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Local product Zion Hensley falls to 3-time national champ

YOUNGSTOWN — Danica Reyna, a three-time national champion and Jr. Olympic titlist from San Antonio, Texas, topped local product Zion “Lil’ Z” Hensley in the main event at Saturday night’s A Magical Night of Boxing at the Magic Tree Pub and Eatery in Boardman.

Presented by Lights Out Management, the long awaited clash between Reyna and Hensley, the No. 1 ranked female in the 100 pound weight class, did not disappoint with each fighter going toe to toe all three rounds to close out the night’s action.

“Zion was a very good fighter and I knew that it would be a challenge,” said Reyna while holding her belt, indicative of winning the main event. “I felt like I won the first round but the second round could have gone either way. I knew that I had to step it up a notch in the third round, felt like I did and hoped I did enough when the bell rang.”

With the win, Reyna now heads to Wichita, Kansas on a winning note where she will compete in the Jr. Olympics, scheduled for July 9-16.

Hensley, who trains under the watchful eye of Darnell Boone at his Deezol Boxing gym, also felt like the third round was the deciding round.

“I needed to use my movement more,” Hensley stated. “The big thing was that I needed to get out of the pocket when she stood in the pocket.”

In his first ever amateur fight, Josiah Johnson of Warren’s Zulu Boxing Club won a unanimous decision over Chase Lawrence of Downtown Boxing Club in a 105 pound pairing.

“My plan was to keep the pressure on him every round, counter off his punches and not wait around, just make things happen,” Johnson added.

In a 140 pound scrap, Cleveland’s Darron Lucky scored a unanimous decision over Isaac Johnson of Jack Loew’s South Side Boxing Club, Khalil Osaze, also of Cleveland, posted a unanimous decision over Isaac Chatman of Deezol Boxing – Chatman injured his left elbow in the first round but continued and finished all three rounds. Anthony Caporal, a product of Tommy Yankello’s World Class Boxing in Pittsburgh, topped Luke Whitmore of Warren Zulu Boxing by unanimous decision in a 100 pound pairing while one of two heavyweight fights had Brian Mowry of Pittsburgh stopping Aaron Douglas of Youngstown’s Downtown Boxing Club.

Local fighters finished the night 1-6 overall.

Reyna wasn’t the only family member to make the trek from Texas for the event as sister, Maddie, fell to Cleveland’s Brandy Rivera in a 70 pound clash and brother, Ayden, was topped by Pittsburgh’s Xavier Campbell, who also trains with Tommy Yankello, at 85 pounds.

Both fights were by unanimous decision.

Akron’s Francis Bonner defeated Logan Broyles of West Virginia at 140 pounds, Canton’s Nate Goodwin topped Treh Paris, also of West Virginia’s Small Time Boxing Gym in the other heavyweight battle, Davon Jones of Pittsburgh scored a unanimous decision over Braylon Penland of Cleveland at 80 pounds while in a 75 pound match-up, Pittsburgh’s Darren Jones earned a split decision win over Marcellius Woodson of Cleveland.

Lights Out Management’s next fight card is set for early October with the site still to be determined.

sports@tribtoday.com

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