#BroadwayBoxing

Toka Kahn Clary, Kali Reis, Alicia Napoleon-Espinosa, and more, all cruise to victory at Broadway Boxing from the Fox Theater 

Results from Ringside

By Alex Pierpaoli
Twitter Recap Here

Last night super-quick Toka Kahn Clary 128lbs of Providence RI returned to the Fox Theater for the second time this year, and defeated Irvin Gonzalez 127lbs of Worcester, MA. Clary headlined an eight bout card promoted by DiBella Entertainment as part of their Broadway Boxing series. 

Clary and his HOF trainer used a game plan that capitalized on the Rhode Islander's explosive speed of hand and foot. Clary exploded in behind two-punch combinations and controlled the distance for much of the fight. Gonzalez was the aggressor but often Clary blunted his rushes with a well-timed jab. Gonzalez had his moments, especially in rounds five and six, but overall it was Clary who controlled the tempo and repeatedly connected with more punches and more power. 

At the end of ten the judges saw it 98-92 and 99-91 twice all in favor of Toka Kahn Clary. Clary raised his record to 27-2 (18) while Gonzalez dropped to 12-2 (9)

In the co-feature, rising star Alicia Napoleon-Espinosa 161lbs of Lindenhurst, NY stopped Schemelle Baldwin 163lbs of Newark, DE in 4 rounds. Napoleon-Espinosa started fast and had Baldwin on the defensive and absorbing punishment right away. In the third, Baldwin leaned back against the ropes as Napoleon-Espinosa strafed her with shots to the body and head. At the bell Baldwin returned to her corner on unsteady legs with blood coming from an abrasion on her nose. 

In the fourth Napoleon-Espinosa drove her back into that same spot, hammering at her until referee Al LoBianco stepped between them, halting the contest at 1:30.

Napoleon-Espinosa improved to 12-1 (7) while Baldwin dropped to 3-1-1 (2).

Kali Reis 142lbs of Providence, RI defeated Patricia Juarez 142lbs of Colorado. All three judges scored it 60-54 in favor of Reis. Weighing a pound lighter than in her professional debut almost eleven years ago, Kali Reis won a lopsided unanimous decision over the rugged and aggressive Juarez. Reis, usually a counter-puncher, fought at a busier pace on this night, perhaps due to a combination of her lighter frame and the pressing attack of Juarez. Reis made her pay for her aggression repeatedly with hard uppercuts and thumping shots to the body.

At the end of six the judges saw it a shut-out, with three scores of 60-54.

Reis improved to 16-7-1 (5) while Juarez fell to 4-2. 


Hurshidbek Normatov 152lbs of Brooklyn, NY beat Walter Wright 154lbs of Seattle WA by lopsided unanimous decision. Normatov, a native of Uzbekistan, now living in the Big Appple, faced a cagey veteran in Wright and seemed content to go the distance, get the experience and notch a victory. For his part Wright certainly tried to challenge the Uzbek but he was unable to keep the slicker, speedier fighter in one place long enough to land anything significant. Normatov fought in bursts, slamming Wright with multiple shots and then rolling away from harm. At the end of eight rounds the judges thought he'd done it perfectly on 2 cards at 80-72 but one judge saw Wright winning one round at 79-73.

Normatov raised his record to 9-0 (3) while Wright's fell to 17-7 (8).

Bridgeport, CT's Jacob Marrero, 127lbs, scored his third kayo victory in 4 fights, stopping debuting Juan Ibarra, 127lbs, of Willow Springs, NC. Marrero surged out of his corner to the cheers of a large crowd of supporters and started banging with Ibarra from the start. Both southpaws and both looking to land heavily early, it was Marrero who connected and Ibarra reeled forward off balance. Ibarra was up quickly and the referee allowed him to continue but Marrero was on him again immediately. Two heavy lefts put Ibarra down a second time and the bout was waved off. The official time was 2:06 of round one.

Marrero raises his record to 3-0 (2) while Juan Ibarra turned pro, now 0-1.

Helen Joseph 118lbs of New Haven, CT dominated Martina Horgasz 118lbs of Budapest, Hungary in a six round female super bantamweight bout. Joseph attacked Horgasz' mid-section from the start, slamming hooks against the Hungarian's ribcage and driving her back into corners in the early rounds. By the end of the fourth the fight assumed a similar pattern, Jospeh pressing, pursuing and Horgasz on the run, under fire. At the end of six the decision was unanimous in favor of the aggressive Helen Joseph, all three judges seeing it 60-54.

Helen Joseph improved to 17-3-2 (10) while Martina Horgasz dropped to 5-4 (4). 

Heavyweight Stephan Shaw 251lbs of St Louis MO stopped Willie Jake Jr. 233lbs of Indianapolis, IN
The time was :56 of round 4. Shaw did a lot of waiting in round one as Jake Jr let his hands go and smacked away his taller, heavier opponent. But it was clear right away that whenever Shaw connected cleanly he could hurt Jake and get him in trouble. He dropped him once in the first, Jake may have one the second just by pecking, poking and staying away but it was short-lived. In the third Shaw put Jake down twice and referee Johnny Callas allowed him to continue.

At the start of the fourth Shaw drove Jake into a corner and cracked him with lefts and rights  prompting Callas to wave it off at :56.

Shaw raised his record to 12-0 (9) while Jake Jr. dropped to 8-3-1 (2).

In the opening bout, Nelson Perez, 135lbs, of Marlboro, MA, improved to 2-0 with as many kayos with a second round stoppage of Devon Grant, 140lbs, of New York, NY. Perez cracked Grant with a long right hand that crumpled him near the ropes in the second and the referee stopped counting and waved off the bout when it was clear Grant was out.

The bout was ruled a TKO at 2:04 of round 2. Grant remains without a win, now 0-2.