In one of the biggest nights Chicago has seen in boxing in years, it was a local product who stole the show.
Andrzej Fonfara, who was starting to fall behind in a close contest with Gabriel Campillo, landed a big body-shot, which knocked out Campillo in the ninth round. The fight was witnessed by an estimated 8,231 fans in attendance at U.S Cellular Field.
Fonfara (24-2, 14 KO’s), living in Chicago, born in Poland, found himself headlining the first major fight in a Chicago stadium since 1962, when Sonny Liston knocked out Floyd Patterson in the first round. It marked a big step up in class for him, as Campillo (22-6-1, 9 KO’s) is a former light heavyweight champion.
The turnaround for Fonfara was particularly impressive. He got off to a nice start by utilizing his jab and pressing the action early on, but Campillo began to find his range, countering much of what Fonfara had to offer. As the fight reached its end, a mouse under Fonfara’s left eye began to show the damage he had sustained.
The middle rounds were very close, but it appeared that Campillo was the more polished, experienced fighter. By the time the ninth round arrived, it appeared the momentum shift was complete. However, the local crowd had not given up hope and were strongly supporting their fighter.
As Campillo began to take control, Fonfara was slowing down, throwing fewer and fewer punches. However, halfway through the round, he unleashed a body shot that would make all the difference. He followed that up with a couple combinations before Campillo was forced to drop to a knee, pitched over. Referee Genaro Rodriguez looked on and determined Campillo had seen enough, waving off the fight at 1:37 of round nine.
