Fairfax native, Jimmy Lange, earned a knockout victory in the tenth round of Saturday’s bout. Photo By Stephen Kline.
The atmosphere at the Patriot Center on Saturday night was like that of a Las Vegas high-stakes prize fight. Seven bouts, one four round, four six round and two ten round main events made up the schedule for the evening.
The field of fighters was filled with plenty of local talent. Many fans, friends and family members filled the Patriot Center. Brandon Quarles, junior middleweight of Alexandria Boxing Club won with a 38-37 decision.
The junior middleweight fight definitely showed why it was the opening bout with inexperienced fighting. Zain “Tiger” Shah from Chantilly won with a 58-56 decision against Omar Sims, in what was for the most part a dull fight.
Shah had the quickness to step out of the way of Sims’ swings, but did not protect himself well when he did take a shot. West Virginia native Perry Ballard, however, got the crowd on its feet with an outstanding KO in the first round of his bout with Booker Mullins.
After the fight, Ballard called out Jimmy Lange saying,” If he doesn’t hit me on the back of the head or below the belt, I’m knocking Jimmy Lange out.” Lange fought and defeated Ballard at the Patriot Center back in 2005 with a fourth round TKO.
Todd “White Lightning” Wilson made his presence known with a bagpipe-led entrance. The Fairfax native pleased his fans with a TKO in the third round. However, the story of the night was the man of the event, Jimmy Lange.
Lange (34-4-2, 24 KOs) entered the ring to “Enter Sandman” by Metallica, a smoke machine, and an explosion of red, white and blue confetti. His family was ringside cheering him on as he made his entrance into the ring. The Bishop O’Connell High School graduate got off to a somewhat shaky start, taking plenty of head and body shots.
Joe Wyatt (23-1, 15 KOs) was out to spoil Lange’s party. As the rounds progressed, Lange became more resilient, getting in more punches, and showed it in the tenth and final round with a thrilling knockout blow. With the win, Lange took the NABA super welterweight title and a shot at a possible bout with Harry Joe Yorgey in Atlantic City in early spring.
Jimmy Lange was a member of the first season of NBC’s The Contender. Boxing since the age of five, Lange has been surrounding by the boxing world since childhood. His father became his manager and Lange began training at Olympia Boxing Gym in Falls Church.
Lange’s passion for boxing has always been there and it is evident in the way he fights, with his discipline, patience and attention to detail in his movements and punches.
He has become a fan favorite in the area and has fought numerous times at the Patriot Center, Saturday being his eleventh appearance. After his stunning night on Saturday, it won’t be his last.
Comments