By Jeff Zimmerman at ringside
While the face of boxing Canelo Alvarez was battling Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas last night to reclaim his super middleweight title, an exciting club show was taking place at the Tower Club, Dallas, on the 48th floor overlooking the city skyline. Super featherweight Avoran Graham (11-0, 6 KOs) from Grand Prairie earned a hard-fought unanimous decision against savvy veteran Juan Antonio Lopez (18-17-1, 8 KOs) out of Fort Worth in the main event in front of an intimate, but raucous crowd.
Graham came out guns blazing in the first round and immediately took the fight to Lopez who covered up to avoid the initial onslaught of punches to the head and body. Lopez settled in and slowed Graham down with body shots. In the second round, Lopez landed a lead left to the chin of Graham while Graham was having success on the inside. Lopez had Graham on the ropes and landed shots to the head and body, but Graham was able to escape with quick feet and turn the tide on the 12-year pro.
In the third round, Graham landed the lead left while Lopez scored with a big right hand. Lopez once again had Graham on the ropes where he had his most success with body shots and left hooks. Graham had his success in the center of the ring and on the inside where he was much more active letting his hands go.
During rounds 4-6, it was much of the same. Graham was the busier fighter on the inside, but Lopez had his moments where he continued to work the body and slowed down Graham at times. In the fifth round, Lopez was the aggressor where he scored with uppercuts and right hooks. Graham used his legs and boxed off his back foot in the sixth and final round to stay away from Lopez who was pushing the action with the fight still in the balance. It went to the final bell, as the scores read 59-55 twice and 58-56 for Graham, as he remained undefeated with the win.
The show was promoted by Tony Mack and his TMack Elite Training. Mack is a former standout boxer from Dallas who had his pro career cut short due to an eye injury. He was trained and coached by Derrick James, who of course led another Dallas talent, Errol Spence Jr., to multiple world titles at welterweight and is now training Ryan Garcia and Frank Martin and trained former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua for a couple of fights. James was on hand to auction off a painting of Spence and Mikey Garcia when they fought at AT&T Stadium in 2019 and a signed glove from Joshua, both items to support his Derrick James Family Foundation.
Mack has built one of the top gyms in Dallas, TMack Elite Training, where he and his team work with everyday folks looking to get in shape through boxing as well as elite professional athletes such as Dallas Cowboy’s superstar linebacker Micah Parsons and star wide receiver, Amari Cooper.
In the co-main event, Briana Carrera (3-0, 1 KO) dominated the outclassed Kim Colbert (3-28, 2 KOs) from Dallas via Chicago over four easy rounds. Carrera worked the head and body with textbook one, two combinations while Colbert spent most of the time showboating. Carrera dropped Colbert with a flurry of punches in round three but was ruled a slip by referee Robert Chapa. Carrera pushed the action and worked hard for the knockout, but the 44-year-old Colbert who has had made a career of surviving fights, did so once again, as she has only been knocked out four times in her 27 losses. Carrera cruised to her third victory without a loss as the cards read 40-36 x 3.
Super middleweight Adolphe Stephens (1-1) out of Little Rock, AR, scored a workman like four round decision over Sammy Lee Brown (1-2) from nearby Fort Worth, TX. Stephens, a southpaw, used a right-hand jab and straight left to keep Brown at distance throughout the fight. Brown landed an occasional body shot, but threw very few punches, as Stephens won easily. Stephens went for the KO in round four, but instead settled for the decision win and first pro victory. Scores read 40-36 from all three judges.
Junior Middleweight Juan Chavero (3-0, 1 KO) from Dallas smothered Jalen Moore (1-1, 1 KO) out of Irving over four entertaining rounds to earn the win. Chavero charged Moore like a bull at the opening bell and kept the pressure on throughout the fight. Moore had success from the outside in the opening frame where he landed some solid punches. In round two and three, Chavero forced his way inside and landed his big left hand to the head and body. In the fourth and final round, it turned into a slugfest, as they went toe-to-toe. Chavero was too much for Moore as he got his third win in as many fights. The scores read 39-37 on all cards.
Heavyweight Jared King (1-0) out of Arkansas pounded the tough Lawrence Cloud from San Antonio over four rounds. King, built like a tank, dropped bombs on Cloud from the opening bell and tried to end the fight early. Cloud, like King, was making his pro debut, somehow survived the first two rounds. The heavy shots early tired King as Cloud began to push forward over the last two rounds. Cloud, however, couldn’t turn the tide, as King still scored with his big right hand although with less frequency. In the end, King earned his first win as the scores read 39-37 by the judges.
In a scrappy opening fight at the Tower Club Dallas, super middleweight Bryce Blackwell out of Houston, earned a unanimous decision over Richard Jones hailing from Fort Worth over four rounds. Both fighters came out throwing big shots in the opening round. Blackwell appeared to land the cleaner shots and even switched to southpaw from time to time. Scores read 40-36, 39-37 twice.
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