Boxer Damon Allen Jr. gets 138-pound victory in Blackwell tournament

It was just a water pill, Damon Allen Jr. said, a diuretic given with the intention to help him urinate.

But it ended up costing Allen six months of his young career after he was suspended last September by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

The 20-year-old amateur returned in March and on Saturday afternoon fought just his second fight in Philadelphia since his suspension. He wound up with an easy decision over Glen Dezurn.

The 138-pound bout was part of the Department of Recreation's Lucien E. Blackwell Tournament of Champions at Gustine Recreation Center in East Falls.

"It's been really hard. I had to get my name back [after the suspension]," Allen said. "I still fight the same, and everyone knows the situation."

Allen, of Southwest Philadelphia, was able to cut his suspension from two years after he presented a sworn affidavit to the USADA. The pill, furosimide, was given to him by his grandmother.

The former national champion controlled Saturday's fight with his quick right hook and solid jab.

In the third round, Allen connected on a forceful hook as he lunged his left foot before planting his punch. A frustrated Dezurn later forced Allen near the ropes before pushing him to the mat.

"He was trying to box me more, I guess, because he felt my power," said Allen, who is trained by his father. "I was just trying to walk him down and make the fight easier."

Allen was a member of the U.S. Boxing training program at Northern Michigan University before it was shuttered last summer. He's enrolled at Community College of Philadelphia and plans to attend Temple in January.

Allen isn't sure when he will turn pro. In October, he will travel to Ohio for the Police Athletic League national championships.

In other tournament bouts Saturday, Thorndale's Hanif Webb scored a win after a bit of confusion.

The 17-year-old overwhelmed Montell Prigette in their 141-pound bout. But afterward the announcer mistakenly awarded the bout to Prigette.

"I was like, 'Whoa!' " said Webb. "I knew they didn't just do that to me."

The mistake was quickly corrected, and the belt awarded to Webb.

In the first round, Webb fought wisely as he slowly approached Prigette before opening him up for quick body shots.

Webb's trainer, Fred Jenkins, puts the annual tournament together.

As Webb's fight progressed, so did his aggressiveness. Webb attacked Prigette with a flurry of shots, highlighted by a head shot that drew a loud reaction from the crowd.

In the third and final round, Webb offset Prigette's height by forcing him to drop his head for easy punches.

"It's real hard for me to take my time and figure a guy out when I know that I'm capable of hurting him and making it look easy," Webb said.