GEORGE FIZZLES, ENNIS DAZZLES, AND GODFREY RETAINS HIS TITLE EASILY.

George Fizzles, Ennis Dazzles, and Godfrey walks through Hawk to retain his NABF title.

Mike Cassell The Philadelphia Boxing Report   7/10/09

Shaun George (18-3-2, 9 KOs), and Chris Henry (24-2, 19 KOs), both looked very hungry early in the Arena in South Philadelphia last night. George became known to the boxing public when he totally destroyed IBF former Heavyweight Champion Chris Byrd who had dropped over 30lbs. to face George at Light Heavyweight.

Shaun George came out looking less like Shaun George, and more like George Foreman in round one. He was swinging for the fences, and Henry was lobbing changeovers. George had Houston native Henry out on his feet and all but gone, but I guess that’s why we fight more than one round. Chris Henry is a relentless brawler, who continues to move forward trying to find his opening, and boy did he.

“He hurt me early. He throws some real sharp right hands. But I kept my cool and hung in there until I could follow my plan. He started throwing this really lazy jab in 3^rd round. I started throwing my right over it. We worked on that in the gym. We knew he had that good right hand, but we were ready for it. I felt like he was just going to walk right into something.” Chris Henry

Henry hijacked the fight by round 4, with his raging bull style, throwing hard body shots and hard heavy right hands. Tommy Brooks, the trainer or Brooklyn native Shaun George claimed George broke his hand early in the fight. Henry took is time, stayed calm, and seemingly connected with every right hand. By the end of 5, George was counter punched into submission and went into round 6 looking more vulnerable than Lindsey Lohan in a liquor store.  

Referee Steve Smoger put a stop to it after George went down for the second time in round six, both coming off big right  hands by Henry. Kudos to the great referee Steve Smoger for giving these fine professional athletes a shot at a victory.

Junior middleweight Derek "Pooh" Ennis of Philadelphia (18-2-1, 13 KOs) put John Mackey on the canvas twice on route to a unanimous, six-round decision over John Mackey (11-4-1, 5 KOs), of Alabama.  

"I thought I had him there for a moment in the second round, but I really hurt him and he is even bigger than me. He wasn’t a duck. He was 11 -3 and the 3 fights he lost, they all say he didn’t lose. I want the big name fights. I’m ready" said Ennis, whose last scheduled bout was canceled when his opponent was in a car accident and the bout before that he was unable to make the contracted weight. "I wanted to prove I could make the weight and prove all the doubters wrong." Derek Ennis

Northeast Philly's Tony "Boom Boom" Ferrante (8-0, 4 KOs) scored a majority decision over Billy Bailey (9-4, 3 KOs), of Bakersfield, Calif., Bailey got real cute inside, making Ferrante earn his money.

"All I knew about him was that he was a tough guy," Ferrante said of Bailey. "He came to fight, I'll give him that. He has a good beard [sturdy chin]."

In main event action, Matt Godfrey (19-1, 10 KOs), of Providence, R.I., defended his NABF Cruiserweight title getting a   unanimous decision over Shawn Hawk (18-1, 16 KOs), of Sioux Falls, S.D.  Godfrey did his thing pretty easily, and sent Shaun Hawk  to school.