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04/21/2007 Entry: "Mia Mugged in Merrillville!"

Mia Mugged in Merrillville!

Photos and story by Juan C. Ayllon

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Brooke Dierdorff (right) bounces a right off Mia Rosales-St. John's head in close


MERRILLVILLE, Ind. -- She only had 3 professional fights, but across the ring, she faced a two-time world champion with a record of 43 wins, 8 losses, 2 draws, and 18 knockouts.

That and her opponent was the celebrated female boxer, Mia Rosales-St. John. Making numerous media appearances leading up to the fight, it was assumed that she’d steamroll her little known opponent who came as a last minute replacement for her originally scheduled opponent, Rita Figueroa, who’d pulled out due to a torn rotator cuff in training.

“I got a call six days ago. I hadn’t been training, but I’m always in shape,” Brooke Dierdorff said. That, and she had won the National Golden Gloves Championship as an amateur at featherweight, or the 125 lb. division in 2005.

Whatever illusions Rosales-St. John harbored going in, they were jarred loose with a booming right to the head in round one. The blow stopped St. John in tracks and caused her to do a slight stutter step.

The war was on.

Both had their moments, as they mauled, slugged and roughed each other up non-stop for six rounds. It wasn’t so much a boxing match, but a primeval brawl with pink gloves on.

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Dierdorff crowded and threw the full weight of her body behind virtually ever swing, winging hurtful blows to body and head. Rosales-St. John slugged back fiercely, catching her more aggressive foe with rights coming in and combinations in close. There was a lot of grappling in close and a little hitting and holding on her part. Yet, for all her experience, shed couldn’t quite offset her younger tormentor’s raw aggression and power.

Dierdorff wasn’t intimidated and, at times, manhandled Rosales-St. John when pinned on the ropes, forcibly grabbing and turning her back to the ropes. She was just that strong and energetic. And, she was beating Rosales-St. John up.

In the fourth, Rosales-St. John fell on her backside from what appeared to be a punch landed while she was off balance and squared-up. Referee Kurt Spivey ruled it a slip.

“I thought it was a knockdown. I landed an uppercut,” said Dierdorff.

Asked if she thought Spivey was fair, she said, “Yes…(but) the ref was in really close. When I hit her she fell into him several times. I think that helped her (remain upright).”

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Going into the sixth and final round, St. John appeared behind in points. Gathering herself up, she repeatedly backed Dierdorff to the ropes and battered with both fists. Dierdorff fought back hard, but fighting in her first six-rounder, she seemed to tire and was clearly edged in this round.

It was now up to the scorecards.

The crowd, which earlier cheered on Rosales-St. John, booed when they began to announce the last score card: 58 to 56 for the still…”

Boos resounded in the Star Plaza Theatre.

“…undefeated…”

Cheering rose, mixing with the boos.

“Brooke Dierdorff!”

Cheers thundered. This evening, the underdog had won, and deservedly so.

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Judges scored the bout 59-55 for Dierdorff, 59-55 for Mia Rosales-St. John, and 58-56 for Dierdorff, giving her a split decision win.

The two combatants embraced. Her face swollen, Mia Rosales-St. John quietly exited the ring with her corner men in tow. Tonight, there would be no more media appearances for her.

Dierdorff, who weighed in at 129 lbs. to Rosales-St. John’s 136, said, “I don’t think she thought I was that strong.”

Well, she was, and then some.

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Nick Cook (right) unloads on Jeff Baker

In a highly-anticipated light heavyweight showdown, La Porte, Indiana’s light heavyweight Nick Cook (14-1-1, 8 KO’s) dug a short left hook to the liver of Jeff “Boom Boom” Baker (15-3, 7 KO’s). And down he went. Battered and exhausted, Baker crawled on hands and knees seeking to right himself. Referee Spivey counted him out at 42 seconds into the ninth round.

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Cook (left) traps Baker on the ropes

Cook dropped Baker in the first round, maintained a tight guard, and remained the fresher of the two in a heated slugfest that had the audience cheering throughout.

In the eighth, Baker—who’d been slowing down—came alive and slugged with wanton abandon. However, it was his last stand.

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Baker (left) splits Cooks guard with a jarring left jab

Later, Baker said, "I felt like the fight was close, I felt like we both threw a lot of combinations and good, hard shots throughout the fight. I feel like Nick Cook's best attribute is his chin, because he got hit with a lot of shots that would have put a lot of people down. I wish it would have gone to the 10th round, because we were really looking to have a barrage of punches, non-stop, to pull this fight out in the 10th round.

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Baker (right) bangs away at Cook on the ropes

"We got hit with a good liver shot. And, as much as you want to crawl around and get on your feet when you've been paralyzed by a liver shot, it's really hard to recover from that within 10 seconds. Just ask De La Hoya. Same exact shot, same exact shot when he fought Hopkins!

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Baker is counted out, courtesy of a liver shot

"Now I wish Nick Cook good luck, and maybe we can get it on again in the near future."

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Mary McGee (right) launches a right...

Gary, Indiana’s Mary McGee (137 lbs., 8-0, 4 KO’s) found her opponent, Ohio’s Christian Jones (139 lbs., 0-2), rugged when she swung to the head, as she jabbed and crossed her less experienced foe. She took her punches well and swung back hard. In the second round, however, McGee discovered that she didn’t take it to the body so well, ripping a series of rights to the side, knocking out Jones at 1:07 into the second round.

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Jones is out from a body shot

Anticipating that Mia Rosales-St. John would win tonight, she said afterwards, “Hey everybody, I just want to say to Mia St. John: Just like tonight—she’s next.”

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Holmes sets up his right hand with a jab

Jimmy “The Fighting School Teacher" Holmes (154 lbs, 14-0-2, 7 KO’s) jabbed and belted Dean “The Destroyer” Nichols (154 lbs., 8-14, 6 KO’s.) around the ring, then flattened him at 1:01 of the first round with an overhand right.

St. Louis, Missouri’s lightweight “Dangerous” Don Moore (10-0-1, 8 KO’s) jabbed, peppered and jarred Pedro Flores (1-1) and knocked him out with the third 1:52 seconds of the first round with a series of rights.

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Jason Cook (left) ducks under Mark Long's right

In his pro debut, Nick Cook’s brother, Jason Cook (174 lbs.) took a couple hard shots, then dropped Moline, Illinois’ Mark “Dynamite” Long (175 lbs., 1-5, 1 KO) with a solid right and finished him with another smashing right about a minute later at 2:48 into round one. Cook said afterwards, “I should have kept my hands higher.”

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Cook drops Long. Later that round, he flattened him for good.

Cook added, “I heard he was an ultimate fighter, so I was a little nervous. But once I felt his punches, I was, like (Cook shrugged his shoulders).”

Sounds like Jason Cook and Brooke Dierdorff shared similar sentiments, as they both took major steps in their careers under the bright lights of the Star Plaza Theatre.

* * *

This event was promoted by Octavius James' One in Million Boxng

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Jimmy Holmes celebrates his victory atop the turnbuckles

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Famed Indiana fighter Marty Jakubowski and his wife Teresa at ringside

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