Pro boxing makes its return to Hilton Head Island

Eric Womack raised his hand in victory Saturday night and took congratulations before calmly walking from the arena to the recesses of the Shoreline Ballroom. The 20-year-old's unanimous four-round dispatching of Chris Cook -- a victory that improved him to 2-0 in his young professional boxing career -- seemed nothing more than another notch in a non-existent belt.

"Yeah, 2-0 feels a lot better than 1-0," Womack said, "But I'm looking for 30-something-and-0, and getting a belt around my waist."

His decision over Cook (4-2), who fights out of Aiken, was the leadoff match of Palmetto Boxing's Fight Night. The event was the second professional boxing visit to Hilton Head Island this year, after the Shoreline hosted a fight card in February.

Other early fights Saturday night included Jamar Freeman's first-round knockout of Michael Badgett, and Bayan Jargal (14-0) claiming a fifth-round TKO over Josh Durden (7-1).

Clayvonne Howard, who fights out of Bluffton's First Round Boxing gym, pulled out a majority decision in his four-round match with Matt Waldrop. Two judges gave Howard a 39-37 decision, while the third had the match even, 38-38.

Nine matches were on the initial card, with the opener beginning nearly an hour after its scheduled 8 p.m. start. But the delay didn't rattle Womack as he waited to get things started.

Confidence goes with boxing as much as gloves and mouthpieces, and Womack's support team kept the Philadelphia native -- who fights out of Lake Wiley's Pillar of Truth Gym -- focused. His coach, Mark Demiro, sequestered him just outside of the makeshift warm-up room in the minutes leading up to the match.

"Remember this: A fight is performed physically, but it's won mentally," Demiro said. "We're doing it in our heads, going over scenarios and what he's gotta do. ... My job is to coach, his job is to execute."

Womack, who fought at 156 pounds, did just that.

He swept all three judges' cards, 40-36, this despite having taken up the sport less than two years ago. Womack began boxing in October 2007 and skipped working his way through the amateur ranks, instead opting to begin his fight career this past January in Charlotte, when he handed Omar Pena his first loss in seven fights.

After what appeared to be an even first round Saturday night, Womack took control early in the second when he was able to wear down the 153-pound Cook after trapping him in a neutral corner. The pair fought evenly for much of the third before Womack landed a handful of jabs late, and he repeated the pattern again in the fourth by hitting Cook with several hard hooks.

"It felt awkward," said Womack, who trains six days a week and spent the last four weeks focusing on his welterweight bout with Cook. "But when I finally got into the ring, it felt normal. Everything went away and cleared up."