I was very lucky to be present at Russell Peltz’s latest show at Ballys in Atlantic City. First off, I think Atlantic City is a pretty cool city. The boardwalk, ocean and atmosphere is unique. It may not be the city it used to be (I have no clue since I’m only 21 and been going to AC for only a year), but I still believe it has a lot to offer. From nice hotels, casinos, fights, entertainment, restaurants and a beach town, Atlantic City has a lot to offer.
I’m a fan of Peltz Boxing and the shows that he puts on. Normally Peltz Boxing shows feature six to eight bouts, normally between local fighters , the fights start on time and there is little waiting time between fights. Fans get a solid three to four hours of action with little down time. Not only is it a fast moving show, Russell Peltz is an incredible match maker. Whether the fight is between two up and coming prospects or between tomato cans, you can always expect action.
The first fight was between the young, undefeated, Tyrone Luckey (3-0) of New Jersey and Gustavo Dailey (4-11) of Philadelphia. I’ve seen all three of Luckey’s fights and can definitely say that on Saturday night, his style seemed mature and well tamed. In previous bouts, Luckey has gotten into some wild trades, been dropped, and gotten sloppy. Regardless, Luckey stayed smart and patient as he slowly dismantled Dailey with an intelligent boxing strategy and well placed body shots. Luckey controlled the entire fight, won by a late stoppage. I found it interesting to see how different Luckey’s game plan and composure was in this fight compared to his previous two. I look forward to seeing how this Jersey fighter matures.
The next fight between Julio Dejesus (5-2-1) and Hector Collado (0-3-1) looked as if it was going to be a nice fight for Dejesus. Fans got a non-stop, action packed brawl. Collado, whom seemed to be a stronger boxer was quickly lured into a back and forth fight with the muscular Dejesus. Collado was the first to be hurt, but hung on much longer than expected and fought back before being knocked down in which his legs flew up in the air. He easily got up and resumed the fight. Soon enough, Collado answered back and hurt Dejesus. The ballroom was filled with energy as everyone expected Dejesus to be floored. Collado couldn’t land a finishing blow and was constantly tied up by the smart Dejesus. They continued to go back and forth, each looking like they would drop the other, until Collado was dropped twice more. Dejesus won a unanimous decision.
Again, this shows the mastery in Russell Peltz’s match making skills. Who would have thought that two average (or below) fighters would have put on one of the most exciting fights of the night?
Next up we saw Peltz promoted heavyweight, Bryant Jennings fought a very smart fight against a bigger, more experienced heavyweight. He won easily by unanimous decision. Although this was one of the more uneventful fights of the night, it still had its moments. It was good to see Jennings continue to grow, as the United States is searching for a heavyweight scene.
In the co-main event, Ronald Cruz kept his undefeated record by stopping Dillet Frederick in the third. Cruz, who almost suffered his first defeat in his last fight against Jeremy Bryan , showed heart and stopped Bryan in the later rounds. Cruz needed only three rounds to hurt Frederick. After the ref stepped in, he cartwheeled in the ring to celebrate his victory. I really liked the looksof Cruz. He has heart, power, speed and looks promising. He has an exciting fan base as well.
In the main event, for the Interim NABA junior middleweight belt, Jamaal “Da Truth” Davis fought a cross-town fighter in Gabriel “King” Rosado. Philly fighters bring a certain dynamic to fights. Whether they are an opponent or fighting for a title, you can never underestimate a Philly fighter. I’ve noticed that Philly fighters bringing raw talent, and a very high value in boxing entertainment.
Davis, the significantly smaller man, started the fight with jabs to the body and head, trying to penetrate Rosado’s guard. The first several rounds seemed relatively even, with Davis landing more on the inside and Rosado countering and taking advantage his reach. Rosado, who was more of a raw fighter, really took advantage of the moments in the clinch by punching when most boxers would rest. He also would throw at the break, had little regard for the referee, and just wanted to fight.
In the middle rounds, Rosado began to counter and land strong right hands at will. Davis, who used movement and the ring to his advantage, was being cut off and slowing down. It looked as if 
Rosado found the key to beating Davis. It was not. As the rounds progressed, Davis started landing consistently and staggered Rosado several times. Although he could not drop Rosado, it was obvious he seemed to have buzzed him. Rosado, even though hurt, fought until the bell. Davis, who often thought he had the round won, would coast for the last thirty seconds.
Although the fight was a constant war and very close, it looked as if Rosado would win the decision regardless of who won the twelfth. Even though that seemed the case, nothing is guaranteed in boxing and both men came to fight. Early in the round, Rosado landed a picture perfect right uppercut that twisted Davis’ head. Davis retreated to the corner where Rosado was able to let his hands fly resulting in a twelfth round stoppage. Later, Rosado revealed that the right uppercut was the punch he worked on all camp. It was not until the twelfth that he found the opening. It was a great fight.
There were two more bouts that evening that I missed. If you are on the East Coast, try and make it to a Peltz Boxing promoted show. It is one of the fastest moving, best value boxing shows you’ll ever attend.