Montes, Pulmeri Score Weekend Victories in Flower City.
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal
ROCHESTER — Two local amateur fighters represented Lockport with victories over the weekend.
Welterweight boxer Brian Montes competed at the Puerto Rican Day Festival Boxing Show, while kickboxer Eric Pulmeri participated in a Lace Up Promotions-sponsored event.
Montes, who is just surfacing on the amateur boxing scene, is a senior at the Lockport High School and one of the most dedicated athletes in the gym, according to Team Abdallah coach Amer Abdallah.
“Brian is the first guy in the gym and the last one out,” Abdallah said. “He’s so eager to train all the time, that he works out both at the Lockport Athletic Club as well as Western New York MMA under Corey Webster. He’s as dedicated as they come and has tremendous potential.”
Montes faced Rodney Paris of Rochester’s infamous Future Boxing Team. The opening round had both boxers evenly measuring each other with some good exchanges back and forth. Towards the end of the round Montes landed a big right hand that seemed to get Paris’ attention.
“Brian didn’t waste any time jumping on Paris right away in the second,” Webster said.
Montes came out and began opening up with quality combinations that sent the Rochester native into the ropes where Montes unleashed a barrage of power shots forcing the referee to call a halt to the bout. Montes picked up his first technical knockout (TKO) win and was thrilled to represent his hometown in fashion.
Meanwhile, at the Doubletree Inn, Pulmeri had his hands full with Mike Shiffhauer of Rochester, a Golden Gloves boxer and veteran of over 15 kickboxing fights.
Pulmeri is no stranger to the kickboxing scene, with three title bouts and over a dozen boxing matches. He started the bout strong with several precise punch/kick combinations in an attempt to set the pace.
The experienced and poised Pulmeri countered effectively and nullified every attack Shiffhauer initiated and the crowd was on its feet, witnessing some world class kickboxing at its finest.
Pulmeri rocked Shiffhauer with two solid right uppercuts in the third round that sent him stumbling backwards. The resilient Shiffhauer fought off a hungry Pulmeri who was looking to finish him.
In the end, all three judges scored it the same with Lock City’s Eric Pulmeri getting a unanimous decision victory. Pulmeri was later awarded Fighter of the Night.
For Pulmeri’s next bout, promoter Abdallah has his sights set on September in Syracuse, then November back in Lockport.
“These two warriors were on top of their game,” Webster said. “Nobody trains as hard or with as much determination as these guys and it really paid off. I couldn’t be an prouder.”
