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Williams earns decision over Halili; hard-charging Lenk outworks Soto in exciting co-feature

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. (Oct. 20th, 2018)– WelterweightJimmy Williamsof New Haven, Conn., started a new win streak Saturday with a controversial unanimous decision win at Foxwoods Resort Casino. 

Headlining in an exciting pro-am card promoted by CES Boxing at the Fox Theater, Williams (16-1-1) earned a 78-74 win on all three scorecards over Enver Halili(10-2) of the Bronx, much to the dismay of the sold-out crowd, which felt Halili had done enough to get the nod.

JudgesEddie Scuncio, Richard Flahertyand Peter Haryscored the fight, a back-and-forth battle between two regional veterans who continued to scrap until the final bell. Williams had the height advantage, but didn’t do enough to establish his jab, allowing Halili to cut off the ring brilliantly and work the body effectively in the middle rounds. 

Williams had a hard time using his distance to his advantage and Halili stayed aggressive throughout, fighting his way through glancing blows by Williams to land cleanly on the inside. The win was Williams’ second in a row since suffering his first career loss early in 2018, a setback that ended his previous 11-fight unbeaten streak. 

Anchored by a sturdy chin and a relentless, come-forward attack, junior middleweight Anthony Lenk(16-5) of Niagara Falls proved to be too much down the stretch for New Haven’s Edwin Soto(13-4-2), earning a unanimous decision win, 78-74 on all three scorecards.

Soto looked sharp in the opening round, landing short, but effective, hooks upstairs, but Lenk walked through everything, which became a reoccurring theme as the fight progressed. Lenk pressed the action from the opening bell, which left him open for some hard counterpunches by Soto, but Lenk never wavered, taking Soto’s best for eight rounds. Soto regained his composure momentarily in the sixth, but Lenk remained unharmed, having built up enough of a lead in the middle rounds to earn the win on the cards.

Soto lost for the first time since 2014, snapping a four-fight win streak, while Lenk won for the first time since last September. 

Stealing the show on the undercard, Springfield, Mass., welterweight Derrick Whitley(4-0-1) and Sharad Collier(1-0-1) of Hartford, Conn., fought to draw in a close-knit six-round war. Eddie Scunciohad it 59-55 in favor of Collier, Richard Flahertyscored it 58-56 in favor of Whitley and Peter Haryhad it even. 

In just his second pro fight, Collier stood toe-to-toe with the more experienced Whitley and began to find his groove after losing the opening round. Neither fighter tried to establish much distance, leading to an entertaining, back-and-forth battle featuring several high-powered exchanges in the center of the ring.

Whitley got head-butted accidentally in the third round, opening a cut over his right eye. The ringside physician examined it closely and allowed Whitley to continue. The last two rounds were so close that neither of the three judges had the same card. Scuncio gave the final two rounds to Collier, Flaherty gave the edge to Whitley and Hary had it split with Whitley winning the fifth and Collier earning the draw by squeezing out the final round.  

The knockout of the night belonged to New Haven super middleweight Elvis Figueroa(6-0, 3 KOs), who pieced together his most complete performance with a third-round stoppage against previously Leemont Johnson(6-1). Figueroa dominated from the opening bell, working the body and backing Johnson against the ropes with overhand rights. In the third, Figueroa came out firing again with a right hook to the ribs and more combinations upstairs. Johnson found himself on the ropes a second time, but had no answer for Figueroa’s flurries, prompting referee Al LoBiancoto stop the bout 49 seconds into the round. 

The female bantamweight showcase also did not disappoint as Ledyard, Conn., native Marcia Agripino(3-1-1) earned her second consecutive win, narrowly defeating Canada’s Stephanie Essensa(3-2-1) by majority decision, 60-54, 58-56, 57-57. As expected, the two exchanged haymakers for six hard rounds, with Agripino closing the fight with a spirited rally in the sixth. Hary had Agripino winning all six, while Scuncio and Lombardi agreed on Essensa taking rounds two and five. Agripino won for the second time since June while Essensa suffered only her second pro defeat and first since 2016. 

Making his Foxwoods debut, Taunton, Mass., welterweight Marqus Bates(5-2) won his third consecutive bout in a wildly-entertaining slugfest with Bridgeport, Conn., vet Carlos Hernandez(3-3-1), earning a 59-55, 58-56, 57-57 majority decision win. 

