DON McDERMOTT / PVT Nathan Wong, in the red UNLV uniform, decisioned Ryan Cody, from the University of Nevada at Reno, in one of four boxing matches contested Saturday afternoon at Dud Davis Field in Goldfield. The occasion was the reenactment of the Joe Gans-Oscar (Battlin?) Nelson title bout of Sept. 3, 1906, in that Esmeralda County city. Advertisement

GOLDFIELD -- The first thought after watching UNLV and University of Nevada-Reno boxers tangle in four matches here Saturday was this: No left hook to the chin had to shock boxing fans to the realization that the sport -- criticized, maligned and ridiculed at the professional level -- can be a crowd-pleaser and class entertainment in the amateur ranks.

"This was great for our boxers to come here and get in the work, but this event ... I think it should be done annually," Chris Ben, the assistant coach of the UNLV boxing team, said after the Rebels participated in the reenactment of the historic Joe Gans-Oscar (Battlin') Nelson lightweight title fight, contested in Goldfield on Sept. 3, 1906.

Mike Martino, the head coach of the Wolf Pack, agreed.

"People got to see the tradition of boxing and what the sport has to offer," said Martino, weary after a long day in which he and a couple helpers, along with some area volunteers, had to erect, then tear down, the boxing ring, set up on the baseball diamond at Dud Davis Park. "People got to see what college boxing is all about. And for our team, it was an important step.

"One of our boxers (Jason Case) had never been in the ring for a bout before," said the veteran coach. Case, a freshman, lost a close decision to Jason Crocco, who later was named the most outstanding boxer in the event.

In other matches, Nathan Wong of the national boxing champion Rebels outpointed Ryan Cody at 165 pounds, while Francisco Torres of Nevada decisioned D.J. Reece at 147 pounds.

In an exhibition match, two-time national champion Greg Morrell, a 156-pounder, and Thomas Gennarro, the 2005 national champion at 147, clashed, with no scoring by a three-man crew of judges.

The reenactment was a major project put forward by the Economic Deveopment Authority for Esmeraldo and Nye Counties (EDEN), which had Paula Elefante as the driving force. Helping get the work done were Gary Schultz, a boxing historian; referees and coaches Don Kennedy and Pat Shellin of Reno and Chris Frazier of Las Vegas; Carla Yoder, Elefante's assistant; A.J. Gillum, an Esmeraldo County commissioner, and Bill Wahl, the EDEN chairman of the board. The ringside doctor was Charles Quilty, MD, from Amargosa Valley.

And will the reenactment happen again?

Elefante wants it to, and was already working with the coaches to arrange a date for the 2007-2008 boxing season. The 2006-2007 campaign is under way and will end with the Nationals in April.Because EDEN includes both Nye and Esmeraldo counties, it is possible the event could be staged in either Tonopah or Pahrump, as well as in Goldfield.

Watch for future announcements.