CES Boxing delivered a thrilling night of championship boxing on Saturday at the iconic North Shore Music Theatre, as hometown star Francis “Frank the Tank” Hogan successfully defended his NABF Middleweight Championship and Amelia Moore captured her first professional title in a dominant performance.
In the main event, the undefeated Hogan improved to 22-0 (18 KOs) with a fifth-round stoppage of Ghana’s Patrick Allotey (45-11, 35 KOs), a battle-tested veteran who entered the bout with more knockouts than Hogan had total fights.
From the opening bell, it was a tactical battle of Hogan’s southpaw range against Allotey’s orthodox pressure. The Boston native remained composed against the experienced challenger, who had previously shared the ring with world-class opponents including former jr. middleweight world champion Jaime Munguia, contenders Serheii Bohachuk and Chordale Booker, and prospect Tommy Hyde.
Hogan began to take control in the middle rounds, dropping Allotey in the fourth with a sharp left hand. Tensions escalated in the fifth, when Allotey felt that he was hit behind the head. The Ghanaian responded moments later with a hammer punch to the top of Hogan’s head, prompting a point deduction from referee Johnny Callas. It was the beginning of the end, as the frustrated Allotey seemed to be looking for a way out of the fight. Moments later, Allotey grabbed Hogan and attempted to knee him in the head, prompting referee Johnny Callas to immediately halt the contest.
“I had a tough, quality opponent in there tonight,” said Hogan immediately after the bout. “He punched hard and went more rounds than I thought he would. I wish he would have been a bit more classy with the way things ended, but I was breaking him down and I know that I would have gotten him out of there one way or another.”
With the victory, Hogan not only made a successful first defense of his NABF title, but was also able to show how he could handle an experienced fighter who has faced plenty of world-level opposition.
“I want to fight Connor Coyle next,” said Hogan when asked who he wants. “We have similar records and are in the same division, so we should fight each other. We can’t just keep fighting steppingstones and veterans, we have to fight someone who is undefeated and take someone’s ‘0’. So, Connor Coyle, I’m calling you out. You’re next – sign the contract.”
Moore Announces Arrival with Dominant NABF Title Victory
In the co-feature, Amelia Moore (4-0, 1 KO) delivered a disciplined, one-sided masterclass to capture the vacant NABF Lightweight Championship, defeating Canada’s Bonnie Hunter (6-7, 3 KOs) by unanimous decision with scores of 80-72, 80-72, and 80-71.
The bout, originally scheduled for November before being postponed, saw both fighters enter with ample preparation – and Moore made the most of it. The 2020 U.S. Olympic alternate showcased her elite amateur pedigree, controlling the action with superior speed, footwork, and sharp punching.
Moore stunned Hunter in the third round with a powerful right hand and dictated the pace throughout, consistently evading incoming shots with sharp head movement. Despite Hunter’s trademark durability, she was unable to mount any sustained offense or trouble Moore at any point over eight rounds. With the win, Moore positions herself firmly within reach of a world title opportunity.
“I’d really like to fight [WBA Champion] Stephanie Han,” said Moore, who is ranked #2 in the world with the WBA at super lightweight. “I know we would make for a great fight.”
Tevin Regis survives scare to stop late-replacement Romel Tsanimp
Dorchester’s Tevin ‘The Hitman’ Regis (7-0, 6 KOs) overcame early adversity in his super lightweight bout to remain unbeaten, earning a third-round TKO over late replacement Romel Tsanimp (3-9).
The power-punching Regis was originally scheduled to face fellow unbeaten prospect Anuel Rosa, who withdrew due to injury. Tsanimp answered the call on seven days’ notice to save the day, but he almost ruined Regis’ perfect record in the process.
Regis appeared on the verge of a quick finish after dropping Tsanimp with a stiff jab in round one. Just as ‘The Hitman’ went in to finish the job, the Baltimore-based Ecuadorian caught him with a looping right hand to the temple that sent Regis to the canvas and had him on shaky legs at the bell.
Regis regained control in round two, reasserting himself behind a punishing jab and sharp right hands as the exhausted Tsanimp began to fade. Just as the action was heating up, the Ecuadorian chose not to answer the bell for round three, giving Regis another stoppage victory.
Other Action
Marshfield welterweight Joe Bush (7-0, 5 KOs) returned from a year layoff to stop Giovanni Gutierrez (11-18-1, 6 KOs) after three rounds. Bush overwhelmed the normally durable veteran with short left hooks and heavy right hands on the inside, steadily breaking down the Nicaraguan. Gutierrez bravely fought back in spurts but decided that he had enough at the end of round three.
Nashua, NH featherweight Christian Moura continued to impress as one of the most promising young prospects in the CES stable, improving to 3-0 (3 KOs) with a second-round stoppage of Rashad Hicks (2-7-1, 2 KOs). Moura dropped Hicks with a left hook in the opening round before trapping him in the corner in round two and unleashing a sustained attack that forced the referee to stop the bout one minute into the round.
Saugus’s Lamin Conteh made a successful professional debut, earning a unanimous decision over Steven Farrar in a 4-round jr. middleweight contest. Conteh used his reach effectively throughout the contest and punctuated his performance with a fourth-round knockdown via left hook. Farrar had his best moment in round three with a counter left hand but was unable to build on it.
Irish lightweight Conor ‘Bullet’ O’Donovan traveled overseas for his professional debut and wasted no time making an impression, stopping John Medina in the first round. O’Donovan scored two knockdowns—first with a short right hand and then with a body shot—before finishing the fight with a final left hand at 2:04 of round one.
In a battle of debuting fighters, Pennsylvania’s Jose Perez Marrero (1-0, 1 KO) scored a highlight-reel knockout over Lawrence, Massachusetts native Dimas Colon (0-1). Marrero dropped Colon twice in the opening round with left hands before ending the bout in round two, catching Colon with a short left that produced a delayed knockdown for the count at 2:09.
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