Hogan Barely Edges Brunson; Miller, Barroso KO Winners

Apr 17, 2015 • 10:31 AM ET

By Jake Donovan

Hinckley, Minn.-- Dennis Hogan managed to remain unbeaten, but was fortunate to get past Tyrone Brunson in taking a debatable unanimous decision Friday evening at Grand Casino.

Scores were 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94 in favor of Hogan, a decision that wasn't well received from the packed house on hand.

Hogan jumped out to a quick lead, but Brunson was able to make adjustments and never let his foot off the gas. The judges felt otherwise, although Hogan finished strong and perhaps offered enough shoeshines to steal it.

Early action saw Hogan working behind his jab and Brunson - a former knockout artist who began his career with 19 consecutive 1st round knockouts - surprisingly fighting in reverse. The tactic ultimately cost the visiting Philadelphia fighter in the end, creating the perception that Hogan was dictating the pace.

Brunson picked up the intensity in round four, scoring with a flush right hand for his best punch of the fight to that point. The action would pick up from there, with Hogan never shifting gears and struggling to adjust.

As the rounds wore on, an upset seemed more imminent. Hogan bit down, letting his hands go in a big round nine that likely sealed the deal for him on the scorecards. Brunson never stopped gunning for the upset, but ran out of time as the 10th and final round came to a close.

Hogan moves to 21-0-1 (7KOs), picking up his second straight win on U.S. soil. The Aussie-based Irishman made his debut on this side of the world last November, settling for a DQ win. Given the crowd reaction, it can be argued that Friday's feat isn't much more satisfying, although a win he will gladly take given the stiff test he endured.

Brunson falls to 22-5-1 (21KOs), with all five losses coming in his last six starts.

UNDERCARD

A night of mismatches at Grand Casino continued with bonus coverage, as Jarrell Miller needed just 100 seconds to get rid of Kenya's Raymond Ochieng.

The awkward yet brief heavyweight affair saw Ochieng come out and throw wide punches, with Miller wisely covering up and riding out the storm. A flurry for the unbeaten Brooklynite quickly changed the course of the fight, with Ochieng literally trapped in the ropes before being pummeled to the canvas.

Referee Gary Miezwa decided that Ochieng - 13 knockout losses heading in - was in no condition to continue, immediately halting the contest. The ruling didn't sit well with the visiting Kenyan, who protested the stoppage, albeit to no avail.

The official time was 1:40 of round one. Miller is now 12-0-1 (10KOs). Ochieng has now lost two straight, falling to 26-19-3 (21KOs).

Ismael Barroso was originally slated to face Derry Mathews in England this weekend, a fight he already accepted on short notice. When visa issues KO'd those plans, the power punching lightweight from Venezuela switched places with Tony Luis and landed on the CBS Sports Network card instead .

Ira Terry certainly wishes his opponent was unable to travel altogether. The once-promising prospect and former amateur standout was drilled in one round, with a straight left hand putting him down and out for the full 10 count.

The official time was 2:48 of round one. Barroso moves to 18-0-2 (17KOs), while Terry - who really should have retired at least five years ago - falls to 26-14 (16KOs).

Barroso will likely aim for a title fight in the near future, though how soon he gets the opportunity remains to be seen. His chance to fight Mathews for a vacant interim title came about only because Richar Abril was a late scratch for reasons only he can answer.

Right now, Mathews is probably a little bit grateful that the lighter-hitting - though still dangerous - Tony Luis will instead be in the opposite corner on Saturday. Chances are, several other lightweights will share that same thought when it comes to be matched with Barroso in the near future.

St. Paul's own Rob Brant maintained his unbeaten record, having no problems in taking out Dionisio Miranda in two rounds.

The bout was as competitive as you would expect from a 24-year old prospect with a perfect record and a shopworn veteran who has suffered seven knockout losses in his last 10 fights heading in. Brant was dominant from the opening bell, with zero fear of incoming as he was able to treat the bout as a glorified sparring session.

The mismatch came to a sudden ending late in round two. Brant teed off on Miranda, landing upwards of eight unanswered head shots in forcing Miranda to the canvas. The 32-year old Colombian journeyman seemed comfortable where he was, remaining down for the full 10 count.

The official time was 2:40 of round two. Brant improves to 15-0 (9KOs); Miranda has now suffered five losses - all by knockout - in his past six fights.

All of the aforementioned bouts aired live on CBS Sports Network.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox

Jake Donovan Profile

Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home.