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By Samantha German
CNY-Central.com

It was a huge welcome back and congratulations to Liverpool native Bryce Mills at the Syracuse Hancock Airport. He made Syracuse history in becoming the first junior fighter to get titles in both kickboxing and boxing at the age of 15.

“It was one of the hardest training camps of my life. I prepared all day and all night,” says Mills.

Mills claimed gold in the National Silver Gloves tournament in Kansas–the largest junior tourney in the nation. His coach and trainer say he is boxing against the best and he prides himself in being the underdog–a title that fuels his fire.

“The very first fight that Bryce had we knew that there was something special in this kid so we matched him tough. He excelled in every single fight moving forward,” says Amer Abdallah, Bryce’s manager.

“I’d like to say thank you for everybody here coming out. It means the world to me. Thank you to the community of Syracuse for making this belt happen,” says Mills.

His team says they’re hoping Mills will be making his professional debut in a couple of years.

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Amer Abdallah’s WKA Title Win & Title Defense was a Century in the Making

By John D’Onofrio
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

It was a ring championship for the ages.

Amer Abdallah, Lockport’s lean, lethal veteran kickboxer and trainer, wasted little time disposing of Daniel Hughes of Swindon, England, in their World Kickboxing Association Cruiserweight Championship fight back on May 14 before a jubilant sold-out crowd at the Kenan Center Arena.

Abdallah’s world title win and his title belt defense just six months later on Nov. 12 — the city’s first ever in its long and proud ring history, has been selected as the Union-Sun & Journal’s Local Sports Story of the Year for 2016.

The win was the fulfillment of a life-long dream for the 39-year-old Abdallah, now 18-0 as a professional.

Few local events can top the international pro and amateur fight cards that Abdallah and the promotional company he operates Lace-Up Promotions, provide fight fans right in our own backyard.

Abdallah’s contributions to his sport locally over many years as a promoter and trainer are as equally impressive as his world title win. His fight cards have always been well-organized and entertaining — and always feature both young male and female competitors from the Lockport area as well as other parts of the state and even Canada.

Not only did Abdallah capture the WKA world title last year, he defended it successfully a little over a month ago with a 10-round unanimous-decision victory over another tough Englishman, Nathan McCarthy, at the Kenan Arena. McCarthy is 16 years Abdallah’s junior.

Abdallah’s two wins set off wild celebrations in the ring and out, where many of the city’s greatest fighters in history sat ringside on fight nights — courtesy of the world champion who values Lockport’s long ring history as much as they helped shape it. To the many living former ring greats from Lockport that include Tommy Hicks, Tony Ventura and Billy Hackmer, Abdallah’s world title fights at the Kenan Arena weren’t just the story of the year, they’re the story of the century.

Lockport has long been synonymous with great fighters since the early 1900s, when “The Duke of Lockport” Jimmy Duffy was making national headlines. Duffy went on to become a Niagara County Sheriff’s Deputy and was throughout his later years one of the most renown and beloved residents in this area.

Thanks to people like boxing gym owner and trainer Harry Gill, boxing made a significant resurgence locally in the 1960s and his gym produced such greats as the late Pat Cuillo, who fought five world champions, and the late Johnnie Taylor, whose son, heavyweight knockout specialist Joe Taylor, has won several recent “main event” bouts with Lace-Up Promotions and he recently turned professional.

And there’s a new generation of local fighters and gym owners carrying on the local ring tradition that include Nick Casal, whose father, Niagara Falls gym owner Ray Casal is a Lockport native; Joe Morales, a hard-hitting Lockport middleweight fighting out of Casal’s gym; Eric “The Candyman” Plumeri, another promising Lockport middleweight; and Buffalo gym owner Corey Webster, a Lockport native and former standout kickboxer.

2016 Fighter of the Year – Bryce Mills

With an astounding 12 fights, each against top level opposition, he was victorious in them all.

• 12 Fights
• 12 Wins
• 3 New Titles

The “Golden Boy” grabs this award for the 2nd year in a row and continues to build his legacy as a future superstar in both Kickboxing and Boxing.  Congratulations to all nominees!

2016 Fight of the Year: Dylan Trotman vs Shawn Dutcher

October 8 – Syracuse NY
What an amazing toe to toe war, filled with action, precision, skill and relentless determination from both fighters that had the crowd on their feet the entire fight! Congratulations gentlemen, and to all of the nominees!

Amer Abdallah Earns 10-round Unanimous-Decision Victory Late Saturday Over Englishman Nathan McCarthy at Lockport’s Raucous Kenan Arena

By John D’Onofrio
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

LOCKPORT — Amer Abdallah handily defeated not one, but two formidable opponents Saturday night, while successfully defending his World Kickboxing Association Cruiserweight championship belt — Englishman Nathan McCarthy and Father Time.

The 39-year-old Abdallah humbled both in an emotional victory before another large and vocal crowd at Lockport’s Kenan Center Arena, earning a 10-round unanimous decision victory over a man 16 years his junior to raise his professional record to an unblemished 18-0.

