Mussachio defeats Ferrante in War at Shore!
By Ken Hissner at ringside (June 7, 2010) Doghouse Boxing  
There are fights that get hyped up that fizzle before the 2nd round. Friday night at the Tropicana in Atlantic City was not one of them. There were words at the weigh-in and it didn’t take long in the 1st round before Wildwood’s Chuck “The Professor” Mussachio, 16-1-2 (5)and North Philadelphia’s Tony “Boom Boom” Ferrante, 9-1 (4) started the 4th of July fireworks a month early!

Diane Fischer’s Dee Lee Promotions put on one of the best main events this area has seen in some time. Her matchmaker Nick Tiberi put together these two Italian light heavyweights in what was billed as a World Boxing Foundation title bout. This belt Ferrante won in a war with Billy Bailey in South Philadelphia almost a year ago. Most fight people, this writer included, wondered if the Ferrante brain trust didn’t take on more than they bargained for with Mussachio’s amateur background and professional experience. Though Mussachio’s experience played a large part in the outcome both fighters walked out of the ring a better fighter for what they went through.

In a fight that had a clear turnaround in the 9th round of this scheduled 10 round bout that won’t show in the result column Ferrante almost pulled off the upset. Mussachio was awarded the decision and the belt with scores from Ron McNair 96-94, Tony Perez 97-93 and Debra Barnes 98-92. This writer agreed with the score Perez had of 97-93.

The 1st round started out with Mussachio surprisingly the aggressor. With his advantage in height and reach it seemed he was going to make a point that he was more than a boxer. In return Ferrante, who was in his first 10 rounder, unloaded hard body shots. Close round but the edge to Ferrante. With top notch cut man Joey Eye who normally works in the corner of both fighters was in Mussachio’s corner so naturally Ferrante got cut in the 2nd round above the left eyelid. Ferrante would put Mussachio at a disadvantage when he was able to drive him into the ropes with hard body shots. What appeared as a knockdown when Mussachio landed a right hand to the chin of Ferrante was called a slip by referee Brian O’Melia. Ferrante was up instantly. Mussachio seemed busier in taking the round.

In the 3rd round it was a terrific pace as Ferrante had swelling under his left eye from chopping rights by Mussachio during inside fighting. In the 4th through 6th rounds Mussachio outworked Ferrante. In the 7th round it was Mussachio who received a cut over his left eye. Mussachio came back in the 8th with punches in bunches having Ferrante in trouble. Going into the 9th round Mussachio seemed to have the fight in hand inspite of a cut over his eye and his nose bleeding while Ferrante had a welt under his right eye.

In the 9th Mussachio suffered a cut under his right eye and had blood all over the place as Ferrante was landing more and more to the head and seemed to have Mussachio out on his feet at the bell. The fans and there were plenty, were going nuts! Ferrante who had only gone 8 rounds once seemed the stronger of the two at this point. Knowing he was behind, needing a knockout his corner urged him on in the 10th and final round. After they touched gloves Mussachio went to hung Ferrante but he would have nothing of it. This is when the experience kicked in as Mussachio would tie up Ferrante. As it turned out it was a close round but Ferrante certainly won it. Brian O’Melia served as the referee.

“I was hurt earlier in the fight and saw stars. This was the hardest fight I have ever had,” said Mussachio. When the scores were announced Mussachio received Ferrante’s belt on loan. It took sometime for Mussachio to leave the ring in talking to his fans and press. In the dressing room Ferrante who had just suffered his first loss knew the difference. “He was busier. I had him hurt at the end,” said Ferrante. With both dressing rooms side by side Joey Eye was walking back and fourth visiting both fighters. Ferrante was receiving ice for swelling while Mussachio’s nose was still bleeding. Recently married, Mussachio was looking for some time off though his father/trainer Al was talking about a fight in Germany.

Ferrante gained worlds of experience as his trainer Chris Rotela explained about him going the 10 round distance for the first time. Mussachio must understand the game is boxing and that’s what he does best. Where the two of them go from here or whether there will be a rematch is hard to say but the fans will be chomping at the bit waiting to see these two fight each other again. There was total respect from both fighters for one another afterwards which is the way it should be.

In a 6 round bout super middleweight “Mighty” Mike Tiberi, 13-1 (6), out of Smyrna, DE, may have scored his best performance as he unloaded on Brian Bernard, 8-7-2 (4), of St. Joe, MO, halting his opponent when the ring physician ruled Bernard shouldn’t come out for the 4th round. A double left hook to the body dropped Bernard. When he got up he was dropped by another left. Upon rising at the bell, the referee David Franciosi called in the doctor.

Prior to the main event two unbeaten New York Puerto Rican females put on some show for 6 rounds in the super bantamweight division. Southpaw Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, 6-0-1 (3), of Brooklyn used her experience and non stop aggression to gain a hard fought decision over Nydia Feliciano, 2-1-2 (0), of the Bronx. Serrano switched to the body in the 4th round though some shots went low without warning she was just the stronger of the two. Barbara Perez and Don Gibbons had it a shut out at 60-54 while John McKay had it 59-55 as did this writer for Serrano.

Jaywon Woods, 8-1-1 (5), of Danville, VA, now fighting out of nearby Pleasantville, won a lack luster 4 round decision of Naser Mohaned Aly, 6-6 (3), in the cruiserweight division. Woods scored a knockdown in the 3rd round winning a majority decision by scores of 39-36 40-35 and 38-38. The referee was Ricardo Vera.

In an interesting 4 round bantamweight match Dwayne Larry, Jr., 2-1 (2), of Tampa, seemed to be the much busier fighter while Jose “Chilli” Rivera, of New Rochelle, NY, caught the judges and fans attention with looping right hands rocking Larry in several rounds. In the 4th round Rivera buckled the knees of Larry who came back well. Rivera received the majority decision with scores of 39-37 twice and 38-38. This writer had it 39-37 for Larry. The referee was Franciosi.

In a good 6 round super featherweight match Delvin Plancencia, 15-4 (6), Irvington, NJ, started out good against Victor Valenzuela, 8-0 (1), Passiac, NJ. The latter came out in the 2nd round and went to the body slowing his opponent down. Plancencia received a small cut between the eyes in the 4th round. Plancencia finished well in the 6th round and it looked like he may have pulled out the fight only to lose by split decision. Two judges were split 58-56 while some how the third judge had it 60-55 for Valenzuela. The referee was Franciosi. This writer had it 58-56 for Plancencia who seemed the busier of the two.

Atlantic City’s Gabriel “Gabby” Pham, 3-0 (2), used his southpaw style to his advantage in a four round super middleweight match defeating Rondu Campbell, 2-6-1 (0), of Brooklyn. Pham won by scores of 39-37 on all three scorecards plus this writer’s. Pham will have to be busier as he gains experience. The referee was Vera.

In the other female bout of the night local favorite Althea (Vern) “Lady Thunder” Saunders, 1-0 (0), made her debut a winning won over southpaw Ashleigh Curry, 0-3 (0), of St. Joe, MO, in a lightweight 4 rounder. It wasn’t an easy fight for Saunders but she did what she had to do to win. The referee was Francisosi. The fight seemed closer than the scores of 40-36 twice and 39-37. Saunders would come back prior to the main event and belt out the National Anthem to the delight of the crowd.

All in all it was another good night of boxing put on by Dee Lee Promotions.

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