Jerry Glick reporting: A rumor went around that Elvir Muriqi was upset because he expected to fight an orthodox opponent but he was instead match with Daniel Judah, a southpaw. The question is why did he object? After his performance on Havoc Promotions eight fight card on Saturday at The Aviator in Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennett Field, he had nothing to complain about. He completely dominated Zab’s older brother to take a lopsided ten.
Muriqi, who hadn’t fought in thirteen months but looked sharp anyway, worked well behind a jab that he almost never missed with against his taller foe. He attacked Judah’s body fiercely and also tossed combinations to his head as well.
After they fought fairly evenly for three rounds, Muriqi, 183, known as “The Kosovo Kid”, from Kosovo, Yugoslavia, who now fights out of New York City, found the range and was now in command of the fight. He landed a body shot in the fourth stanza that Judah claimed was low and he dropped to the canvas and stayed there with his face twisted in pain for many minutes. He was allowed to continue when a skeptical looking Steve Willis, the referee, who handled a difficult situation very well, ordered the fight to resume as the fans shouted for Judah to stop faking and get up. More likely Judah felt the punch, but because his trunks were high, it wasn’t really low; painful, but not low.
A rejuvenated and angry Judah, 189, attacked, but the round had only seconds remaining before the bell sounded.
Muriqi, 38-5 (23 KOs), had Judah, 23-6-3 (10 KOs), down again in round six the result of another body shot that had Judah, from Brooklyn, NY, again claiming that the punch was low. Regardless, Muriqi was in command all the way using fine skills and a snappy jab to out box Judah and take a unanimous ten round decision in the cruiserweight scrap. Judges Waleska Roldan and Robin Taylor both saw it 100-90 and Robert Perez tallied 99-90 once, all for Muriqi.
Will “Power” Rosinsky made his debut in the super-middleweight class a highly successful one as he out fought a stubborn Yasin Rashid to take a unanimous eight round decision by scores of 80-72 (Judges Taylor and Carlos Ortiz Jr.) and 78-74 (Judge Perez).
For almost every minute of their eight round affair Rosinsky, 168 ½, did his best imitation of Smokin’ Joe Frazier as he stayed up close and hammered Rashid, also 168 ½, with everything he had. Rasid, from Brooklyn, NY, tried his best but seemed to lose steam by the fourth frame. Rosinsky, 13-0 (7 KOs), suffered a cut over his left eye in round six that bled down his cheek for the rest of the fight but was not a factor in the result. The referee, Eddie Claudio ruled that it was from a punch but Rosinsky claimed that it was caused by an unintentional head butt. Rashid lost his “0” and is now 7-1 (2 KOs).
As he left the ring Rosinsky had this to say; “I felt good in there,” said the owner of New Legends Gym in Ozone Park, Queens. “I wasn’t tired one bit. “I’m definitely staying at this weight. He was a strong guy but he doesn’t compare to some of these big guys. If I fought him at 175 or 180 it would have been a big difference. It’s a perfect weight for me.”
THE UNDERCARD
I’ve seen Stivens Bujaj, 199, New York, NY, 3-0 (2 KOs), fight all three times he fought as a pro and each time I am more impressed. He went the distance for the first time after scoring two knockdowns in the first of four rounds but had to settle for a unanimous decision with scores of 39-35 two times and 40-34 once. Claudio refereed.
After his fight he talked about going the distance.
“It felt good,” he said. “I came to fight, I did what I had to do. I boxed when I had to, I used my combinations and I hurt him and I kept my defense tight.”
He trainer, Billy Giles, talked about his young fighter, “I trained three or four world champions,” explained Giles, “Including Aaron Davis, and I think (Stivens) is my best prospect.”
Boyd Melson, 155, Brooklyn, NY, debut, got up from a first round knockdown to outpoint Andrew Jones, 151, Buffalo, NY, 0-2-1 over four rounds. Melson, an army man, donated his entire purse to stem cell research. Willis refereed.
Joel Castillo, 180, Bronx, NY, 6-0 (3 KOs), won by disqualification at 2:45 of the first round of four over an out of control Rayshawn Myers, 179 ½, Cleveland, OH, 3-5 (2 KOs) after Myers threw Castillo into the ropes. Both were warned for roughhousing but Myers continued those tactics so referee Shada Murdaugh attempted to deduct a point only to find a reluctant Myers (who entered the ring in a Michael Myers mask) refused to cooperate by allowing the referee to hold his wrist and indicate the point reduction to each judge. Murdaugh did the right thing and DQd Myers.
Featherweight Joshua Arocho, 126 ½, Vineland, NJ, 1-3 (0 KOs), won for
the first time when he ruined Allan Phelan, 127, Queens, NY, 0-1, debut when Phelan was unable to continue after indicating that his right arm was injured at :14 of the fourth. He first hurt the arm in the second of four rounds scheduled. Murdaugh officiated.
Knockout artist Emanuel Gonzalez, 128, Bronx, NY, 6-0 (6 KOs), and Juan Luis Melendez, 130-Canovanes, PR, fought a close first frame of a scheduled six, but that was not the case in the second round. Gonzalez landed a 1-2 combination followed by a left hook that knocked Melendez across the ring, into the ropes. He was given an eight count because the ropes prevented the knockdown. He dropped his mouth piece during the count. Then with Gonzalez pounding him on the ropes he turned away prompting referee Willis to wave it off at 2:02 of the second round.
Chazz McDowell, 133, Bronx, NY, 3-0 (1 KO), won a hard fought four round verdict over debuting George Santiago, 133, Brooklyn, NY, 0-1. Scores: 40-36 from all three judges.
