An amped-up crowd at the Marathon Elks Lodge on July 26 was treated to fists of fury in a 16-fight card for Spar Wars: Island Wars Volume 2.
Featuring fighters from Miami squaring off against Middle Keys athletes training out of Marathon Boxing Studio, the evening’s main event pitted 25-year-old Noah Casillas against John Midgette for the 170-pound Spar Wars Free Smoke Boxing Title.
“It was a movie – it was just insane,” said Casillas’ coach, Dwayne Ellis. “Talk about two guys going at it. The tension had been high for a while.”
Casillas began taking heavy blows from Midgette in the first round, Ellis said, but was able to adjust heading into the second.
“We knew John was a big puncher,” Ellis said. “He’s not a guy who fights in flurries of punches – he tries to go for the big blows. Noah had to sit on his punches and make that adjustment, and he did just that.”
Losing both his mouth guard and his head gear to blows from Midgette in the second round, Casillas’ resolve never wavered.
“We hit him with a clean punch and got a standing 8-count,” Ellis said, referencing the precautionary count used by referees after a solid blow to determine whether a fighter can continue.
“I told him: no mercy.”
Seconds later, a vicious left hook from Casillas sent Midgette crashing to the floor unconscious as the hometown hero jumped into his corner of fans.
Beyond the thrill of the fights, proceeds from the night went to benefit the Pay it Forward Scholarships, administered every year by Wendy Bonilla and distributed to graduating Marathon High School seniors.
Photos by KEVIN KLEEBLATT/Contributed
