Nevada KOs London counterparts

     By W.G. Ramirez
     View staff writer
      It was a far cry from the Revolutionary War, but make no mistake: The Brits came to battle.
      In its second year of existence, the Nevada Partners Las Vegas vs. London Amateur Championship at the Palace Station offered boxing enthusiasts a chance to see a talented crop of young pugs looking to be contenders.
      And, for the second straight year, the British-American Cup -- for which Nevada Partners and Finchley Boxing Clubs compete -- came down to the final bout of the evening.
      "This was the best amateur event I've ever attended," said Richard Steele, who manages the boxing gym at Nevada Partners. "In my eyes, everyone in attendance had the chance to be part of something really special tonight."
      Steele was all smiles after the event, which saw Sergio Contreras outpoint Finchley's Ian Eldridge in arguably the most exciting bout of the evening.
      "I definitely had to push myself tonight," said Contreras, who made his first ring appearance after a three-year layoff. "I knew, going into the final round, I had to win it to win the fight."
      Contreras proved he hadn't let that much ring rust develop, as a right hook floored Eldridge at the start of the first round.
      Using it as an eye-opener, Eldridge came alive quickly to land several combinations that sent Contreras into the ropes at times.
      By the third round, chants of "ENG-LAND!" and "U-S-A" filled the room as the Brit took command by keeping Contreras back pedalling.
      In the fourth, however, both fighters came out looking to score.
      A right uppercut to Contreras' chin stopped him cold, then Eldridge followed with several combinations. Although weary, Contreras did enough of his own damage to stay competitive.
      Eldridge appeared to get the best of Contreras with a right uppercut at the end of the round -- a solid shot that sent a well-represented British crowd into jubilation -- but it was the American who earned the judges' decision to give Las Vegas a 9-8 win.
      In other action:
      n 101 1/2 pounds -- Javier Loya (6-5) lost a decision to Finchley's Simon O'Donnell (6-1).
      n 113 1/2 pounds -- Overcoming a second-round point deduction, 14-year-old Ryan Ellul (6-0) used a flurry of stinging left hands and occasional stunning rights to overmatch Finchley's Joe Smythe (16-6).
      n 125 1/2 pounds -- Local Jamie Moreno (24-12) outpointed Luke Calvert (14-7).
      n 126 pounds -- Mando Santa Cruz decisioned James Yelland to give Las Vegas an 8-8 tie heading into the final match between Contreras and Eldridge. Upon hearing chants of "U-S-A," Santa Cruz (31-15) came alive in the third round by landing a hard right jab and a subsequent overhand left that stunned Yelland (37-31).
      n 127 1/2 pounds -- John O'Donnell's height and reach got the best of Nevada Partners' Hector Alatorre, who never found his groove with O'Donnell steadily landing stinging jabs. O'Donnell evened his record at 11-11, while Alatorre fell to 16-15.
      n 130 pounds -- Because of a respiratory problem, Finchley's Michael Ford (15-3) withdrew from his bout with Hugo Barragen (5-5).
      n 130 1/2 pounds -- Jorge Perez (8-6) scored a first-round knockout over Steve Smith (12-10).
      n 138 pounds -- Finchley's Martin Child (5-1) used a strong right hook to immobilize Steve Ewanuick (0-1) and win by decision.
      n 140 pounds -- Finchley's Lee Beavis (22-6) showed his maturity in a victory over Louie Estevez (10-10).
      n 144 pounds -- Billed as a potential thriller, Finchley's Simon O'Donnell (28-7) decisioned Jameal Ewbank (18-5) in a sleeper.
      n 144 1/2 pounds -- Anthony Dotson (2-6) decisioned Steve Glover (1-3).
      n 147 pounds -- Finchley's Daryl James set the tone early with a lunging right to the jaw of Ralph Carrington. Upon hearing instructions during the second round to sit back and wait for more lunging, Carrington paid the price when James simply stepped in with a devastating right that sent the local to the canvas. James upped his record to 6-0 with the victory, while Carrington fell to 1-2.
      n 148 1/2 pounds -- Steve Skipsy, a bulldog of a fighter for Finchley, was intimidating from the start, using combinations that stopped Scott Jermaine in his tracks at times. Skipsy (2-3) won the bout when doctors checked Jermaine (0-1) and ended the fight after the second round.
      n 150 1/2 pounds -- Nevada Partners' Antonio Availa (21-15) used continuous left-handed stingers that resulted in a pair of first-round knockdowns and a victory over Luke Delaney (17-11).
      n 166 1/2 pounds -- After several warnings and a point deduction for holding, Finchley's Peter Lydon (10-1) used a solid right hand to flatten Alphones Knighten (8-2) for a second-round knockout. Knighten was dazed for several minutes after the bout and needed assistance leaving the ring.
      n 168 pounds -- After splitting the first two rounds, Nevada Partners' Proulx Lawrence (6-2) used left hooks over a 45-second span to end the fight for a third-round stoppage of Esson Essieon (3-1).