It didn’t come easy, but 23-year-old Allen Litzau became the new Minnesota Featherweight champion in the main event of the “It Finally Happens” fight card at CR’s Sports Bar in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. Litzau showed a warrior’s heart in overcoming a fifth round knockdown to take a close, split-decision win over the now former champion Darby Smart.
The southpaw Smart must have realized that he couldn’t keep up with Litzau’s superior hand and foot speed and quickly tried to bull-rush his way inside to get punches off in round one. Litzau was able to tie Smart up early. Litzau tried jabbing and landed a good right hand to Smart’s head and body. Litzau was busier in round one, while Smart was trying impose his strength on the inside.
In round two, Litzau was loading up and landing hard right hands to Smart’s body. Smart was mostly trying to get inside to rough Litzau up.
Smart’s tactic of getting inside and roughing Litzau up was more effective in round three. Smart was starting to land more punches in close. He also knocked Litzau into the ropes with a body shot. Litzau continued going to the body in this round, one of which went below the belt. He landed a good left-right combination to Smart’s head.
The 34-year-old Smart was at his best in the fourth and fifth round. He continued being rough on the inside, but landed some hard shots in the fourth. Early in the round, Smart landed a straight left to the head while Litzau was against the ropes. Not long after, Smart landed a left to the body followed by a right hook to the head. Smart finished the flurry with two left uppercuts to Litzau’s head. Litzau landed a hard straight right hand to Smart’s head to end the fourth round.
Litzau tried seizing back the momentum in round five. He was on his toes using his quicker feet early. He landed a nice right hand followed by a left hook to Smart’s head. Even though Litzau was boxing beautifully, Smart must have seen an opening and unleashed a perfectly timed straight left to the chin that put Litzau down for the count. Litzau got up quickly and tried tying Smart up. Smart landed four or five more heavy straight left hands to Litzau’s chin in the round. Litzau showed a lot of heart and came back throwing vicious body shots that seemed to hurt Smart.
Litzau, who had said he would retire if he lost, came out with a fury in round six. Early in the round, Litzau landed a hurtful left hook to the body that pushed Smart back into a corner. Litzau followed up with a right hand to the head that forced Smart into another corner. Litzau continued unleashing devastating left hooks and right hands to Smart’s body. Smart winced in pain from Litzau’s relentless body attack. Smart was breathing very heavily as he walked to his corner after the round.
Litzau’s body work showed its effects in round seven and Smart looked tired. Smart tried getting inside, but Litzau landed right hands and left hooks to the body and head.
Despite the rough-nature of the fight, there was no blood shed until the final round. Both fighters landed good shots. Smart landed a straight left to the head, while Litzau landed two hard overhand rights and a combination to Smart’s head. By the end of the round, Litzau’s nose was bleeding and Smart had a bad cut on his forehead from an accidental headbutt.
The fight was very competitive and all three judges had very close scores. Two judges scored 76-75 for Litzau, while the third judge gave it to Smart 76-75.
Litzau, who is now the Minnesota Featherweight champion, improves his record to 8-1, 4 KO’s. Smart fought well, but drops to 8-1, 3 KO’s.
After the fight, Litzau addressed the crowd and said he was willing to give Smart a rematch.