Bates landed cleaner, more effective blows in spurts, but Hernandez continued to press forward, landing occasional counter shots to keep himself within striking distance. Bates was at his best in the first three rounds and Hernandez found his second wind in the fourth before Bates regained control in the fifth and final round. Flaherty and Frank Lombardiscored it in favor of Bates while Hary again had it even, giving Hernandez two of the final three rounds, including the sixth. 

Fighting for the first time professional, Danbury, Conn., native Geoffrey Then(1-0, 1 KO) scored the upset of Providence’s Nicky DeQuattro(3-2), stopping DeQuattro 41 seconds in the second round. A professional Muay Thai and mixed martial arts fighter, Then looked comfortable in the ring, landing at will in the opening round as DeQuattro failed to establish his defense. Then opened the second equally as aggressive and eventually backed DeQuattro into a corner, unloading with combinations before LoBianco stopped the bout. 

DebutsCalixto Cruz(1-0) of Springfield, Mass., and Joseph Santana(0-1) of Providence opened the nine-bout card with a thrilling, back-and-forth lightweight bout with Cruz winning by unanimous decision, 39-37, 40-36, 39-37. 

Cruz, the more accomplished amateur, got off to a fast start, stalking down Santana as he tried to circle the ring and box from a distance, but Cruz remained persistent and eventually worked with his way to the inside, where he landed effective body shots to soften Santana’s defense. Santana had his best round in the third, but Cruz closed the show with a strong final three minutes to earn his first career win.

Also making his professional debut, Bridgeport’s Jacob Marrero(1-0, 1 KO) dominated California’s Fierce Taylor(0-3), scoring the win by knockout at the 2:30 mark of the second round. Marrero outworked his opponent in the opening round and then closed with a flurry along the ropes, the last series of shots sending Taylor crashing to the canvas just as referee Benjy Esteveswaved it off. 

-- CES --

10 October, 2018 – GUNSHOTS FIRED AT CAR IN WESTVILLE VILLAGE AS CROWDS LEAVE ROOSEVELT’S BAR

This marks the third gunfire/ shooting event in one year related to a bar in the heart of the quiet Westville Village. At 1:03 AM, Officers responded to calls of gunfire that had occurred outside Roosevelt’s Bar, 883 Whalley Avenue.

An officer had been flagged down at the corner of Fountain Street and Central Avenue by a person reporting a chaotic scene just blocks away. As he approached, the officer heard gunfire and spotted a Subaru Forester leaving the area. He pulled over the car on West Rock Avenue. The car’s windshield had been shot at.

About two hours later, an officer in Fair Haven was contacted by a man admitting he’d fired at the vehicle after its driver sped directly at him. The twenty-five year old Hamden, CT man told police he was leaving Roosevelt’s when a man pulled up to him and addressed him. He said the man drove off, made a U-turn and sped toward him. He told officers he jumped into his own car but couldn’t get it started in time to flee. He said the man struck his car and he thought the man would harm him. He said he fired at the driver, who in turn fled.

Video of the incident, viewed by the officers, generally corroborates the victim’s story. The victim has a valid pistol permit. It appears he was not the antagonist in this incident.

The case remains under investigation. An arrest has not yet been made.

On Saturday, September 22, 2018, Officers, as had become routine, were posted at Roosevelt’s bar to clear out the crowd after closing time. At 1:52 AM, those officers heard gunfire and found the victim in front of the closed business at 867 Whalley Avenue. Tomone Archie Lindsey, thirty-two, of New Haven, had been shot in the leg. He claimed to have no knowledge as to who’d shot him. A parked car was struck as well.

Though Roosevelt’s Bar often hires an Extra Duty officer on weekends, routinely, it takes many on-duty officers to clear out the area after closing.  

UP DATE.  

This marks the third gunfire/ shooting event in one year related to a bar in the heart of the quiet Westville Village. At 1:03 AM, Officers responded to calls of gunfire that had occurred outside Roosevelt’s Bar, 883 Whalley Avenue.

An officer had been flagged down at the corner of Fountain Street and Central Avenue by a person reporting a chaotic scene just blocks away. As he approached, the officer heard gunfire and spotted a Subaru Forester leaving the area. He pulled over the car on West Rock Avenue. The car’s windshield had been shot at.

About two hours later, an officer in Fair Haven was contacted by a man admitting he’d fired at the vehicle after its driver sped directly at him. The twenty-five year old Hamden, CT man told police he was leaving Roosevelt’s when a man pulled up to him and addressed him. He said the man drove off, made a U-turn and sped toward him. He told officers he jumped into his own car but couldn’t get it started in time to flee. He said the man struck his car and he thought the man would harm him. He said he fired at the driver, who in turn fled.

