Only very rarely do you get a world championship bout at Colon's Panama Al Brown Arena, and there is never a big purse involved. However, at these events you are likely to see young pugilists on their way to title shots. In a wild night in which only one bout went the distance, Colon boxing fans probably saw more than one world championship contender on January 31.

The main bout featured the hometown's black favorite, Angelo Dottin, against the cholo wearing Arnulfista colors, Reynaldo Frutos. Dottin was the undefeated favorite, the southpaw Frutos his toughest opponent yet and the national, Bolivarian and Caribbean 108-pound championships the prizes on the line.

The first round had Frutos occupying the center of the ring, Dottin dancing around him, and a more or less equal exchange of licks. In the second, Frutos knocked Dottin down and looked set to score an upset.

Then Dottin flitted in and out of Frutos's range, landing stiff but individual blows and winning rounds three and four and drawing the fifth, by my estimation.

In the sixth round Dottin knocked Frutos down and then staggered him, taking command of the fight.

Unfortunately, in a near-capacity crowd of about 3,500, this was the signal for about a dozen jerks among us to express their nature. As in a couple of people throwing beer cans into the ring. As in a few other people throwing beer over everyone around them. As in a few guys who had been standing behing the ringside area where I was sitting rushing the ring, jostling one of the judges, shoving people who had paid for their seats out of their seats, and standing on the chairs they commandeered so that people behind them couldn't see. When a guy put his hands on my shoulders to climb up on my seat, I used an elbow move that I learned from watching Gordie Howe many years ago. When another guy climbed onto the seat in front of me, I shoved him off. When another guy did the same I did the same with him, and as turned around to dispute the issue with me a cop intervened, telling the guy that his face had been noted and the discussion could continue at the jail if that was his preference.

Dottin finished the job in the seventh with a convincing knockout. A lot of people around the ringside picked up folding chairs and put them over their heads to protect against thrown objects, of which there were mercifully few.

One more rung for Dottin in his climb toward the top of professional boxing, but it may well be that one or more of the guys farther down the ticket might go higher and faster.

In the penultimate bout, with the FEDELATIN 140-pound title at stake Colon native Demetrio "Pambele" Ceballos squared off with Colombian José Arley Zuñiga. Pambele was immediately pressed against the ropes and took a shot or two that must have hurt, but came back to knock Zuñiga down, then stagger him shortly before the bell.

The Colombian was hurt, and the second round was a mopping up operation for Pambele. The ref might reasonably have stopped the fight, but Ceballos ended it with a devastating right that smashed Zuñiga into the canvas for the ten-count and then some. Color the hometown favorite the new FEDELATIN super-lightweight champ.

In the night's upset Roynet Caballero, the cholo wearing Chiriqui colors, showed little respect for Colon's Rosano "Bulldog" Laurent. Cabellero hits HARD for someone in the 130-pound classification, and he did so from the opening bell. Laurent bounced right back up the first time he was knocked down in the first round, and got back up after a second knockdown, then twice more after knockdowns in the second round. In the third round, the knockout was declared after the fifth knockdown.

It's a long way from this six-round bout to the top of the boxing world. Do not be surprised if you find that Roynet Caballero has covered that distance in a year or two or three. I didn't see him against world-class competition on this occasion, but what I saw was most impressive.

In the night's other fights, Fabián "Chiri" Salazar beat José Luis Yáñez, Alexander Murillo defeated Rafael Concepción and Isidro Muñoz stopped Cristian Albia all in the same manner --- by TKO after inflicting nasty eye wounds that prompted the doctor to stop the bouts, Ricardito Córdoba knocked out fellow zurdo Arquímedes González at 2:41 in the fifth and at the end of a wild four-round slugfest Edison Benítez took a split decision over Porfirio Carrasco.

Yes, this was a Friday night out in Colon. Yes, the crowd was a bit more unruly than those I have encountered during other events at Panama Al Brown Arena. However, I had a good time and came home in one piece. If you are a boxing fan, Colon's reputation as a rough town should not keep you away.