SPADDY RETURNS WITH A WIN
By Michael Walters

“The Pittsburgh Kid” Paul Spadafora, after 21 months out of the ring, defeated Humberto Toledo (41-8-2 25 KO’s) by eight round unanimous decision last night in Chester, W.Va. The fight was Spadafora’s first under the promotional banner of Roy Jones Jr., in association with TNT Promotions. The official scores were 80-72 twice and 79-73. Spadafora remains undefeated, sporting a record of 46-0-1 with 19 KO’s.

 

The fight had good action throughout as Spadafora slipped punches and looked to punish his opponent's body. In the fourth round Toledo was knocked to the ground, but it was ruled a slip. Soon after Spadafora bloodied his opponent's nose and seemed to be looking for a knockout, battering his opponent against the ropes much to the delight of the raucous crowd. By the sixth round a clearly frustrated Toledo started taunting his opponent and acted like he was going to kick Spadafora. Before things got out of hand, the referee issued a stern warning and spoke to Toledo’s corner, also. The eighth and final round was all action from Spadafora, who knocked Toledo’s mouthpiece into the third or fourth row.

 

In a foul-filled slugfest, Brian “The Beast” Minto (37-5 24 KO’s) took on Mike Sheppard (20-14-1 9 KO’s) in a scheduled 12 round bout for the NABA title. In the opening round, both fighters came out swinging with Sheppard giving better then he got. Sheppard should have been credited with a knock down after landing a right that caused Minto’s glove to touch the canvas and maybe his knee, also. Sheppard, though, would gas himself out looking to end it early and went to his corner clearly winded at the end of the round. In the second round Minto landed a low blow that had Sheppard writhing in pain on the canvas for a couple minutes. In round three, Minto, clearly in charge of the fight at this point, dropped his opponent twice. In round four of the fight the referee was seemingly losing control of, Sheppard again tasted the canvas twice, the first from a low blow and the second from a Minto right hand, which ended the contest by KO.

 

Andres Taylor (20-2-1 KO’s) saw action for the first time since a suffering a devastating knockout loss to Garrett Wilson earlier this year. Taylor wasted no time and made quick work of his opponent winning by KO in just 59 seconds in the first round. Taylor landed a big overhand right and that was all she wrote for his opponent Justin Howes (13-3 11 KO’s).

 

In a middleweight bout, Dante Moore won a six round decision over Mustafah Johnson (8-14-1 2 KO’s) and extended his winning record to 8-0-2 with 4 KO’s. Official scores were 60-54 twice and 58-56.

 

Billy Hutchinson (4-1 2 KO’s) got the nod over Clifford Gregory (1-10-4) in a four round welterweight contest. Official scores were 40-36 twice and 39-36.

 

In the opening bout of the evening in a heavyweight rematch, Daniel Martz (5-0 4KO’s) scored a first round knockout over Justin Novaria (1-10 1 KO).

 

 

 

You can follow Mike Walters on Twitter @MWalters202