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February 10, 2003Skolnik, Turner lose decisionsLocal boxers fail to qualify for nationals in Colorado SpringsBy LANCE-MICHAEL CORREIARecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - Aaron Williams was as good as advertised. The 17-year-old fighter from Detroit's fabled Kronk Gym dominated Greater Bay Area boxer Rick Dufty in Saturday's opening heavyweight matchup en route to a first-round technical knockout, then claimed a four-round decision over Traverse City's Tim Skolnik on Sunday at the Park Place Dome. Williams now advances to the state championship final next weekend in Davison against Cannon Boxing's Lonnie Zaid.
"He was good," Skolnik said moments after the fight. "When he hit me, I felt every shot. I'll get back in the gym and keep working - but harder." Williams worked Skolnik against the ropes in each of the first three rounds, unleashing body-to-head combinations each time, but couldn't fell him. Skolnik wasn't able to consistently land his jab against the slightly taller, lankier Williams. "If he puts the jab on him (Williams), I think he wins the fight," said Trigger owner Bill Bustance, Skolnik's trainer. "But I'm very proud of Tim. I think he really defined himself today. We'll get plenty of cracks against Williams in the future." Skolnik says his lack of heavyweight competition in the area hampered his conditioning. "You can push yourself in the gym and on the road, but there's no big fighters around here for me to spar with, and that makes it hard," he said. "But I have a great trainer, and that's what got me here. "If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't wait to hit him with a flurry in the fourth round. I felt I could steal the fight in the fourth." Skolnik, now 22-5 as an amateur, emerged from Saturday's first-ound matchup with Russian Alen Basic of Crown Boxing, winning a four-round decision after a less-than-artistic bout that featured as many clenches as power shots. "He (Basic) has an awkward style," Skolnik explained. "He'd punch and then (lunge) into me. There are always things to do to adjust to that, but he was just a rugged fighter - sort of like (professional heavyweight) John Ruiz." Donnie Turner, another of Trigger's entries, lost a controversial decision to Daniel Wallace of Irish Hills at 152 pounds. Turner was penalized two points for holding, which led to the judgment for Wallace, 4-1. A review of the judges' scorecards revealed that Turner would have claimed a 3-2 victory were it not for the referee's ruling. "It was (Wallace) who was holding," Bustance said. "He should have warned Donnie, but the best fighter isn't going on to nationals." Turner clearly won the first round, displaying quickness and making Wallace miss repeatedly. Wallace opened the next three rounds with aggressive flurries, keeping Turner on his heels until the middle of the rounds. Turner was assessed the two holding penalties in the fourth. "He said I was holding, but I wasn't," Turner said. "I was resting; breathing. That happens (in boxing) all the time. I still ... feel like I beat him anyway." Turner, who had defeated Wallace at the Grand Traverse Resort in a bout last February, fell to 10-8 as an amateur. He drew a bye for Saturday's opener. In other bouts on Sunday, Manistee Boxing Club's Donovan Parker was TKO'd in the fourth round by Tyrone Harris of Lansing's Crown Boxing at 141 pounds. Harris, a southpaw, drew blood in the second round and his fluid, aggressive style overmatched Parker. Harris dropped Parker in the third, and the referee stopped the bout midway through the final round. In Sunday's most dominant performance, Johnathan Banks of Kronk overwhelmed Manistee National Guard's Jacob Herro with a first-ound knockout at 178 pounds. Banks, who had a substantial reach advantage, pummeled Herro into a standing eight count before sending him skidding across the canvas with a devastating left hand that ended the fight before Herro could get into a flow. Other boxers who advanced to the national championships in Colorado Springs included Justin Lopez of Michigan Gold Gloves Association in Grand Rapids (112 pounds), Lopez's teammate Ryan Schmidt (119), Kronk's Miguel Gonzalez (125), and Weston Ferguson of Kronk who was uncontested at 132 pounds. Andre Dirrell of the Flint Police Athletic League - who won a narrow decision over Crown's Larry Carter in one of Sunday's most entertaining and evenly-matched contests - and MGGA's Adam Mayweather will have a box-off next weekend in Davison to determine the state title at 165 pounds. The box-offs at 165 and heavyweight are necessary because more than four fighters entered the state championships at those weights, and amateurs are restircted in how often they can fight in a weekend as per USA Boxing regulations.
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