Corito wins hard-fought fight on professional debut

By Wilfred Sultana

Marko Rupcic confirmed he is a very experienced boxer - indeed he has stepped into the ring 168 times while Corito only have 12 fights to his credit - In fact in Friday's night Big Night of Boxing at the Monte Cristo Estates in Hal Farrug Rupcic was superior in the first two rounds yet the third was entirely Billy's where he even knocked the Croatian boxer twice who beat the count on both occasions. As the third round evolved Billy's supremacy intensified with Rupcic increasingly looking unsteady. Rupcic was cautioned twice for elbowing and head-butting and in the 3^rd round even penalised one point for elbowing. At one point he pushed Billy to try make him fall backwards over ropes. The fight was of four sessions by 3mins each session and was sanctioned by the Malta Boxing Commission

Indeed at the end of the 3^rd round after Billy had knocked him twice to the canvas he was saved by the bell and one could see him stumble to his corner. "I heard him tell his coach 'no more'", remarked Corito after the fight.

Between the 3^rd and 4^th round the Croatian boxer's coach signalled the referee that his boxer was not going out for the 4^th and final round. At this point the referee, Charlie Cardona, approached the Croatian boxer's corner and asked for what reason he was refusing to continue with the fight. Here Marko Rupcic started using abusive language toward the referee and even spit at him.

At this point the referee had no option but to disqualify Marko Rupcic and declare Billy Corito as the winner.

In view of the Croatian boxer behaviour an urgent meeting of the Malta Boxing Commission is being held to discuss the incident and consider further action is to be taken.

Corito's trainer Shea Neary was disappointed at how the fight evolved, but at the end he was happy that Billy won. "After training very hard for 10 weeks you deserve to step into the ring with a decent boxer and box but this is the pro game, anything can come out of it. It's a different ball game now. But the result is here and Billy won and now the only way is up", commented Shea Neary.

Besides the main Corito-Rupcic fight the night's Fight Card included six other bouts with the local boxers emerging winners in four of them. The first five fights had all foreign boxers nominated by the by European Boxing Federation (EBF) and each fight was made up of Four sessions of 2minutes each session. 

The results were: 1. Etienne 'Buddy' Spiteri v Javaise Lewis (EBF) - Spiteri wins unanimously on points; 2. Brian Sanders v Jack Smith (EBF) - Smith wins K.O 1min32secs of 2^nd Round; 3. Brandon Bogon v Jake Barrett (EBF) - Bogon wins KO 1min35secs of 2^nd Round and retained EBF Light Weight Internation Title; 4. Tyrone Borg v Jamie Wheldon (EBF) - Borg wins KO 1min37secs of 2^nd Round and retained EBF Light Heavy Weight International Title; 5. Dione Maroushka Galea v Josh Groombridge (EBF) - Galea wins unanimously on points and retained EBF Super Middle Weight European Title.

The sixth supporting bout was a Pro fight and was sanctioned by the Malta Boxing Commission (MBC). 'Super' Steve Martin v Adnan Zilic (MBC) - Forein boxer Martin wins KO 2mins32secs of 3^rd Round.  Here the fight was made of six sessions by 3mins each session.

This was another Night of Boxing organised by the European Boxing Federation and local promoter Paul Borg where the main sponsors were are RE/MAX, Fortina Hotel, The Party Bus Malta and MedAsia Playa. Other support is extended by Golden Harvest, Badass Burgers, Barcelona Lounge, TeamsporT and London Butcher-Gzira.