Penn State graduate and New York heavyweight prospect, Tor Hamer, traveled to England to compete in the Prizefighter international heavyweight tournament, held today at York Hall, in Bethel Green, London. In addition to Hamer, the eight-fighter single-elimination competition consisted of Maurice Harris, Kevin Johnson, Albert Sosnowski, Tom Little, Tom Dallas, Noureddine Meddoune, and Marcelo Luiz Nascimento.
In his quarter-final match against the Brazilian Nascimento, Hamer’s superior speed and boxing skills were evident, as he maintained a proper distance finding moments to strike with his power shots, keeping his foe off guard. A knockdown in round three sealed the victory for Tor, as scorecards read 30-27, 30-26, and 29-28, all for the American.
Against England’s Dallas, Hamer immediately bull-rushed his adversary with a flurry and trapped him against the ropes. Throwing in combination, Hamer landed a devastating right hook that knocked Dallas out cold, forcing the referee to call a halt to the bout just 29 seconds into the opening frame.
In the final, it was New York against New Jersey, when Hamer met Johnson, who entered as the favorite to win the tournament. Over three rounds, Hamer’s key to success was his high work rate, as Johnson simply was not busy enough. Hamer mixed his slick boxing and footwork with moments of aggression, landing several wallops upstairs, while digging to the body. The judges’ tallies were 30-27, 30-28, and 29-27, unanimously in favor of Hamer.
With three victories under his belt in one day, Hamer improved his record to 18-1 (11 KOs).
“Tor Hamer proved that he belongs among the best young heavyweights campaigning in the world today,” remarked Hamer’s promoter Lou DiBella, president of DiBella Entertainment. “He may not have the size, but he makes up for it with tenacious effort and he has also shown that he is capable of landing a knockout punch. I am very proud of Tor and grateful that he was able to participate and prevail in the Prizefighter tournament.”
Below are the results for the entire tournament:
FINAL
Tor Hamer UD3 (30-27, 30-28, 29-27) Kevin Johnson
SEMI-FINALS
Kevin Johnson SD3 (30-27, 29-28 each way) Albert Sosnowski
Tor Hamer TKO1 (0:29) Tom Dallas
QUARTER-FINALS
Tom Dallas TKO3 (1:57) Tom Little
Tor Hamer UD3 (30-27, 30-26, 29-28) Marcelo Luiz Nascimento
Kevin Johnson TKO1 (2:57) Noureddine Meddoune
Albert Sosnowski SD3 (all 29-28) Maurice Harris
