By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor-in-chief. Coleman is a former public school biology teacher and a seasoned Black political. legal and investigative reporter who trained as a reporter at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio for 17 years.
WARREN, Ohio - WBA Heavyweight Champion Trevor Bryan and WBC Crusierweight Champion Ilunga Makabu defended their respective titles Saturday and participated in the two featured events of a six-championship fight card hosted on Sat, Jan 29 by legendary boxing promoter and Call and Post Publisher Don King and Don King Productions at the W.D. Packard Music Hall in Warren, Ohio, a city 60 miles southeast of Cleveland. Tickets for the boxing extravaganza that was streamed via pay-per view for $59 ranged from $83 for regular seating to $595 for ringside seats.
In the first of the two featured bouts Bryan, an undefeated WBA world heavyweight champion since 2021, defeated Jonathan Guidry, previously undefeated, to take the split decision at the end of a 12-round fight. That fight continually brought the crowd to its feet, including when Brant knocked Guidry to his feet at the end of the 12th round.
The other main event was also a closely watched fight as Makabu, the reigning WBC cruiserweight champion, defeated Thabiso Mchunu by split decision and now could be set up to defend his title against Canelo Alvarez in May.
By distinction, Tyson Fury, however, is the current WBC heavy wight boxing champion of the world and was not among those boxing Saturday night in Warren.
“WBA” is an acronym for the “World Boxing Association” while the “WBC” is the short form for the “World Boxing Council," Both organizations are affiliated with boxing as a sport and conduct activities that sanction official matches between boxing fighters and, at the same time, award boxing titles in different weight categories. Boxing greats like Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield were world championship boxers who won WBC titles during their heydays.
A multimillionaire, King, 90 and a Cleveland native, took to stage to welcome the crowd along side of an entree of people, including his daughter, Deborah King, his nephew, the Rev Dale Edwards, who manages the Call and Post, and Maple Heights Mayor Annette Blackwell, who also spoke. The talented Tina Farmer, the idol for Cleveland Fox8 News, which held a local competition that mirrored American Idol, sang the National Anthem before the event got underway.
King said he was elated to bring championship boxing to the Cleveland area and Northeast, Ohio and that a major purpose of the gathering was so that people could "enjoy ourselves again and not be ruined by COVID."
It was a packed night of boxing that featured six bouts with championships at issue as boxing fans from Warren, Canton, Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and other parts of Ohio, and from places like Pittsburgh and as far away as Las Vegas came out, as did some mainstream media, including the the Daily Mail in London, England.
Rev Edwards, the executive director and editor of the Call and Post, a Black Cleveland weekly that King has owned and operated since 1998, distributed some complimentary tickets to some Cleveland activists, children and those who could not afford to attend.
"We had a fabulous time," said Black on Black Crime president Alfred Porter Jr. of Cleveland, who had upfront floor tickets." And we thank Don King and Rev Edwards for giving back to the community."
Latisha Powell of Cleveland said she was grieving over her son who died last year after being shot in his home by a suspect who remains at large and has yet to be identified by police when an activist invited her to the event with complimentary tickets from King. "
It really made my day and my family went with me, including my father, a Don King fan." Powell said. "Thank you Mr. King."
City officials of Warren thanked King for spotlighting the city and dubbed the day "Don King Day."
While some of the attendees were dressed in an ordinary fashion, others, mainly Black people, were dressed to the nines in mink coats, and other furs, both men and women alike.
The first fight of the night featured Tre’Sean Wiggins and Cody Wilson, Wiggins knocking out Wilson by TKO in the third round to win the North American Boxing Associated welterweight title.
Dacarree Scott earned the NABA the gold heavyweight after he defeated Ahmed Hefny by split decision, Scott a late replacement for Alonzo Butler.
Johnnie Langston took the NABA cruiserweight championship by TKO after knocking down Nick Kisner three times in the fourth round, and Michael Moore of Northeast Ohio won a unanimous decision against Anthony Lenk to win the final fight of the night, But Moore could not claim the NABA middleweight title due to wight constraints as he missed the four pounds needed to qualify.
clevelandurbannews.com and kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.
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