6/20/10: Local talent triumphs big time at BangTime Boxing
written by: Erin Morgan
Thurday, June 17, local fight fans saw the inaugural BangTime Boxing event, brought to Baltimore's Du Burns Arena by veteran boxer and MMA fighter Mike Paschall and Shogun Fights promoter and regional MMA trainer John Rallo.Local talent triumphed at BangTime. Mike Paschall's bout with Mickey “The Kansas City Time Bomb” Scarbourough of Missouri was action-packed. Fighting in pink to raise breast cancer awareness, Paschall started the first round with some very strong body shots, quick-as-lightning jabs, and impressive combinations. Although briefly knocked down, Paschall was immediately back up and resumed his strategy against Scarborough.
In the second round a cut above Scarborough’s left eye required a medical time out. After the bout was resumed, Paschall smelled the blood and started to pour on the offense.
Paschall seemed somewhat reticent to follow up on several occasions in the third frame, but demonstrated great evasions when Scarborough kept him on the move. Scarborough then started to rally in round four while a confident Paschall continued his assault. The fight went the distance and to a unanimous decision by the judges for Paschall. The crowd was full of his supporters and the cheering was hard to contain long enough for him to thank everyone for coming to his first event as a promoter as well as a fighter.
The match between Russ “The Hammer” Shiflett of Baltimore and Andre “The Heat” Hempill of Philadelphia, PA was our Fight Of The Night. Shiflett, coming off of a five year layoff with a pro record of 7-0-1 and four knockouts, was a clear local favorite going up against a tough opponent in Hempill, whose pro record coming into the fight was 8-15-2 with five knockouts.
The bout was a bruising battle full of non-stop action from start to finish. Both fighters displayed impressive combinations, evasions, power, and skill. This match had it all and went all the way. The Hammer, while having a very strong opponent in Hempill, seemed to have the edge throughout the hard-fought match, and came out the victor by unanimous decision, sending the crowd absolutely wild when he jumped up on each corner of the ring in celebration of his win.
Baltimore's Nick Kisner went up against Washington, D.C.'s Tauheed Wheeler in the main event of the night. Kisner, a nine time national amateur champion with a professional record of 3-0-0, faced Wheeler in his pro debut. Wheeler performed well, but Kisner's experience showed in his cool, relaxed demeanor throughout the fight.
While respectful of his opponent, Kisner's evasiveness, quick tags and jabs, artful combinations, and virtual ownership of the ring, made it seem at times as though he was a cat playing with a trapped mouse. The judges' unanimous decision, all scoring the bout 40-36, almost seemed a formality. With such talent and experience by only 19 years of age, we can only assume that Nick Kisner has a long and successful career ahead of him.
Other highlights of BangTime Boxing's first event include the win by Dalemanik Robeson-El of Baltimore over Shakee Williamson of Danville, VA by TKO in round three, and the win by Maurice Byarm of Philadephia, PA over Jason Freeman of Dover, OH by KO (body shot) at 1:16 in round one.
Another interesting bout took place between Severn, MD's Sherman Artis Jr. and Martinsburg, WV's Stephen Franklin. Artis' showboating was at first amusing but quickly wore thin with the crowd, who cheered loudly whenever his visiting opponent got in so much as a light jab. Artis is a talented boxer, but the antics no doubt caused his corner frustration, especially when he was busier showing off than working his opponent over.
Fortunately for Artis, his display didn't spur Franklin to any greater performance and he won the fight by majority decision, with one judge actually declaring a draw.
For the amateur bouts, winners included Walt Robinson over Dave Hartman, Brandon Stein over Justin Rose, and Angelo DePasquale over Terry Cannon.
While the event went off without any major hitches, Mike Paschall described the matchmaking as “a little stressful” while preparing for his own fight after a year-long break from professional boxing.
“[I had] a little bit of ring rust – I hadn't boxed in a year and had been in the hospital,” Paschall said, referring to an incident in which he attempted to pull an accident victim from a car, which was then hit again, leading to a weeks-long recovery. “[I] expected to win. I always expect to win.”
Paschall was much less muted about his pleasure with the performance of the other fighters.
“I'm very pleased,” said Paschall. “Very proud, and very proud of all of my guys tonight. This definitely won't be our last event – it was a success”.
His next event is an all amateur show on July 17 at the Millersville Sportsplex in Millersville, MD with 15 bouts on the card. It certainly appears that BangTime Boxing and Paschall Promotions are going to be an increasing regional presence, and BangTime's inaugural event couldn't have been more exciting for local fans. |
5/20/10: BangTime Boxings Event Details
Wednesday June 16th: Weigh ins
Location: Du Burns Arena - 1301 South Ellwood Avenue Baltimore, MD 21224-4958 (off of Boston Street, across from Korean War Memorial)
Time: 5:00 PM
Click Here to Purchase your June 17th Bang Time Boxing Tickets
Thursday June 17th: Fight Night
Venue:Du Burns Arena - 1301 South Ellwood Avenue Baltimore, MD 21224-4958 (off of Boston Street, across from Korean War Memorial).
VIP Party Catered By: The Field House Baltimore
VIP Start Time: 6:00 PM (must purchase ring side table/ seat to attend VIP pre-fight party)
Doors Open: 7:00 PM for all Non-VIP ticket holders (All ages event)
Show Time: Fights Start at 8:00 PM
After Party:Field House Baltimore - 2400 Boston Street (Canton) - Baltimore MD (Must be 21) |
