By Evan Korn (at ringside)

In the main event, Welterweight prospect Delvin Rodriguez (17-1-1 10 kos), scored a sixth round TKO over former title challenger Virgil McClendon (22-6 8kos).  The light-hitting McClendon had his best round of the fight in the first, landing a counter right hand that stunned Rodriguez.  That blow was enough for the Columbus, Ohio native to win an otherwise uneventful round.

Slowly but surely, the tide began to turn, as the taller, rangier Rodriguez began to land the crisper blows.  McClendon, who has fought only six times in as many years, was unable to pull the trigger on numerous opportunities.

By the end of the fourth round, Rodriguez was in complete control, raking McClendon with bruising power combinations. In the fifth, Rodriguez backed up his foe against the ropes, throwing everything including the kitchen sink at the wily old pro.

In the sixth, Rodriguez landed a straight right hand up the pipe, dazing McClendon. Rodriguez pounced on his opponent, throwing punches in bunches from all angles until McClendon’s corner mercifully stopped the contest.   

Undefeated Junior-Welterweight prospect Joey Rios (12-0 5kos) downed a game Larry Gonzales (8-2 2kos) en route to a hard fought unanimous decision victory. The first round was Gonzales’ best of the fight, as the Denver native landed his most telling blow, a bruising right counter-punch that had Rios reeling.  In the second, Rios would quell whatever momentum Gonzales had built, landing a left hand that stunned his opponent.  Rios, sensing his opponent was in danger, landed another pulsating left hand that almost ended the contest.  Gonzales, despite being on “queer street”, survived the onslaught.

The rest of the bout was fought mostly in close quarters, as Rios dictated the pace with his jab.  While Gonzales had his moments, landing the occasional left hand counter, Rios imposed his will and skill on Gonzales as the bout entered the later rounds.

The official scorecards read 80-72 and 78-74 (2X).  Boxing Scene scored the contest 79-73.

In the opening bout of the evening, Super-Middleweight Richard Pearson (2-0 1ko) pounded out a unanimous decision over Brooklyn’s Curtis Jones (1-1 1ko).  In the opening stanza, Pearson knocked down Jones with a hellacious three punch combination.  Jones, whose arm punches did little damage to Pearson, came back to fight competitively for the final three rounds of the contest.  The official scorecards read 40-35, 39-36, and 38-37.  Boxing Scene scored the bout 39-36.

Rey Dominguez’s (0-1) pro debut did not go according to plan, as he dropped a unanimous decision to Cory Jones (1-1 1NC).  All three judges at ringside scored the bout 39-37.  Boxing Scene scored the contest even, 38-38.

Hometown Heavyweight Tony Grano made his pro debut against the grossly overweight Rueban Bracero (2-5 1ko).  Judging by the response of the crowd, one could mistake the 214 pound Grano as an established star.  In the opening round, Grano landed a sharp right hand to the back of Bracero’s head, which knocked the Bronx native to the canvas.  The second round was like a CD on repeat, as Grano dropped his foe with another right hand, although this shot seemed like more of a grazing blow.  Bracero rose to his feet gingerly, and the referee waved off the contest forty-seven seconds into the round.