Al Hrabosky’s hosts all-star local card
By Glenn McBrady
For the St. Louis American
As St. Louis was broiling in temperatures north of the century mark last Sunday, the thought of attending an outdoor boxing card four nights later was far from appealing. But by the time Thursday rolled around, atmospheric conditions best explained by meteorologists conspired to burn off the humidity, providing spring-like relief for the fighters and fans attending “All-Star Boxing Under the Stars” at Al Hrabosky’s Ball Park Saloon.
The ring’s rich blue canvas was the color of billiard chalk and was shaded beneath a white open-air tent. Just to the north, traffic whistled back and forth on Highway 40 and a quartet of steel cranes rose high above the shell of the new Busch Stadium.
The healthy-sized crowd was treated to some great action early when Anthony Lane from Cochran squared off against Cherokee’s Oshea Welch. Both started fast, with the taller Lane pumping his jab and Welch using a mixed attack to Lane’s body and head. Welch showed smooth footwork, doubling up his jab to close the distance on the way in. Lane countered with a double left hook to the head and landed a thudding right hook on the leather headgear to punctuate the second round.
In the third and final frame, Welch came out blazing with a sense of urgency, scoring with a sneaky lead right to the head as well as a 1,2,1 combination. As the seconds ticked away, his jab was slightly crisper than Lane’s, and after the judges awarded the decision to Welch, he posed like a pro as a pair of photographers’ flash bulbs popped outside the neutral corner.
Train tracks run alongside the parking lot of the saloon, and after eight bouts and a brief intermission, three yellow Union Pacific locomotives lumbered past, hauling a seemingly endless string of silver coal cars. The engineer blasted the train’s horn to acknowledge the activity nearby as the cars’ wheels kept their screeching groove on the rusty rails.
Moments later, a pair of female boxers collided in a match that had the crowd involved. Dyenecha Robinson from Midwest Warriors fits the description of a fighter who was born, not made, and she looked impressive over three rounds against the gritty Natasha Gartzae from Knuckle’s Gym.
Robinson opened round one with a stern, stiff jab, adding a cross and a pair of hooks to the ribs. In between rounds, she refused a stool, instead standing in the red corner with her arms draped over the ropes in a stance that suggested, “Here I am. Let’s fight.” Gartzae battled back gamely, but when pressed she stood straight up, absorbing punches that a more seasoned boxer would have slipped or rolled under. After picking her spots for three hectic rounds, Robinson won a convincing decision victory.
Louis Holloway from Pagedale continued his stellar amateur campaign with a decision win over Cochran’s Jeffrey Richards. Both started cautiously, showing respect and looking for something to exploit. In round two, Holloway began to unleash a body attack that had Richards’ corner imploring their charge to let his hands go.
Richards missed with a wide right hand, and Holloway countered with a left hook to the head. Richards began following his corner’s orders in the third, landing an overhand right but then whiffing on a wild left hook upstairs. Holloway took charge in the fourth and final round, landing strong hooks throughout a stanza that included a one-point deduction from Richards for holding. Holloway added another win to his passbook and showed he is progressing with each performance.
The entire card went off without a hitch, and the biggest surprise was that the heat on the late July evening was confined to the ring.
Championship boxing returns to The Family Arena in St. Charles on Thursday, September 8 when local light heavyweight Mike Wood faces Jesse Bryan for the North American Midwest Association title. There will be five bouts on the undercard, and the action will get underway at 7:30 pm. Individual reserved tickets are $32.00, and ringside tables of 10 are available for $420.00. For ticket information call Metrotix at (314) 534-1111, The Family Arena at (636) 896-4200, or Steve Holley at (314) 495-0820.
