Ed Griffin

It was labeled a make-or-break fight for veteran Houston cruiserweight Vincent Boulware, who has lost in three title bids in the 175- and 190-pound divisions.But Boulware, 30, looking for one more championship shot, found a surprisingly stubborn rival in Virginia slugger Jason Waller in the main event at Martin's West last night before he survived with a 10-round majority decision.Judge Chris Wolleson called it a 95-95 draw, but Leo Schumaker favored Boulware 96-94 and Larry Barrett cast a 98-92 vote for Boulware.

Baltimore lightweight Chuck Sturm, 27, who recently signed a multibout contract with veteran promoter/matchmaker Don Elbaum to improve his national boxing image, will meet veteran Charlie "White Lightning" Brown, of Moline, Ill., in the 10-round feature bout at Martin's West on Feb. 10.Sturm (26-3, 10 knockouts) has won four straight fights this year after mounting a comeback following eye and shoulder problems that kept him out of the ring for more than a year.Most recently, Sturm, a former state wrestling champion from Old Mill High, won an eight-round decision over Glen Randolph.

It took 45 minutes to resolve a problem with the gloves for the main event at the Pikesville Armory last night, but nothing could spoil Vincent Pettway's overpowering performance as the IBF junior middleweight title contender from Baltimore handed Aaron Smith, of Gaithersburg, the first knockout loss of his 21-bout career.Pettway (35-4), looking surprisingly sharp after his seven-month absence from the ring, dominated the fight before dropping Smith with a four-punch combination late in the sixth round.

It took 45 minutes to resolve a problem with the gloves for the main event at the Pikesville Armory last night, but nothing could spoil Vincent Pettway's overpowering performance as the IBF junior middleweight title contender from Baltimore handed Aaron Smith, of Gaithersburg, the first knockout loss of his 21-bout career.Pettway (35-4), looking surprisingly sharp after his seven-month absence from the ring, dominated the fight before dropping Smith with a four-punch combination late in the sixth round.

All things considered, it wouldn't have been surprising had Vincent Pettway come out last night -- actually, early this morning -- and put on a bad exhibition of the manly art at the Pikesville Armory.After all, it was just about midnight when the bell sounded for round one; his opponent, Frank Montgomery, was tall, crafty and difficult to fight; and, there had been that unpleasantness in his camp earlier in the evening.But, no sir, Pettway pounded out a unanimous decision, winning or sharing each of the 10 rounds while running his record to 33-4.