Saturday night February 6th saw the return to boxing of the Brunette Brothers, their new gym and a great first show to kick it all off. After almost a year, Brunette Boxing and their team of young guns returned to action in their new East Side location at the East Side Rec Center on 5th Street in St. Paul. It is a very nice new venue for boxing shows and I am excited to get down to the gym one night and hit the bag! Bobby Brunette did a fine job of putting together a great show with some excellent matchmaking and the crowd really got their money’s worth at this one.

James Champion (Whitebear Lake)- 100 lbs. – Zak Bahr (Anoka Coon Rapids)  We started out with solid junior Golden Gloves action right from the start as these two wasted no time in getting right to it. Bahr seemed to take the early lead landing a stiff left jab followed by straight right hands, which seemed to land at will on the charging Champion. In the third round, Champion roared back landing hooks and looping rights, which ignited the crowd. Champion won an extremely close bout that would make a great rematch.

Ariel Shifrien (Savage Boxing) 100lbs. – Chi King (Brunette Boxing) This one kept the momentum of the show going as two tough kids entered the ring ready to box. Shifrien pursued King and showed his grittiness trying to get inside but was repeatedly met with some stiff combination punching by King. Utilizing dazzling three punch combinations King pulled away in this one and won a fairly decisive decision.

Matt Monette (White Bear) 90lbs. – Bryce Koenig (Believers Boxing) These two 12 year olds showed why Golden Glove action is fun to watch. With a heart like his old man Mike, young Monette came to fight and even though Koenig threw a shake n’ bake move on Monette in the first it was Monette that seemed to land the cleaner punches down the stretch to Win a decision in this one.

Jason Shaller (Rice Street Gym) 145lbs. – Jay Lee (Brunette Boxing) We got a treat seeing open boxers this early in the show. The punches these guys were throwing made a thumping sound as these two senior welterweights let’em go. Shaller was strong and threw hard looping blows that had some sting on them but Lee is a cagy veteran and a tricky counter punching southpaw who landed some clean crisp blows in the second round that started to swing the match in his direction. These guys were serious about doing some damage to each other and some center ring exchanges got the crowd going but it was Lee who utilized his experience and his ring presence to win a decision in this one.

Ian Reilly (Savage Boxing) 150lbs. – Matt Gasner (Believers Boxing) Every show needs the bout where boxing technique goes out the window for the sake of a barn burner scrap and this one was it. Reilly came out bombing throwing both hands with mean intent only to be met by Gasner’s willingness to engage. I was sitting by two guy’s in the crowd debating back and forth regarding their pre-match wager and hollering as the action turned into a back alley brawl and the team mates of the boxers were going wild as these two exchanged right hands, left hands and everything else. Always remember in boxing the gas tank can run-ith empty and unfortunately for Reilly after exhausting himself by throwing constant punches with mean intent he started to slow down of which Gasner capitalized dropping Reilly and the bout finally being stopped. Rachel Schley, the coach from Believers’, seemed excited that her boxer came out on top (these type of bouts drive trainers crazy) when technique takes a back seat, but from ringside this one was fun.

Will Mathews (Hortons Gym) 145lbs. Elias Rubio (Brunettes Boxing) These two are not the kind of guys you want to be on the wrong side of. These are a couple of rough customers who are senior boxers who are going to have to be dealt with come tournament time. This was a rematch of a bout that Mathews won the first time, this time it was Rubios time. Mathews was strong and came out looking to put it on Rubio with some heavy hands. Rubio is a hard puncher and displayed his power as the two would exchange shots, his strength seemed to be the difference down the stretch but this was a close hard fought gritty fight won by Rubio. I think everyone wants to see the rubber match.

Max Clifford (Anoka Coon Rapids) 141lbs. Branden Fieler (St. Cloud) Clifford a 20 year old 16 fight veteran seemed to be in control early displaying some inside punching on his taller opponent. But Fieler played possum and turned up the flame in the second and let it all go in the third scoring an 8 count and taking a decision over his game adversary. After the bout Fieler told me that was his strategy was to let Clifford tire in the first half of the fight then come on! It worked.

Trevor Marmon (Hortons Gym) 155lbs. Jerry Valdez (St. Cloud) Where does Bobby Brunette find all of these guys? These two got into the ring and the crowd could tell from their physiques this one was going to be a tough one. Immediately these two came at each unloading grenades on each other! You could here the snap crackle pop from the punches and the crowd started to cheer them on as these two ripped into each other. Marmon is a 28 year old 10 bout veteran who has been around the block, you can tell he has been sparring with a couple of those professionals in Duluth because he could dish it out and take it. But don’t count out this kid Valdez, he is as tough as they come and both landed big punches hurting each other as the crowd went wild. Blood sprayed from the ring and  landed on the floor next to Liz Kapaun’s feet at ringside and she knew she was watching a fight. Marmon caught Valdez with a couple of big punches and his nose was bleeding to the point where Mark Nelson had to step in and stop the bout. Interviewing Valdez after as his nose was stuffed with tissue he shrugged his shoulders and said he has lost a couple of close ones but guaranteed he would be back……I believe him.

Allen Shifrein (Savage Boxing) HvyWt.  Joe Struss (Rice Street via Uppercut Gym) Want to see a crowd get excited? Put this Struss kid in a fight with a tough as nails 18 year old high school senior from Eagan who told me before the match “So the guy is 6 foot 5, I am going to go inside and rough him up”! WOW! The problem is this Struss kid is not just big, he can box! His trainer Mike Evgen who in his day could bang with the best of them told me he was coming along. These two started out with Shifrein working inside looking to hook Struss to the body and the head, Struss utilized his jab and a whip like right hand he launches from somewhere in the outfield but by the time it whistles onto your chin it has missile like force, Struss landed one of these to the head and Shifrein had to take a knee. When action resumed and the boisterous cheering section Struss’ had was going frantic this time he landed the missile and it connected dropping Shifrein and Mark Nelson wisely stopped this one.

Thomas Yang (Whitebear) 120lbs. Brad Heroff (Brunettes Boxing) I interviewed these guys before the fight and Yang said he heard Heroff was experienced but that he was not intimidated, Heroff’s response – “we’ll see what he says after the fight”! These guy’s are classy open division fighters who displayed boxing skills galore in this bout. Yang is slippery and a counter puncher but right now it is Heroff’s time. Al Brunette has this kid ticking like a swiss watch and it looks like Al has developed another solid professional prospect. Heroff displaying power in both hands and the ring presence that transcends his 16 years he constantly engaged Yang who willingly countered and landed some solid blows of his own but was outgunned in this one and lost a decision to a guy who is on top of his game. After the fight the silver fox Emmit Yanez told me Yang has just 6 bouts! He is going to be a good one!

In conclusion, this was a great show and really enjoyed by all. The Brunettes put on a classy night, solid fights, on time in a nice venue. Concessions, a raffle, Police Security, thanks boys it is nice to have you back.

This was a great night, I often am reminded about the special fraternity that exists around amateur boxing. To see Joel and Jeff Bahr working with their sons, Mike Monette and Mike Evgen giving back to the program by working with kids and the ageless Emmit Yanez, Lauren Laudenbach and Matt O’Hara, it reminds of how proud I am to be a part of it. I appreciated Ryan Hamilton allowing me to cover the fight for her awesome Website because this sport and these people mean a lot to me!

Tbone
(Todd Webb)