Rochester’s Scott Ball’s stayed undefeated and out-boxed the aggressive Joe Lynch in an entertaining six-round split decision win.
The 21-year-old Ball looked to establish the jab in round one. Lynch was trying to get into Ball’s chest in the round, but Ball was successful in tying him up in close. Ball landed a good right hand early and solid left hook later in the round. Lynch lost his mouthpiece twice in round one.
In round two, the 20-year-old Lynch was more effective at getting inside and getting punches off. He landed a right hand to Ball’s head and a left hook to the head later. Ball mostly jabbed in this round and tried to keep Lynch on the outside.
Ball controlled round three with his jab. He landed a right hand to Lynch’s head and some body shots. Ball seemed to be more interested in landing clean punches rather than hard punches. Lynch was not able to get inside effectively in the round.
Both fighters lost their mouthpieces in round four, but referee Jim Perrault took a point away from Lynch because of previous warnings about losing the mouthpiece.
Round five followed a similar pattern to the earlier rounds: Ball was trying to establish distance by jabbing and picking Lynch off with right hands and left hooks. Lynch was putting great effort into getting close to Ball to land punches, but Ball was able to tie up before Lynch could do much damage.
Lynch, who never stopped coming forward throughout the fight, came out with even more intensity in the sixth and final round. The two fighters landed hard right hands during heated exchanges. Ball went down during the round, but Perrault correctly ruled it a slip. Lynch never stopped coming forward but lost his mouthpiece for at least the fourth time of the fight. Ball was mostly tying Lynch up in the late part of the round.
Lynch showed a lot of heart and determination, but Ball boxed more effectively throughout the fight.
Two judges scored the fight for Ball, 60-53 and 59-55. While the third judge had it in Lynch’s favor, 57-56.
Ball, who has never been the distance as a professional, is now 6-0, with 5 KO’s. Lynch drops to 5-2, 2 KO’s.

White Bear Lake’s KO Kenny Kost needed less than a minute to knockout late substitute Yancy Cuellar.
Kost, 168, landed a huge left hook to Cuellar’s temple and Cuellar went down hard on his back in the middle of the ring. Cuellar, who is also an Ultimate Fighter, never came close to beating referee Bobby Brunette’s 10-count.
With the knockout, Kost is back in the win column after losing a decision to 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Andre Ward in February.
Kost ups his record to 9-1, 6 KO’s. It was Cuellar’s pro debut.

Light heavyweight Boyd “Peek-A-Boo” Davis dominated Rob Marks for all three minutes of the first round. After the round ended, the ring doctor consulted Marks and his corner and everyone involved agreed to stop the fight.
The 36-year-old Davis landed three hard left hooks to Marks’ head early in the round. Davis was also landing hard combinations to the body and head. Marks, who was making his pro debut, mostly covered up and seemed to be looking to survive. Marks made it through the round, but never looked comfortable during the fight.
Davis of Saint Paul improves 10-5, 2 KO’s. Marks is now 0-1.

“The Swinging Swede” Matt Anderson tko’d the debuting Dusty Ironsheild in impressive fashion in the third of a scheduled four round heavyweight match up. It looked like an early nights work for Anderson after landing a hard right hand to the jaw of Ironsheild, which sent him crashing to the canvas. Ironsheild showed heart in not only rising, but also standing head on and trading with Anderson. Anderson had blood flowing from his nose by the second round but was still outboxing Ironsheild for the most part. By the third round, Anderson’s body work was visibly paying off as Ironsheild was dropping his hands and looking spent. After a big right hand to the head by Anderson landed , Ironsheild turned to his corner and said he could not continue. With the win, Anderson moves his record to 5-3-1, 5 ko’s. Ironsheild drops to 0-1.

Heavyweight Innocent Otukwu won all four rounds on the judges cards over Marcelo Aravena in the second bout of the evening.
Otukwu, 228, was faster and threw more punches throughout the fight. He also seemed to confuse Aravena, 268, by constantly switching from a southpaw to an orthodox stance. Otukwu put Aravena down in round two with a right hook to the head.
The Nigerian-born Otukwu’s record now stands at 13-4, 2 KO’s. Aravena falls to 7-29-1, 4 KO’s.

In the opening bout, Dan Schleinz of Duluth, Minnesota won a four-round unanimous decision over Ryan Grunwold.
Schleinz, 141, knocked Grunwold down with a huge right hand early in round one. Grunwold, who was making his pro debut, was hurt badly and seemed to be on shaky legs for the rest of the round.
Schleinz hurt Grunwold again in the second round. But Grunwold never gave up and even wobbled Schleinz in the third round.
By the end of the fight, Schleinz had a bad cut over his left eye and Grunwold was bleeding from his nose.
The 35-year-old Schleinz improves to 5-7-1, 3 KO’s, while Grunwold drops to 0-1.

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