Antoine Douglas Owns Action-Packed ShoBox
Photos by Tom Casino for Showtime
by Gautham Nagesh
As we’ve said several times before, the folks managing the career of Virginia middleweight Antoine “Action” Douglas clearly know what they’re doing.
Douglas looked like a blue chip prospect against Marquis Davis during his ShoBox debut on Friday night from Memphis. The unbeaten 21-year-old put on his best performance to date, smashing Davis up and down en route to an easy points win. Douglas literally knocked one of Davis’ teeth out in the sixth round, a small insult to add to the considerable injury the Virginian doled out over eight rounds.
After fighting several times on ESPN during his first year as a pro, Douglas couldn’t have done much more to impress in his first turn on premium cable. He floated across the ring on impossibly light feet, pausing frequently to squeeze off rapid bursts of punishing power shots. Douglas pounded Davis to the head and body, and dominated the fight at every juncture. Only Davis’ considerable fortitude prevented him from tasting the canvas during the fight.
Douglas has everything one would want in a prospect, except true one-punch knockout power. His speed, technique, footwork, and defense are all impeccable. Davis tried to take control, but Douglas’ punches came too hard and quick for him to handle. Douglas used the left hook-right hand combination repeatedly, throwing every shot like it was destined to be the last.
Davis brought the fight inside in the 2nd round, but Douglas was equally adept in close. He slammed Davis with uppercuts up the middle, while constantly turning his opponent to keep him off balance. Douglas is wise beyond his years in the sport, and understands nuances that escape much more experienced fighters. He uses not just his feet and his hands, but his elbows, forearms and head to control the fight. It is not strictly legal, but such tactics are a mainstay of masters like Bernard Hopkins and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Douglas dominated inside for two rounds, then took the battle back to the center of the ring. He can see punches coming from miles away, and seems able to touch his opponent at will. I’ve watched Douglas fight since his amateur days, but this was easily the best showing he’s put on to date. If he keeps improving at this level, it won’t be long before he’s the main event on Showtime or HBO.
The last four rounds were more of the same, Douglas punishing Davis at a furious pace, then walking back to his corner like he had barely broken a sweat. Only an unfortunate cheap shot after the final bell marred this flawless turn from Action. He must learn to control his temper, but perhaps boredom may have gotten the best of him. Davis was clearly not in his class.
Frank Galarza (above) found John “Apollo Kid” Thompson with a right hand to start the second round and finished him with a wide left hook that rendered Thompson incapable of beating the count. Galarza had spent the first round trying to find a way around the long, stiff jab of the Newark native Thompson. He eventually decided on the direct approach, throwing a series of hard one-two combinations from the bell that took advantage of the rangy Thompson’s tendency to stick his chin in the air.
Thompson was badly hurt by the first blow, and wide open for the sweeping hook that cut him down like a scythe. The win was a coup for Galarza, and may be difficult for Thompson to overcome. The Newark fighter has talent but also some serious defensive deficiencies. He can improve, but he also looks susceptible to the right hand, always a bad sign.
We’ve covered Galarza several times before, not counting his split draw with DMV junior middleweight Alantez “Sly” Fox. Sarah was ringside for his other draw, which she judged a win for Galarza. So the only blemish on his record is the draw with Fox, a long skilled boxer much like Thompson. The stylish win over Thompson shows growth for Galarza, and his solid fanbase in Brooklyn should put him on the map for TV matchmakers going forward.
Ukrainian SoCal transplant Ivan Redkach started strongly against Canada’s Tony Luis in the main event, but Luis landed a well-timed counter right hand and appeared to catch Redkach off-balance for a knockdown later in the round. The ref ruled it a slip, and Redkach renewed his attack for the final minute. Redkach scored a flash knockdown of his own with an awkward, clubbing blow that forced Luis to the ground just before the bell.
The give-and-take continued for the rest of the fight, as Luis looked far from intimidated by his opponent’s reputation. Redkach was clearly more comfortable winging hard punches from the outside, while Luis tried to bully his opponent into the ropes and punish him to the body. Both men had their moments, but Redkach appeared to get through with more of his blows. Still, one can’t fault the Canadian’s effort, as he clearly did everything he could to win the fight.
Luis fought the second half of the fight with a stream of blood pouring from a cut on his brow, the result of a traditional head clash between southpaw and orthodox opponents. Redkach wasn’t able to duplicate his early knockdown, but he appeared to stagger Luis with left hands and right hooks at more than one point. The second loss for Luis will be tough to overcome, but he has nothing to apologize for. Redkach was just slightly better on this night, though he hardly lived up the hype in my estimation.
Junior welterweights Maurice Blocker and Abel Ramos fought to an eighth-round draw in the televised opener, a fight that saw Blocker box his way to an early lead then fade late under steady pressure from Ramos. A draw was probably a fair result, and neither fighter really jumped off the screen.
Bowie, Md. Super middleweight and 2012 Stiff Jab Amateur Boxer of the Year Jerry Odom won on the un-televised portion of the card from GH3 Promotions, stopping Demetrius Walker in the third round. It was the first time one of Odom’s opponents has made it out of the opening round in seven fights, though “2 Tickets 2 Paradise” did drop Walker in each of the three rounds.
