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The Old Man by the Sea

Machine Gun Charlie ducks Tsitas mortar bomb

Two remarkable fights topped a Keith Ellis pro-am boxing promotion on May 25, in the Barwon Valley Activity Centre, at Geelong, by Corio Bay.
One was nearly a double KO. The other set a record State title for age.

In the pro semi-final, Yousef Eskanderi (64.75) was matched with former Amateur League Champion, Steven Maxwell (64).
To all this looked like a walkover for the highly touted Eskanderi, who
shot out of the blocks throwing and landing plenty.
Thirty seconds into the round he threw a left hook that was spot-on in accuracy and Maxwell meandered away from him doing a moonwalk, stumbling over to the ropes and hanging onto them to keep himself upright.
I remember thinking at this time. there was no way this fight would continue. Then I had a "What The!"moment as I looked over to Eskanderi and saw him stretched out cold on the canvas with the referee counting over him.
Maxwell's demeanour went from hurt boxer to Tattslotto winner in the blink of an eye as he gripped the rope and held and held one hand up in
victory and delight.
What had happened was they had both thrown left hooks at the same time, both had hit simultaneously. But Maxwell's was the harder, or he had the tougher jaw, whatever, the referee counted right up to 10 and raised a happy Maxwell's hand in victory.

This is the closest I have ever come to seeing a double KO.
Good debut by Maxwell.

85 years between them

Hometown Jim acknowledges Arnoutovic, ageless Vic Champ

The Main event was over 8 x 3 rounds for the vacant Victorian Cruiserweight Title, pitting 45 year old Machine Gun Charlie Arnoutovic (84.95) against 40 year old Jimmy Tsitas (85.85). Now to all concerned this might have looked like a dull
fight between two oldies,but let me tell you it was nothing of the sort:
both fighters showed boundless courage and inexaustable purpose.

It was do or die as they went at each other non stop for the entire eight
rounds, each time you muttered that one was hurt he would make a liar out of you by fighting back. It was easy to see where Machine Gun Charlie got his name with his fast rips and hooks.
Right from the start this was going to be a last man standing fight as both fighters tore into each other. Machine Gun made Tsitas miss time after time with his poetic weaving and in the clinches Charlie kept constantly punching while laying on Tsitas and tiring him.
However, it wasn't all one way traffic and Tsitas acquitted himself well in all exchanges, bar an accidental low blow in the third round. This was a clean, hard fight as both boys "brought it." In the fifth round Tsitas had to take a standing eight count, which he tried to disprove to the referee by punching himself to show he
hadn't been hurt.
Machine Gun won nearly every round with purposeful boxing while Tsitas seemed powered by never say die aggression. After the fight Machine Gun said, "I boxed when I had to and fought when I had to."
Which I thought was a good assessment.
He will go down in the record books as being the oldest Victorian Champ of all time, but if he has his way he might go down in the record books as being the oldest Australian Champion, because he intends losing weight two divisions down and campaigning as a Middleweight.
It makes me wonder what this fighter could have achieved if he hadn't had an interrupted career.

He beat Alan Forbes 25 years ago in Richmond in his tenth pro bout and
has only recently made a his comeback. I have never heard of any fighter
in the history of the game have so long a break between fights and achieve a successful comeback against all odds. I take my hat off to
Charlie.
Both fighters' courage shone like a beacon on a dark night.

Rolly-Polly ripped

Hudson, high Heavy, looks down on ‘heavier’ Dickson

The early card brought two exhibition bouts then two VABL bouts. In the Leaguers, Raff Danaf at 83 kg beat Arnold Pelman on
points, and Angelo Angelino at 75 kg beat Justin Colhard by KO 2.
The first pro fight of the evening was an 8 x 3 match between Steve
Hudson (100.2 kg) and Andrew Dickson (94.8). Hudson boxed well for a big man as the rolly-polly Dickson pursued him in the first round,
landing his only big punch right on the bell.
The second round was all Hudson, he started landing body blows that distressed the overweight and under-fit Dickson, his rips soon decked and stopped Big Andy.
Steve Hudson's victory brought tears to his proud and sick dad's face.

The main event pair are to be congratulated on a very entertaining fight and Keith Ellis on a great evening.