Show:700725

2014-09-27 Performance Arts Center, Dearborn, Michigan, US

• Ray Edwards W UD Brandon Spencer
• Ernesto Garza III W TKO Jim Sharp
• Zach Shamoun W TKO Joe Bush
• Nicholas Givan W SD Gilbert Venegas
• Dorell Van Horn Jr W TKO Nathan Petty
• Demetrius Banks W TKO Antwaun Tubbs
• Tyler McCreary W TKO Anthony Molson
• Sonny Fredrickson W TKO Brandon Salazar
• Jasmin Reed W UD Stephanie Spehar

REPORT

Edwards Scores Win In Motown[1]
Report/photos by Bob Ryder; FightNews September 28th, 2014
Ex Minnesota Vikings NFL player Ray Edwards continued his foray into the professional boxing ranks with a unanimous 
decision win over Georgia’s Brandon Spencer on Saturday night at the Dearborn Performing Arts Center in suburban 
Detroit. Edwards used his superior technique to outbox Spencer over the 6 round duration to register the win on the 
judges’ cards by scores of 60-54 and 59-55 x 2. Edwards controlled the contest although probably could have done 
better if his trainers (including ex champ Tony Tubbs) could get him to throw his jab with more authority. Edwards 
in using his jab as a pawing range finder instead of an offensive weapon, allowed Spencer to get off an occasional 
wild shot, one of which momentarily buzzed Edwards in the fourth. Ray held on until his head cleared and went right 
back to work. Spencer had shot his bolt by then and did little over the last two rounds although he kept up an 
entertaining chatter with his opponent. Less talk and more action would have served him better as he is now (2-6-1, 
2 KOs). The “Cincinnati Kid”  Edwards improves to (9-0, 5 KOs). Heavyweights.

Promoters BHE Enterprises and Eddie Jaafar Promotions filled out the undercard with 8 bouts put together by 
matchmakers Phil Awada and Ira Kendricks. In one of the featured undercard matches, Saginaw’s Ernesto Garza used a 
blistering body attack to stop Gary, Indiana’s Jim Sharp, scoring 3 knockdowns in the first round in a junior welter 
match up. Time of the stoppage was 2:08. Sharp offered little except extreme bravery as he manfully arose after each 
knockdown. Garza (4-0, 2 KOs) was far superior and just kept walking in and whaling away. It was a little unsettling 
having Sharp’s very young children screaming for their father right at ringside after promoter Jaafar thankfully had 
removed them from dad’s corner right before the first bell. Their encouragement could not prevent Sharp from 
dropping to (0-6).

Featherweight Zachariah Shamoun blew away Toledo’s Joseph Bush in just 1:22 of the first round. Using his superior 
reach Shamoun teed off on Bush and was pounding him along the ropes when Bush’s corner threw in the towel just as 
referee Ansel Stewart was stopping the contest. Bloomfield Hills, Michigan’s Shamoun (2-0-1, 2 KOs), Bush (0-3) hails 
from Toledo, Ohio. Detroit’s Dorrell Van Horn, Jr banged away at stubborn and ultra tough Nathan Petty of Louisville, 
KY eventually getting the stoppage win at 2:40 of the fourth and final round. Petty offered little in the way of 
offense and absorbed a one sided beating. He was never down although did suffer a standing eight in the third round 
in declining further to (1-11). Van Horn goes up to (6-0, 5 KOs). 
Cruiserweight Demetrius Banks blasted his way to a TKO 4 in 2:40 over debuting Antwaun Taylor of Toledo, scoring 
standing eight counts in the first and second rounds and clean knockdowns in the third and fourth stanzas. Taylor was 
willing but awkward and when he turned his back after getting up after the fourth knockdown, referee Stewart waved it 
off. Banks hails from the Motor City and is now (3-0, 3 KOs).

In the fight of the night, welterweights Nicholas Givhan of Kalamazoo and Gilbert Venegas of East Moline, IL put on an 
entertaining and closely contested bout for the fans. Venegas used an excellent jab and a varied attack to give Givhan 
all he could handle. There were many good exchanges as the two warriors slugged it out. Givhan was a shade faster and 
threw more punches but Venegas was accurate and durable. Venegas suffered a cut over his left eye late in the contest 
but maintained his pace. After six rounds in a fight that could have gone either way, Givhan pulled out the split 
decision by scores of 59-55 x 2 and 56-58 to improve to (12-0, 9 KOs). Tough luck Venegas falls to (12-15-4, 8 KOs).

A ladies match had Detroit’s Jasmine Reed score a unanimous decision over Stephanie Spehar. Reed knocked down Spehar in 
the third and went on to win by scores of 39-36, 39-37, 38-37. Pro debuting Spehar was aggressive but tired as the bout 
wore on allowing the more polished Reed to take control. Reed now (2-0, 1 KO). The gals are junior welterweights. Sonny 
Fredrickson of Toledo and Brandon Salazar of Albuquerque engaged in an action and even first round before Sonny’s body 
work took it’s toll allowing him to score the TKO in the third at 2:47 and go to (5-0, 5 KOs). Salazar (2-5, 2 KOs). 
Junior welter Fredrickson scored a standing eight in the third and when he followed up with a sustained barrage, referee 
Steve Daher stepped in. 
In the night’s opening bout lightweight Tyler McCreary of Toledo scored the KO over Anthony Molson of Grand Rapids at 
:58 of round two. Molson went down from a hard shot and decided to stay there, only getting up as referee Stewart tolled 
the ten count. McCreary (2-0, 2 KOs), Molson (1-6).