Prospect looks to move up, while former champ hopes to get back

Is Seldon Back In The Picture? Photo:Joey Belnome

By: Mike Indri
Retired Boxers Foundation

Atlantic City – Last night the popular House of Blues club, at the Showboat Hotel & Casino, was turned into a proverbial House of “Bruise”, as the Rising Star Promotions five-bout fightcard held at the hot nightspot was filled with enough knockdowns and knockouts to keep any KO-minded boxing fan happy.

While much of the one-sided action was the result of several mismatches, the lively crowd did not seem to mind and actually appreciated the gutsy efforts put forth by the overwhelmed opponents.

Fighting in the main event, former World Boxing Association heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon overpowered an out of shape, and out-gunned, Livin Castillo, forcing the Ecuadorian fighter’s corner to humanely throw in the towel at the 53 second mark of round five.
While never tasting the canvas Castillo was literally knocked senseless and out on his feet at the end of round three. After controlling the first six minutes of the scheduled eight round contest, Castillo was unable to keep the stronger and heavier handed Seldon from finally landing several hurtful body shots, as well as stinging jabs, which lead to Seldon driving several lethal right hands to the head of the dizzy southpaw as the bell saved the spent fighter.
Castillo somehow came out for round four and actually got the better of the ex-champion, who was getting hit with every punch the still dazed southpaw managed to throw. Luckily for Seldon, the poorly conditioned Castillo’s shots were ineffective and without much pop. Still, it was not a good sign that Seldon’s left eye was badly bruised and appeared to be closing at the fights midway point. As round five began a motivated and desperate Seldon came out of his corner looking to end the fight and hoisted many heavy shots, which an exhausted Castillo was able to slip and avoid. Unfortunately Castillo did get caught and the KO-minded “Atlantic City Express” followed up with a bunch of thunderous headshots which had referee Earl Brown scrambling to pull the raging forty-one year-old fighter off the wounded Castillo as his towel was flung into the ring to mercifully stop the beating.
Castillo, now 14-5 (9 KO’s), was a one-time prospect that has now been knockout out in four of his last seven fights, and shamefully entered the ring last night totally unprepared and not in fighting condition.
“I hurt him to the body,” a happy Seldon, now 38-6 (34 KO’s), exclaimed afterwards. “When the cut happened I was taking a lot of shots to the head, they weren’t hurting me but I did not want it (the cut) to stop the fight, so I looked to take him (Castillo) out.”

In the co-feature bout Philadelphia’s Lajuan Simon made short work of Indiana native James Morrow. The USBA middleweight title-holder pounced on his overmatched opponent from the onset, forcing the bewildered fighter to take a knee in hopes of regrouping.
Simon, who made note of the fact that fellow prospects Andy Lee & Tyrone Brunson both had previously registered first round knockouts over Morrow, then drove his hapless foe to the canvas twice more with thudding right hands, before referee Ricky Vera called a halt at the 2:23 mark of the first round. The super middleweight bout was scheduled for ten rounds.
Simon, currently ranked # 13 by the International Boxing Federation, will need to fight a better class of competition to get serious recognition from the sanctioning bodies, in his quest to move up in the rankings and in hopes of getting considered for a world title shot.
Morrow, while game and willing, has lost all three of his fights this year and five of his last six. Since suffering his first professional loss in 2005 (TKO 2 against Dante Craig), Morrow has only been able to win three of his last fourteen fights (3-9-1, with 1 no contest).
Simon remains undefeated, 19-0-2 (9 KO’s).

On the Rising Star Promotions undercard:

Opening the show Camden, NJ middleweight Alex Sanchez, making his pro debut, wowed the crowd with his explosive display of power. After a slow start against Mario Fisher (now 0-2), Sanchez caught the Salisbury, MD native on the ropes and hurt him with a big right hand. Sanchez showed why he is called “Too Strong” as he followed with a nasty barrage of headshots that hammered his wincing foe down to the canvas as the ringside physician ran into the ring while referee Ricky Vera was stopping the carnage.
Thankfully Fisher, who was stopped this past Feb. in his other loss (TKO 2 against Mike Denby), appeared fine as he walked out of the ring under his own power.
Middleweight Mike Tiberi continued the assault, taking out his unskilled opponent William Armstead after depositing the Columbus, Ohio native to the deck three times within 2:13 of the first round. Tiberi improved to 5-0, with his third knockout win.
Armstead slipped to 2-6 and has not won a fight since 2005.
In his last fight, a similar first round knockout loss, against talented Ronny Vargas of New York (02/09/2008), Armstead embarrassed himself after rolling out, and then rolling back into the ring following Vargas’s first combination. With referee Eddie Cotton counting ever so slowly, Armstead made it to his feet at the count of nine and three quarters – only to say he was unable to continue!

The fight of the night honors went to Bryne Green and Gustavo Delli, a pair of young lightweight that battled in a four rounder.
Green, from Orlando Fla. and under the expert tutelage of Oscar Suarez, one of the finest trainers and people within boxing, remained undefeated (3-0, 2 KO’s) while Philadelphia’s Delli remained winless at 0-2.
>From the opening bell it was obvious to all that the finely tuned Green was the better skilled and more proficient boxer, yet Delli won over the crowd with his determination, concrete chin and toughness, that would make any “Philly fighter” proud.
Suffering ruled knockdowns in rounds two and four as his gloves touched the canvas after several of Green’s blistering combinations, Delli never stopped and never took a backward step. Presenting a new look to the twenty-four year old Green, the southpaw Delli displayed the tenacity and heart of a grizzled veteran and fought hard to earn the right to be known as the first fighter to go the distance with the gifted Green.
Both fighters gave the judges their only work for the night as Lynne Carter scored it 40-35, and both Robert Grasso and George Hill saw it 40-34 for Green who looked impressive in his unanimous decision victory.

Former world champions Virgil Hill and Tim Witherspoon being on hand further enhanced the Rising Star Promotions event.
The boxing fans were treated to potential greatness in the likes of Lajuan Simon and Bryne Greene – both of who exhibited tremendous skill, as well as the true meaning of boxing in the proud efforts of Gustavo Delli.
The crowd also got to see a big win, a meaningful victory, for Bruce Seldon. While it was far from perfect, the win provided some much needed jubilation for the former world champion, who looked happier than he has been in a very long time.

Retired Boxers Foundation (http://www.retiredboxers.org/