By Dave Spencer
Photos Richard Anber

Arash Usmanee (20-0 10KO made short of previously unbeaten Alan Paredes (15-1-1 5KO) with a TKO victory at :45 of the third round. A combiantion to the body put the Peruvian fighter down to his knees and while Paredes made it up to his knees, his corner quickly called a halt to the fight saving their overmatched fighter for another day. The #5 (WBA) ranked Usmanee also scored a knockdown in the second with a well timed left hand counter.
While Usmanee was able to dominate from the opening moments where he found a home for his right hand with some solid body shots, the Red Deer fighter wasn't as impressed as a lot of fan base. "it was alright," Usmanee told FightNews afterwards, "I,m going to have to see it because everybody else around me seems happier than I am. I always like a win and a knockout of course, but I let him get away so many times. But it was a ten round fight so I didn't have to go crazy."
Despite Paredes campaigning regularly as a lightweight, Usmanee was the much bigger man in the ring and was able to impose his will against the Peruvian who has fought almost exclusively in his home country. "He looked a lot softer than I did," said Usmanee who has gone up against undefeated opponents in two of his last three fights. "I'm usually bigger and stronger than my opponents because I cut a lot of weight, but I thought he was going to be a little bit stronger and tougher than what he was and gone on a little longer. I was a bit disappointed (that his corner stopped it), but I understand, you always want to finish things a little more devastating."


Super-featherweight Kevin Lavallee (10-0-1 8KO) went eight round for the first time winning a 80-72, 79-73, 80-72 decision over opponent Robert Daluz (13-42-3 9KO). After going less than a round in his last two fights, it was just what the doctor ordered for Lavallee who had an awkward opponent who not only could take a punch but throw back as well. "i'm really happy i got to do eight rounds, but we expected that and we knew he was going to be swinging, so I had to keep my guard up and roll with some of the punches." daluz had lost thirteen in a row going in and Lavallee established his jab early and worked the body well for the duration. Despite the huge number of losses by the Baltimore fighter, he has learned to survive in the ring and has only been stopped five times.

David Whittom did his best to make things a physical fight on the inside in the early going but Francy Ntetu was dominant with a 6th round TKO at 1:27 of the final round. Ntetu (7-0 2KO) opened the final round with a righthand bomb and didn't let up and had Whittom's (11-18-1 7KO) perched on the third step for the entire round until he finally ended things for his over-matched fighter. Ntetu was able to pick apart his opponent who walked straight in for much of the fight, but there were times where Whittom was invited in with Ntetu doing little his opponent with any significant punches. Whittom made things mildly competitive when allowed to walk in as he did in the second and fourth, but when the fighter simply let his hands go, he couldn't miss.

After a knockdown in the first round, undefeated lightweight Michael Gadbois (7-0 3KO) mounted a well balanced attack before finally ending things at 2:46 of the 5th round of a scheduled six against Dave Aucoin (2-7). Aucoin was helpless on the ropes and the fight was in the process of being called when a final left put Aucoin down to the canvas.

Frank Cotroni (4-1) suffered his first defeat as a professional as a badly cut right eye forced a halt to the fight at 2:16 of the fourth and final round making Mariusz Biskupski (17-20-1 7KO). Cut aside, this one belonged all to the visiting Polish fighter who scored three knockdowns along the way. Biskupski scored a big right in the second that sent Cotroni down to the canvas midway through the second. A counter left had the previously undefeated fighter kissing the canvas again as the round ended. Cotroni tried gamely to come back in the third but still hadn't found his legs and was again caught with a solid left that put him down again. A couple of right hands by the local fighter to end the round gave him some hope and he came out charging in the final round but more left counters opened a cut that gave Cotroni even more problems. One look by the ringside doctor and this one was over.

A competitive and entertaining fight had middleweight Francis Lafreniere (2-3-1) winning a 60-54, 59-55, 59-55 decision over Chris Aucoin (4-8-1). Lafreniere used a strong jab and boxing ability over the first four rounds until he turned things on in the fifth, hurting Aucoin to the body and sending his mouthpiece bouncing through the ring and into the third row. Lafreniere punished the body of Aucoin in the final round in hopes of ending things but the Ontario fighter hung tough and forced the fight to the scorecards.
Cruiserweight Steven Harvey (2-0 2KO) was once again impressive with a KO victory over Guy Desforges (5-9) at 2:17 of the opening round. Harvey towered of his rotund 39-year-old opponent and had him down with a left to the midsection and a right to the body. Harvey scored moments later with another right to the body that Desforges was insistent was low. Referee Marlon Wright wasn't buying it and counted the New Brunswick fighter out.

A solid effort by cruiserweight Andrew Gardiner (3-0) who won all four rounds against winless Mariusz Radziszewski (0-10), scoring a 40-36, 40-36, 40-35 decision. Gardiner did his best work in the first two rounds where he pounded the body of his Polish opponent and had him hurt in the second round.

In a match-up of debuting middleweights, G.N. Mejia got off to a blazing start against Michel Tsalla scoring two big knockdowns from right hands in the first minute and finished things with two more in the third to score a TKO victory at 1:28. After the initial two knockdowns, Meija was looking for the big shot to end things and loaded up and simply didn't engage in the second round. That all changed in the third when both fighters upped their work rate and Mejia stunned Tsalla with a solid left hook and brought him down to the canvas with a right to the jaw. Mejia soon got the highlight reel knockout he was looking for moments later; after relying almost exclusively on his right hand, Mejia put Tsalla flat on his back with a left to the jaw that had referee Alain Villeneuve jumping in immediately and waving the fight off.