning to the site where he defeated rising star Muhammad Abdullaev in June of 2003, Clottey was able to land punches almost at will against Warrick though neither man was ever off his feet. In the Sun?s four-bout card, the Clottey-Warrick main event was the only fight to go the prescribed distance.
Though largely unheralded, Emmanuel Clottey is a tough pressure fighter who personifies the toughness of other Ghanaian warriors like Ben Tackie, Ike Quartey and Azumah Nelson; and watching him work is like watching a demolitions expert go about the task of leveling real estate. Clottey hammered away at the mid-section of Warrick throughout the bout, his pressure and busy offense making up for a lack of real knockout punching power.
Warrick was unable to keep Clottey off of him for much of the fight. Warrick?s jabs were more pawing and flicking than substantial enough to break Clottey?s rhythm or keep him from coming forward. Though longer and straighter than Clottey?s, when he timed it right Warrick?s jab could get to the target first, but Clottey?s jab thumped past Warrick?s far too often, letting the Ghanaian slip in behind it and score to the body.
When the decision came it was unanimous in favor of Clottey with scores of 97-93 from judge Tom Kaczmarek and 96-94 twice from judges Julie Lederman and Joe Dwyer.
Clottey?s record improves to 22-6 (14kos) while Michael Warrick drops to 18-2 (11kos)
In the evening?s most impressive stoppage, Brownsville Brooklyn?s latest boxing export, Curtis Stevens, whacked out Anterio Vines with vicious and sudden violence reminiscent of Brownville?s most famous son, Iron Mike Tyson. Stevens, who fights as a light heavyweight, moved in an aggressive, forward marching style similar to Tyson?s and the resultant first round knockout was easy to compare to vintage Iron Mike.
Seconds after the opening bell, Stevens fired a chopping, double left hook to the belly and then the head, followed quickly by a hard overhand right that thumped against the head of Anterio Vines and left him crumpled in a neutral corner. Referee Mike Ortega stopped the fight while Stevens stood in ring center, hands on his hips and soaking up the cheers of the Brooklynites who made the drive to the Connecticut casino. Vines is now 4-4 (1) while Stevens notches his second first round kayo in as many pro-fights.
The Dominican Republic?s Aneudi Santos took on Aaron Norwood of Mississippi in the second bout of the card. Santos buckled the knees of Norwood in the first round with a huge right but his punches were wide and in the second Norwood was able to stun Santos with a counter right of his own.
In the third Santos put more pressure on Norwood, his physical strength obviously superior to the more experienced fighter. In the fourth, while Norwood was fighting successfully behind a jab, Santos caught him with a shotgun blast right hand to the chin that put Norwood flat on his back.
Referee Matt Mulaney stopped the fight after the ringside physician got a closer look at Norwood and found him unfit to continue. Santos? record improves to 12-2 (9kos) while Norwood drops to 21-4-2 (10kos).
In the first fight of the night Jaidon Codrington, 4-0 (4kos), of Bridgeport CT, scored a fifty-three second knockout over Jerald Lowe of Atlanta. Codrington caught Lowe with an overhand right that hooked around the raised-guard of Lowe and struck him behind the ear at the base of the skull. Jerald Lowe, now 4-11 (2kos), was clearly stunned and went to the canvas in stages; to his knees, then his elbows, and was counted out.
