Christopher Pearson and Derrick Webster fought to a 10-round split draw, vying for the NBA Super Middleweight world title. The bout unfolded in Atlantic City’s Showboat, with a near-packed house, under the promotional banners of Joe Frazier Jr. and Mis Downing Promotions.
The fight was a seesaw battle, with Pearson landing the more potent punches and demonstrating excellent body work. The judges were split in their decision: one card favored Pearson 96-94, another tilted towards Webster by the same margin, and the third ended in a dead heat at 95-95. Pearson’s record now reads 17-3-1, while Webster sits at 29-4-1.
In other action, Shinard Bunch made short work of Abraham Afful in their junior welterweight clash scheduled for eight rounds. Bunch floored Afful with a lethal left hook in the second round. Unable to beat the 10-count, the fight was called off at 1:25.
Devin Gantt kept his unbeaten streak alive by securing a fourth-round TKO over Kevin Traynor in a six-round super bantamweight contest. Gantt floored Traynor in the opening round with a vicious combination and seemed inches away from ending the bout right there. However, it was in the fourth round that Gantt unleashed a barrage of punches, both to the head and body, forcing Traynor to take a knee. The corner threw in the towel at 1:18. Gantt, hailing from Sicklerville, NJ, moves to 5-0 with five KOs. Traynor, from Scotland, falls to 1-5.
Nimal Farmer also maintained his unbeaten record with a six-round unanimous decision against Nelson Morales in a welterweight contest. Farmer dominated the majority of the fight, cornering Morales against the ropes with relentless flurries. Despite Morales’ toughness and ability to stay on his feet—even spitting out blood towards the end of the fifth round—Farmer won decisively with scores of 60-54 across all cards. Farmer, from Lindenwold, NJ, improves to 5-0, while Morales from Scranton, PA drops to 4-9.
Lastly, Khalid Billings stayed undefeated by dispatching Aaron Newmones in the first round of their welterweight match-up. Billings floored Newmones with a precision left to the head. Sensing his opponent’s vulnerability, Billings charged in for the finish, dropping Newmones once again, and the fight was halted at 1:34. Billings, a Queens, NY native, enhances his record to 3-0 with two KOs, while Newmones of Atlantic City stumbles to 1-4.