By Jake Donovan
For the second straight season, a Contender champion was crowned by way of knockout. Last season, it was Sakio Bika outbombing Jaidon Codrington to take the crown in what became a high-runner up for 2007 Fight of the Year honors.
This year’s finale was nowhere near as action packed (such a comparison is almost unfair), but Troy Ross left behind a memorable Contender legacy, scoring a fourth-round stoppage of Ehinomen “Hino” Ehikhamenor to earn the reality show’s top prize.
The bout headlined a doubleheader aired live on VERSUS network from the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
Round one opened to a healthy pace, with both fighters standing toe to toe looking to gain ground on the other. Ehikhamenor used his jab to time his southpaw foe, coming back with his right hand early and often. Ross almost always responded with heavy artillery, showing little to no interest in allowing a boxing match to break out.
Ehikhamenor kept pumping the right hand in the second, but truly began to feel his opponent’s heavy-handed power. Ross tightened up his defense enough to minimize the incoming and come back with several straight lefts and right hooks. The same development unfolded in round three, with both fighters throwing as if they had no interest in going the scheduled ten-round distance.
It wouldn’t even go four.
The fourth round started out competitive, though the writing was on the wall that Ross was threatening to take over for good. What wasn’t expected was how soon he’d gain control, and the sudden ending to the fight soon thereafter.
Both fighters were throwing, but it was Ross getting the better of the exchanges. A left hand and well-placed right hook to the body forced Ehikhamenor to clinch along the ropes. The sequence turned out to be the beginning of the end. A right hook upstairs staggered the New York-based Nigerian. Two consecutive lefts and another right hook sent him reeling defenseless into a corner, where Ross went to town until referee Steve Smoger stepped in to rescue Ehikhamenor from further punishment.
The official time was 1:00 of the fourth round, though erroneously announced as 2:00 by ring announcer John Vena.
Along with The Contender championship, Ross picks up his ninth straight win in improving overall to 21-1 (15KO). The reality series was very good to the Guyanian, now living in Canada. Four straight wins came of the series, including three knockouts. Wins over Lawrence Tauasa, Felix Cora Jr and Akinyemi Laleye paved the path to The Contender finale, losing nary a round along the way.
Once upon a time, Ross was a two-time national (Canada) amateur champion. His pro career never really got going, building up minor notoriety in his adopted homeland, but never so much as making a ripple outside of Canada. His impressive run on the reality series figures to change that.
Unclear for the moment is where Ehinomen Ehikhamenor goes from here. A 12-3 journeyman entering the series, wins over Darnell Wilson, Deon Elam and Rico Hoye helped breathe life into his career. The knockout loss to Ross is a setback, but can take comfort in the fact that he was competitive for three rounds of a slugfest before simply getting caught in the fourth.
The three aforementioned wins represented his longest win streak in four years, though it now comes to an end as he falls to 15-4 (7KO).
A pair of career light heavyweights square off in the consolation bout (the Contender bronze medal slot, as referred to by announcer Nick Charles). In the end, it was Hoye emerging victorious, easily cruising past Akinyemi “AK47” Laleye in scoring a one-sided eight round decision.
The opening round was fought in a phone booth. Hoye controlled the action when he boxed, and enjoyed success with his overhand right. Lalaye was more economical with his punches, but clearly landed the more telling blows, especially in the second half of the round, including a left hook to rock Hoye with about 45 seconds left.
Laleye’s aggression appeared to throw Hoye off of his rhythm. Hoye enjoyed a considerable height and reach advantage, both of which were neutralized by the close distance.
That changed in the third, when Hoye was able to get his jab going, while Laleye was already gasping for air and throwing considerably less. By the time the fourth round began, it was clear which way the momentum shifted, and that a reversal of fortunes was not to be expected. Hoye was attacking the body and consistently landing upstairs, while Laleye was forced to clinch for much of the round.
The advice given to Hoye prior to the fifth round was a clear message. “This guy isn’t Floyd Mayweather,” Hoye was told by his trainers as he was urged to continue to deliver a boxing lesson. He followed orders, while Laleye was fighting like a man in search of the nearest exit. A point deduction came for excessive holding, followed up by a bull rush that drove Hoye through the ropes and out of the ring. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr warned both fighters to keep it clean, after which Hoye connected with a left hook that drew a reaction from the crowd.
After being outfought for much of the sixth, Laleye decided to give it the old college try in the seventh. Hoye kept pumping the jab, but was eating the occasional right hand from his desperate opponent. It was more of the same in the eighth and final round, save for a brief two-way flurry along the ropes with about a minute left in the fight.
Scoring was academic, even with New England judges at ringside. All three officials saw the bout 79-72 in favor of Hoye, who improves to 23-3 (15KO). He winds up going 3-1 in the series, with his lone loss coming in the semi-final round against eventual runner-up Ehinomen Ehikhamenor.
At age 34, it’s possible that The Contender was his final saving grace, as the cruiserweight division is rapidly shaping up to become a young man’s world. Time will tell, though he enters the real world with a better future outlook than was the case prior to his trip to Singapore.
Laleye loses his second straight in dipping to 12-3 (6KO).
The show was presented by Tournament of Contenders, LLC.
Jake Donovan is a voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Comments/questions can be submitted to JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.