Oh Jah Jah—Dawejko Destroys Umohette

The Mouthpiece
Oh Jah Jah—Dawejko Destroys Umohette
Sosa Stops Aguilar

By: George H. Hanson Jr., Esq.

Date: Friday, March 6, 2015
Venue: 2300 Arena—Philadelphia, PA
Promoters: Joe Hand Promotions, Peltz Boxing & BAM Boxing Inc.
Coverage: www.gofightlive.com
Commentators: Mark Abrams & Amir “Hardcore” Mansour
Ring Announcer: Steve Mittman
Referee: Benjy Esteves Jr. & Gary Rosato
Photos: www.christoneyphotography.com

Eddie Murphy is one of the most talented individuals to ever walk the planet. The actor/comedian is back singing and it appears that he has found his true calling as a reggae singer. So, you are wondering what does this have to do with boxing. It was the great Roberta Nesta Marley who proclaimed “the message is in the music.” So allow me to take you on a pugilistic journey using music to place you in the time and space occupied on Friday night. Please go to YouTube right before reading any further and retrieve “Oh, Jah Jah,” Murphy’s reggae hit that should win him the 2015 reggae Grammy. Play it in the background while you continue reading.

Philadelphia heavyweight Joey “The Tank” Dawejko (13 wins – 3 losses – 2 draws – 6 kos) has been devastating in his last three outings disposing of every opponent in the first round in a combined time of 350 seconds. Thus, it was only a question of when thirty-five year-old Ebonong “The Nigerian Gentleman” Umohette (9 wins – 2 losses – 0 draws – 8 kos) was going to find himself hapless and helpless on the canvas after being steam-rolled by his 24 year-old nemesis. Dawejko is on a collision course with the hard-punching Amir “Hardcore” Mansour. Umohette was mere cannon fodder—a tune-up for Dawejko’s scheduled May 8th ESPN showdown that has been hottest debate topic in the City of Brotherly Love.

Dawejko waited patiently in the ring as Umohette, now fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, strutted and danced all the way from the dressing room into the ring as reggae music blared over the house speakers. Mr. Wacky—the late great Jamaican dancer Gerald “Bogle” Levy—was smiling in his grave. If the Nigerian’s pugilistic prowess rivaled his promenade, Dawejko would be in for a long night. Allow me to rewrite Murphy’s song to describe what transpired. Now you can restart the song and sing along after the next paragraph.

They met in the center of the ring, Umohette jabbed and Dawejko countered with a left hook that grazed the Nigerian’s chin followed by a right hand that missed. But, he wasn’t finished and immediately shifted and finished the three-punch combination with a devastating left hook that found its mark sending Umohette unconscious to the canvas. There was no need for referee Benjy Esteves to count. The scheduled eight-rounder was over in 27 seconds as the ringside doctor made his way into the ring.

Oh Jah Jah
Oh Jah Jah Oh Jah Jah Oh Jah Jah Yeeeeeee
Sing it loud
Oh Jah Jah Oh Jah Jah Oh Jah Jah Yeeeeeee
Goodness gracious Lord have mercy
The Tank on the move, and Philly’s gone crazy
Dawejko knocked out Umohette in 27 seconds baby!
Holy allelujah for the heavyweight division
Yeah, run fo’ yo life, the Tank has come
So all of them better strengthen their defenses
Ya, Babylon, ya know many of you don’t belong
Ya may be old like di Zion

He’s leavin’ gofightlive, and goin’ on to ESPN
Leavin’ Babylon, and goin’ back to Zion, yeah
Oh Jah Jah Oh Jah Jah Oh Jah Jah Yeeeeeee
Oh Jah Jah Oh Jah Jah Oh Jah Jah Yeeeeeee

In the co-main event, Dawejko’s stablemate Jason Sosa (13 wins – 1 loss – 3 draws – 9 kos) of Camden, New Jersey squared off against southpaw Bergman Aguilar (12 wins – 1 loss – 1 draw – 4 kos) of Escazu, Costa Rica is a scheduled eight-round junior lightweight bout. Sosa is riding an eight-fight knockout streak including a ninth round stoppage of hot prospect Michael Brooks on April 12th of last year in Atlantic City. It was widely accepted that Aguilar wasn’t going to be upright for the final bell. Twelve of his fights have been in Costa Rica not known as a hotbed of boxing and his sole loss was at the hands of a winless fighter with six losses.

Sosa pressed the action at the opening bell jabbing as Aguilar kept his distance circling in a traditional feeling out round. In the second stanza Sosa stunned Aguilar with an overhand right and a right uppercut to the body. However, he was unable to capitalize because the Costa Rican kept his distance. The third round was fought in similar fashion with Sosa in hot pursuit and Aguilar sticking and moving.

In the fourth round after Sosa connected with a hook to his midsection, Aguilar stopped momentarily and spat a mouthful of blood in the ring. And immediately he walked back to his corner signaling to his corner that he was finished. Referee Rosato after communicating with the fighter and his handlers waved off the action declaring Sosa the winner by technical knockout at 1:54. It was later discovered that Aguilar’s jaw was broken and he was unable to fight through the pain and discomfort. Nevertheless, like Dawejko, Sosa’s knockout streak continues.

In a scheduled six-rounder lightweight bout, fan favorite Victor “The Fighting Barber” Vasquez (17 wins – 9 losses – 1 draw – 7 kos) faced Jose L. Guzman (5 wins – 8 losses – 1 draw – 0 kos) of Bronx, New York who was returning after an almost five year layoff. I was at Guzman’s last fight—July 16, 2010—he dropped a unanimous four-round decision to Nicky DeMarco on the undercard of Zab Judah vs. Jose Armando Santa Cruz in the Prudential Center, Newark.

