No Holds Barred

Sheakley wins main event; spectator ends up in the ring throwing leather

By Courtney Nelson | FOR THE JUNEAU EMPIRE

Fans at Roughhouse boxing at Marlintini's Lounge were chanting "Hoonah" after the main event, which featured Hoonah's Elijah Sheakley, 31.

He brought his record to 8-2-0 with his win over Brian Lauth, 19, after three 90-second rounds.

Round one was even, then Sheakly poured it on in round two, delivering a huge right to Lauth's head before they both tired. Lauth found strength and finished the round punching out. In round three, Sheakley went after Lauth, who answered by racking up his own points. Sheakley tagged him with some heavy leather and Lauth was delivered a standing eight count.

"It was a good fight," said Lauth, who had the reach.

Sheakley's mom said in a post fight interview that she trained her son to be a fighter since he was little.

Sheakley squeaked the win away from Lauth despite a smoking habit.

"I smoke 20 cigarettes a day," Sheakley said after the bout.

In the semi-main event MMA bout Shaun Guthrie, 28, hailing from Ketchikan, defeated Klawock's Steven Roberts, 19, a student who likes to fight.

Guthrie dominated Roberts when their fight went to the mat. Roberts went for Guthrie's ankle to try and drop him every time. Guthrie countered to get him in a choke hold and ultimately won the bout by tiring him out.

In a heavyweight MMA fight, 222-pound Pat Willis, 20, a Gastineau Humane Society employee looking for fun and Christmas money, got his holiday wish with his win over Hawaii's 189-pound Kenneth Horton, 21, just over a minute into round one. After trading power on the mat, Willis who said he watched a lot of MMA in preparation for the fight, got Horton, a ten-year friend, into a guillotine and it was over.

"It was good to release a lot of pent up anger," said Willis who plans on fighting again.

Sitka's Selina Slack, 26, defeated her cousin, Mary Ferguson, 23, in an unconventional fight. Slack had an opponent back out at the last minute, so Ferguson, there to videotape, offered to fight her.

"I never trained to box but I have a punching bag at my house I work out on," said Ferguson who hung on all three rounds despite being a first-time fighter.

Ferguson threw some heavy leather, but Slack was more seasoned and out-tagged her cousin with body shots.

First-time fighter Ron Skoog, 25, defeated Logan Henkins, 27, in a bout that was called by split decision. Skoog had the reach but Henkins was more seasoned with a record of 2-4-0. Skoog was only in the ring three seconds when he knocked down Henkins, who was delivered a standing eight count.

Henkins fired some rocket punches, but Skoog managed to dodge them until Henkins found a sweet spot and dropped Skoog for a standing eight count. He still managed to grab the win.

Juneau's Michael Friedrichs, 20, defeated New Orleans' Tawn Green, 24, by a split decision. Friedrichs fought barefoot against the stocky Green, and all three rounds were very evenly matched. Friedrichs was quicker but Green ultimately landed more punches.

In another heavyweight MMA fight, Arizona's 220-pound Marques Jackson, 22, defeated 313-pound James "The Beast" Roberts, 24, from Klawock, to stay undefeated at 2-0-0. Roberts said he was going to work out more before attempting MMA again.

"I was barely hanging on," Roberts said about the third round when Jackson had him in a choke hold.

The next fights will be held Jan. 22nd.

Results from Roughhouse boxing at Marlintini's Lounge:

•Ron Skoog defeats Logan Henkins.

•Michael Friedrichs defeats Tawn Green.

•Pat Willis defeats Kenneth Horton.

•Marques Jackson defeats James "The Beast" Roberts.

•Selena Slack defeats Mary Ferguson.

•Shaun Guthrie defeats Steven Roberts.

•Elijah Sheakley defeats Brian Lauth.

•More photos on B8.