Eklund wins, McCreedy loses in Lowell

Shujaa El-Amin – aka Dion Savage (12-3, 6 KOs) – spoiled tonight’s “Homecoming” for popular brawler “Irish” Joey McCreedy (13-6-2, 6 KOs), who was fighting in front of his hometown fans for the first time as a professional boxer.

El-Amin, however, dominated the action from the opening round against the game McCreedy, capturing the vacant United States Boxing Organization (“USBO”) super middleweight title in the main event at Lowell Memorial Auditorium.

The Flint, Michigan-invader won nine of 10 rounds on two judges’ scorecards and swept all 10 on the other.

“I fight for oppressed people all over the world, not myself,” El-Amin commented after the fight.  “I come from a poor place and want to build-up my city.  I’m fighting for my father who has been imprisoned in Illinois for 15 years for a crime he’s innocent.  We have proof.  It’s an injustice.  His name is Dion Savage, Sr.”

“Homecoming” – presented by Chicago Fight Clubs Promotion (“CFC Promotion”) — was the first professional boxing show held in seven years in Lowell, a well-known hotbed for amateur boxing, annually hosting the New England Championships. Lowell is best known as the home of “Irish” Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund, the principal subjects in the award-winning movie, “The Fighter.”  They worked the corners for McCreedy and his CFC Promotion stable-mate, Sean Eklund (10-4, 2 KOs), who is the nephew of Micky and Dicky.

In the co-feature, Ward-trained light welterweight Sean Eklund (11-4, 2 KOs), also fighting at home in Lowell for the first time as a pro, won a unanimous decision in his  first eight-round bout from 22-fight veteran James Ventry.

“I could hear the fans and it was inspirational,” the 28-year-old Eklund said after the fight, “but I had to stay within myself.  I got wild a few times.  I hurt him in the first round and loaded up trying to knock him out.  He’s a tough kid who has been stopped only twice.  I didn’t have much amateur experience, so I’m gaining experience now, and have gotten better in each of my last three fights.”

Chicago light welterweight Antonio “Aztec God of War” Canas (6-0-1) overcame  two third-round knockdowns to remain unbeaten in a six-round majority draw in an entertaining fight with Tyrone Chatman (9-1-2, 6 KOs).

US Marine Jimmy Smith, who did two tours in Iraq, decked Rafael Jusino in the opening round but soon the fight was halted after a cut opened over Jusino’s eye from and accidental head-butt.  The match was ruled a no contest.

New Jersey middleweight Anthony Jones (1-0-1) won his first pro fight with a unanimous four-round decision over pro-debuting Bernie Ongewe.