Video of the incident, viewed by the officers, generally corroborates the victim’s story. The victim has a valid pistol permit. It appears he was not the antagonist in this incident.

The case remains under investigation. An arrest has not yet been made.

On Saturday, September 22, 2018, Officers, as had become routine, were posted at Roosevelt’s bar to clear out the crowd after closing time. At 1:52 AM, those officers heard gunfire and found the victim in front of the closed business at 867 Whalley Avenue. Tomone Archie Lindsey, thirty-two, of New Haven, had been shot in the leg. He claimed to have no knowledge as to who’d shot him. A parked car was struck as well.

Though Roosevelt’s Bar often hires an Extra Duty officer on weekends, routinely, it takes many on-duty officers to clear out the area after closing

9 October, 2018 – MAN CLAIMS SELF-DEFENSE IN STABBING. THE INJURED PERSON DISAPPEARED

At 9:36 PM, officers were dispatched to 154 Frank Street after somone reported an assault.

The arriving cops found a pool of blood on the front porch and a trail of blood leading inside to the second floor. There was more blood in a bedroom, but no one was in it.

Suspicious of the noises above, the basement tennant emerged and told the cops he’d seen two women leaving the building after hearing an argument. He said his upstairs-neighbor came outside and was bleeding from his face. He said the women cut him.

Police cought up with the victim at Yale New Haven Hospital. The sixty-six year old told the officers he was in his bedroom, when the door opened and two men entered. One had a “shiny knife”. The blade-wielding man aproached  him. The victim armed himself with a screwdriver and ordered the intruder to stop.

The victim said the man kept coming and sliced his face and hand. The victim said he stabbed the intruder several times with the screwdriver. The last time, said the victim, the screwdriver remained in the man’s chest.

The victim’s wounds – though deep, were not deemed life-threatening. The intruders were not found despite frequent checks for the impaled one – male or female.

9 October, 2018 – HURLBURT STREET RESIDENCE STRUCK BY BULLETS

At 9:13 PM, the city’s ShotSpotter® system alerted to gunfire on the one-hundred block of Hurlburt Street. Officers narrowed their search to a bullet struk home at 109 Hurlburt Street. Bullet shell casings, found outside on the street and front porch, were collected and the house was searched. One of its occupants, Travis Jenkins (3-30-1975), of that address, had two outstanding warrants (larceny 6^th and failing to appear in court) and was taken into custody. His custody was otherwise unrelated to this case.

We’re looking into the who and why and are interested in hearing from anyone who has information on this case. 203-946-6304, if you’re interested in talking. Calls may be made annonymously.

NFL players’ union sues over Elliott’s 6-game domestic ban

Williams remains unbeaten, retains WBC crowd with methodical unanimous decision win over Rodriguez

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Sept. 16^th, 2017) – Jimmy Williams celebrated two major milestones in style Saturday, retaining his World Boxing Council U.S. Boxing Council (WBC USNBC) welterweight title for the second time in less than three weeks at Twin River Casino.

Stepping up for one more title defense after knocking outIssouf Kinda in August, Williams (15-0-1) returned Saturday on his birthday in the headliner of CES Boxing’s 12-fight card at Twin River and remained unbeaten, defeating game challenger Juan Rodriguez Jr. (13-5) of New Jersey by unanimous decision, 98-91, 97-92, 96-93.

A second-round knockdown established the pace for Williams, whose wife gave birth to twin boys less than two weeks before fight night. Rodriguez enjoyed a brief surge in the third and fourth rounds, apparently getting his second wind after the knockdown, but Williams dominated the latter half of the fight, taking rounds five through nine on two of three scorecards to build a comfortable lead.

Fighting for the third time since, Sicilian heavyweightJuiseppe Cusumano (13-1, 11 KOs) continued his east-coast reign of terror in the co-feature, stopping game challenger Matt McKinney (5-3-2) of Oceanside, Calif., at the2:41 mark of the second round. Cusumano sent McKinney to the canvas four times, twice in each round, before refereeJohnny Callas stopped the bout.

Cusumano has won 11 in a row and each of his last three by knockout within the first two rounds, including another dominant performance less than three weeks ago on the last CES Boxing card in August.

