Fight season 2006 underway with true grit
By Glenn McBrady
For the St. Louis American
The din from a weathered bell signaled the start of another year of amateur boxing in St. Louis, and the scene at the historic South Broadway Athletic Club last Friday night was one to savor.
Although the hall has hosted countless celebrations since 1914, it is the perfect venue to watch fights with unobstructed views of a ring sitting at the center of a dance floor scuffed from the soles of tipsy wedding guests and revelers from New Year’s Eves past.
The spirit of the room’s rich boxing history fills the space, wrapped in wood paneling and capped with a brittle drop ceiling lined with rows of smoke-eating machines surrounded by wispy burnt halo patterns of swallowed soot, the traces left from filters working overtime to clear the dense, tense air.
Orlando Hill of the Police Athletic League stayed on the winning track with a razor-thin decision over Cherokee’s Sterling Covington in the 55 lb. weight class. The taller Covington looked to exploit his reach advantage, but Hill was willing to walk through a hailstorm of straight punches to score 1,2’s of his own.
They traded for three tough frames, with Covington looking to shut down his foe with a well-timed right hook up top and the southpaw Hill loading up on lead left crosses. At the final bell, Hill had high fives for his coaches before the reading of the judges’ verdict.
Later, as he stood clutching his trophy near the exit, he accommodated a group of twenty-something female fans asking for hugs.
South Broadway’s Alex Bean scored one for the home team against Knuckles’ Jordan Parker in the 135 lb. division. Bean used a surplus of straight shots to punish Parker, and by the third and final round Bean proved to be a rude host, turning his guest into an unwilling blood donor.
The SBAC supporters applauded Bean’s workmanlike decision victory.
Another highly competitive match featured two promising young talents, as Gamble’s Derron Moore squared off against Josh Temple from Cherokee.
It started as a free-swinging affair before simmering down. The calculating Moore picked at Temple’s ribs like a vulture, and Temple responded by following a busy double jab with tight right hands.
Both stepped up their punch outputs midway through the contest, and with Moore’s brother (and equally talented boxer) Demetrius Johnson watching breathlessly at ringside, the scorecards would ultimately determine the outcome.
Temple’s hand was raised, but the fans in attendance were also winners as 2006 began in a classic boxing setting.
Carlos Small wins pro debut
Carlos Small was also in the house, just a month removed from a first round knockout victory in his pro debut against Robert Ganaway in Greensboro, NC.
I sat down with him as the crowd filed out the door and workers dismantled the ring and emptied the spit buckets.
The 130-pound southpaw from Cherokee Recreation Center described himself as more of a boxer/counterpuncher, but added that his style frequently depends on his opponent.
As for his New Year’s resolution, he said, “My goal is to be successful and to win my first ten fights.” He added, “I want to be healthy and look out for my family.”
He also talked about his extended boxing family at Cherokee, which includes trainers Jesse Davison and Ben Stewart, and the teammates he has fought with since 1993.
“I get inspiration from DeMarco and Michael McCready, and all the young fighters at Cherokee Rec,” he said, adding, “They look up to me and I look up to them. They are my inspiration- they make me want to fight harder.”
Next up for Carlos is a bout in Puerto Rico on January 28 as part of ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights” series. Hopefully local fans will get a chance to see him in action in town in the near future.
The next amateur bouts at the South Broadway Athletic Club will be February 3 and March 3 at 7:30 pm. Also, there is an amateur card tonight, Thursday, January 12 at the Heart Of St. Charles Banquet Center located at I-70 @ Fifth Street. Ticket info. is available by calling (636) 561-2380.