Nicklow and Mackey Battle to Draw in Glen Burnie!

Nicklow and Mackey Battle to Draw in Glen Burnie!

By Ken Hissner at ringside, Doghouse Boxing (June 19, 2009)

Before a packed house at Michael’s Eighth Avenue, in Glen Burnie Maryland, Thursday night, Chet Koerner’s TKO Boxing Promotions put on a night of action as Jessie Nicklow, 19-1-2 (17), of Severn, Maryland and John Mackey, 11-3-2 (5), of Montgomery, Alabama, battled to a draw in an 8 round light middleweight bout.

The southpaw, Mackey, seemed in full control through the first two rounds as Nicklow seemed confused. Mackey’s right hooks had Nicklow’s left eye looking puffy in the 1st round. Nicklow made it more of a fight in the 3rd round though it still seemed like Mackey’s round. Nicklow started to land in the 4th round with straight rights, finally seeming to win a round. Nicklow’s ring movement seemed to start to bother Mackey as he was getting popped with right hands in rounds 5 and 6.

Mackey got control back in the 7th rocking Nickow with right hooks. In the 8th Mackey had his best round in landing numerous combinations putting Nicklow on his heels. The fans awaited the decision as one judge Joe Gradowski had it 77-75 for Mackey, as did this writer. Ken Chevalier and Don Risher scored it 76-76, resulting in a majority draw. The fans were not happy. Four writers had it for Mackey by 1 to 2 points while one writer had it a draw. “I thought I won the fight finishing much stronger,” said Mackey. It didn’t sound like he would be returning to Maryland in the near future though a rematch would please the fans. Malik Waleed served as referee.

Four other bouts entertained the fans before the main event. Baltimore’s Cecil McCalla, 9-0 (4), used his height and reach to his advantage in stopping a tough Jorge Barajas, 5-3 (2), Idaho Falls, Idaho, at 1:10 of the 6th and last round. Barjas seemed to take the 1st round. In the 2nd round McCalla rocked Barjas with left hooks several times. The 4th round found both boxers exchanging well when a straight right to the jaw of Barajas dropped him to the canvas just before the round ended. The 5th round was all McCalla. The 6th and final round had McCalla landing combinations dropping Barjas. Upon rising McCalla was landing punches at will when the towel was thrown in as the referee Gary Camponeschi called a halt. McCalla looks like a prospect.

Francisco Contreras, 9-0 (9), of the Dominican Republic, now living in Irvington, New Jersey, impressed the fans with his punching power when he stopped Gustavo Mejia, 3-7-1 (3), of Lawrence, Kansas, at 1:52 of the 1st round. Mejia was coming off a 1st round knockout win of his own 3 weeks ago in Houston and was hoping to be the spoiler in the US debut of Contreras. Mejia soon found out it wasn’t a built up record, feeling the power of Contreras when a right hand to the side of the head dropped him. This was followed by a left hook and right cross dropped him again forcing referee Chevalier to call a halt. Contreras had a dead pan expression even in victory as if he knew the outcome before the bell started the bout. After having won his first 7 bouts in his homeland, Contreras traveled to the Netherlands in his last bout in September winning the CABOFE light welterweight title from Jose Zuniga Montano, 18-6-1, in the 1st. This is a fighter to watch.

Vonny Davis, 3-3-1 (2), of Gulfport, Mississippi, seemed to be having his way up until halfway through the 2nd round with Julius Kennedy, 6-1 (3), of Baltimore when all of a sudden a left, right combination rocked Davis in a corner. He casually moved along the ropes smiling as Kennedy chased him down landing a right hand that had Davis out on his feet when referee Gradowski called a halt at 2:26 of the 2nd round.

In the opening bout Columbian veteran Jesus Perez, 26-25-3 (14), of Miami, landed a right hand on the button dropping previously unbeaten Dominican Delvin Plascencia, 14-1 (5), now out of Irvington, New Jersey, in the 1st round. Plascencia came back in the 2nd round mixing well though it seemed Perez won the round. In the 3rd round a right uppercut dropped Plascencia again just before the bell. Plascencia seemed to come back and take rounds 4 and 5. In spite of an accidental head butt causing a cut over his left eye, Perez came back to finish out the stronger of the two. Perez took the decision by scores of 59-59, 57-56 and 57-55. Camponeschi was the referee. Coming off back to back losses to Carney Bowman and Matt Remillard, Perez pulled off the upset here. Remillard had been scheduled while Bowman and Eric Nemo of York, Pennsylvania, were in the crowd. The two will be featured in their hometown August 1st on a TKO Boxing show.

Chris Middendorf did his usual excellent job as matchmaker. TKO Boxing will next run in Youngstown, Ohio, home of the WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik on June 27th.

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Ken at: kenhissner@yahoo.com