Pembroke Pines’ Shannon Briggs wins 8th fight in a row on heavyweight card at Seminole Hard Rock
Shannon Briggs spent more time in the ring working the crowd than finishing his overmatched opponent.
Briggs, a Pembroke Pines resident and former world champion, scored a second-round knockout victory over Mike Marrone in the main event of a card Saturday night at Seminole Hard Rock Live Arena near Hollywood.
“I told you I’m back,” Briggs told the crowd and repeatedly chanted, “Let’s go, Champ! Let’s go, Champ!”
Briggs dropped Marrone with a right to the head and left to the body. Referee Sam Burgo counted Marrone out at 2:52. The victory was Briggs’ eighth in a row since resuming his career last year.
From the opening round, Briggs (56-6-1, 52 KOs) established the pace with lead left jabs and rights to the head. Late in the round, Briggs dropped Marrone (21-5) with a right to the head at the end of a flurry.
Earlier, former University of Miami running back Quadtrine Hill returned to the ring after a four-year absence with a third-round technical knockout win over Quincy Palmer.
“I felt great, I couldn’t get touched I couldn’t get hit,” Hill said. “I was throwing punches sharp. I landed everything I wanted to.”
In his first bout since April 2011, Hill (5-2, 2 KOs) outclassed Palmer with lead right jabs and follow-up combinations to the head. Hill moved in angles but also stayed within punching range against the slower and plodding Palmer.
Hill maintained busy punch volume in the second round as the multiple shots opened a cut on Palmer’s right cheekbone.
Sensing that he trailed on the scorecards in the scheduled four-round bout, Palmer (9-7) chased Hill at the start of the third round and connected with a right to the head. But Hill shook off the punch and continued to score with combinations to the head. A solid left to the head staggered Palmer (9-7) and Hill followed with three additional shots to the head, forcing referee Frank Santore to stop the bout at :51 of the third round.
Despite his four-year ring absence, Hill felt no rust in his comeback bout.
“I’m never surprised, I always try to be great,” Hill said. “I don’t train to come in mediocre. I train the same way the whole way through. Show up be great, whip [expletive] and get out.”
Hill said he took time off from boxing to concentrate on business ventures but now intends to resume a busy path similar to the 14-month span that covered his first six professional bouts.
Saturday’s show also featured guest appearances by many of the heavyweight champions of the past 35 years. The ex-champions included Larry Holmes, brothers Michael and Leon Spinks, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, Michael Moorer, Vitali Klitschko and reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko.
In other bouts: Grover Young and Maurice Harris fought to a draw; Antonio Robertson won by split decision over Erik Leander; Terrence Marbra won by majority decision over Ernest Mazgok; Brandon Spencer won by unanimous decision over Dieuly Aristide; Edwin Alvarez knocked out Steve Teagle at 1:40 of the first round.
SANTOS A. PEREZ
WOMEN’S SOCCER
▪ Barry 3, Lenoir-Rhyne 0: The 13th-ranked Barry Buccaneers shut out 12th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne (1-1-0) in Savannah, Georgia.
The Bucs (2-0-0) jumped on top early when Amanda Traynor found Christy Grimshaw at the top of the 18-yard box, and Grimshaw buried one from straight on in the 10th minute.
Shanice Robe scored in the 52nd minute, and Grimshaw capped the scoring in the 64th minute.
▪ St. Thomas 3, Georgia Gwinnett 2: Sharon Tejeda scored a goal and had two assists to lead St. Thomas (1-2) over Georgia Gwinnett (2-1) at Bobcat Field.
Tejeda assisted on a goal by Michelle Bailey in the sixth minute, then scored again in the 12th minute. Tejeda then set up Ana Parra for a goal in the 28th minute to make the score 3-0. The Grizzlies scored twice in the final 10 minutes, but St. Thomas held on for its first win of the season.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
▪ FIU goes 2-1 in tournament: FIU (4-2, 1-0 C-USA) split two matches Saturday at the Blazer Classic, falling to Austin Peay (2-4), 25-11, 25-15, 25-11 and defeating Savannah State (0-8), 25-8, 25-12, 25-13 at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Panthers finished the Classic with a 2-1 record, including their first conference win of the season with a victory over UAB on Friday night, and are off to their best start since the 2009 team opened 5-1.
Freshman Katie Friesen had her fourth double-double of the year with 13 assists and 10 digs against Austin Peay.
▪ Barry goes 2-1 in tournament: Barry went 1-1 on the final day of the Boca Raton Invitational to finish 2-1. The Bucs swept Barton in Saturday’s first match 25-21, 25-12, 25-16, and fell to Valdosta State 25-18, 17-25, 25-19, 25-20 in the second match.
▪ St. Thomas 3, Bethel 0: St. Thomas (10-2) defeated Bethel (7-3) in 25-18, 25-13, 25-17 at the Mariner Invitational in Brunswick, Georgia.
Marisa Markus led the Bobcats with 10 kills, set up often by Dana Nowaczyk, who had a match-high 27 assists.
This story was originally published September 6, 2015 at 12:27 AM with the headline "Pembroke Pines’ Shannon Briggs wins 8th fight in a row on heavyweight card at Seminole Hard Rock."