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07/30/2006 Archived Entry: "Reggie Davis Stops Dewey Welliver in Super Welterweight Slugfest!"
Reggie Davis Stops Dewey Welliver in Super Welterweight Slugfest!
Story and photos by Greg Beyer
Davis (left) and Welliver engage in a thrilling war
TACOMA, Wash., July 29th - Having met twice before, Reggie Davis of Portland and Dewey Welliver of Spokane needed no time to feel each other out. In a cohesive brawl, these two super welters came at each other hard and fast at the opening bell. Davis, the more fluid of the two and Welliver, always tough and determined, treated a raucous crowd at the Emerald Queen Casino to a dramatic battle highlighted by a “Round of the Year” candidate sixth which had both fighters on the deck and in serious trouble.
In the fourth round, Davis landed a crunching right to the chin of the onrushing Welliver and Dewey’s legs splayed out in opposite directions like a newborn colt. But for the huge heart of Welliver, it could have ended there. After this knockdown, it seemed only a matter of time, but Dewey was not finished yet.
Early in the sixth, Reggie again dropped Dewey with another right hand and it seemed over for sure. Planting his feet as Davis moved in for the kill, Dewey put everything he had on a desperation overhand right which caught the incoming Davis square on the chin and propelled him flat to the floor, his head bouncing hard off the mat. It appeared for a brief breathtaking moment that Welliver had pulled off a miracle. Somehow, Davis lifted himself, stumbled into the ropes and shook his head clear during Referee Jeff Macaluso's 8 count. The round ended with both boxers blazing away and the crowd screaming their approval.
That great sixth round was the last hope for Dewey Welliver. The brave boxer tried his best to find a way to stem the flow of punches coming from the talented Davis but continued to weaken from the torrid pace and steady barrage of body punches. With the final rounds punctuated by both fighters landing retaliatory low blows, Macaluso finally stepped in and rescued Dewey at 2:13 of the 10th and final round.
Reggie Davis improves to 16-3 with his third win over Welliver. Dewey dropped to 16-17-1 and while nobody will ever question his courage, Dewey himself needs to contemplate whether he needs to continue boxing.
Looking dazed as he made his way though a throng of back slapping patrons, Dewey was rehydrated in the dressing room and then sent off to the hospital for observation and a Cat scan.
Braulio Lopez (center) flanked by Manager Molly McConnell (left) and Trainer Leonard Trigg
In the best fight on the under card, "Snarling" Braulio Lopez, a super lightweight of Mollala, Oregon, brought a 1-4 record into a four round bout with undefeated Jason Davis, 3-0, of Vancouver, Washington. After Jason took the first with his superior boxing, Lopez dug in and surprised Davis by landing a steady flow of overhand rights, never again allowing Jason to get set.
After being awarded a majority decision, one judge somehow called the fight a draw, Lopez, who is trained by Leonard Trigg and newly managed by Molly McConnell, stated he was in the best shape of his young career. Almost quitting the game after a dismal start and a recent loss to Greg Piper, Braulio Lopez seems to have found himself. He would not be denied this night. You could almost hear this young man growling as he attacked and sent sweat flying off the head of his stunned opponent.
Promoter Brian Halquist put together a solid show. The Emerald Queen is larger than most casino boxing sites and a large crowd was on hand for the festivities. On a night when Roy Jones, Jr. made a comeback appearance on PPV television, few of the fans in Tacoma were dissuaded from making their way to the Emerald Queen. This was a wise choice.
In the featured six round light heavyweight semi-main Vancouver, Washington’s Robert Marthaller suffered a bad cut under his bottom lip in the first round. Told by his corner that he needed to get Rodolzo Lewis of Denver out of there, Marthaller went to work and punched continuously for the next two rounds until the end of the third, when Lewis threw a series of punches well after the bell, causing Referee Paul Field to immediately disqualify him.
In the opening bout of the evening, ringside physician Antoine Johnson ordered a 4 round heavyweight fight between Leo Bercier of Great Falls, MT. and Seattle’s Cedric Hendricks halted at the end of the second round with Hendricks obviously out of gas.
In two other 4 rounders, Jess Salway, Browning, MT., won all four rounds against Tony Jiminez, Nampa, ID. in a super welterweight bout and super middleweight Paul Kravchenko won a 4 round unanimous decision over Tomas Padron of Phoenix.
