DeltaPlex double debuts highlight night of fights

From:The Grand Rapids Press (subscription), MI - Dec 20, 2003

By David Mayo The Grand Rapids Press

In the constant pursuit for a strong supporting cast, DeltaPlex boxing found one enamored of his strength Friday night.

Adam Mayweather, who once competed in a bodybuilding contest, struck the pose. He did side chest pulls, lat spreads, and "most muscular" -- all familiar competitive bodybuilding poses -- repeatedly, and for several minutes, after his professional debut ended with a knockout of Omar Dotson in a matchup of Grand Rapids fighters.

"I think the crowd likes it, and I like to do it for them," Mayweather said. "And I like the way I look in the mirror, too."

Mayweather and Purnell Gates turned pro together, with similar results. Gates made good on his adopted pro nickname, "Knock You Out," by doing just that to Anthony Anderson.

"Adam and I are very close, and we spar together all the time," Gates said. "We really wanted to make our pro debuts together."

Mayweather, who capped a long amateur career with a National Golden Gloves quarterfinals berth at light heavyweight, dropped down to middleweight and dropped a right hand which dropped Dotson (0-4) for a 10-count at 2:40 of the second round.

"Not wearing headgear makes my head feel lighter, and I feel I moved my head better," Mayweather said. "And the lighter gloves made my hands feel lighter."

Gates, who boxed less than three years as an amateur, scored the same right-hand knockout against Anderson, of Cleveland, also was making his pro debut. The 10-count in that fight came at 1:16 of the third.

The main event didn't feature any locals, but was clearly the best of the evening, as Toledo, Ohio, light heavyweight Dallas Vargas (14-0) held off Australian Pierre Karam (16-3-1) in an eight-round split decision.

An eighth-round knockdown swung the bout in Vargas' favor on the scorecard of Robert Paganelli (76-75), who had Karam ahead through seven, identical to The Press. Edward Mosley Jr. had it 78-74 for Vargas, while Jack Richards scored 77-75 for Karam.

Karam was on the corner of his left eyebrow early in the fight, and his cornermen from fabled Kronk Gym didn't help him any. They had no adrenaline substance on hand to stem the bleeding, and left their cotton swabs in the dressing room.

"I was trying to make that cut even worse, but it didn't get much worse," Vargas said. "But I'm tough. I fought with a bad back. When it's hurting, my legs feel numb. But I do anything I can to win."

Vargas, who is legally deaf, wore a shirt into the ring reading, "Deaf Pride." He said he often has difficulty hearing the bell and the referee over the crowd, which might have accounted for some extracurricular punching after the fourth round.

Two of the several more familiar pros to local fans, Grand Rapids lightweights Reginald Nash and Harold Cutts, both registered decisive victories in scheduled six-rounders against foes from Columbus, Ohio.

Nash (7-7) knocked out Tim Travis (1-2) at 1:57 of the second. Cutts (5-2-1) knocked down Broderick Harper (3-3) twice officially and won by scores of 59-53 twice and 58-54.

BOXING NOTES

LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMP Floyd Mayweather of Grand Rapids attended the card, and said he hopes a March 20 HBO date, regardless whom he fights or at what weight, propels him into a November fight against longtime target Oscar De La Hoya. A fight against newly crowned welterweight champion Cory Spinks, son of former heavyweight champ Leon Spinks, at 147 pounds -- a 12-pound, two-division jump -- is just the latest of several possibilities mentioned. "I want whatever fight makes the best sense to set up a fight with Oscar in November," Mayweather said.

© 2003 Grand Rapids Press.