Boxing came back to Coney Island last Tuesday night, and by all accounts, it was a smashing success. Promoter Dmitriy Salita put together a 10-bout Brooklyn Brawl card, and fans assembled at the Brooklyn Cyclones’ MCU Park enjoyed the shocker ending to the main event.
Veteran Cornelius “Lightning” Lock of Flatbush, Brooklyn, found a home for a nasty left hand, and finished off favorite Alex Miskirtchian in round three of their scheduled ten. Pro boxing came to Coney Island for the first time in 14 years, and didn’t disappoint with a win for the local fighter, who trains at the famed Gleason’s Gym in the County of Kings.
Other winners included Junior Wright, the cruiserweight contender from Chicago aiming at another world title shot; Dimash Niyazov, the NYPD officer moonlighting as a pro hitter; “Trigger” Treysean Wiggins, the fighting pride of Newburgh, N.Y., opening eyes as a solid prospect to watch.
A national, live viewing audience was able to scan the fistic fury as ESPN3 carried three and a half hours of the Brooklyn Brawl, with blow-by-blow man Michael Woods and analyst Brian Adams on the call for Boxing at the Beach. The event will also run on MSG Networks during the month of Sept.; fans can check local listings for the latest broadcast schedule.
“The main event was a very competitive fight and there was an explosive ending,” said Salita, who was blessed with beautiful night, in addition to a bevy of compelling bouts. “Lock scored an upset over a world-ranked, world-class featherweight in Alex Miskirtchian. I believed before the fight that the winner of that one deserves an opportunity at a world title. So, Cornelius Lock put it all together and with such a performance shows he is a threat to all the big names in the division.”
Lock was busy and effective and proved that his left hand puts all future foes on notice. The 36-year-old veteran (23-7-2, 15 KOs), said, “It was a good win against a good fighter rated No. 10 by the IBF. I really took this fight seriously. I had to make a statement that I’m not done, that I still have a lot left. So I knew I had to fight smart, and that’s what I did, use my experience.”
In addition, fans at the ballpark were impressed with the skills of two-time Irish Olympian John Joe Nevin, who scored a stoppage win over Victor Capaceta. Heavy hitter Bahktiyar Eyubov went to 8-0 with 8 KOs, powering past Cory Vom Baur. Brighton Beach brawler Giorgi Gelashvili had the crowd stunned when he overwhelmed DeLoren Gray-Jordon with a lightning-fast salvo of blows in round two, and the colorful “Brooklyn Buddah” Gary Beriguette showed effective aggression in scoring a decision victory over Anton Williamson. Rounding out the card, FDNY firefighter Jose De La Rosa got the W over Kamal Muhammad, and heavyweight Emilio Salas opened things up with a second round TKO at the expense of Glenn Thomas.
Respected former fighter Adams touched on the event from his broadcast position. “I truly believe the card Salita put on was great for the sport,” he said. “There isn’t a great deal of room for local promoters to blossom, but the promotion Salita held was at a world-class level!”
Blow-by-blow man Woods, who is editor of TheSweetScience.com and a contributor for RING, weighed in, saying “We were all pleased and honored to showcase these fights on ESPN3. The stoppage win by Lock was a fitting ending and thriller of a finish, for the entertainment and thrill-seeking destination that is Coney Island!”
“I am grateful to ESPN that the fighters on the show had the chance to be seen nationally. I couldn’t have asked for a better evening of boxing in such a stunning venue. Our next show will be Oct. 24 and we are always looking to improve and bring a tremendous level of excitement to the fans,” said Salita, summing up the exciting Boxing At The Beach event.
