Chuckie Bomb-Bombs 'Boom-Boom,' Wins Title

Chuck ‘The Professor’ Mussachio delivers one of many right hands to the face of Anthony ‘Boom- Boom’ Ferrante en route to taking the tough Philadelphian’s light heavyweight belt.

It was, in a word, primal. It was two superbly conditioned, highly motivated athletes - boxers - in the prime of their careers, going at each other hammer and tongs, hook and cross, blood and guts, for ten grueling, demanding, courageous rounds of championship boxing.

In the end, Chuck “The Professor” Mussachio, Wildwood’s own homeboy school teacher, staggered away with a unanimous decision over Philly’s Anthony “Boom-Boom” Ferrante, lifting the loser’s World Boxing Federation’s U.S. Light Heavyweight title in the process on Friday, June 4, at the Tropicana casino in Atlantic City.

Mussachio increased his record to 16-1-2 with five kayos, while Ferrante, previously undefeated, slipped to 9-1 with four knockouts.

Judge Debra Barnes made it 98-92, while Ron McNair had it 96-94, and Tony Perez scored the battle 97-93 in giving Chuck Mussachio the duke. Yet those scores didn’t tell the total tale. Each and every round was highly competitive and action-packed. This was no walk in the park win for The Professor. Anthony Ferrante is as tough as saddle leather and made his opponent use every ounce of his skill, experience, and aggression to get the decision.

This was the fight of Chuck Mussachio’s career, the touchstone against which all those bouts that came before and those still to be fought will be judged. He was magnificent and, truth be told, both fighters were gallant, a word little used in speaking of the sweet science of boxing.

And the stage was well set for the war that ensued. At the press conference the week before, Boom-Boom had engaged in some mild taunting, nothing unusual in this age of the Big Mouth. But, beyond that, word had reached the Mussachio camp that Ferrante had classified Chuckie’s jab as “slow” and the Professor as lacking in overall power. There was also a faint back story that the Philly fighter had been less than complimentary in referring to Mussachio’s recent wedding and even to his new bride, Delia, if rumors could be believed.

Evidently they were, at least by the Professor, who gave Ferrante a shove as they received referee instructions before the opening bell. And when the bell sounded, Mussachio literally sprinted across the ring to get at Boom- Boom. This was something of a role reversal, as most boxing people, including Mussachio’s father-trailer-manager Al, expected Boom- Boom to bum rush Chuckie at the get-go.

Mussachio was an aggressive and singleminded, combining the boxing skills accrued over almost 100 amateur fights and the true professional’s instinct to return fire immediately and with payback interest. Every time Ferrante mounted an attack, Chuck answered with stinging counters, usually double what he had received. The sixth round was the apex of his performance; he had Ferrante on the verge of a knockout, but the kid’s pure grit let him weather the leather storm.

For his part, Boom-Boom lived up to his nickname in the ninth round with a sizzling uppercut that buckled the Professor’s knees and had the large Wildwood contingent in the crowd gasping in concern. But Chuck sucked it all the way up and survived.

At the end, Ferrante had a mouse under his right eye that looked like a black hen’s egg and Mussachio was bleeding hard from what turned out to be a broken nose. The black eyes he sported the next day gave him the appearance of a handsome raccoon.

The Ferrante fight was also a tribute to Chuck Mussachio’s powers of concentration. He was followed the entire day by a film crew shooting a documentary to be called “Fight Day,” and actually worked at his day job as guidance counselor at Middle Township High School in Cape May Court House.

Yet when it was time to go to war, he was the consummate warrior.

And a true champion.