Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing returned to the Times Union Center in Albany, New York last night with a sensational ESPN Friday Night Fights card. In front of an enthusiastic crowd of Capital Region boxing fans, Philadelphia’s Raymond “Tito” Serrano and defending NABO junior welterweight champion Karim “Hard Hitta” Mayfield headlined in a scheduled ten round battle.
Throwing bombs with bad intentions from the opening round, Serrano and Mayfield engaged in a terrific clash that had the local fans on their feet throughout.
Towards the end of the third round Serrano was knocked down and suffered a cut on his forehead.
Valiantly fighting on against the aggressive Mayfield, Serrano opened up a cut near the title holder’s left eye in the fourth round but was knocked down for the second time as the bell rang to end the stanza.
Continuing to fight as the bell rang for the fifth round, Serrano was knocked down again from a Mayfield right hand and referee Eddie Claudio stopped the bout at the time of 0:47.
The loss was the first of the 22-year-old Serrano’s career moving his record to 18-1-0 (8KO’s) while Mayfield stayed undefeated at 16-0-1 (10KO’s).
In the super middleweight co-main Jason “Monstruo” Escalera of Union City, New Jersey and Geneva, New York’s Nick Brinson put on a sensational eight round war for the Times Union Center crowd.
The undefeated Escalera spent most of the fight stalking the once beaten Brinson, with vicious hooks to the body of the counterpuncher.
Escalera had Brinson badly hurt in the seventh round, but the bout continued with the Geneva, New York resident hanging on for the duration of the final round.
Scores at end of the terrific clash were 76-75 (Escalera), 76-75 (Brinson) and 76-76. Escalera’s record moved to 13-0-1 (12KO’s) while Brinson went to 9-1-2 (5KO’s).
In the ESPN Friday Night Fights opening bout, Kevin “KID” Rooney Jr. was upset by Newark’s Anthony Jones in their fast packed four round middleweight bout.
Rooney Jr. suffered a controversially called knockdown in the first but was dropped in the third, which proved to be the difference in the scores, which were 39-35 and 38-36 (twice) for Jones who improved to 2-0-1 while Rooney Jr. moved to 4-2-0 (2KO’s).
Come backing former world title challenger David Telesco of Port Chester, New York, was stopped in the fifth round of his scheduled eight round tilt against fast rising local cruiserweight prospect Vincent Miranda.
After four rounds of spirited action, Miranda dropped Telesco with a left hook to the chin halting the bout. With the win Miranda improved to 15-1-0 (9KO”s) while Telesco went to 30-8-1 (25KO’s).
In a scheduled six round welterweight bout Rochester, New York’s Kenny Abril, 12-5-1 (7KO’s) stopped popular local fighter Bryan Abraham, 6-12-2 (6KO’s) of Schenectady, New York in the fourth round, time was 2:45.
In the final bout of the evening Tony Brinson of Geneva NY and Lekan Byfield Atlanta GA both added a draw to their records moving to 2-1-1.
