Cygan Upset In Pikesville!

Adages become well known over time because they ring true most of the time. An example is the adage “speed kills.” While speed didn’t totally destroy Baltimore, MD middleweight Tony “Cyclone” Cygan, the hand and foot speed of Billy Lyell of Niles, OH proved to be the determining factor in Cygan suffering his first pro loss by a relatively easy eight-round unanimous decision in front of a raucous crowd of at the Pikesville Armory in Pikesville, MD.

Unlike Cygan’s previous bouts where he was able to get inside on his opponent and do damage, Lyell’s speed wouldn’t allow it. Lyell repeatedly beat Cygan to the punch throughout the contest. In the rare moments where Cygan was able to land first, Lyell took the shots very well.

Both men tried to fight in close and both men paid for their actions by suffering numerous cuts. Cygan was even cut on the top of his head by the slightly taller Lyell.

In the end, however, it came down to Lyell’s speed down the stretch where he was able to counter Cygan with right hands that gave Cygan little opportunity to get off first. Judges Don Risher and Malik Waleed said Lyell pitched a shutout, 80-72 while Judge John Gradowski scored the bout 79-73. I scored the bout a little closer at 78-74 for Lyell.

“I thought my speed was a little too much for him and also my boxing ability,” Lyell said. “He was a hell of a tough fighter and a strong fighter.”

When asked if it was difficult to come into Cygan’s backyard and pull out the victory, Lyell said, “It’s always tough to be on the road but I thought I could come in here and beat the kid. Sometimes you have to take a shot.”

Cygan said his loss came as a result of not being active enough during the contest.

“I made it a lot harder,” Cygan said. “I wasn’t busy enough and that was my problem. I was letting him get off and instead of ducking punches, I ate them.”

Lyell’s record is now 10-2, two KO’s while Cygan falls to 9-1, six KO’s.

In the co-feature, Baltimore heavyweight Jed “The Punisher” Phipps scored a devastating first-round knockout over David “The Body Snatcher” Cleage of Columbus, OH.

The round started off very even with both men trading shots. In the first minute, Cleage seemed to be getting a slight edge as he was catching Phipps with solid jabs.

But with about 30 seconds to go in the round, Phipps unleashed a crushing left hook that sent Cleage quickly to the canvas and the Pikesville Armory crowd leaping to its feet. Referee Malik Waleed immediately called a halt to the bout at 2:47 of the round.

“The jab set it up,” Phipps said of the knockout. “I said this guy came to fight. He had a good jab. I threw the hook just like the jab and it landed.”

The win was Phipps’ third straight and his second straight win by knockout. Phipps’ record is now 17-3 with 10 KO’s. Cleage’s record now drops to 3-9-1, one KO.

In other bouts on the card, Smithsburg, MD lightweight Dean “Pit Bull” White broke a two-fight losing streak by winning a close, six-round split decision over Marty “Too Sweet” Robbins of Crossville, TN.

White seemed to control the first half of the bout by showing good hand speed and his ability to push Robbins from one end of the ring to the other. By late in the third round, however, Robbins was able to make things interesting as he started to go successfully to White’s body.

By the end of the bout, White was able to regain his hold on the bout, throwing good power shots. Robbins showed a granite-like chin in the latter stages of the bout.

Judge John Gradowski scored the bout in favor of Robbins, 58-56 while Judges Kenny Chevalier and Don Risher saw the bout for White by respective scores of 58-57 and 58-56. My scorecard scored the bout for White at 59-56.

White raised his record to 12-4 with six KO’s while Robbins falls to 21-30-1, 15 KO’s. Robbins has now lost four straight bouts.

Two Baltimore-area boxers made their pro debuts on this show and both gained their first pro victory. Severn, MD junior middleweight Jesse “The Beast” Nicklow scored a four-round shutout (40-35 on all cards) over Lawrence Frisby of Philadelphia, PA (3-10, two KO’s).

In the curtain-raising bout, Bel Air, MD super middleweight Nick “The Flash” Collins registered a brutal first-round knockout over Eddie Otts of Waldorf, MD. Collins was able to land a series of punches that knocked Otts (0-2-1) through the ropes and almost to the floor. Referee John Gradowski stopped the contest immediately at 1:38 of the first.

The fight card was a benefit with proceeds from ticket sales and a silent auction going to help pay for the medical expenses of boxer “The American Dream” Mike Dietrich. The undefeated Dundalk, MD heavyweight prospect (7-0, three KO’s) suffered injuries from stab wounds acquired during a December altercation. Former world champion Vinny Paz was on hand to lend support.

The promoter was Jake Smith of Baltimore Pro Boxing. The matchmaker was Josh Hall.

Some random thoughts on the card:

1. Josh Hall did a magnificent matchmaking job. Even the normally stoic Hall couldn't hide his satisfaction over this card and he should be proud. A bout as competitive as the Dean White-Marty Robbins match was exhibit A of good matchmaking and knowledge of the sport. The records said that on paper, that bout should have been a cakewalk, but it was extremely competitive. Even the bouts that contained first-round knockouts were competitive until the knockouts took place.

2. Speaking of the knockouts, maybe -- just maybe -- Jed Phipps has turned the corner and will now be a legitimate heavyweight prospect. This is Phipps' second straight solid performance after what has been an inconsistent career for him. I asked Phipps what has been the difference in his last two fights and he gave me an interesting answer. Phipps credited his success to -- not a trainer -- but his sparring partner Brandon "The Beast" Cabell. Phipps said the two of them have modified their games since working with each other and Phipps added that we will see the change in Cabell on Jan. 26 when he fights Tony "The Tiger" Thompson for the Maryland State Heavyweight title at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie.

3. Solid pro debuts for Nick Collins and Jessie Nicklow. Collins, who is trained by former Baltimore cruiserweight prospect Courtney Bridget, showed explosive power. Nicklow also looked decent but needs to quickly find a jab and use it.

4. We definitely saw a flaw in Tony Cygan's execution of his gameplan. As he told me, he just couldn't get going and couldn't get off first. This was the first time that he has fought someone that quick outside of sparring. Right now, he has trouble with speedy boxers. That is something he has to and can correct.

5. The Pikesville Armory crowd needs to give itself a round of applause. The crowd was one of the most enthusiastic I've seen in a while. The explosion of emotion when Phipps knocked his opponent out was incredible to see.

The next card for Baltimore Pro Boxing will be on Thursday, Feb 23 at Martin's West.