Making his fifth Twin River appearance, Providence lightweight Anthony Marsella Jr. (6-0, 3 KOs) remained undefeated in his most impressive performance to date, stopping Mexican challenger Israel Rojas (12-19) at 1:47 of the fourth round. Marsella Jr. sent Rojas to the canvas in the closing seconds of the third and twice more in the fourth before referee Joey Lupino waved it off.

Coming off his first career loss back in April, New Bedford, Mass., native Ray Oliveira Jr. (8-1) got back in the win column, narrowly defeating New Haven’s David Wilson (5-2-1) by split decision, 58-56, 55-59, 58-56.

Judges Eddie Scuncio and Robin Taylor scored the bout in favor of Oliveira while Ken Ezzo gave Wilson each of the first four rounds and the sixth and final round. Wilson started strong, also winning two of the first three rounds on Scuncio and Taylor’s scorecards, but Oliveira came on strong down the stretch to earn his first win since February.

Stealing the show on the preliminary card, female bantamweights Marcia Agripino (1-1-1) of Groton, Conn., and New Yorker Federica Bianco (3-1) fought four entertaining, back-and-forth rounds with Bianco earning the unanimous decision win, 39-37, 39-37, 40-36. The fight was much closer than the scores indicated, but Bianco was the aggressor, establishing a feverish pace from the opening bell and refusing to let up at any point. Agripino, fighting for the first time since 2013, brought the same energy, but Bianco was slightly more accurate with her exchanges, leading her to third win as a pro and first since May of 2016.

Making his 10^th appearance since turning pro last May, Worcester’s Kendrick Ball Jr. (8-0-2) remained unbeaten, trading blows for six rounds with the dangerous Pablo Velez(7-2-1) of Durham, N.C., en route to a 60-54 shutout on all three scorecards. The taller, leaner Ball Jr. used his reach to keep Velez at a distance, but also stayed busy on the inside, unafraid to exchange with his opponent while outworking him consistently within close range. The win highlighted Ball Jr.’s 25^th birthday celebration, which commences Sunday.

In another back-and-forth regional showdown, Stoughton, Mass., welterweight Travis Demko (5-1) narrowly defeatedMarqus Bates (2-2) of nearby Taunton by split decision, 39-37, 37-39, 39-37. Judges Wayne Lima and Taylor scored it in favor of Demko while Scuncio gave Bates the nod. Each fighter had his moments, but Demko hurt Bates in the second and had him on the ropes again in the third. Taylor and Lima each gave Demko the first three rounds while Scuncio scored rounds one, three and four in favor of Bates.

Fighting for the second time in three weeks, Worcester lightweight Jamaine Ortiz (6-0, 4 KOs) looked dominant as ever, stopping the game Darnell Pettis (1-6) of Cleveland, who failed to answer the bell for the fourth and final round. Pettis hung in for three rounds, taking Ortiz’s best, but after a brutal third round, Pettis was done for the night and Ortiz earned his fourth win of the year and second since August.

Living up to his nickname, “Bling Bling,” Providence super featherweight Michael Valentin (2-0) kept his unbeaten record intact with a hard-fought win over debut Henry Garcia (0-1) of New Bedford. Garcia never stopped coming forward, but Valentin’s quick hands set the tone early, and the 18-year-old Providence native scored a big knockdown in the second round to open up a comfortable lead on the scorecards en route to a 39-36, 40-35, 40-35 unanimous decision win.

In a battle of pro debut cruiserweights from Worcester, fighting out of rival gyms, Rafiel Nyakoko (1-0, 1 KO) earned the knockout win over Jake Paradise (0-1) at the2:36 mark of the second round. Nyakoko controlled the pace in the opening round and then staggered Paradise with a hard right midway through the second. Paradise tried to hold on to buy some time, but Nyakoko used his reach to establish his distance and finished Paradise for a good with a flurry of punches along the ropes, prompting Lupino to stop the bout.

Also in preliminary action, Worcester’s Philip Davis (1-1) earned his first career victory in the featherweight division over Providence’s Phil Dudley (1-1), 39-36 on all three scorecards, and featherweight Ricky Delossantos (3-0) of Providence remained unbeaten with his third win of 2017, beating Lowell’s Jonathan Perez (2-2-2), 40-36 on all three cards.

– CES –

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. (Aug. 26^th, 2017) – Reigning World Boxing Council U.S. National Boxing Council (WBC USNBC) welterweight champion Jimmy Williams retained his title Saturday in a wild finish over Issouf Kinda of the Bronx at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Williams (14-0-1, 6 KOs) scored the knockout at the 1-minute, 26-second mark of the fourth round in peculiar finish, cracking Kinda (18-5) with a right cross on the break as veteran referee Steve Smoger separated two following a brief clinch.

