By Raymond Rolak
Sports Editor
Andrej Fonfara celebrates his ninth round win over Gabriel Campillo at U.S. Cellular Field.
Photo courtesy of Team Fonfara
CHICAGO– Boxing returned under the lights at the ballpark in Chicago but it was a first for U.S. Cellular Field. Back in the day, on the ‘South Side’, Comiskey Park regularly held big-time fights, the last being in 1962.
Two Polish born contenders highlighted the slugfests as Andrzej Fonfara knocked out Gabriel Campillo in the ninth round with a nasty body-blow. Campillo had previously controlled the fight. Fonfara, 26, (24-2, 14 KO) was born in Radom, Poland and now trains in Chicago. He is on tap for an IBF title shot against Bernard Hopkins. Post-fight, Fonfara met with cheering supporters at the Playbook Sports Bar in Niles.
In the heavyweight match, Artur Szpilka knocked out Mike Mollo in the fifth round. It was another hard-hitting slugfest. The rematch put Szpilka, 22, (16-0, 12 KO) on the world map as a title contender. The 6’3” southpaw cracked Mollo with a hard left to the body and the loser never finished the fifth round. Mollo was able to rise from the canvas but the referee waived him off and it was a TKO for Szpilka. The winner hails from Wielicizka, Poland and also trains in Chicago currently.
ESPN televised the fights and in the second match, Adrian Granados (12-2-2, 8 KO) came up after being knocked down to score an exciting win over Mark Salser (15-1, 9 KO). It was the first loss for Salser.
Fight Results from the Sportgym Radom in Radom, Poland from August 31,
Przemyslaw Opalach RTD2 Ionut Trandafir Ilie- Ilie injured his right hand at the end of the round two and didn’t come out for round three.
Michal Zerominski RTD2 Mariusz Czerniewski- Czerniewski was given a standing 8 count at the end of round two and retired in his corner before the third round.
Nikodem Jezewski W4 Michal Szebestik
Damian Wrzesinski TKO2 Petr Gyna
Ewa Brodnicka W4 Claudia Szymczak
Ewa Piatkowska TKO1 Pavla Votavova