Professional boxing kicks off a promising season at Sigur Center

Boxer Gary Bergeron of Chalmette lost his fight, but won the hearts of St. Bernard.

Some 800 people turned out for last Friday’s fights at the Sigur Center. The eight-fight schedule culminated with hometown hero, fighter Gary Bergeron of Chalmette. And despite his loss by judge decision, he made local boxing fans proud.

Bergeron battled Fernando Rodriguez all the way to a round 6 decision.

At the start, Bergeron’s punches were tight and controlled, blocking a good many shots.

However, Rodriguez worked on Bergeron’s ribs and eventually snuck in a few headshots. One hit from Rodriguez left a gash over Bergeron’s right eye.

Even then, the crowd cheered Gary’s name. Bergeron caught a rhythm at the tail end of the fight, the crowd still saying over and over, “Gary…Gary,” and demanding a knock out. But when the bell was rung, the judges rendered their decision, and the referee lifted Rodriguez’s arm.

It didn’t matter. Fans approached the sweaty and bloody Bergeron, thanking him for a great night.

Other fights
Casey “The Cajun Bull” Adams knocked out his opponent in only two rounds. Adams displayed a pure talent and maintained control of his opponent, Ivory Joyner, through the short course of the fight.

Undefeated Chad Trahan fought in one of the triple main-event fights that night. His opponent, Omid Bahreini, knocked out an undefeated fighter recently, so there was a great deal of hype surrounding the contest. However, Bahreini lost by technical knock out (TKO) only one minute into the first round.

Local promoters promise more fights in the future, possibly as soon as June, with plans in the works for cable broadcasts live from Chalmette.