This time, John Gotti III finished what he started.
Nearly one year after suffering a stunning knockout loss to Daniel “Eagle Catcher” Augare, Gotti III (3-1, 1 KO) evened the score on Saturday, October 3, earning a hard-fought unanimous decision in the main event of CES Boxing’s Autumn Classic 2026 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, CT.
The light heavyweight rematch capped a thrilling five-bout card that also saw Stamford’s Douglas “El Uno” Marroquin overcome his most experienced opponent to date, while Darian Castro, Mike Kimbel and Anthony Nieves delivered impressive victories.
The question heading into the main event was simple: repeat or revenge?
In their first encounter last October at Foxwoods Resort Casino, Gotti appeared to be in control, dropping Augare before the Montana native turned the tables with a shocking third-round knockout. Augare had accepted that assignment on just one week’s notice after Gotti’s original opponent, James Hagler Jr., withdrew due to injury.
With time to prepare for the rematch, Gotti was determined to settle the score. Augare, meanwhile, entered the bout knowing he possessed the power to spoil those plans once again.
What followed was a four-round test of wills.
The light heavyweights stood toe to toe, trading power shots as the 33-year-old Gotti landed the cleaner punches over the opening two rounds. Augare answered in spurts, refusing to allow the Oyster Bay, New York native to get comfortable.
Gotti’s biggest moment came in round two, when a massive right hand to the chin sent Augare crashing to the canvas. In a scene reminiscent of their first encounter, the 34-year-old beat the count and pressed forward, firing shots and forcing Gotti to remain sharp against an opponent who had already demonstrated how quickly he could change a fight.
This time, Gotti maintained his composure. The New Yorker continued to land the more effective shots while meeting Augare’s determination with his own, battling through the final bell to secure the victory.
The judges scored the contest 40-35 and 39-36 twice, giving Gotti his third professional boxing win. Augare, a member of the Blackfeet Nation from Browning, Montana, falls to 3-5 (3 KOs) in the first bout of his boxing career to go the distance.
With one victory apiece and both men possessing MMA experience, could a rubber match eventually take place inside the CES MMA cage?
Marroquin Passes His Toughest Test
In the six-round middleweight co-feature, Douglas “El Uno” Marroquin (12-0, 6 KOs) had to solve a difficult puzzle against Georgian veteran Lasha Gurguliani (20-7, 9 KOs).
The taller, rangier Gurguliani fought from a southpaw stance, using his reach to control the distance over the opening two rounds. When Marroquin worked his way inside, the Brooklyn-based veteran tied him up, frustrating the Stamford native’s attempts to establish a sustained attack.
Marroquin kept coming.
Bobbing and weaving his way into punching range, the 28-year-old targeted Gurguliani’s body and slipped in uppercuts against his taller opponent. The physical contest became even more demanding when a clash of heads opened a cut above Marroquin’s left eye in round three. Another collision in the fourth left Gurguliani cut above his right eye.
As the fight entered its second half, Marroquin began finding his rhythm. His punches landed more consistently to the head and body, while the tiring Gurguliani increasingly resorted to roughhouse tactics, including slamming Marroquin to the canvas in round five.
The unbeaten Connecticut middleweight refused to be deterred, pushing through a competitive finish to earn a majority decision by scores of 58-56 twice and 57-57.
The victory provided a bright spot on a difficult night for trainer Wilner Mendez, whose three fighters faced tough assignments. While Victor Vargas and Terrance Williams were stopped, Marroquin preserved his unbeaten record against his most seasoned opponent yet.
Castro Brilliant in First Round Demolition
Cuban southpaw Darian “El Intocable” Castro (5-0, 2 KOs) wasted little time making an impression in his first appearance of 2026, dropping Norwalk-based Venezuelan Victor “Guerra” Vargas (3-1, 2 KOs) three times to end their scheduled six-round welterweight contest in the opening round. The Las Vegas-based Castro, trained by former two-division world champion Joel Casamayor, was too fast and sharp for the plodding Vargas. Castro scored the first knockdown with a straight counter left, the second with a right hook and the third with a combination punctuated by another right hook to the chin. Referee Steve Willis stopped the contest at 2:48, handing Vargas his first defeat.
Nieves Keeps Rolling
Bridgeport middleweight Anthony “The Enforcer” Nieves (4-0, 2 KOs) continued his impressive rise with a unanimous decision over grizzled veteran Travis Floyd (4-21-3, 1 KO). The active Floyd was making his fifth appearance of 2026. The Michigan native came to fight, but Nieves’ volume punching carried him through the four-round contest. Despite suffering a cut from a clash of heads in round two, the 24-year-old prevailed by scores of 40-35 twice and 39-37.
Kimbel gets his Tenth Win
Waterbury’s Mike “The Savage” Kimbel (10-0, 7 KOs) remained unbeaten with a sixth-round stoppage of Norwalk’s Terrance Williams (1-2). Kimbel pursued behind a sharp jab, landing heavy right hands and left hooks against Williams, who showed tremendous toughness throughout their junior welterweight contest. An overhand right–left hook combination sent Williams into the ropes in the final round for a knockdown. Kimbel’s follow-up barrage prompted Steve Willis to halt the bout at 2:41 of round six.
For more information on CES Autumn Classic 2026 and all other CES Boxing events, visit cesfights.com.
