Antwun Echols floored Kabary Salem with a right hook in the opening minute, then beat his onrushing opponent to the punch enough to win a unanimous decision in their brawling super-middleweight bout, the main event Tuesday night in Rosemont.
“I was afraid of his head, that’s all I was afraid of,” said Echols, who won a North American Boxing Federation belt in the 12-round fray.
Each fighter complained about the other’s dirty tactics, and referee Tim Adams interrupted the action in the sixth round to caution both corners that he would begin deducting points if the fouling by heads and elbows continued.
“I had him hurt a lot but I didn’t want to go in mad-housing and looking ugly after the fight,” said Echols, who improved his record to 27-4-1.
His best shots were left hooks to the head and body, while wide-swinging Salem’s most effective power shots were looping lefts.
“He’s a good fighter and he caught me cold in the first round,” said Salem, who dropped to 16-2.
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In other bouts at the Ramada Plaza Hotel-O’Hare, Chicago junior middleweight Germaine Sanders defeated Andrey Trunov in a unanimous decision, and O’Neil Bell stopped Ka-Dy King, who quit after the second round, complaining that he sustained rib damage. King was a substitute for Alphonso Washington, and the scheduled 12-round NABF cruiserweight title fight was changed to a 10-round non-title bout.
Fighting elsewhere: Unbeaten heavyweight Fres Oquendo, who grew up in Chicago and returned to his native Puerto Rico to train with Felix Trinidad Sr., will seek to enhance his top-10 ranking and title aspirations Saturday against David Tua, who wants to regain that same status.
The crossroads fight between Oquendo (22-0) and Tua (39-3) highlights a card at the Mountaineer Gaming Resort in Chester, W.Va. to be telecast on Showtime at 9 p.m. Saturday.
Former Chicagoan and top heavyweight contender Michael Grant (32-2) will face Joe Lenhart (9-11-1) on the undercard.