Pounding the competition

Lauth takes Guthrie in main event; Klawock's Roberts brothers win their bouts against Hoonah fighters

By Courtney Nelson | For the Juneau Empire

Friday was a night full of knockdowns during Roughhouse Boxing at Marlintini's Lounge which was postponed a week because fog prevented promoter Bob Haag from landing in Juneau.

In the main event, Brian Lauth outlasted Guthrie to grab the win, and brothers James "the Beast" Roberts, Jr., and Steven Roberts both won their respective bouts against boxers from Hoonah.

Brian Lauth, 19, defeated 2008 Southeast Showdown middleweight champion Shaun Guthrie, 27, again in the main event earning Lauth his third win in four bouts against the former champ.

Lauth said his strategy going in was to stay loose and calm, and save his energy for the fight. He got tips by reading Muhammed Ali's books and studying his fights.

Guthrie said he was looking to even the record by getting on the inside so he could "hit him in the body, tire him out and cut him off every chance I get."

Guthrie gassed out in the second round then retired by spinning away and resting his arms on the ropes.

"I run five miles a day for endurance and that was all I got for five miles a day?" he said after the fight. "I couldn't even lift my arms."

"I did what I did and I stayed calm," Lauth said. "Round two I kept seeing the openings and going for them."

Lauth will fight again March 12.

In one of two MMA contests, Charlie Gallant, 20, with a record of 28-3-0, defeated the previously undefeated 241-pound Patryck "The Animal" Willis, 20, who had two wins under his belt.

Gallant just returned from Afghanistan where he was stationed in the Army. He also spent time in a Florida training camp where he racked up some Muay Thai fighting experience.

"I trained with much heavier guys (but) I haven't trained in a while," he said. "So, that was a tough fight and he hit me pretty hard."

The two were evenly matched, trading blows in the first two rounds, when Gallant couldn't get Willis to the mat. Then Gallant landed some head shots and a knee to Willis' face to get him on the ground. Both boxers were gassed by the third round, but Gallant out-grappled Willis and hung on for the win. Afterward, he said he was motivated by the crowd.

Klawock's 177-pound Steven Roberts, 19, brought his record to 2-1-0 with his MMA win over Hoonah's sawmill operator Nathan Nichols, 28, a first-time fighter who said he wanted to test himself.

He had no official boxing experience or physical training, but said he'd been a street fighter in Hoonah because "anywhere there's drinking there's streetfighting."

"I don't have time to train, I'm working," said Nichols, who was filled with adrenaline from the bell.

He attacked Roberts, a skilled grappler, who was calm and focused.

The much larger Nichols lifted him up and slammed him to the mat appearing to be winning the match. But by round two he was completely gassed. Most of round three, Roberts, who'd been the underdog, had him in an arm bar submission hold and that's how the bout ended.

"I locked my legs around his arm and pulled back - it hurts," said Roberts.

His brother, 322-pound James "The Beast" Roberts, Jr., 24, of Klawock, brought his record to 7-4-0 after he defeated Hoonah's 210-pound Eric Larson, 21, now 2-5-0.

Roberts remained solid as Larson landed some heavy leather to Robert's mouth. The fight remained pretty even until Larson was sucking air and Roberts poured it on to grab the win. "I'm gonna work his sides until he's tired," Roberts said prefight.

Matt Richardson, 27, a Super Bear employee looking for extra cash, defeated first-time fighter and co-worker Jacob Scanlon, 20, in a fight that started off evenly. Then, Scanlon was on the run from the aggressive Richardson. By round three he was repeatedly turning his back until referee Joe Isturis issued a standing eight count and Scanlon was saved by the bell.

Logan Henkins, 27, brought his record to 3-7-0 when he earned a TKO over Klawock's Mitchell Edenshaw, 19, early in round one.

Henkins, unemployed, fights for money for propane to heat his camper until the next fights.

"I knew I had more experience so I just had to go with it," said Henkins of his strategy to combat Edenshaw's reach early in the first round.

In a bout pairing two first-time fighters, Home Depot employee Doug Nichols, 23, defeated Wrangell fisherman William "Zeitgeist" Musser V, 27, by standing his ground in the center of the ring.

In round one, the boxers tested each other while bobbing and weaving, but Nichols had more moves. Early in round three Nichols clocked Musser with a huge right uppercut that dropped Musser to the mat. He finished the round but Nichols out-tagged him with some heavy leather to the head.

In another bout pairing first-time fighters, Sitka's Eric Moy, 18, defeated Peter Hisler, 29, from California in an adrenaline-filled fight.

Hisler was knocked down by Moy when he walked into his glove in round one and was issued a standing eight count. Moy dominated the second round, tagging Hisler multiple times when he was against the ropes. Hisler had nothing left for the third round and was sucking air, but stayed tough to the end.

The next fights will be March 12 and will feature Al "The Mean Machine" Valentines' last fight, and Ketchikan's Duckworth father and sons will be on the card.

Fight Card:

Logan Henkins defeats Mitchell Edenshaw

Doug Nichols defeats William Musser

Eric Moy defeats Peter Hisler

Matt Richardson defeats Jacob Scanlon

Steven Roberts defeats Nathan Nichols MMA

James "The Beast" Robert Jr. defeats Eric Larson

Charlie Gallant defeats Patryck Willis MMA

Brian Lauth defeats Shaun Guthrie