Lange wins in 12 round unanimous decision
Jimmy Lange was taller, stronger, faster, and in much better condition than Ruben “Modern Day Warrior” Galvan in their WBU junior middleweight championship bout Saturday night at Patriot Center.
But Galvan had one redeeming characteristic – his ability to irritate Lange – which at least made their one-sided, 12 round fight interesting. Lange was an overwhelming winner, capturing every round on the cards of all three judges. But there were moments when Galvan coerced Lange into slugging and launched a successful counter-attack.
In the first two rounds Lange (38-4-2) dominated with crisp combinations. But it got interesting in the third when Galvan (27-21-4), off a break, charged Lange from behind and shoved him into the corner ropes.
“It was my fault I took my eyes off him,” Lange said. “I was waiting for the referee to wipe my gloves off.”
Periodically through the rest of the fight, Galvan did the rope-a-dope, spaghetti legs, and taunted the crowd and Lange. It was an interesting display from a thoroughly over-matched fighter, but it served to unnerve Lange.
“He was just kind of a clown,” Lange said. “A lot of guys draw you in like that.”
Despite landing many more blows, Lange never had Galvan in trouble. Galvan actually drew blood from Lange’s nose in the eighth round, while Galvan stayed relatively clean.
“I tried to frustrate him a little bit. I’m Mexican,” Galvan joked. “I did a couple things. That’s my style.”
It’s also apparently Galvan’s style to come into the ring out of shape. The 39-year-old had a roll of fat around the middle, unusual for a boxer weighing in at 153 pounds. Still, he was surprisingly durable.
“I don’t want to to see no more Mexicans,” Lange joked.
Stewart wins co-main event
In the co-main event, Joe Wyatt of Pittsburgh and Mike “No Joke” Stewart of New Castle Delaware played paddy-cake for nine tranquilizing rounds, many of them to a chorus of boos from the restless crowd.
Mercifully the fight was stopped in the ninth when the fighters butted heads. Stewart (49-6-3) was awarded the decision. He ahead on two of the judge’s cards. Another scored it even.
The two right-handers, both with their heads shaven, fought defensively throughout, flicking jabs, few of which landed. Wyatt fell to 23-3.
A fan spoke for many when he yelled: “Why couldn’t you stop it earlier?”
Nelson wins in a slugfest
In one of the most action-packed fights of the night, Tori Nelson of Ashburn knocked Vashon Living down in three of the first five rounds, setting the tone with her aggression and punching power, on her way to a unanimous decision and the WIBA middleweight title.
Nelson (6-0-1), already the holder of the WBC title, used an unrelenting attack, landing a torrent of left and right hooks to the body and head of Living (5-3-1). Nelson knocked Living down in the first and third rounds, seemingly with an accumulation of punches. Her knockdown of Living at the end of the fifth round was via a solid combination.
Nelson, 35, is a single mother of two teenagers and works three jobs – bus driver, cafeteria worker, and IHOP waitress.
Mobley wins debut
Dennis Benson of Norfolk and Duane Mobley of Upper Marlboro stepped into the ring with a combined total of one professional fight. But the left-handed Benson’s slight experience advantage wasn’t a factor as the right-handed Mobley won decisively. Each of the three judges awarded every round to Mobley.
Mobley, 27, rocked Benson in the opening round with a straight right hand, then did the same in the second round. Benson rallied in the final two rounds, but never landed much against the powerfully-built, 6-3, 247-pound Mobley, who attended Largo High.
“He landed a couple of punches,” Mobley said. “But they peobably looked worse than they really were. I didn’t feel a thing.”
Wilson answers the bell
Undefeated Todd Wilson of Fairfax was in trouble in the fifth round against Fernando “The Whip” Basora, but rallied with a strong sixth round, knocking Basora down on his way to a unanimous decision. Wilson improved to 12-0 to the delight of his raucous and growing legion of fans, while Basora fell to 8-8-1.
