Home      Fight Schedule     On the Record     Links

Battle at the Boat 94 - January 10th, 2014

Emerald Queen Casino - Tacoma, Washington

Photos by Mike Renouard


 

Halquist Productions and the Emerald Queen Casino welcomed ESPN's long running Friday Night FIghts pro boxing series on Jan 10th for Battle at the Boat 94. With 3 bouts televised live around the world on ESPN 2 and ESPN Deportes, plus 3 exciting undercard fights, the sold-out crowd in the casino's I-5 Showroom certainly got their money's worth.

 

The main event was a 8-round Super Featherweight bout between Mexican fighter Juan Antonio Rodriguez and Miami-based Yenifel Vicente. The bout was a homecoming of sorts for "Mozo" Rodriguez who spent time growing up in the Seattle area and fought as an amateur with the Sea Mar Boxing Club. This was his first pro fight on US soil. Vicente, who normally fights at 122 lbs, was a late replacement for 130 lb contender Arash Usmanee who pulled out a week before the fight due to an ankle injury. The bout was the fight of the night with both pugilists putting in a high-paced performance. At one point, Vicente slipped through the ropes and landed square on a table ringside, but fortunately was unscathed from the mishap. After 8 close, hard-fought rounds, it was Rodriguez who came out the winner via majority decision with 2 judges seeing it 77-75, and the third at 76-76.





 

In the televised Co-main Event, the vacant WBO NABO Junior Welterweight Title was up for grabs between Halquist Productions' fighter "King" Raheem Zahir and Bayan "The Mongolian Mongoose" Jargal. Former 135 lb world-title contender Zahir entered the bout on a roll since returning to the game after a two+ year hiatus, getting 3 wins via early TKO finishes at the Emerald Queen Casino in 2013. He looked to make a statement against Jargal on national TV in his bid for another run at a world title. Jargal, winner of 17 of his 24 pro fights, entered the contest going 2-1 in the past 2 years. The 10 rounder started out slow with both fighters feeling each other out. Zahir was the one connecting as he moved in and out of range with lightning fast punches and combos. Jargal when he did throw a punch was usually wide of the mark as Zahir's quickness in avoiding blows displayed itself. As the bout progressed, Zahir continued to control the pace, letting his hands go in the middle rounds and it looked as if Jargal's night might be over. Jargal though would not be finished and was able to start landing more in the later rounds. However, it was too little too late with Zahir closing out the final frame with a flurry and securing the unanimous decision win with the judges tallys reading 99-91, 99-91, 97-93.







 

Opening the ESPN broadcast was a 6-round heavyweight contest between Tacoma's own Jonte Willis and LA-based Nigerian boxer Lateef Kayode who came in undefeated with 19 wins and 15 KO's. Willis was certainly game, pressing the action early and landing with numerous punches. Kayode started out cautious but started opening up, staggering Willis with a big shot in the 2nd, and as the rounds wore on connecting with thunderous power shots to the body. In the final frame, Kayode let it all out with a attack to the body and head of Willis that forced the referee to stop the fight at the 1:07 mark.




 

In the first undercard bout, Buckley WA's Jeremy McCleary, training out of Prime Fitness Gym in Bonney Lake, moved to 2-0 with a unanimous decision over Salem OR's Gerardo Reyes. Both were active in their output but it was McCleary who was the busier and more effective puncher, garnishing the judges' decision 40-36, 40-36, 39-37.




 

Both Team Srisuk's Cameron Sevilla-Rivera of Fife WA and Jared Teer, fighting out of the Academy of Brian Johnson in Olympia WA, came into their 4 round welterweight contest undefeated at 1-0. The pair had fought 6 months previous in a amateur kickboxing match won by Teer via 3rd Rd TKO. In this contest though, it was Sevilla-Rivera exacting his revenge with a first round KO win. Teer was aggressive early but Sevilla-Rivera turned the tables by landing a series of combos, flooring Teer midway through the round. A wobbly Teer beat the 10 count but was unable to avoid another big right from Sevilla-Rivera that dropped him again, ending the fight at the 1:46 mark.



 

The final bout of the night was a 4 round super middleweight contest between undefeated Eduardo Alicea, trained by Robert Garcia, and Texas-based Jas Phipps who came in with just 1 loss to 4 wins. This was a swing bout that would have been televised if their were early stoppages in the other main card bouts, but alas it went unaired. Too bad too as it was an entertaining fight that saw both men putting in work, landing combos and big shots, and in the end it went to the judges scorecards who saw it for Alicea 39-37, 39-37, 38-38.

 

Halquist Productions's next event is all-pro MMA at the Emerald Queen Casino with CageSport XXIX on Feb 8th, followed by Battle at the Boat 95 on March 22nd. Learn more at Halquistproductions.com. ESPN2's Friday Night Fights will next be in Shelton WA on Jan 24th at the Little Creek Casino. More at facebook.com/espn.fnf.


Main Event - Super Featherweights (8 Rds)
Juan Antonio Rodriguez (26-4, 23 KOs - Puebla Mexico) def
Yenifel Vicente (25-2-2, 17 KOs - Miami) by Majority Decision (77-75, 77-75, 76-76)

 

Co-Main Event - WBO NABO Junior Welterweight Title (10 Rds)
Zahir Raheem (35-3, 21 KOs - Tacoma) def Bayan Jargal (17-5-3, 11 KOs - Arlington VA)
by Unanimous Decision (99-91, 99-91, 97-93)

 

Heavyweight Feature (6 Rds)
Lateef Kayode (20-0, 16 KOs - Hollywood CA) def Jonte Willis (9-8-1, 3 KOs - Tacoma WA)
by TKO @ 1:07 Rd 6


Lightweights (4 Rds)
Jeremy McCleary (2-0 - Buckley WA) def Gerardo Reyes (2-3-2 - Salem OR)
by Unanimous Decision (40-36, 40-36, 39-37)


Welterweights (4 Rds)
Cameron Sevilla-Rivera (2-0, 2 KOs - Fife WA) def Jared Teer (1-1 - Olympia WA)
by KO @ 1:46 Rd 1


Super Middleweights (4 Rds)
Eduardo Alicea (5-0, 3 KO's - Cleveland OH) def Jas Phipps (4-2, 1 KO - Killeen TX)
by Majority Decision (39-37, 39-37, 38-38)


All Photos, Design, and Content © 2006-2017 NW Fightscene™, unless otherwise noted.

Any usage of content on this site is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of NW FightScene™.

Report any errors to webmaster@nwfightscene.com