(JUNE 25) Melissa McMorrow, using
her patented aggressive, come forward style, won an eight round
split decision over Eileen Olszewski Friday night in the
co-feature bout of an eight bout card put together by Old World
Boxing and New Legend Promotions at the Cordon Bleu in
Woodhaven, Queens, NY. With the win, McMorrow, a Californian
from the Bay Area, won the NY State female flyweight title.
The pattern for the bout was established at the opening bell as
Olszewski, the current WIBA and GBU flyweight title holder
(neither title was on the line Friday), demonstrating her
signature fluid motion, attempted to keep McMorrow at the long
end of her quick left jabs, while the Californian, moving
constantly forward, sought to get inside Olszewski's effective
jabs and hooks. Each of the eight rounds seemed, basically, a
carbon copy of that strategy. Olszewski would flurry, in the
middle of the ring, only to be met with a counter flurry by the
hard charging McMorrow who forced the fight into the ropes and
corners.
Neither fighter had a "big round" over the eight round course as
each stanza was contested in back and forth, bell/bell action
that led the pro Olszewski crowd to alternate raucous
encouragement and contrasting quiet. What the crowd got was
eight rounds of very good boxing. The judges reflected this
contrasting viewpoint: John McKaie called the bout 78-74 for
McMorrow, Robin Taylor reversed the call with the same score for
Olszewski and John Signorile broke the deadlock with a 79-73
count for McMorrow. I had McMorrow winning by a close 77-75
score.
This was McMorrow's second cross country sojourn in four months.
In February, she lost a razor thin decision to Keisher McLeod
Wells over six rounds at B B Kings Club in midtown Manhattan.
With Olszewski and McLeod Wells New York City is now home to two
of the top flyweight fighters in Women's boxing to say nothing
of boasting an NY State champion residing in the shadow of the
Bay Bridge.
With the win McMorrow betters her record to 5-2-3, while
Olszewski drops to 7-3-2.
Bernie McCoy