As Smoger yelled, “Break!” Kinda threw a quick right that momentarily clipped Smoger instead of Williams. The reigning champ landed with his right hand, sending Kinda crashing to the canvas. Smoger counted him out and Williams retained the title despite trailing on two of the three scorecards entering the fourth round.

 CHECK OUT 3:20:00 MARK

The event, promoted by CES Boxing, aired live on Facebook via FIGHTNIGHT LIVE as a precursor to Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor megabout in Nevada.

The controversial finish set off a brief melee in the ring, but cooler heads prevailed as Williams celebrated his first title defense and 10^th consecutive win since fighting to a draw with Greg Jackson in 2013. Kinda has now lost two in a row since his win over Zach Ramsey in May of 2016.

Up until the knockout, Kinda led by three rounds on one of the scorecards and one round on another card while Williams led by three rounds on the third scorecard.

In a fight that turned out to be as exciting as advertised, junior welterweight Cristobal Marrero (5-0) of New London, Conn., edged Springfield, Mass., vet Miguel Ortiz(2-1) by split decision, 57-56, 56-57, 57-56.

Marrero fought thrown a swollen eye and dropped Ortiz in the fifth round to seal his fifth win in as many fights, but Ortiz, as always, came to brawl and brought the fight to Marrero in the early rounds, using his come-forward style to bully Ortiz and press him into the ropes while landing short, clean punches on the inside.

Marrero found his difference down the stretch with the knockdown sealing Ortiz’s fate, even with one judge scoring the bout in favor of Ortiz. The bout was supposed to take place in June, but Ortiz was forced to withdraw due to a shoulder injury. The bout was rescheduled for Saturday and changed from four to six rounds, which ultimately worked in Marrero’s favor.

With boxing and mixed martial arts colliding in Nevada in the Mayweather-McGregor bout, CES got in on the action at Foxwoods with eight-time Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) vet Leandro Silva (0-1) of Sao Paolo, Brazil, making his professional boxing debut against unbeaten cruiserweightRichard Rivera (3-0) of Hartford, Conn.

Silva, who is 20-6 in MMA, came out with his hands held high, more reminiscent of his style inside the cage, which flustered Rivera at first. The hard-hitting cruiserweight had a hard time landing anything clean until he caught Silva flush with a right hook on the inside that sent him to the canvas for a split second.

Silva popped up quickly, unharmed by the flash knockdown, and continued to trade fearlessly with the heavily-decorated Rivera, at one point dancing along the ropes and taunting his opponent. Rivera won the fight, 40-35 on all three scorecards due to the knockdown.  

Worcester, Mass., lightweight Jamaine Ortiz (5-0) kept his perfect record intact, earning a 40-36 verdict on all three scorecards against Loraine, Ohio, vet Angel Figueroa (4-5-1). Fighting for the first time since April, Ortiz’s endurance and output was too much for Figueroa, who hung tough early, but ran out of gas in the closing rounds. Ortiz returns to the ring Sept. 16^th in Rhode Island, looking to improve to 6-0.

Sicilian heavyweight Juiseppe Cusumano (12-1, 10 KOs) continued to impress on his regional tour, making his Foxwoods debut in grand fashion with a first-round knockout win over Wilmington, Del., vet Robert Dunton (11-17-1) at the 2-minute mark. Dunton tried to work the body against the taller Cusumano, but Cusumano’s superior size and strength was too much to handle; Cusumano caught Dunton along the ropes with a left and followed by cracking him with three consecutive overhand rights, sending Dunton into the ropes and forcing the referee to step in and stop the bout.

Cusumano also returns Sept. 16^th in Rhode Island in a six-round bout against Californian Matt McKinney.

Boston, Mass., native and former U.S. Marine Jarel Pemberton (1-0), the son of New England icon and former world-title challenger “Sandman” Scott Pemberton, impressed in his professional debut, defeating game challenger Nate Schulte (0-3) of Woburn, Mass., by unanimous decision, 39-37 on all three scorecards.

Pemberton was the aggressor from the opening bell, but Schulte hung in for four hard rounds, unafraid to fight on the inside, and even landed a clean left hand in the third round that momentarily stunned his opponent. Pemberton ultimately regained his composure and finished strong to seal the victory, his first win as a pro.

