Adam Braidwood Lasts 1:07 In Boxing Match

11/04/2009 03:19

EDMONTON -- The Boogeyman didn’t scare anyone this time, except his football teammates, if they were watching.

Adam (Boogeyman) Braidwood learned a tough lesson in his second professional boxing event on Thursday.

The Edmonton Eskimos defensive lineman lasted just 1:07 as he lost by technical knockout to Lethbridge’s Lee Mein, an MMA fighter making his pro boxing debut.

A series of solid rights put a nervous looking Braidwood down in the first minute. A pair of body blows followed by an overhand right ended it shortly after, much to the horror of the roughly 3,000 fans on hand at Shaw Conference Centre.

“He didn‘t take the pressure very well. I didn’t think it would bother him as much as it did,” said Braidwood’s trainer Milan Lubovac.

“What he did in the gym, he didn’t do here. He was too nervous before the fight. It’s too bad.

“We’ll see what he wants to do. The worst thing that could happen, happened, so I don’t know what to do from here. It’s all up to Adam, he can’t be looking as good as he did in the gym and come here and ... ”

Lubovac didn’t have to finish that last statement. Mein did it for him.

“It happens. I’ve fought on my own shows in Lethbridge and have been knocked out in front of everybody. That’s part of the game. There are no guarantees in fighting,” said Mein, wearing the black hat in the matchup.

“I’m sure it will help his career, if he’s serious about it. He needs to fight tough guys, not just guys who are going to fall over for him. He’ll learn from that and get better, like we’ve all done from our losses.”

Mein took the fight on with just two weeks notice and the 41-year-old strictly worked on cardio and not sparring.

“I know I didn’t have enough to go hard for four rounds. I knew I could give him a round like that. I can go toe-to-toe with anybody. It felt good,” said Mein.

In other fights, Edmonton’s Ayana Pelletier improved to 5-1 as she overwhelmed Elizabeth Mckay of St. Louis, who was making her pro debut. Referee Len Koivisto stopped the fight at 1:21 of the first round as Pelletier landed a combination of punches, the last one a sharp left to the body.

“We were hoping for more,” said Lubovac, who also works with Pelletier. “She couldn’t work it very well. This girl (McKay) wasn’t ready for it. I think Ayana will be a world-class fighter.”

Calgarian Steve Claggett upped his perfect log to 4-0 in a second round TKO of Billy Arnott (4-5) of Winnipeg. That one lasted just 1:06 as fans really didn’t get much bang for their buck in the first three fights.

In an exhibition muay thai fight, Edmonton’s Levi Kump defeated Bruce Sesseman of St. Louis on a second-round TKO.

In the main event, Edmonton’s Jelena Mrdjenovich was set to take on Winnipeg’s Olivia (The Predator) Gerula for the World Boxing Council super featherweigt title later Thursday.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

As I have said before, Braidwood should hang up the gloves before he gets in the ring with a “real” boxer and ends up getting himself killed.