Monaghan back on winning track

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After suffering his first loss in July at the Nassau Coliseum, to undefeated Marcus Browne, professional boxer Seanie Monaghan, of Long Beach, left the Barclays Center last Saturday night with a unanimous-decision victory over Evert Bravo in a catch weight bout at 178 pounds.

The decision wasn’t for lack of offensive output, as Monaghan landed power punches throughout all eight rounds, looking to put Bravo away. He came out aggressive in the early rounds, working behind his jab and using solid footwork. 

In the second round, Monaghan started to open up before Bravo fired back, momentarily stunning him. He quickly regained his wits and started landing stiff right hands over Bravo’s jabs as the round ended. The third round saw more of the same: blinding barrages of punches from Monaghan to a covering Bravo on the ropes. 

“One or two rounds, I think I had him in pretty bad trouble there, the bell rang, and he recovered,” Monaghan said. “He hung tough.” 

The fourth round saw Bravo land some winging right on Monaghan, but Monaghan finished the round and regrouped at the break. From there, he stayed tough and caught a second wind, getting the better of Bravo for the remaining rounds. Early in Round 6, Monaghan sent a right hand that landed flush on Bravo’s chin, causing him to backpedal looking for counters, but there was little more than glove and elbow in return. As the round ended, Monaghan hit Bravo with a strong flurry to take the round.

As for his constant pressure and never-back-down style, Monaghan was adamant that his game plan never wavers. “To keep pressure is always my plan,” he said. “He landed some shots on me, but they didn’t hurt me at all. He took a good shot though.”

After the final bell sounded, the judges’ unanimous decision gave Monaghan the 29th victory of the 36-year-old’s career, leaving the Brooklyn crowd jubilant. He left the Barclays Center a bit later than anticipated, however, because his fight was pushed back to a “walkout” bout, two matches after the evening’s main event. The Long Beach faithful refused to depart, and his cheering section was noticeable even after the majority of the 10,924 fans headed for the exits.

Monaghan, focused on returning to his winning ways, was not about to let the toying with his bout time affect him. “I didn’t let it play with my emotions too much,” he said. “I knew it could be a long night, but it’s all right. I got the job done.”

As for his July performance at the Coliseum, and the prospect of reclaiming the arena as his home, Monaghan definitely sees that in his future. He also wants to return to Madison Square Garden.

Monaghan made his immediate future priority clear. “I really want to get that Joe Smith win,” he said. “I want to dominate him in front of my fans; that’s my main goal.” Smith, another Long Island-based fighter, is coming off a unanimous-decision loss to Sullivan Barrera.