Jersey City boxer Patrick “Paddy Boy” Farrell put on a good show last Friday night at the Prudential Center, as part of the Zab Judah-Jose Armando Santa Cruz card, but the aspiring cruiserweight got nothing to show for it.
Farrell and Newton Kidd fought six hard rounds, but the three judges could not determine a winner. One judge had it 58-56 in favor of Kidd and the other two had it in a flatfooted 57-57 deadlock, so the fight was declared a draw.
After the fight, Farrell was quite upset, because he thought he had the fight won.
“I’m really pissed,” Farrell said. “I gave the fans what they wanted to see and fought my fight. I thought I won it, four rounds to two. I was being the aggressor for the last two rounds. I caught him with punches. I thought I won a tough fight.”
Farrell, who is now 5-1-1 in his young pro career, found himself in a bit of trouble in the third round, when Kidd caught Farrell off guard with two strong left hands, but also poked Farrell with his thumb and gave the local fighter an unseen head butt.
“He caught me with some big shots in the third, but I came back and asserted myself,” Farrell said. “He hit me in that third round, no question and I was tired. But I came back. I don’t know what they saw.”
Farrell’s trainer and manager, fellow Jersey City native Mike Skowronski, agreed.
“He was the aggressor, especially in the last two rounds,” Skowronski said. “I thought he won the fight, but I might be a little biased. I’m not sure of what the judges saw.”
Regardless, Farrell has now suffered a loss and a draw in his last two ring appearances.
“I need some rest,” Farrell said. “I’ve trained really hard for these last two fights and they’ve been in the last month. I’ve been in the ring every day since January. It’s time for a break. I will take a couple weeks off, then be back in the gym after that. But of course, these two results make me very hungry to get back.”…
Heavyweight contender Tomasz Adamek, who has sparred with Farrell in the past, was ringside for Farrell’s fight. Adamek, who trains out of Ziggy’s World Gym in Jersey City, was happy to be back in the Prudential Center, where he will fight David Grant Aug. 21.
“This is like my home,” said the native of Poland who lived in Jersey City for several years before recently moving to Kearny. “I love being here. I can’t wait to fight here again. I’m already in the gym and ready to get in the ring.”…
Add Union City offensive tackle Josue Matias to the list of local grid standouts getting major offers from big-time college programs. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound Matias has offers from Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Rutgers, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue and Cincinnati.
Former Union City coach Joe Rotondi predicted last year that Matias would become the next coming of former Rutgers standout Pedro Sosa, who Rotondi also coached at Union Hill. Well, it looks as if Rotondi’s prediction has come true. New coach Wilbur Valdez is helping Matias with the recruiting process…
The mass exodus has begun. Several former County Prep and High Tech athletes have already expressed interest in transferring to other schools in order to play beginning this fall. So the idea that the kids would remain in their current schools and play for the school in their district is not working at all. It’s just a complete and utter mess with no real answers…
If the summer is any indication, then the Marist High School boys’ basketball team will enjoy much success in the coming season. Veteran coach Tony Romano’s bunch won two games in the same day at the Jersey City Recreation Summer League at Hamilton Park last week. The Royal Knights are doing royally well in the league…– Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.