6/18/06 - article by Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com
Gibbins turns table on Broussard
Aucoin takes IBU's U.S. junior welterweight title.
The "Do Or Die" rematch between "Bad" Chad Broussard and Homer Gibbins Saturday looked a lot like the
pair's first bout - until Gibbins uncorked two right hands to the body.
The first came at the end of the second round of their International Boxing Union world welterweight bout
at Blackham Coliseum, and floored Broussard for an eight-count.
The second came with 2:18 left in the fourth round, a perfect liver shot, and Lafayette's title holder went
down on all fours. Referee Russell Naquin counted Broussard out and Gibbins walked away with the IBU title.
"I told him that he wasn't going to walk out," said Gibbins, who lost a unanimous decision to Broussard in
February for the IBU crown. "He deserves a lot of credit for giving me another shot after the first one,
but I told him I was going to do this."
"I don't know how to explain it," Broussard said. "Those were the only body shots he hurt me with.
I just didn't have it. I know I'm a better fighter and I know I can do better than I did tonight."
John Rowland/jrowland@theadvertiser.com
"Bad" Chad Broussard exits the ring after losing his IBU title to Homer Gibbins on Saturday.
Gibbins kept up the pressure in the third round, and caught Broussard bouncing off the ropes with a big right
hand just below the rib cage.
"I knew once I was able to hit him with body shots, he'd revert back to going on the ropes," Gibbins said.
"It didn't surprise me. If you get used to fighting one style, it's hard to change."
"That's a horrible habit I've fallen into," Broussard said of his backing into the ropes and absorbing punishment.
"I didn't plan it like that."
Broussard won the first round 10-9 on all three judges' cards, but Gibbins was leading 29-27 on all three
before recording the knockout.
The Acadiana area did have one title-fight winner in the co-main event, with Bobby "The Bayou Bomber"
Aucoin of Scott flooring Donnell Logan at the end of the second round and winning the IBU's U.S. junior welterweight title.
Aucoin's chopping right hand put the Covington, Tenn., boxer on his back near his own corner, and
Logan was counted out at 2:57 of the second round.
"My corner told me he was wide open for a right hand," said Aucoin, who remained undefeated at 17-0-1
with his ninth knockout victory. "I was able to catch him with a right every time. I was just
pacing myself to see what he had."
Aucoin controlled the tempo from the start in Saturday's co-main event, with Logan attempting to
counter-punch but never doing any real damage except for a couple of overhand rights at the end of the first round.
The second round was controlled completely by Aucoin with the right hand, and he followed up a
looping left with the straight right.
The undercard was a near-clean sweep for local fighters, with one notable exception.
Lawtell's Blake Prevost took a unanimous decision over Charles Hammac of Mobile, Ala., and relocated
Lafayette fighters Zane Marks and Daniel Garcia took first-round TKO wins over Mike Jackson and Thomas Grissom respectively.
However, Church Point's Jeremy Duplechain suffered his second loss in as many fights to Steve Verdin
of Cut Off. Verdin controlled the pace of their four-round welterweight fight, and the bout was
eventually stopped prior to the fourth round on a cut over Duplechain's right eye.
Prevost's toughest fight was against frustration, as Hammac (4-16) spent the entire six-round light
heavyweight bout either clowning at long range or ducking and holding.
"He was just trying to survive," Prevost said. "He didn't want to fight. Every time I got close
to him, he's put his head down and grab. You kind of want to get frustrated, but I just
stayed outside and popped the jab."
Prevost (8-1-1) won every round easily, winning 60-54, 60-54 and 60-51 on the judges' cards and
controlling the tempo from the start. Hammac was content to sit and take punishment, and the southpaw
Prevost landed continual jabs to the Mobile fighter's head.
John Rowland/jrowland@theadvertiser.com
Blake Prevost of Lawtell, left, fights Charles Hammac of Mobile, Ala. on Saturday in Blackham Coliseum.
"You have to go through fights like that," Prevost said. "It's a learning experience. I just kept firing.
If he was satisfied with surviving, that's fine. I'm satisfied with winning."
Duplechain was going for a measure of revenge for a previous loss to Verdin (6-29, 1 KO), but a
second-round cut over his right eye eventually forced referee Bruce McDaniel to stop the four-round
welterweight bout after the third round.
"I could've gone one more round," Duplechain said. "It wasn't affecting my vision. I was fighting his
fight, but I could've won with one more round."
Duplechain (5-3) said the cut came from a clash of heads in a bout that featured a lot of infighting.
Verdin, though, said it came from a left hook to the head.
"He (Duplechain) had a lot of amateur fights," Verdin said, "but he can't stand up to the pro style.
In the first round I was going for a home run every time, but in the second I started going to the body.
I knew he couldn't stand the pressure to the body."
Duplechain said prior to the fight that his career would be over with a loss, but said after the
bout that he was ready to go with Verdin again.
"We're not through," he said.
"If he wants to go again, I'll punish him some more," Verdin replied.
In other bouts:
# Marks made quick work of Hatfield, Ark.'s Jackson in the opening super middleweight bout.
Marks (13-2, 7 KOs) floored Jackson with the third punch he threw, a solid left, and dropped
him again with an overhand left 45 seconds into the first round. Referee Rick Exe stopped the
bout without a count. Jackson, a late addition to the card, fell to 11-14.
# Garcia, who worked as a sparring partner for Chad Broussard during preparations for Saturday's
card, dropped Monroe, Ala.'s Grissom twice in the first round of their junior welterweight contest.
Garcia (7-3-1, 5 KO) unloaded a barrage of punches one minute into the bout and Grissom (2-19)
went to one knee. One minute later, another barrage dropped Grissom for the second time, and
referee Kenny Licata stopped the bout after 1:57 on a technical knockout.
Originally published June 18, 2006
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