Via Jeff Carroll: On a sweltering Thursday night in Toronto, Canada, the air-conditioned Rebel Entertainment Complex (commonly known as the Rebel Nightclub) came to life and flourished with an action deck that delivers the best. Messy, knockdown and lots of drama.
Lee Baxter Promotions introduces Fantauzzi vs. Loniewski, a WBC NABF light heavyweight title bout titled an all-star card featuring the debut of James “Bad News” Hughes, the return of Josh Lupia, rising female star Amanda Galle , and local legend Steve Rolls.
In the opening game, James Hughes proved he has what it takes to be in the pro ranks as he won a unanimous decision on his professional debut against a very mainstream player Mikhail. Miller. The fight wasn’t easy, but Hughes was polished enough to make it so.
DiBella Ent. Rising star Amanda Galle stepped into the next squared circle for what should have been a regular eight. Boxing had other plans, as Galle broke his right arm in the first minute of the first round. She rarely throws it for the rest of the fight, using only her power thrust and hook. Despite the injury, Galle was consistent and moving throughout the game and seemed to have done enough to win, but the umpires saw a difference. She finished with a split draw, 77-75, an odd 73-79, and 76-76. An incredible overall performance carries with it the promise of bigger and better things ahead.
Following Galle was the much-heralded return of Josh Lupia. After a two-and-a-half year absence, Lupia is looking to pick up where he left off, starting his career with five wins and five consecutive knockouts. History repeats itself once again as Lupia easily lands Luis Granados with KO3. Lupia’s knockdown power seems to be a real issue, and his career looks to be an interesting one.
Following Lupia was the local legend, Steve Rolls, who took on the undefeated Shady Gamhour for the IBF North American middleweight title. Recovering from the decisive defeat almost to Edgar Berlanga, “Mr. Rolls” was in good shape in an interesting duel where both men traded goodwill and appeared to hurt the other at different times. Gamhour held his own with the veteran but was ultimately disqualified and lost a unanimous decision, 97-93, 97-93, 96-94. This belt opens up new opportunities for Rolls, who seem to age like a fine wine.
The final bout of the night was a sensational one, where local boxer Nick Fantauzzi was battling Polish boxer Michael Loniewski for the WBC NABF lightweight title. The title clash is far from over for Fantauzzi, who went undefeated going into the match. Controversy began before the opening bell; however, when Lonieswki was introduced as a late replacement after Fantauzzi’s original opponent, Greg Weeks went missing a few days before the match. Boxing is a fickle sport, and the age-old story of late substitutions causing problems for seasoned pros has been told once again as Fantauzzi struggled to get comfortable. before his unknown opponent. Despite boxing quite well, Fantauzzi had trouble with Loniewski’s over-the-top boxing, and eventually, one of them found a home. Fantauzzi wobbled in the fourth round and was then knocked out. As he struggled to keep his balance, the referee decided he had eaten enough. Loniewski, under +650, was awarded the TKO4 and the WBC NABF title. Fantauzzi will be looking for a return fight and hopefully again at championship level.
Lee Baxter Promotions is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Canadian boxing world after another successful event. Speaking to Baxter during the night, he emphasized that there are bigger things on the horizon, including a rumored TV deal with a major network, and looks set to bring even bigger battles to Toronto. in the near future. In a city with a rich and quirky boxing history (George Foreman once fought five men at Maple Leaf Gardens), this boxing scene took place only a few years ago. Yesterday, on a hot Thursday night in the summer, a crowded club gig seemed out of the ordinary, and it looked like the skies were the limit for boxing in Toronto.
