Bay Ridge’s Melson eager to avenge draw

Brooklyn-based boxer to settle matters with Thompson in rematch

August 8, 2013 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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Years from now, when boxing historians scramble to figure out exactly whom christened the ring inside the Barclays Center for the first-ever professional bout at the state-of-the-art Downtown Arena, the names Boyd Melson and Jason Thompson will eventually be unearthed.

Ten months after returning to their dresssing rooms on the night of Oct. 20 with an unsatisfying draw following their historic inaugural bout on the corners of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues, Boyd and Melson will be matched up again next Wednesday night for an eight-round rematch at the B.B. King Blues Club in Manhattan.

Melson, better known as “The Rainmaker” after capturing four United States Army championships, felt he was the winner in Barclays’ arena-opening bout last fall.

But the judges saw it differently, with each of the three scoring the fight a dead-even 56-56 on their respective scorecards.

The junior middleweight Captain outboxed Thompson, or at least appeared to, following a flash knockdown in the first round, but the Bay Ridge-based White Plains, N.Y., native is eager to settle matters in the ring next week, once and for all.

“Regardless of how I feel I performed, or what I and other believe the outcome of the first should have been, it was ruled a draw,” noted Melson, who continues to donate his entire purse to stem cell research via his Team Fight to Walk Foundation, along with former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand and other athletes of note. “[Thompson’s] a tough fighter and has faced good opposition, but he’s been stopped in a few of his losses.”

Melson (14-1-1) helped raise more than $70,000 dollars during Team Fight to Walk’s first fundraiser at B.B. King’s on May 16, earning an easy win over ring veteran Edgar Perez that evening. He’s ready to put on another successful drive for those who have been affected by spinal cord injuries next week, as well as putting an end to any talk that Thompson got the best of him back on Oct. 20.

“On Aug. 14, I will be special,” Melson insisted. “I will look different in the ring. If you are asking what that means, then you will have to be there to see. It’s about time I stop someone again!”

Tickets, starting at $50 for Wednesday’s bout, are now available via Teamfighttowalk.com.