Vasquez took control early hurting Guzman with a left hook and right hand. Shaken, Guzman lurched forward, tackling the Philadelphian to the canvas avoiding further punishment. After they were upright and referee Rosato dusted off their gloves, Guzman who began the fight as a southpaw continued switching stance throughout the round. In the second round Vasquez cornered Guzman on the ropes and landed several hard shots to his body. But, as the round came to an end it was evident that Vasquez’s right eye was rapidly closing possible the results of a head-butt.

Vasquez continued whacking away at his taller adversary’s slender body over the next two rounds. At 5 feet 10 inches Guzman towered over Vasquez by five inches. But, he was unable to keep the attacking bald-pated barber at bay. Maybe it was ring rust but Guzman was relegated to fighting with his back to the ropes with Vasquez doing his best impersonation of three-division champion Mike “The Body Snatcher” McCallum. In the fourth stanza Vasquez pinned Guzman on the ropes never allowing him to escape forcing him to fight at an uncomfortable pace. The ten-second bell announced the imminent ending of the round and Vasquez overpowered his adversary with a blistering combination eliciting calls of “Stop the fight” from the audience. Guzman was in dire straits and referee Rosato rescued him from serious damage calling a halt at 2:59. A jubilant Vasquez celebrated by getting down on his knees in the center of the ring.

Philadelphia lightweight Jerome Conquest (1 win – 1 loss – 0 draws – 0 kos) and debuting Kevin Garcia of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania tore the ring down in the opening bout of the night—an action packed four-rounder from bell to bell. The southpaw Conquest used angles and a right hook counter to stymie Garcia’s attack. The pace was frenetic as they used every inch of the squared circle. Conquest hurt Garcia with a straight left in the final round. However, he was prevented from doing further damage as Garcia tackled him both men toppling to the canvas. The bout resumed after referee Estevez warned Garcia and they made it to the final bell. Conquest was awarded a well-deserved unanimous decision by scores of 40-36 twice and 39-37.

After a two-year hiatus, Philly lightweight Keenan “Killa” Smith (5 wins – 0 losses – 0 draws – 1 ko) returned to action. Smith, the 2008 125 lbs. National Golden Gloves champion, made his professional debut on April 9, 2010 as a 19 year-old and was rapidly rising up the ranks before he was sidelined. A slick southpaw with impeccable boxing skills, his reentry would be two weight classes above his natural division as he faced welterweight Malik Jackson (1 win – 5 losses – 4 draws – 0 kos) of Newark, New Jersey.

In the match-up of southpaws, Smith attacked at the opening bell working the body and head. The supremely awkward Jackson with the word “Freaky Deaky” emblazoned on his trunks responded with his long jab. Jackson has been the victim of some horrible decisions and is never short on courage. The bout raged at a fast speed and tempo with Smith hell-bent on making a statement as his fans screamed throughout the battle. He worked the body aggressively but ring rust and Jackson’s erratic style caused his big knockout punch to miss the target. The body shots were taking a toll on the man from Newark. In the third stanza Smith trapped Jackson in his corner and unleashed a vicious left uppercut that bounced off his chin. Seizing the moment, Smith poured it on with hooks to the body forcing Jackson to bend from the waist his hands shielding his face. This sign of surrender forced referee Estevez to stop the fight— recording a technical knockout for Smith at 1:41.

In the upset of the night, mixed martial arts fighter Jeff “Relentless” Lentz (4 wins – 0 loss – 0 draws – 1 ko) of Lakona Harbor, New Jersey snapped the four-fight win streak of Philly junior-middleweight Fred Jenkins Jr (9 win – 1 loss – 0 draws – 3 kos). The southpaw Lentz was able to survive a hard left hook that rocked him towards the end of the opening round and box from a distance over the course of the six-round bout. Jenkins appeared to be one step behind his adversary who threw quick combinations while in constant motion. With stablemate Jesse “Hard Work” Hart yelling “the left hook is there!” Jenkins followed instructions and hurt Lentz again in the fifth round with that punch. However, he wasn’t able to capitalize on his success as Lentz got on his bicycle and motored around the ring. Lentz outhustled Jenkins in the final round and captured a unanimous decision by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55. I had it 58-56 for Lentz.

It was another exciting night of boxing as Philly is focused on the May 8th showdown between Dawejko and Mansour who was ringside commentating with Marc Abrams. On November 18, 1975, over eleven thousand fans filled the Spectrum to witness the middleweight showdown between “Bad” Bennie Briscoe and Eugene “Cyclone” Hart that ended in a 10-round draw. On May 8th the 2300 Arena will be packed tighter than a tin of Jamaican sardines for an old-school Philly war.

Goodness gracious Lord have mercy
Ya know The Tank neva eva eva let a puncher get the best of him
I saw Mansour make Kassi sleep like a newborn baby.
The Tank, Hardcore, yeah yeah
Come to the fight, enjoy the song
Yea Babylon, ya know the fight won’t last long
We’re leavin’ Babylon, and goin’ back to Zion
Leavin’ Babylon, and goin’ back to Zion, yeah
Oh Jah Jah Oh Jah Jah Oh Jah Jah Yeeeeeee
Oh Jah Jah Oh Jah Jah Oh Jah Jah Yeeeeeee

Continue to support the sweet science, and remember, always carry your mouthpiece!

 



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