BOXING AT THE IRVINE MARRIOTT : Heavyweight Sullivan Loses; Fans Don’t Like Decision

A bizarre Thursday night at the fights ended in chaos and a near riot with referee Gwen Adair dodging bagels and plastic cups of ice as she called an end to the main event at the Irvine Marriott in front of 1,076.

The upset winner was Martin Foster, a prison guard from Belle Plaine, Kan., who was flown into town Wednesday to fight heavyweight Obed Sullivan of Phoenix, ranked 12th by the International Boxing Federation. Foster was losing the fight badly, but in the eighth round Sullivan became irritated and appeared to intentionally head butt Foster. Adair then took a point away from Sullivan.

Some 30 seconds later Adair, called Foster (12-9-1) for a head butt. By that time, the crowd had rallied behind Foster and began throwing cups of ice in the ring. The bout was stopped as the ring was cleared. Within seconds, it was stopped again when Sullivan went down after he walked into a left hand.

Adair counted to eight, then approached Sullivan, who apparently refused to continue. As the decision was announced, more ice and bagels flooded the ring.

“I think they didn’t want a riot so they stopped it,” Sullivan’s manager, Chuck McGregor said.

Sullivan (10-2-1) denies he quit.

“She said I quit, but I just said that it was him who was doing the butting,” said Sullivan, who lost his No. 12 ranking to Foster.

Foster claimed Sullivan did all of the headbutting.

“He didn’t have no power,” Foster said. “He didn’t hurt me all night.”

Bantamweight Johnny Vasquez (5-4) had the crowd cheering and throwing money in the ring, but the judges weren’t as impressed. They gave Jesus Jimenez (9-13-2) of San Diego a majority six-round decision. Judge Rudy Jordan had it 60-55 Jimenez and Adair scored it 58-57 Jimenez. Vince Delgado scored it 57-57.

“I thought I was doing enough, throwing the more effective punches,” said Vasquez of Huntington Beach. “I’m pretty disappointed, but I’ll just have to go and study the tapes and see what I need to improve on.”

On the undercard, junior welterweight Michael Walsh of La Mirada was just getting warm when ring doctor Barry Schartz stopped his bout with Omar Pacheco (17-3-2) of Sonora, Mexico, on cuts after one round. Walsh (15-1-3) appeared to open a cut on the bridge of Pacheco’s nose with a right hand midway through the first round, but Adair ruled that an accidental head butt caused the cut. Therefore, the bout was ruled a technical draw.