Quigley Loses Split Decision To Byrd In Laurel, MD!

Beltway Boxers had a tough night Saturday on a GQ Promotions card at the Gardens Ice House in Laurel, MD.  Two locals on the card lost their undefeated records.

(Photos by Daniel Cork)

One of those hometown boxers who fell for the first time was the "GQ" in GQ Promotions, Montgomery Village, MD super middleweight Gerome Quigley, Jr. who lost a six-round split decision to veteran Andre "Thunder" Byrd of Jacksonville, FL in the main event on the card.

Quigley, who hadn't competed since suffering a no-decision to Raymond Serrano in June of 2018 at the Gardens Ice House, could never get started as he had a tough time letting his hands go all throughout the bout.  There were numerous clinches during the contest and referee Dave Braslow was busy in separating both men.

Byrd seemed to gain an advantage by landing solid punches in the bout but even he was hampered because referee Braslow took points away in the second and fourth rounds for hitting behind the head.  However, Byrd would land a solid right hand in the fourth round that had Quigley on the ropes.

In the sixth round, Quigley would lose a point for hitting behind the head and that may have been the final difference in the contest. Judge Kenny Chevalier gave the bout to Quigley, 58-54 but judges John Gradowski and Paul Wallace both saw the contest for Byrd by a 56-55 score.  Quigley is now 18-1, 16 KO's, one no contest while Byrd rises to 8-7-2, one KO.

Rockville, MD middleweight "The Cisco Kid" Francisco Bustos suffered two knockdowns en route to a third-round TKO loss to Delvecchio Savage of Tuscaloosa, AL.  In the first round, both men threw big power shots.  Bustos's left hand would land but Savage's counter right landed even harder as it would drop Bustos to the canvas.  Bustos would fight back hard in the first round and survive the second round but would get into trouble early in the third as Savage would land a crushing right-left combination that knocked Bustos down for the second time.  Bustos would get up on wobbly legs and referee Kenny Chevalier would stop the contest at 1:05 of the third round.  Bustos loses for the first time and he is now 9-1, six KO's.  Savage is now 3-2, three KO's.

The co-feature contest saw Leesburg, VA cruiserweight "Mighty" Joe Jones win a six-round unanimous decision over Twon"The Truth" Smith of Oklahoma City, OK.  Jones would put together a workmanlike performance to get the victory as he used solid left jabs and hooks to gain advantages in the bout.  Judges Braslow and Wallace would score the bout 59-55 while Chevalier saw the contest, 59-54.  Jones raises his record to 11-1, eight KO's while Smith evens his record at 3-3, two KO's.

In other bouts on the card, Hagerstown, MD super middleweight "The Sexy Albanian" Genc Pllana won a six-round unanimous decision over Dennis Williams of Monroe, LA.  Pllana would have little difficulty landing jabs during the bout.  Williams provided very little offense in return.  Pllana won by shutout on judges Brent Bovell and Paul Wallace's card, 60-54.  Judge John Gradowski saw the contest, 59-55 for Pllana, who remains undefeated at 5-0, two KO's.  Williams falls to 4-13-1, two KO's.

New Carrollton, MD super middleweight "Platinum Power" Leonor Alcantara scored a third-round TKO over Deandre West of Winston-Salem, NC.  Alcantara was in control throughout the bout and the control would culminate in landing a solid left-right combination in the third round that would stagger West.  Alcantara would continue to land punches to force referee Kenny Chevalier to stop the bout at the one-minute mark.  Alcantara is now 3-0 and has his first pro knockout.  West remains winless at 0-4.

The opening contest between cruiserweights Larry "Hitman" Pryor of Frederick, MD and Greg "Hotshot" Hackett of Philadelphia, PA was a rematch of an April contest in Fort Washington, MD.  Hackett won the first bout by four-round majority decision.  Pryor would gain a measure of revenge in this bout as he would capture a four-round unanimous decision.  Pryor was a little sharper with his punches in this contest and he would knock Hackett down to squatting position with a counter left hand in the second round.   Pryor would go on to win the bout as judges Chevalier and Gradowski scored the bout 39-36 and Wallace saw the bout 38-37.  Pryor is now 11-20, five KO's while Hackett drops to 3-19-1.

Jeff Gatling and Gerome Quigley lead GQ Promotions.  The matchmaker was Brian Dillon.  The ring announcer was Henry "Discombobulating" Jones.