For Detroit bantamweight Jarico O’Quinn, it had been a half-year of frustrating inactivity and two cancelled fights before finally getting into the ring last night and getting some much-needed work against a tough, meaningful opponent, Nick Otieno, 31-13, Kenya, who steadily moved forward and made O’Quinn, 8-0-1, work for his six-round win last night at Warren, Michigan’s DeCarlo’s Banquet and Convention Center
The sometimes flashy O’Quinn has pretty good sock for a bantamweight, and that’s saying something because you could probably name big-punching bantamweights on one hand of a first-baseman’s mitt. Otieno has never been stopped and he never stopped coming; O’Quinn’s promoter, Dimitri Salita, helped with the promotion that was mainly Tuong Vi Tran’s Second 2 None show. And while O’Quinn won overwhelmingly on the cards (all three 60-53) and even scored a knockdown (Otieno has never been stopped), the contest was competitive throughout. O’Quinn, who had hoped to be fighting eights by now, may have one more six-rounder before moving to eights.
Photos by Bob Ryder
The highlight of the evening for this reporter was the return of Joseph Bonas, 149, who, because of his long layoff, was matched with an outgunned pro-debut boxer, John Hicks, Atlanta, with the result being a 55-second kayo that left Hicks staggered and confused, probably never to return. Bonas, 3-0, does not play. As in his pro-debut three years ago, brushes past upright gloves and goes for the kill. Last night, sporting Kronk regalia and trained by Sugar Hill Steward, Bonas dropped a couple of straight rights down the pike and it was all over.
In a featured bout, Geith Muhammad, Detroit, 3-0, bested Chuck Jatmon, 3-1, in four rounds, with Muhammad scoring one knockdown and staggering Jatmon several times. Five other bouts of varying quality and competitiveness entertained a near-sellout. Another card is planned for sometime in May.
