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Partly Cloudy Long Beach pro boxer Seanie Monaghan reaches 10-0
Hundreds of supporters turn out for milestone MSG bout
Long Beach professional boxer Seanie Monaghan made his way to the ring in Madison Square Garden last Saturday, as traditional Irish pipes blared and hundreds of supporters shouted his name.
Just as he does before each fight, Monaghan paced the ring as the announcer introduced him to a packed crowd, and he tapped his chest twice — above a tattoo bearing the name of his close friend who encouraged him to become a boxer, Bobby Calabrese, who was murdered in 2004 in Island Park — amid the deafening cheers from the audience.
Prior to the fight, his opponent, Anthony Pietrantonio, an Italian from Pennsylvania who boasted a 7-7 record, told the boxing website Paneech.com, “[Monaghan] fights my style, very straight-forward, and to be honest with you, he doesn’t look any tougher than the last guy I fought.”
Monaghan, a light heavyweight who, since turning pro in May last year is undefeated, certainly made Pietrantonio eat those words. At two minutes and 21 seconds into the first round, Monaghan connected a left hook and made Pietrantonio wobble. And with 38 seconds remaining in the first round, Monaghan released a barrage of right and left hooks, and briefly pinned Pietrantonio against the ropes.
For Pietrantonio, things grew progressively worse from there, and in what was arguably the most exciting fight of the night, Monaghan landed a right hook for a TKO victory in the fifth round, reaching a stunning 10-0 record. Monaghan now boasts seven knockouts, and is considered a formidable contender in the boxing world.
The fight took place before HBO’s main event featuring bantamweight World Champion Nonito Donaire and Omar Narvaez, which many considered a lackluster match, one that drew boos from the audience and even prompted some spectators to leave.
Monaghan, a West End resident and former bricklayer, was one of several boxers from Long Island who fought last Saturday, including Oceanside’s Mike Brooks, who defeated Eddie Ramirez in his Garden debut. Monaghan had the support of hundreds of Long Beach residents and others who turned out in droves, many sporting shirts that read “Team Monaghan.”
