February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Jay Mwamba
Darren Corbett scored an easy technical knockout over Nebraskan Tyler Hughes 11
seconds into the first round of their scheduled eight-round light heavyweight contest at the E.J. Murray Center in Yonkers last weekend.
Returning to the ring after a 15-month layoff, Corbett landed a left hook to the head that put Hughes down. The referee waved the fight over midway through his count as Corbett, who made his professional debut as a heavyweight seven years ago, improved to 24-3-1 (15 KOs).
A former five-time Irish national amateur champion, the 28-year-old Corbett was making his first New York appearance after moving to the Bronx from Belfast.
On the undercard, Derry’s Martin "Wee Barry" Moore was stopped in the third round of a scheduled four-rounder by Ron Greer.
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O’Malley on "ShoBox"
Lightweight sensation Martin O’Malley will kick off the Showtime cable network’s new "ShoBox"Saturday afternoon boxing series on July 21 in a battle of undefeated prospects with two-time Olympic bronze medallist Leo Dorin, at Bally’s Park Place in Atlantic City.
According to Showtime, ShoBox: The New Generation, will feature emerging boxers determined to make a mark and eventually fight for a chance at a world title. The best of the new generation of hungry, young boxers will have an opportunity to showcase their talent and heart as they battle each other in competitive fights in front of a national television audience.
The 26-week series is aimed at luring new and casual fans to the sport with competitive fights.
The way we want to attract new fans as well as satisfy hard-core fans is to provide great, competitive match-ups and none of the politics, none of the bells and whistles and none of the rankings and sanctioning-body issues that are so often part of higher-ranking marquee fights," said Showtime senior vice president Jay Larkin.
Fights will be televised every other Saturday at 5 p.m., and the show eventually will alternate between United States and European venues.
"We want to take it back to the old days when people had to fight to get recognition," said English promoter Frank Warren, who is involved with the series.
O’Malley (17-0, 14 KOs) was 49-7 as an amateur and at 26-year-old is a hard-hitting prospect with great potential.
In Dorin (17-0, 6 KOs), originally from Constana, Romania, but now living in Montreal, he faces a highly experienced 31-year-old with a deep amateur background.
Dorin, who went 239-15 in the amateurs, won bronze medals in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. He won the World Boxing Council Continental Americas title in his ninth pro fight.