[Previous entry: "Moorer Added To July 3 Showtime Telecast"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Southie’s Le Blanc notches first win in three years"]
06/12/2004 Archived Entry: "Rowland Beats Ellis for NABA Middleweight Title in National TV Debut"
ROWLAND BEATS ELLIS
for NABA Middleweight Title in National TV Debut
By Ted Kluck
(GRAND RAPIDS, MI) When the boxing scene of an entire half-state rests on the wins and losses of one fighter, fights take on additional meaning. Such is the case in West Michigan where local promoter Gerald Evans of One World Productions has hitched his promotional dollars to Troy Rowland (18-1, 5KO's), a middleweight prospect with eighteen wins, a marketable face and questionable power. Evans, who is African-American, is banking on launching the next Great White Hope.
As Rowland wins, so wins the Deltaplex, and One World Productions. As he loses, the Deltaplex goes back to hosting fish fries and gun shows, and Grand Rapids fight fans resume driving to Detroit or Chicago to see live boxing. So as Troy Rowland entered the ring to fight Kenny Ellis on June 11, much more than a minor sanctioning body title was on the line. Rowland, in his first taste of national television exposure on ESPN2, needed a win to advance his career and to keep West Michigan fight fans in live boxing for the foreseeable future. And his fans - fathers, sons, and women (refreshingly, not just casino tough-guy types) - turned out in force to support their prospect.
Despite looking older and softer than Rowland, a game Kenny Ellis (33-5-2, 22 KO's) came out throwing in the first - using sneaky counterpunches and head movement to keep Rowland at bay and steal the round. There was a distinctly Archie Moore-like quality about Ellis' style that made him an interesting foil to the disciplined boxer in the other corner. However, Ellis showed little of the power that allowed him to notch KO victories against opponents like Ron Weaver, Terry Tock and Darrell Woods.
Though he hasn't faced the same quality of opposition, Rowland appears sharper and better conditioned each time he enters the ring. After being rocked with a hard Ellis right in the first round, Rowland settled down in the second and began to dictate the tempo of the fight with a superior jab and adequate defense. Ellis, whose last defeat came at the hands of Kingsley Ikeke (another tall fighter) in August of 2003, was visibly frustrated at his inability to land solid power shots. Rowland settled into the same comfortable tempo he exhibits in most of his fights - doing enough to win rounds and landing the occasional power shot. Rowland kept it simple throughout, utilizing jabs and straight right hands to score on a tiring Ellis as the fight wore on.
The cagey Ellis hung around, however, and showed a solid chin, good defensive skills, and much heart. Rowland, desperately needing a televised knockout, would not get it tonight. He would, however, notch another impressive unanimous decision.
His fans would also go home happy and give those at ringside the privilege of witnessing one of boxing's subtler pleasures - seeing a hometown favorite put on a great show in front of an appreciative crowd. And though ESPN has cut funding for its signature (read: only) boxing show, ratings are up and the fights have been, for the most part, watchable, as they've discovered that lesser-known lighter-weight fighters generally present themselves better than lesser known (read: slovenly) heavyweights.
So as Troy Rowland fans trickled out of the Deltaplex and ring card girls armed with disposable cameras lined up for pictures of the fighter, you're left with the impression that One World again managed to capture the delicate mix of violence, sex and family that goes into selling a boxing show. Whether Rowland has the goods to compete with elite middleweights still remains to be seen, but as one fan put it - there "ain't no show like a One World Show."
I couldn't agree more - let's do it again next month.
