Butterbean’S Dull Victory Disappoints Boxing Crowd
Butterbean heard the standing-room-only crowd’s candid reaction. His opponent was spared.
The King of the Four-rounders and national treasure in some parts of the country won his super heavyweight fight by unanimous decision over deaf-mute boxer Kevin Tallon Thursday night at the Coeur d’Alene Casino.
But the 2,700 fans who packed the House of Fury on the Best of the Northwest night paid to see a knockout and voiced their disappointment with a hearty booing as his Royal Legume raised his arms in victory.
They came to witness the 347-pound “Tonight Show’ regular land his 46th career knockout in 55 fights. Instead, they watched a 216-pound fighter from Indiana keep away from Butterbean in an action-void main event than saw more dancing than Ricky Martin playing Puerto Rico.
“He ran. What could I do?” said Butterbean, who beat Tallon (5-4) once before. “I wish he could have heard the boos because they were for him.”
In the co-feature junior heavyweight main event, Kenny Ellis of Seattle was pushed to the maximum 10 rounds and scored a unanimous decision against Ron Pasek in a fight that also drew some boos.
“I was not able to loosen up,” said Ellis. “He was surprisingly skilled. I’d shoot the jab and he’d come right over the top. He’s a very schooled, educated boxer.”
Ellis, 29, improved to 23-1 while the 35-year-old Pasek of Edmonton, Alberta, dropped to 9-7.
In the opening four-round cruiserweight fight, Spokane’s Luke Munsen ran his record to 3-0 with a TKO at 1:43 of the fourth over Ty Merrill of Portland.
Munsen began to slow Merrill (3-2) in the third round with a heavy barrage of body shots which set up the head shots.
“I just threw four or five punches to the head and hit him with all of them and he didn’t respond,” said Munsen, a 1998 Mead High School graduate.
In the women’s six-round junior bantam weight bout, Para Draine of Spokane scored a split decision over Brenda Burnside of Post Falls. Draine, a 1991 Rogers High graduate, dominated the first three rounds.
Burnside, who outweighed Draine 115-108, knocked down the wiry boxer in the fourth round. It was the first time Draine (12-2) had hit the canvas in her career.
“She hit me with a straight right hand, but I wasn’t hurt. I didn’t see stars or anything” said Draine. “It was kinda like I thought `Hey, this is cool.’ And I got right back up.”
Burnside, who goes by the name “Tigeress,” and looks the part with tiger stripes tattooed on her back, said she felt she won the fight. But she didn’t walk away snarling.
“ It was a lot of fun and I’m not discouraged,” said the 1981 Post Falls graduate. “It’s great being a pioneer in a sport.”
In a six-round middleweight fight, Ron Cornell (4-1) of Burley, Idaho, won on a split decision over Eugene Lopez of Denver. In another six-round middleweight fight, Darrelle Sukerow (7-2) of Edmonton, Alberta, scored a TKO at 1:52 in the first over Carson “The Goat” Gouthreaux (2-3) of Las Vegas.