Craig Weber scored the biggest win of his career with a knockout of former three-time World Champ Frankie Randall. (Photo by Larry Bennet)

Hometown heroes rock the Gund
at Friday Night at the Fights
By Zachary Dzurick
Sports
Published July 20, 2005

Click here for an archive of West Life Sports Editor Zachary Dzurick's "Red Right 88" weekly columns.

It was a good night for Ohio fighters last Friday night at Gund Arena. Local fans went home happy as five of their six hometown favorites won at Jeff Richie's Money$Worth IBA Legend Series event.

The fans also got their money's worth thanks to a great main event between Perrysville fighter Craig Weber and three-time World Champ Frankie "The Surgeon" Randall. The two fighters staged a very entertaining and exciting fight before a body shot slowed Randall who took a knee and quit in the sixth round. Randall announced his retirement after the fight ending his career with a 59-18-1 record.

Weber's trainer Joe Delguyd was very pleased with the performance

"That was Craig's best fight," Delguyd said. "He got hit a lot less. Did you notice? No cuts. No swelling. His body punching improved. With Craig, he gets better with every fight. Who knows where we will end up? He does everything we ask him to do in the gym and it shows in the fight."

Weber said Randall's style was tailor made for him.

"It was the kind of fight I was made to fight. He wasn't running away from me. I don't like people who run away and don't fight me," Weber said. "It was very satisfying. I know he was a little past his prime. People say you should have fought him ten years ago. Well ten years ago I was just a 20 year old kid who was dropping out of college."

The win could set up a big payday for Weber on the national scene but the fighter said he is near the end of his career himself.

"I am only going to maybe fight one more time," Weber said. "I have two little girls at home and my wife."

Vonda Ward won the IBA cruiserweight title exactly two years to the day she won her heavyweight title. (Photo by Larry Bennet)

Northfield's Vonda Ward won the IBA Cruiserweight title with a workman like victory over Casandra Geigger. Ward had knockdowns of Geigger in the first and seventh rounds. Geigger did not throw many punches and tried to hold all fight. Ward remained patient and wore Geigger down. While the first knockdown may have been a slip, Ward earned the second one.

"It was exactly the game plan that my trainers wanted," Ward said. "She is good and not going to go down easy. It was a relief when she went down in the seventh round. I knew she would get back up as she has the heart of a lion but I knew I had her mentally."

Ward was happy to win a title in Cleveland.

"It is awesome to win a title here and it is exactly the same day as two years ago when I won my heavyweight title," Ward said. "It is great to do it in front of the home crowd."

Her trainer liked what he saw as well.

"Vonda has a lot of gifts and she just started boxing a few years ago," Delguyd said. "She did a tremendous job, that girl was strong. Vonda is getting better at using her legs.

Three young boxers were impressive as part of the under card. Olympic Heavyweight Devin Vargas won his third pro fight with a first round knock out of Andrew Solana. While it appeared a major mismatch, the Toledo based fighter said he did not go into the fight thinking that way.

"I respect every opponent who gets in the ring," Vargas said. "He is a boxer like me. Obviously he is in a condition where his manager put him in the fight. I take no one lightly. I take every fight like a championship fight. I never fought anyone 290 before. I am happy and I am ready to fight next week if I could."

After the fight, Vargas said he wanted to send out a message to Cleveland area boxing fans.

"I am from right down the road," Vargas said. "I love coming to Cleveland to fight. This is where I won the Olympic box-offs. Cleveland is a good town for fighting."

Cleveland native Ron Johnson won a four round decision over James "The Heat" North. North smiled and ran for most of the fight before Johnson removed his smile with a big fourth round. It wasn't the knockout Johnson had hoped for, but he was pleased with his progress in what was just his fourth pro fight.

"I was nervous coming out," Johnson said. "He was a really good experienced opponent. I am happy with how I fought. I had better defense and I was more intense."

After the fight, Johnson grabbed the ring mike to thank the fans. He said it was important to him to do it.

"Without the fans I would not be where I am at right now," Johnson said.

His world-renowned trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., believes Johnson can improve but is on the right path.

"He needs to throw his right hand straighter," Mayweather said. "I think he could have stopped the guy if he had hit him with a lot of good straight right hands. It was just his fourth pro fight. I am going to work with him and he is going to get it right."

Mayweather believes it is only a matter of time before a Cleveland fighter wins a world title.

"Ron can be that guy," Mayweather said. "I am training three Cleveland fighters: the Bey Brothers (Mickey and Cortez) and Ron. Someone will definitely be a champ out of that bunch."

Newbury's Bill Brown won his second pro fight with a first round knockout of Dave Talbaught. Brown caught him in the neck and T took a knee and quit just 1:24 into the fight.

The only hometown hero to lose was West Park resident Joe DiSalvo. He had an entertaining fight against Ted Muller. The two exchanged blows before DiSalvo's eye was cut and started to close. DiSalvo was knocked down in the fourth and again in the fifth before his trainer Joe Delguyd stopped the fight.

Overall it was a great night of boxing and the fans went home happy.

"It is fabulous," Delguyd said. "All of Perrysville, all of Mansfield and all of my neighborhood in Cleveland is here. It was a great night."