The CBZ Newswire

By Ricardo Ibarra

Photos by Mike Blair

Coley, at left, works the body.

Hayward, California’s Aaron Coley (14-1-1, 6 KOs) defeated Dashon Johnson (22-21-3, 7 KOs) on Saturday night at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington, out-working the more experienced journeyman over ten rounds in the middleweight main event of Brian Halquist Productions’ Battle at the Boat 110.

Coley, a southpaw, employed a cautious approach early, working behind his right jab and feinting with his left, seemingly trying to bait his opponent into opening himself up for a counter. Coley slowly started to pick up his output in the second round, finding his comfort level and letting his hand go a bit more often. Coley took clear control of the range and pace of the fight in the third and maintained it through the fourth, working at a distance with a steady stream of jabs, keeping Johnson on the outside and on the end of his punches, unable to get in close enough to do any real damage.  (continue reading…)

By Ricardo Ibarra

Photos by Mike Blair

Weston lands on West.

Tacoma, Washington’s Marquice Weston (8-1-1, 4 KOs) rebounded from his lone professional defeat on Saturday night, claiming a fourth round win over Jesse West (8-2, 5 KOs) at the Washington Land Yacht Harbor in Lacey, Washington. Fighting in the main event of Pacific Northwest Professional Boxing Promotions’ “Brawl at Harmony Hall 3” card, Weston dominated the bout before West made the decision to retire nearing the end of the fourth.

Weston employed a methodical approach from the start, working patiently behind his jab and using his legs to set the range of the fight. In the first round Weston was reserved with his power punch output, opening up with occasional straight rights when the opportunity presented itself, but in the second he began to unload with greater regularity, catching West with counter left hooks and right hands as the Utah native tried to bulldoze his way in close. (continue reading…)

By Ricardo Ibarra

Photo by Mike Blair

Johnson, at right, lands on Pinell.

Friday night at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington, Dashon “Fly Boy” Johnson (22-20-3, 7 KOs) punctuated an entertaining middleweight fight, stopping San Francisco’s Ricardo Pinell (14-3-1, 8 KOs) in the tenth and final round. A right uppercut mid-way through the last round left Pinell wobbly, prompting his corner to step up onto the ring apron, calling an end to the contest. The bout served as the main event of Brian Halquist Productions’ 109^th installment of the long-running “Battle at the Boat” Series.

Johnson, of Escondido, California, went to work early, going right at Pinell in the first round with an aggressive assault and stunning the southpaw fighter repeatedly before dropping him with an overhand right-left hook combo. Pinell was up at four and did a good job of weathering much of Johnson’s attack as the action continued, but with ten seconds left in the round, Johnson rocked him once again with an overhand right. (continue reading…)

Gavronski dominates Awimbono in Tacoma

By Ricardo Ibarra

Photo by Mike Blair

Gavronski lands his jab.

TACOMA, WA — Super middleweight prospect Mike “Imagine Me” Gavronski (22-2-1, 14 KOs) continued his career resurgence on Saturday night at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington, adding a second consecutive win to his twenty-two fight win column, thoroughly out-boxing Accra, Ghana’s Thomas Awimbono (25-5-1, 21 KOs) over ten rounds in the main event of Brian Halquist Productions’ “Battle at the Boat 108″.

By Ricardo Ibarra

Gavronski, seen here on the right in previous action (photo by Mike Blair).

Coming off an impressive sixth round knockout win over previously unbeaten Australian prospect Jake Carr just two months ago, Mike “Imagine Me” Gavronski (21-2-1, 14 KOs) will look to keep his renewed momentum going on Saturday night at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington, taking on Accra, Ghana’s Thomas Awimbono (25-4-1, 21 KOs) in the main event of Brian Halquist Productions’ “Battle at the Boat 108″.

Gavronski’s win over Carr in September marked his first fight back since losing to Dashon Johnson last November in a bid for the WBA-NABA US 168 lbs. title, only the second loss of his career. Prior to that, Gavronksi had racked up a six fight win streak, rebounding from a 2014 decision loss to current top middleweight world title contender Tureano Johnson for the vacant WBC Continental Americas middleweight belt. The popular Tacoma native, who recently cracked the WBC rankings at #39, looked sharp in his most recent bout, a product of having spent his training camp outside of his home state of Washington, working with Eddie Rivas in San Antonio, Texas. He’s done the same in preparation for the tough Ghanaian fighter.  (continue reading…)