Perfect Night
Butler Cubs boxers batted 1.000 Saturday night.
Christian Boehler, Wyatt Wolfe and Ali Diasse — the only three Cubs fighters on the card — all won by decision during the Butler Cubs' annual amateur boxing show in the facility's gym.
“It was nice to see that,” Cubs boxing trainer Bill Wolfe said. “We work hard to put on an entertaining show for people to come see.
“I think they saw one tonight.”
Boehler, 16, of Cabot made his amateur debut against Shane Aluahani of the Erie Boxing Academy. Boehler was on the receiving end of a flurry of punches in the closing seconds of the first two rounds.
“I was a little nervous at the start of the fight,” Boehler admitted. “I felt the butterflies. But once it got going, I locked in. I really didn't notice the crowd after that.”Boehler repeatedly tried setting up his left hand and successfully landed it a few times. With less than 10 seconds left in the bout, he floored Aluahani with a straight left.“I heard my father in the stands yelling for me to throw my left hook,” Boehler said. “My opponent heard that, too, and was guarding against it. I got straight in on him.”Boehler battles asthma and “needed an inhaler to get through sparring and workouts in the gym,” Cubs boxing manager Don Spinetti said.“He didn't need the inhaler to get through three rounds tonight.”Boehler admitted to “feeling gassed” toward the end of the fight.“Looking back on it, I wish I threw more punches, was a little more active,” he said. “But I'll take the win. That was the best adrenalin rush I've ever had.”Boehler plans to fight again in the coming months.Wolfe, 12, of Worthington, improved to 2-0 with his decision of Klylar Blaugh of Jack's Boxing.Wolfe fought in front of older brother Billy Wolfe, who has more than 60 amateur bouts under his belt and was celebrating a birthday Saturday.“This win was for him,” Wyatt said.Wolfe got the better of the exchanges in the bout. By midway through the third round, Blaugh was doing a lot of hanging on.“This was tougher than my first fight,” Wyatt said. “That kid was a smart fighter. He knew what he was doing in there.”With no air conditioning, the gym was particularly warm. A big fan was in operation by a doorway, but there was no other air circulation in the facility.“I should have hydrated myself better,” Wyatt said. “It was hot in there. I sat in front of the fan for about 20 minutes before my fight. I think that helped.”Bill Wolfe admitted that the heat “affected all of the fighters tonight.”Diasse, 20, a Philadelphia resident and Slippery Rock University graduate this spring, won the final bout of the night by decision over Jamin Jackson of Jack's Boxing in Pittsburgh.Neither fighter landed many punches in the first two rounds before the action picked up in the third. Diasse landed a couple of hard lefts in the final round, including one that knocked Jackson's mouthpiece to the canvas.Diasse improved to 1-1 with the win.“I really wanted to get a knockout tonight,” Diasse said. “If the fight went a little longer, I feel like I had him. I hurt him with that left hand late.“He was hard to get to, but I felt good about this fight. There was a little pressure to win, I guess (after the first two Cubs wins), but I wasn't thinking that way.”Saturday night served as the Cubs boxing program's annual fundraiser. Approximately 200 people were in attendance.Butler Cubs boxers have won more than 80 championships since 1976, including local, Western Pa., regional, state and national titles.
Jose Perez (Foundation Boxing, New Castle) dec. Daniel Gonzales (Wright Boxing), 135 poundsChristian Boehler (Cubs) dec. Shane Aluahani (Erie Boxing Academy), 150 poundsAnthony Buzzard (Erie Boxing Academy) dec. Chris Hill (Foundation Boxing, New Castle), 135 poundsWyatt Wolfe (Cubs) dec. Klylar Blaugh (Jack's Boxing), 112 poundsJordan Carr (Ellwood City) dec. Doug Glenn (Jack's Boxing), 210 poundsAli Diasse (Cubs) dec. Jamin Jackson (Jack's Boxing), 185 pounds
