By Scott Ploof
The roar of the crowd echoed through the Encore Boston Harbor Casino on Saturday night as big-time boxing made its long-awaited return to the event center after a six-year absence. The event, titled “Boston Harbor Fight Night,” was promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports in association with Granite Chin Promotions, and it delivered an action-packed evening for fight fans across New England.
The card featured a mix of rising prospects and seasoned veterans, but the spotlight was firmly on the main event: Frank “The Tank” Hogan (21-0, 17 KOs) versus Antonio Todd (17-14, 9 KOs) for the vacant NABF middleweight belt. Hogan, a local favorite and undefeated powerhouse, showcased his dominance in front of a raucous hometown crowd, cruising to an eight-round unanimous decision victory. All three judges scored the bout 80-71, underscoring Hogan’s complete control from start to finish. From the opening bell, Hogan imposed his will with crisp jabs and
superior footwork, using his reach advantage to keep Todd off balance. His strategy paid dividends early, as he dictated the pace and landedclean shots to both head and body.
“I began to realize that everything we had been working on in the gym was clicking,” Hogan said after the fight. “Split side going to the left, throwing to the body with my left hand—it all came together.” The turning point came late in the fight when Hogan sensed Todd’s fatigue. “At the end of one of the rounds, I noticed him walk away before the bell rang,” Hogan recalled. “I knew right then I had to hit him with everything I had over the next two rounds.” Hogan’s relentless pressure culminated in a seventh-round knockdown courtesy of a crushing left hook. Though Todd gamely rose to his feet and survived the final frame, the outcome was never in doubt. Hogan left the ring with the NABF belt and a message of respect for his opponent: “Hats off to him. He stood in there and fought with me.”
In the co-main event of the evening, Jonathan de Pina (15-2, 7 KOs) emerged victorious with a unanimous decision over Providence’s Elijah Peixoto (4-1-1, 2 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout. The contest showcased both fighters’ resilience and skill, with de Pina ultimately
outpointing his game opponent. de Pina set the tone early, scoring a flash knockdown in the opening round after catching Peixoto off balance. Though the knockdown did not appear to faze Peixoto, he recovered quickly and remained competitive throughout. Peixoto responded with aggressive body shots and consistently looked to cut off the ring, pressing de Pina and making each round a hard-fought affair. Using his jab effectively, de Pina created opportunities to land telling blows, including several well-placed body shots in the second round. In the third, he delivered a sharp uppercut that sent Peixoto to the canvas for the second time in the fight. Peixoto’s resilience was evident as he recovered and finished the round, demonstrating impressive toughness and determination. Throughout the remaining rounds, de Pina maintained control with his movement and precise jab, keeping the charging Peixoto at bay. After eight competitive rounds, the judges awarded de Pina the win by scores of 60-52, 59-53, and 58-54.
Jaydell “The Pazmanian Devil” Pazmino (9-0, 7 KOs) delivered one of the night’s most emphatic finishes, stopping 46-fight veteran Daniel Sostre with a vicious body shot at 1:48 of round two. When asked about keeping his knockout streak intact, Pazmino said, “I feel great! I would have liked to get some rounds in. I love to fight. But he got that body shot. I was feeling him out in the first round, testing his power, testing his range. I didn’t feel anything in the second round, and I got him out of there,” Pazmino said. “I felt his ribs pop after the body
shot,” he added, noting that he had been testing range and powerbefore unleashing the decisive blow.
Eric “The Gladiator” Goff (9-0, 6 KOs) kept his perfect record intact with a six-round unanimous decision over Derrick Whitley Jr. (9-5-2) Scores were 58-56 twice and 59-55.
In the women’s junior featherweight division, Jennifer Perella (4-1, 1 KO) outpointed Brittany Dukes (3-9-2, 2 KOs) over four rounds, earning scores of 40-36 twice and 39-37.
James “Pitbull” Perkins (15-3-1, 9 KOs) dominated Maine’s Ryan Clark (5-8-1, 2 KOs) in a super middleweight bout, pitching a shutout on all cards (60-54).
Christian Moura (2-0, 2 KOs) impressed with a first-round stoppage of Michael Thornton (0-2), scoring two knockdowns before the referee waved it off at 1:55.
In a battle of veteran warriors, 57-year-old Charlie Lograsso improved to (3-0, 3 KOs) with a second-round TKO over 45-year-old Juan Celin Zapata (7-27-3, 5 KOs), dropping him twice before the stoppage at 2:29.
