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Lockport’s Amer Abdallah KOs Milwaukee’s Donnie Pendelton in the First Round, Highlighting Historic Fight Night Downtown
By John D’Onofrio
LOCKPORT — Lockport’s Amer Abdallah made short, quick work of his challenger on Saturday night, knocking out Milwaukee’s Donnie Pendleton in 2:45 of the first round in the main event of “Downtown Throwdown” at the Ulrich Centre.
With thousands on hand watching the largest professional fight card in Lock City history, Abdallah improved to 8-0 as a light heavyweight kickboxer, dominating Pendelton in the short, but sweet main event.
Lockport’s Corey Webster, Mike Moyer, Richard Zang and Pat Thompson also earned victories.
The historic night also included a salute to Lockport boxing legends Billy “Little Red” Hackmer, “Tough” Tony Ventura and “The Fighting School Teacher” Tommy Hicks, who watched the fight ringside, along with several other prominent Lockportians, including Mayor Michael Tucker, developer Dave Ulrich, attorney George V. Muscato and several other fight night sponsors.
Near-perfect weather played host to nine bouts in all.
Abdallah’s scheduled five-round battle with Pendelton lasted just 165 seconds. The former national light heavyweight champion Abdallah landed several leg and punch combinations before Pendelton landed his first blow.
A thunderous right roundhouse to the body brought a wincing Pendelton to one knee. He managed to get up before referee Joe Pagan finished his 10-count and wished to continue. Abdallah moved in for the kill after that, dropping the challenger for the final time with a left-right combination.
Pendelton, who dropped to 26-6 as a pro, suffered a rib injury and had difficulty breathing after the fight, prompting ringside physician Dr. Margaret Libby to call for an ambulance.
“Our fight plan was ‘kill the body and the head will fall.’ He came out swinging and brawling, but we neutralized him with stiff jabs and laid him out as planned,” said Abdallah after the fight.
“After I dropped him the first time, I knew he was (hurt), so I stood right in front of him. Then a right hand went through his guard and hit him right in the temple. The body shots had more of an effect, I think. That was his excuse to get out of there.”
Abdallah’s second straight impressive victory brings him a step even closer to a title shot. He plans to fight again Oct. 17 in Syracuse and will return to fight at Lockport’s Kenan Center Arena on March 13, “hopefully for a championship,” he said.
Meanwhile, Webster, a mixed martial arts instructor, earned multiple victories, both in the ring and out. Webster dominated his middleweight bout against fellow MMA instructor Curtis Tillman of Syracuse, knocking out Tillman in 2:38 of the third round.
Webster, who was greeted by a standing ovation from the partisan Lock City crowd, was aggressive from the start, winning the first two rounds easily. In the third, Webster finished off a battered Tillman, as referee Rob D’Angelo stepped in mercifully to end it.
“It did mean a lot to me, coming off a loss,” said Webster, who trains fighters at Abdallah’s Town of Lockport gym.
“It was nice coming back with a win like this.”
Three of Webster’s stable of fighters, Zang, Moyer and Thompson, also earned impressive victories.
Zang defeated Paul Dowdy of Hamilton in their three-round middleweight fight, Moyer won a close fight by decision over fellow light heavyweight Randy Brown of Canandaigua and Thompson won by forfeit.
“Richard works harder than anyone in the gym,” Webster said.
“It was great to see him come out on top. Mike fought well also. I can’t wait to see the video.”
Other fight night winners were lightweight Tyler Clark of Buffalo, heavyweight Dave Shilt of Hamilton, welterweight Tenk Ageyman of Syracuse, lightweight Marcia Moon of Liverpool and middleweight Kassine Omar of Buffalo.
Clark won by decision over Lockport’s Jason Pettitte, Shilt earned a knockout win over Lockport’s Munkis Shmay in 1:15 of the first round, Moon beat Lockport’s Becky Morris, Omar beat Lockport’s Eric Plumeri by decision; and in a battle of unbeatens, Ageyman earned a decision win over Lockport’s Matt Harrison.
Downtown Throwdown was taped by Lockport Community Television, with broadcasters Jim Slowey and Danny Sheehan calling the action.