Also on the undercard, Hartford junior middleweight Jose Rivera (4-1) won his second consecutive fight, outworking the hard-charging Corwin Farmer (1-2) of Tarboro, N.C., to earn a 39-37, 39-37, 40-36 unanimous decision victory. Farmer, entered fresh off his first professional win in January, actually did his best work on the inside, but Rivera controlled the pace by utilizing his jab to keep Farmer from gaining any momentum.

– CES –

Perez ends trilogy with win over Mauras; Ayala celebrates return in victorious fashion over Mitchell

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (Jan. 17th, 2015) – Two fighters settled a longstanding rivalry Saturday while another cagey veteran began his slow, steady climb back to the top of the rankings.

In his third bout against regional foe Agustine Mauras, Hartford, Conn., super featherweight Joseph “Chip” Perez captured the vacant New England Championship while former world-title challenger and super middleweight contendr Elvin Ayala of New Haven, Conn., won in his return to the ring following a two-year layoff.

Saturday’s pro-am event at Mohegan Sun Arena, promoted by CES Boxing, featured five amateur bouts and nine professional fights, including two title bouts. In the eight-round main event, Perez (11-3-2) finally got the best of Mauras (6-1-3), a Lawrence, Mass., native, after the two fought to a draw twice in 2013, this time utilizing a more aggressive approach while out-working and out-landing his opponent. The trilogy ended with a 79-73, 78-74, 78-74 win for Perez, easily the most lopsided of their three bouts.

On the undercard, Ayala (27-6-1) ended a layoff of more than two years with a satisfying 60-54, 59-55, 58-56 win over dangerous Philadelphia vet Aaron Mitchell (27-2-1).

A former World Boxing Council (WBC) title-holder rated among the top super middleweights in the world, Ayala hadn’t fought since suffering a first-round knockout loss to Curtis Stevens in January 2013. Having fallen out of the national spotlight, Ayala took the next two years to recover physically and mentally, making changes within his inner circle in an effort to rebuild his career for one last run at a world title.

Saturday’s win was a step in the right direction. The always-ready Mitchell, who hadn’t fought since 2008 prior to this weekend, formerly held the North American Boxing Organization (NABO) middleweight title and won 15 consecutive bouts with a stunning 14 by knockout before his brief departure from the sport more than five years ago.

In the second title bout of the evening, Portland, Maine, veteran Jorge Abiague (8-1) edged New Haven’s Josh Crespo (3-2-2) by split decision, 78-74, 75-77, 78-74 to earn the vacant N.E. Super Bantamweight championship. Abiague controlled the first two rounds with his overhand left before Crespo rocked him with a straight right hand in the closing seconds of the third. Crespo went for the kill, but Abiague survived the final few seconds and got his legs back in the fourth, where he began to dictate the pace. Abiague has now won back-to-back fights since losing to Nate Green in October.

Chinese heavyweight Zhang Zhilei (2-0, 2 KOs), a silver medalist in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, stopped Perry Filkins (0-1) of Hooksett, N.H., at the 1:10 mark of the opening round. Junior welterweight Wang Zhimin (1-0), a gold medalist at the 2011 World Series of Boxing, beat newcomer Kin Moy (0-1) of Cambridge, Mass., by unanimous decision, 40-36, 39-37, 39-36, on all three scorecards and 2012 London Olympian Meng Fanlong (1-0) defeated Washington, D.C., vet Marcellus Yates (0-2) by majority decision 40-36, 40-36, 38-38, in Fanlong’s professional debut.

Worcester, Mass., light middleweight Khiary Gray-Pitts (4-0, 2 KOs) remained unbeaten with dominant knockout win over Springfield, Ill., vet Jake Constant (0-3) courtesy of a body blow at the 1:20 mark of the opening round. Lightweight Briam Granado (1-0, 1 KO) impressed in his professional debut, stopping Theo Desjardin (0-5) of Pawtucket, R.I., at 1:18 of the opening round, knocking Desjardin to the canvas twice.

New Haven junior middleweight Jimmy Williams (8-0-1, 4 KOs) also remained unbeaten, stopping 29-fight vet Jose Felix (11-17-2) at 2:34 of the third round for his fourth consecutive win since fighting to a draw with Atlantic City’s Greg Jackson in August of 2013.

– CES –

Amber Vinson, distraught over the news of her colleague's illness, tells Don Lemon how she dealt with her own diagnosis.

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