WPCNR RINGSIDE. By Johnny Cannon. October 12, 2006 UPDATED WITH MORE BOXING ACTION IN PICTURES  9:00 A.M. E.D.T.: Joey Gilbert, erstwhile of The Bronx and of "Contender" fame, threw a right hand solidly to the left jaw of Keith Sims on the far ropes  midway through the 6th round last night, knocking Sims staggering across the ring to the left ropes and dropping him to the canvas ending their NABO Middleweight title fight at 1:57 of the sixth round on a TKO in the Main Event at the County Center. Gilbert dominated Sims inside with sharp jolting left jabs to the face and hard up from the floor, right hand slams to the solarplexus, softening him up, retaining his Middleweight crown, dominating all the way.

Joey Gilbert in green trunks has just clobbered Keith Sims with a haymaker of a right. Sims is about to hit the ropes and sink to the canvas ending their Middleweight title clash in the sixth round. It was a rousing climax to Star Boxing's Pugilistic Extravaganza at the County Center last night. 7 Fights, 5 hours of boxing. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

Kaboom! Terry Cauthen "The Heat" in the black trunks, jolts Dante "The Inferno" Craig 11 seconds into the 10th round with a right cross up and solid to the jaw...it sent Craig lunging into the left corner where the referee stopped the fight. Cauthen's speedy 1-2s had softened Craig up, driving him around the ring in the 9th, and Terry finished him off with this crushing right. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

Terry Cauthen of Trenton seized the USBA Junior Middleweight title from Dante Craig of Cincinnati, outboxing, outpunching the slower Craig consistently scoring a TKO at 11 seconds of the 10th round after a hurricane of punches softened Craig up in the 9th round.

Elvir Muriqi of the Bronx, "The Kosovo Kid" in the red trunks, kept ducking under Teddy Muller's overhand rights, punishing the puncher from Moline, Illinois with combinations inside to the head, opening a cut on Muller's right eye in the 3rd round and a cut on the left eye in the sixth. Muriqi pounded Muller and scored a unanimous 8-round decision, much to the chanting delight of his fans from Da Bronx. This right cross was delivered late in the fight. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

Jab and Hook: Gilbert working Sims Over Inside in Far Corner, 5th Round. Gilbert's body work dominated from Round 2.  Photo, WPCNR Sports.

The 10th Round Was the End of the Line for Dante Craig as Terry Cauthen delivered the roundhouse right that convinced the referee to stop the fight. Photo, WPCNR Sports

"The Heat," Terry Cauthen's combinations delivered staccato style through his 10 Round Rumble with Craig kept "The Inferno" in peek-a-boo mode. Here "The Heat" catches Craig with one of many left hooks  in the 9th Round going after him which set up the 10th Round coup de grace. Photo, WPCNR Sports

Kevin Johnson in the blue trunks connects with a left on Demetrice King in the heavyweight bout. Johnson 11-0-1, 5 KOs) Decisioned King (9-15, 7 KOs) in a unanimous 6-Round decision. King used his superior weight to push "The Kingpin" around the ring, put never got any combinations going, landing one punch at a time. Johnson would simply cover and move. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

Johnson deflects King's left. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

Josh Snyder, (2-1, 1 KO) "The Berlin Bomber" of Berlin, Maryland  in black trunks came into the County Center, dominating Dex Pejcinivic (2-3, 1 KO) of The Bronx, who tired early in a unanimous 4-Round decision, hurting him with a solid right and left in Round 2 and landing blows at will in Round 4. Photo, WPCNR Sports

Roberto Benitez  of Ocala Florida (5-0) remained undefeated. His combinations delivered with lightning, cut-em up decision, got after and surprised "The Shiek," Vin Rungea (1-4-1) from Queens in Round 1 knocking Vinnie to the canvas with a pulvering right cross he never saw, followed with a punishing left hook. Benitez opened a huge cut over The Shiek's left eye in the 3rd stanza. The Shiek showed great heart hanging in all the way and getting some shots in at the speedier nimbler Benitez. Both fighters got a huge hand from the crowd in Benitez 4-Round unanimous decision. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

Benitez punishes The Shiek (blue trunks) in the corner. Photo, WPCNR Sports

Brooklyn's Khabier Suleymanov in the blue trunks won his first professional fight, Bantam Division, working Omar Carroll of Philly over on the ropes in Round One. Carroll was on the defensive the entire fight. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

It's Just Not Boxing Without The Ringgirls! Baseball should have Innings Girls, dontcha think? Photo, WPCNR Sports.

You never have enough Ringgirls! Photo, WPCNR Sports

Star Boxing's debut card at the County Center delivered an entertaining 7-Fight Extravaganza for the crowd that made its way to the WCC on a "Dracula Night," with the largest applause and interest reserved for Elvir Muriqi in his bout with Teddy Muller. Shouts of "Muu REE KEY" "MUU REE KEY" thundered from the balcony as "The Kosovo Kid" from The Bronx deftly parried Muller's haymakers.

The title bout between the two Olympians, Terry Cauthen (1996)and Dante Craig (2000) was the best fight of the night, with Cauthen's swift 1-2s, superior boxing and power inside work systematically wore down the deft defender Craig who could not take the offensive. Cauthen, superbly conditioned stepped up the pressure relentlessly tattooing Craig in the 9th Round, hurting him with flurries of punches Craig could not ward off. Craig never recovered from the pummeling in the 9th Round, taking a shot to the left jaw sending him to his knees in the near corner, when the fight was stopped.  Cauthen, overwhelmed with his achievement fell to the canvas with emotion.

An elated Olympian, Terry "The Heat" Cauthen is interviewed. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

Joey Gilbert's Middleweight Title defense found "The Contender" star in control all the way, getting inside on Keith Sims --poking Sims with his jab and delivering body blows to the abdomen that Sims could not handle. Gilbert started taking Sims apart in Round 2 with 2 merciless rights inside. Jabbed him incessantly in the 3rd Round and delivered a hard right in the far corner the 4th round where he was able to follow Sims around the ring delivering collateral damage. Shot after shot to the body followed in the 5th.

Joey Gilbert in the Media Melee. Photo, WPCNR Sports

The Gladiators Have Entered The Arena. Let the Games Begin. Protect Yourself at All Times. Photo, WPCNR Sports.