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Youngstown’s Boone set for another unbeaten foe
By Greg Gulas
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown’s Darnell “Deezol” Boone is fighting in a familiar place. And in a familiar situation.
On Saturday at Mountaineer Racetrack and Casino, the 1999 Wilson High graduate will fight his 20th undefeated foe when he takes on “Big Chief” Morgan Fitch (10-0, 5 KOs) of Pittsburgh in a six-round super middleweight bout.
Boone (19-21-3, 8 KOs) is 6-11-2 against undefeated fighters.
“I love fighting someone that is undefeated simply because I want to prove to them that they are not invincible,” said Boone, who will fight near his hometown for the first time since 2007. “I enjoy being the underdog, probably because I have become accustomed to that role during my professional career. When you beat someone with an unblemished record it just gives you a great feeling.”
The fight is the undercard of the 12-round main event for the interim WBA super lightweight championship bout, which pits Paul “The Pittsburgh Kid” Spadafora (48-0-1, 19 KOs) against Johan Perez (17-1-1, 12 KOs) of Caracas, Venezuela.
Boone is 3-6-1 in his last 10 fights but his manager, Jeremy Simpson, said Fitch has never faced someone as tough as Boone.
“This will be the biggest test for Fitch of his young professional career,” Simpson said. “Darnell was really never managed correctly through the course of his career and there’s no doubt in my mind that he would have been a world champion had he had the right guidance from the start.
“Darnell is a true professional in that he gives you 110 percent, no matter if it’s in training camp or in the ring. I never have to worry about whether or not Darnell is in shape or ready to fight. My job is to get him the right fights at the right weight and I believe middleweight, but no higher than super middleweight, is where we need to be.”
Boone is familiar with Fitch, having twice sparred with him at Jack Loew’s Southside Boxing Club about eight months ago when Spadafora was sparring with Southside boxer Willie Nelson.
“I’m actually surprised they want to fight me,” Boone said. “I felt like I banged him pretty good. He fights like a typical European fighter. He has a straight jab, straight right and is a jab-jab type of fighter. He has some power and tries to disguise it with his jab.
“I am sure his corner thinks it will be a tough fight but an easy win and that is fine with me. I plan on placing my name on his resume, only you will find it in his loss column.”
Boone is the only fighter to have knocked down Andre Ward, the No. 2-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He’s also the only one to beat WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson, winning in April, 2010.
“I’ve been in the ring with the very best and I have seen every style so I feel like I can get beyond anything that he throws at me,” Boone said. “I don’t expect him to show me anything that I haven’t already seen.”