Swinging Affair at Fights

Fists flew Thursday night at the Reseda Country Club. Not all of them gloved.

A standing-room-only crowd came to see hard-punching Kevin Kelley, former World Boxing Council and World Boxing Union featherweight champion, in a 10-round junior-lightweight main event against Jorge Ramirez.

Kelley and Ramirez waged a lackluster battle that included two head butts and repeated cautions from referee Gwen Adair. Kelley finally settled matters with a combination that dropped Ramierz on his shorts and Adair waved off the bout at 1:02 of the ninth round.

Kelley, who had lost two of his last three fights, improved to 49-3 with his 33rd knockout. Ramirez dropped to 67-13-3.

But the card included several slugfests, as well as an after-the-bell skirmish between, fighters, seconds and ringside observers.

A scheduled four-round middleweight bout between Richard Gonzalez of San Fernando and Thomas Hinde of Los Angeles ended in dual disqualification and pandemonium after two rounds when the fighters continued to slug after the bell.

The fight was heated, with both fighters landing significant punches.

A brawl immediately erupted, with cornermen, spectators and security personnel pouring into the ring.

After several tense minutes, order was restored. No one summoned police, no one needed a lawyer--although Bernard Parks, Los Angeles police chief, and attorney Robert Shapiro were seated ringside.

The introduction of Parks was greeted with cheers. Shapiro’s introduction was met with resounding boos, as was the announcement of the dual disqualification.

There was action in the ring, too.

The card began with a bang, when welterweights Fernando Yguado and Norris Ellington traded heavy blows and made the other teeter in a four-round bout.

Yguado appeared ready to fall midway through the final round but the tide turned with a counterpunch and he soon had Ellington dazed, finishing him off with one second left.

The pro debuts of light-heavyweights Jose Chico of Altadena and Rigoberto Plascencia likewise was a toe-to-toe affair. The result was a majority draw, with one judge favoring Chico, 39-37.

A six-round junior-lightweight bout between Roger Medal of Pasadena and Angel Mata of East Los Angeles went the distance, with Medal winning a close fight by unanimous decision.

In a women’s welterweight bout, Lisa Holewyne recorded a third-round knockout over Robyn Covino in another hard-punching bout.