Danny O’Connor returns from retirement with knockout victory

Danny O’Connor returns from retirement with knockout victory

It was a night filled of knockout treats for fight fans attending another round of Golden Boy Live! fights at the Plymouth Memorial Hall Thursday night.

Danny O’Connor took on the rugged Andrew Farmer in the main event before a packed crowd, scoring a knockout victory in the fourth round.

O’Connor, a former U.S. Olympic Team alternate, retired from the sport after losing to Vivian Harris last October. But O’Connor (24-2, 8 KOs) looked to be in great shape Thursday night entering the ring to the sounds of a marching band and local favorites Dropkick Murphys.

Farmer (18-3, 7 KO) had never been in a scheduled 10 round before Thursday night.
The two exchanged blows in the first round, O’Connor landing the better punches including hooks to the body. O’Connor dropped Farmer in the second round after a flurry of punches to the body. After Farmer beat the count, O’Connor continued the onslaught and landed more thudding body shots.

A bloody O’Connor dominated the remainder of the fight, pouncing on Farmer. Farmer looked to be dazed from an accidental clash of heads in the fourth round and after two jabs, O’Connor landed a left hook to the kidney. Farmer dropped to a knee and failed to beat the count, giving O’Connor the victory in his first fight back since his hiatus.

O’Connor looked like a different fighter Thursday night, it would be interesting to see him pick up several wins against decent opponents, slowly working up the welterweight ranks.

“Danny O’Connor is back,” color commentator Paulie Malginaggi said. “He said he wanted to make sure he enjoyed himself in boxing. He surely enjoyed himself. he showed that amateur pedigree he has and the fact that he knows how to fight and get think through a fight. He showed the hunger by showing the killer instinct once he hurt Farmer.”

Local prospect Mark DeLuca remained undefeated after Ryan Davis retired in his corner at the end of the fourth round in a six-round middleweight bout. DeLuca (12-0, 9 KOs) took control of the fight from the opening bell, landing thunderous shots to the body in the second round. DeLuca dropped Davis (24-14-3, 9 KOs) in the third round with a left to the body.

In a lightweight co-feature, Sharif  Bogere won his third consecutive fight since losing to Richard Abril in 2013. Bogere (26-1, 19 KOs) looked impressive against the veteran Fernando Garcia, dropping him in the second round and in the fifth to end the bout.

Bogere was the faster fighter, constantly beating Garcia (30-7-2, 18 KOs) to the punch. Garcia was caught with a left hook in the second, dropped but was quick to get up. A shaken up garcia landed a clean uppercut, but Bogere was simply too quick and beating him to the punch.

Garcia showed signs of tiring in the fourth round after eating numoerous combinations, often times against the ropes. Bogere’s body work was too much and he connected a left,right combination to send the veteran to the canvas for the final time in the fifth round.

The televised opener showcased Irish standout Jason Quigley in a four-round middleweight bout against Greg McCoy.

Quigley (3-0, 3 KOs) took control of the action in the opening seconds of the fight landing quick, hard shots on McCoy. A monstrous left hook sent McCoy to the canvas, giving the Dublin native the victory.
Quigley continues to impress with his devastating power, scoring his third knockdown in three professional fights.
– Jose Quintero/@JoseSwift8755
US Editor for BehindTheGloves.com