BOXING Durrell Richardson triumphs in pro debut

Etianne "E.T." Whitaker of Warren won on a knockout for a 30-12-2 record.
By BOB ROTH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CHESTER, W.Va. -- Thursday night's pro boxing card at Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort had Youngstown-area boxers win two of the seven bouts that entertained an overflow crowd.
It was business as usual for Verquan Kimbrough and Monty Meza-Clay, as both won easily to remain undefeated, and Youngstown's Durrell Richardson won his pro debut.
Making his debut in the next-to-last fight on the card in a four-round welterweight fight, Richardson stopped DeWayne Holland of Cleveland at the end of the second round.
The battle between southpaws got off to a rousing start as Richardson, the nephew of former world bantamweight champion Greg Richardson, jarred Holland with a solid left hook. Holland answered with a left hook of his own, but Richardson retaliated with a straight left and seconds later, the tide of the fight turned when he worked a three punch combination to perfection.
On the ropes
In the second round Richardson had Holland on the ropes and the referee gave him a standing eight count. Four times during the round Richardson staggered Holland with left hooks and short rights and between the flurries Holland complained of a leg injury that briefly stopped the bout. At the end of the round, on the advice of the ring physician, the fight was stopped.
"There wasn't any difference between the amateur and pro ranks for me, except I seemed to see the other guy better in front of me," said Richardson.
"I came out at a faster pace than I am used to and I was caught by a left that had me off balance, but it didn't hurt me," he added. "What it did was get me going and I really started working."
Richardson's trainer, Jack Loew, who took him to a championship in the 2002 nationals as an amateur, added, "Durrell looked comfortable and relaxed for his pro debut and his hand speed was tremendous."
Whitaker gets KO
The first fight of the night had Warren's Etianne "E.T." Whitaker come out of an early shell with explosive punching power to knock out Carlos "Psycho" Bates at one minute of the second round. Whitaker improved to 30-12-2 with his 18th knockout in the light heavyweight fight.
John "Macho Midget" Bailey, from New Cumberland, W. Va., looked sharp in a six-round welterweight bout, as he won by decision over Gerald Reed, from Lexington, Ky.
Bailey (22-11) used a full offensive arsenal in sending Reed (17-35) to the canvas twice with his biggest punch of the fight a countering right off the ropes in round two. Bailey worked the full three minutes of every round as he wore Reed down on the way to a unanimous decision.
"Mountain Man" Brian Thacker, from Galiopolis, evened his record at 9-9 with a unanimous four-round decision over Cincinnati's Karl Hunter. Alphonso "Soldier" Williams (4-0), from Pittsburgh, won by TKO over Kim Jackson from Indianapolis at 2:18 of the first round. Monty Meza-Clay, from Rankin, Pa., went to 8-0 with a six-round decision over Randy Dodds from Cincinnati, and Kimbrough, from Aliquippa, Pa., improved to 6-0 with a unanimous decision over Terrence Roy from Ripley, Tenn.