“I want to thank everyone who came out and thank God we were able to retain this title,” Abdallah said after the fight, surrounded by his family and closest friends.

“It was an ugly fight. I wanted to come out and fight a young, strong guy, but as soon as he closed the gap he held on,” Abdallah said. “I just wanted to make it a fight on the inside, but I think I did enough on the outside to out-point him. At the end if the day, I had him backpedaling the whole time and we’re going to keep the title in Lockport. That’s three English guys down. Next?”

Making his third trip to the United States, McCarthy, who was accompanied by his trainer Steve East and assistant coach Steve Moffatt, withstood relentless Abdallah assaults throughout, but couldn’t hurt the Lockport native, falling to 23-5 as a professional. He’ll return to his hometown of South Shields, near Newcastle, England, today.

A cautious first few rounds by both fighters saw Abdallah go to the body immediately and relentlessly, following those flurries up with solid hooks to the head that set the one-sided tone.

A wicked right hand by Abdallah found its mark about a minute into the third round as the champion continued to set the pace on the offensive. McCarthy went down in the fourth round, claiming a low blow, but after a brief respite, the fight continued and the Englishman finished with his best round of the fight so far.

Abdallah landed some of his best blows in the fifth round, including a solid left leg to the stomach and a right uppercut, but McCarthy held on and withstood a knockout, while answering with an occasional blow that didn’t seem to phase Abdallah as the fight moved tediously through the later rounds.

The three judges’ scorecards had it 96-94, 96-94, 96-94.

Abdallah trainer Dewey Cooper said the Englishman went to survival mode.

“You can’t win a fight when you’re just trying to survive and win. This is a world title fight. You have to come and try to take someone’s title,” said Cooper, a two-time world champion. “Respect to the opponent, but he was fighting a very defensive fight — as if he was here to survive, versus take Amer’s title. He fought a valiant fight, but it wasn’t to win. It was just for him not to get knocked out tonight.”

Meanwhile, Lockport’s Joe Taylor and Syracuse’s Tania Marchall were among the other big winners in Saturday’s international fight card.

Taylor improved to 2-0 as a professional light heavyweight kickboxer, knocking out Rochester’s Cameron McClaney with a devastating right hand 2:30 into the second round of their scheduled three-round fight.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for God, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my father and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Amer Abdallah,” said Taylor, the son of the late Lockport boxing legend Johnnie Taylor. Taylor is trained by Lockport native Corey Webster at Webster’s Western New York MMA Gym in Buffalo.

“I respect Cameron for taking the fight. He caught me with a couple of shots in the first round and Corey told me I lost the first round,” Taylor said. “He told me to throw more 1-2s and throw that right hand. Sometimes I get a little hesitant.”

Marchall defeated Buffalo’s Ayanna Tramont, a long-time Lockport favorite, to capture the LaceUp Promotions Women’s Middleweight Championship. Team Andrello’s aggressive, persistent Marchall earned a three-round majority decision. The scores were 38-38, 39-37, 39-37.

In one of most entertaining fights of the night, Team Andrello’s electrifying Bryce Mills out-classed Luis Morales of Bridgeport, Ct. in a four-round, 145-pound bout. The judges’ score cards were 40-36, 40-36, 40-36.

Another Lockport favorite, middleweight Erick “The Candyman” Plumeri won by forfeit for the second time in his last three city fights, when his opponent failed to show up.

In their highly-anticipated, three-round amateur rematch, Lockport’s Tyler Rodier and Buffalo’s Tyler Mesi battled to a draw.

In other fight night bouts:

• Buffalo’s Derek Greene defeated Lindon Arcilla of Markham, Ontario, by unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28.
• Buffalo’s Tony Leonard won by technical knockout over Alan Martinez of Weedsport, end of second round.
• Johnny Grisafi of of Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada defeated fellow middleweight Mark Murray of Auburn by unanimous decision, 29-26, 29-26, 29-26.
• Buffalo’s Patchy Mix 145-pound unanimous decision win over Bryan Agoston of Port Colborne, Ontario, 29-27, 29-27, 29-27.

FIGHT NIGHT NOTES: The rotating referees were Bill Kiefer, Tom Jennings, Mike Walter and Vinnie Chapple … Lockport Community Television broadcast the fights with veteran announcers Jim Slowey and Jim Rhodes … Among those working security was one of Lockport’s finest, Rick “Robo” Provenzano …  Among those attending the fights was National Hockey League Hall of Famer Dominick Hasek.

Photo Above
Referee Tom Jenkins, left, looks on Saturday night as Amer Abdullah, center, takes on England’s Ethan McCarthy, right, for the WKA Cruiserweight championship at the Kenan Arena. Abdullah won by unanimous decision to successfully defend his professional world title for the first time, improving to 18-0. Photo by Adam Hudson.

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