Brandon “OJ Bam” Moore of Lakeland, FL dominated previously undefeated DeAndre Savage of Flint, MI on Friday night Sept. 19 at the iconic Fox Theatre.
Salita Promotions aimed to revive world-class boxing in the city of Detroit, presenting an electric set of fights at the iconic Fox Theatre.
The event streamed live worldwide on DAZN before an excitable crowd in the historic venue, featuring world champions, top contenders, and rising prospects.
In the main event, USBA Heavyweight Champion Brandon “OJ Bam” Moore of Polk County, FL., dominated previously undefeated DeAndre Savage of Flint, MI.
Moore scored a fourth-round knockdown and controlled the pace throughout the 10-round bout using his jab, footwork and ring IQ.
Moore out-boxed a wide unanimous decision victory to hand Savage the first loss of his professional career.
With scores of 100-89 twice and 99-90, Moore improved his record to 19-1 (10 KOs) against arguably his toughest opponent to date.
Moore expressed his eagerness to break into the world’s top 10, calling out Anthony Joshua in his post-fight interview with Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein. Savage fell to 10-1 (10 KOs) but remains a dangerous presence in the U.S. heavyweight scene with his remarkable knockout power.
“I am very happy with my performance. I came out here and got a spectacular and graceful win,” said Moore. “I knew he wouldn’t be able to move with me, and it was probably my easiest win. I would have liked to earn the stoppage, but I feel great about it. I boxed really well. And I loved being at the Fox Theatre. The Temptations, the Four Tops and now OJ Bam Moore.
“I am ready for what’s next and I want to fight Anthony Joshua,” he concluded. “I am going to speak it into existence.”
The co-feature delivered world title drama as Olivia Curry of Chicago went toe-to-toe with Australia’s Kaye Scott in a grueling 10-round showdown for the vacant WBC and WBA Middleweight World Championships.
The two warriors traded punches in a non-stop, action-packed battle. After 10 rounds, the judges declared the fight a majority draw, with scores of 98-92 for Scott and 95-95 twice, leaving the belts still up for grabs in one of this year’s most exciting women’s matchups.
Following the bout — which left both women bruised but unbowed — each emphatically declared her intention to square off again, setting the stage for a highly anticipated rematch.
“I always feel grateful when both fighters come out safely and put on an entertaining fight. But I want to run it back,” said Curry. “She came with volume and used her amateur experience to throw a ton of little flurries. About halfway through, I made an adjustment and committed to the body more and increased my volume to edge out some of the later rounds.”
Curry needed to win the final round on two scorecards to secure the draw.
Detroit’s rising super middleweight prospect Da’Velle Smith added to his stellar resume and extended his unbeaten streak with a second-round knockout over Colombian veteran Janer Gonzalez.
“I am feeling great, confident, and ready for what’s next,” said Smith, who is trained by the world renowned SugarHill Steward. “I was looking for the big punch early. But my coach told me to settle down and work the jab, throw some hooks and we got him out of there.
“It felt amazing to fight in that legendary building. It’s a great honor to fight in the city of Detroit and to fight at the Fox Theatre.”
The DAZN opener featured rising U.S. heavyweight prospect Sardius Simmons of Flint, who remained perfect at 4-0 with a unanimous decision victory over Lemire Isom-Riley of Harrisburg, PA.
Simmons looked comfortable while displaying a smart jab, smooth footwork and poise in his first six-round bout and global television debut.
Non-televised undercard results:
Women’s Welterweight – 6 Rounds
Savannah Tini of Shelby Township improved to 6-0 (2 KOs), showcasing strength and speed in a unanimous decision win over Michaele Nogue of Atlantic City, N.J.
Featherweight – 8 Rounds
Edmonton, Canada’s Jelena Mrdjenovic, trained by world-renowned SugarHill Steward, defeated a game Liliana Martinez of the Dominican Republic.
Light Heavyweight – 6 Rounds
Kahmel Makled of Macomb thrilled his many fans in attendance, outboxing Christian Juresic of Cleveland to improve to 4-0 (3 KOs) via unanimous decision.
Women’s Featherweight – 4 Rounds
Highly decorated amateur champion Jasmine Hampton of Ann Arbor, Mich., made a statement in her professional debut, stopping Midajah Rogers of Port Huron, Mich., in under 30 seconds.
The event was promoted by Salita Promotions in partnership with 313 Presents, Detroit’s premiere sports and entertainment company, and sponsored by OnlyFans, M Life Luxury Water, WBC/Fight For Mental Health, Generations, and Lush Lawn. Comerica Bank serves as the exclusive presenting partner of the Fox Theatre.
The only professional boxing event on record at Fox Theatre was on June 10, 2000–HBO Boxing: Acelino Freitas vs. Lemuel Nelson.