Smart Wins Minnesota State Featherweight Title!
By Jesse Kelley

The Acr Boxing club hosted a "A Fight Night in Fridley" last night at the Minnesota Sports cafe in Fridley, Mn.
Duluth, Minnesota's Darby Smart (4-1) picked up the vacant Minnesota State featherweight title by winning a unanimous decision over Shakopee, Minnesota's C.B. Bunkholt (4-2). Smart landed the harder, cleaner punches but Bunkholt showed his toughness by staying in the mix through the six rounds. Smarts best weapon in the fight was the straight left but it was a right hand to the head that put Bunkholt down nearing the end of the first round. It would be the only knockdown of the fight. Bunkholt had some good moments himself in the fight but he only really seemed to bring his best after being rocked. To Bunkholt's credit, he took some hard shots and kept coming. The last few rounds were all action. The final scores were 60-53, 60-53, and 59-53 for Smart.

Butch Haijick (2-3-1) won a six round unanimous decision over Indianapolis native Reggie Strickland. Haijick just simply outworked Strickland, working behind a decent jab and useing good movement to cause Strickland to miss with wild punches. The judges had it 59-55, 60-54, and 60-54 for Haijick.

Tony Grygelko (3-0) of North Branch, Minnesota got himself into quite a mess when he took on Nate Wilks (0-5) of Indiana! Wilks came out of his corner with his hands down and his chin in the air taunting Grygelko. Early on Wilks was on his bike for the most part throwing wild haymakers from the hips. Grygelko stayed calm and walked his opponent down. Grygelko trapped Wilks in the corner and dropped Wilks with a straight right to the body in the first. Wilks was shook up but not hurt too seriously. Wilks did not like being hit to the body. As the bout went on, It was hard to explain exactly what Wilks was trying to do in the ring. At times he would let Grygelko pound away as he hunched over on the ropes. At other times Wilks would bull rush Grygelko and throw wild punches out of knowhere to only hit air. Grygelko stayed composed and did a good job of boxing when Wilks decided to mix it up for the most part. However, in the third round, Wilks antics visibly started to get to Grygelko. Grygelko slipped another one of Wilks bull rushes. Wilks ended up drapped across Grygelkos back only to get suplexed to the canvas! It was a wild fight. Grygelko won by unanimous decision by scores of 40-35 on all three cards.

Rochester, Minnesota's Raphael Butler (9-0) was forced to go the four round distance in a rematch with Canada's Marcelo Aravena (6-27-1). The last time they met in North Dakota, the bout was stopped due to an accidental head butt in the fourth round. Butler won easily this time on the score cards (40-35 on all cards). Butler came out jabbing and taking his time. A right hand to the head dropped Aravena into the ropes and onto the canvas in the first round. Aravena would visit the canvas two more times in the round but not from a punch. It was more from being off balance and possibly still feeling the effects of the knockdown. Aravena did not offer much offence but showed he knows what it takes to survive. He covered up on the ropes and let Butler pound away. By the final round, Butler was playing to the crowd but looked very tired. Almost like he didnt want to be there. He was probably more frusterated that Aravena was able to stick around after all the punishment he took.

Drew Peterson (pro debut) won a four round unanimous decision over Billy McPherson (3-5). Peterson was clearly the better boxer but McPherson was able to last the distance because of his rugged, awkward style. Scores were 40-36 on all cards.

In what turned out to be an exciting fight, Innocent Otukwu (12-3) won a four round unanimous decision over Brian Sargent (16-15). Things started out easy for Otukwu. He worked behind the jab, worked the body, then went upstairs. Sarg was an easy target. Things changed dramatically in the third round. Sargent threw a perfectly timed right hook to the head that dropped Otukwu on his back. Otukwu rose quickly and Sargent came straight forward looking to finish Otukwu off. Both fighters looked confident in the fourth round. Otukwu was still out boxing Sargent but Sargent was coming forward, trying to get in another big hook. As the round went on Sargent started to look alittle tired and Otukwu took advantage by landing some nice shots to the open body of Sargent. Rather then keep a distance, Otukwu elected to stand and trade with Sargent in the closing seconds. The crowd cheered the final efforts of both fighters. I would love to see a rematch between these two. Scores were 38-37 for Innocent on all cards.

Joe Lynch of Buffalo, Minnesota (4-0)put a hurting on Jeff Tibbits (0-2) of Naytawaush. Lynch dropped Tibbits with a right hook to the head early on. After the count, Lynch rushed straight out of the corner and ended the fight with another right hand shot to the jaw of Tibbits. The fight was stopped by referee Bob Brunette at :51 of the first.

Sean Hickman of Saint Paul was just a little too slick for Fridley's Van Goodman in an exhibition bout. Goodman did not do enough to make the fight competitive.

Scott Ball (3-0) of Rochester was too much for Dallas Jenson (debut) of Naytawaush. Ball backed Jenson into the corner and unloaded a hard right-left combination to the head that finally dropped Jenson after some prior punishment. Referee Bob Brunette properly stopped the fight after reaching the count of 9 at 1:21 of the opening round.

Heavyweight Brad Laffin (4-0) ended matters early as well with a hard left to the chin of Emmett Sanders of Indiana. Sandes was dazed for a moment and then fell to the canvas. The ko came at 1:31.