The recent fight card at The Palace of Auburn Hills was billed as “Fire & Ice,” and the marquee said it all. The first three bouts of the scheduled six were a little on the icy side and three bouts that followed set the ring on fire. The use of “Ice” in the billing was a little ironic as it proved to be the biggest knockout punch of the evening.

With every local weather forecaster predicting a wintry doomsday of snow and ice, it surely was a factor in the less than average turnout in the stands. Promoter Joe Donofrio should investigate as to whether he could hold the forecasters financially liable for any losses as the storm never came close to achieving its predicted state of terror.

Originally, “Fire & Ice” was to showcase the careers of Detroit’s two newest up-and-coming boxers, super-lightweights Vernon “The Ice Man” Paris (17-0, 12 KOs) and Lanardo “Pain Server” Tyner (19-0, 11 KOs) in separate bouts leading into a televised bout between the two later in the year. Unfortunately, a week prior to the event, Paris suffered a hand injury, knocking him out of the show, which was fine for Tyner, who remarked at the weigh-in, “I’m fine with being the main event.”

Last year, Tyner left Detroit and headed to Texas. There, he teamed with former Detroiter, 1984 Olympic gold medalist and former IBF middleweight champ Frank Tate as his trainer. Returning Friday evening was a new and improved Tyner. Perhaps the biggest change I noticed in Tyner during last Friday’s performance against veteran Victorio Abadia (22-7, 8 KOs) was his maturity and smoothness in the ring. A very aggressive fighter throughout his entire career, Tyner was now a man on a mission possessed. His punches were properly set up, timed and well placed. Tyner gave all the appearances of a well-honed and seasoned fighter as he ripped the head and body of Abadia, sending the hapless Panamanian to the canvas twice – the second time for the full 10-count just 1:44 into the first round. Afterwards, he described to everyone within earshot that the knockout punch to the body was his most perfect punch ever thrown.

The second biggest change I noticed from Tyner’s previous onslaughts was the abandonment of his customary taking one on the chin to see what his opponent had.

“Those days are over,” he said before the fight. “It will be all business and over by three.”

With that being said and in light of Tyner ending his performance earlier than predicted, perhaps a new nickname is in order. My vote goes to “Tyrannosaurus Rex.”

In a featured bout, Dearborn’s Brian “The Lion” Mihtar (9-0, 8 KOs) faced Mikhall Lyubarsky (3-9, 1 KO) of the Ukraine in a middleweight fight scheduled for six rounds. Mihtar, who brings a very loyal and vocal following whenever he fights, easily dispatched the Ukrainian at the 2:38 mark of the second round. Following the fight, I mentioned to Mihtar that Detroit was capable of supporting more than two main event fighters, referring, of course, to Tyner and Paris. Mihtar expressed his desire to be able to fit into that mode and headline a card, but he said he also knows he must first step it up a notch. “I’m in the gym everyday training and I’m ready. I hope my management will make the next move for me to get there.”

There’s nothing like a one-punch knockout and St. Johns native Angel Mondujano provided the fireworks for the audience as he stopped Sterling Height’s Luigi Gjokaj with a straight right hand to the jaw at 2:24 of the second round. Both super lightweight boxers were making their pro debut and it was a classic matchup between Gjokaj, a boxer, and Mondujano, a puncher. Gjokaj easily won the first round on my scorecard, as he peppered Mondujano with his jab while steering clear of Mondujano’s left hook. In the second round, Mondujano continued to stalk the fleet-footed Gjokaj, looking to land the hook.

Unsuccessful, Mondujano faked a left and threw the right, catching Gjokaj flush on the chin. Gjokaj gave a valiant effort in trying to get up, but couldn’t beat the count.

In the first half of the evening, former welterweight contender Bernard Harris (22-23-2, 10 KOs) dropped a six-round majority decision to Traverse City’s Chris Grays (7-14, 2 KOs).

Had super featherweight David Maund (4-15-1, 2 KOs) of Cleveland been a fighter in the 1960s, he surely would have earned an endorsement from Timex. Maund took a licking and kept on ticking at the hands of Buffalo’s Guillermo Sanchez as he dropped a four-round unanimous decision – landing only one punch of significance while absorbing everything that Sanchez threw.

Super featherweight Cory Hall (0-5-1), of Brant, Mich., starts strong and goes down hard as he once again failed to get a notch in the win column, losing to Trevor Latulas (2-1, 2 KOs) of West Palm Beach, Fla. The referee stopped the bout at 2:15 of the first round.

The next scheduled fight card will take place Feb. 22 at the Ford Community Center for the Performing Arts in Dearborn. Vernon Paris is tentatively scheduled to appear pending his hand injury. Heavyweight Fadi Faraj (5-0, 3 KOs), of Dearborn, looks to make it two wins in a row in his comeback against Tommy Washington (3-4, 1 KO) of Lansing. In what could be the fight of the night, Alexis Hloros (1-2-2) and Jason Wahr (1-0-2), of Manistee, will face-off in a rematch. The two fighters fought to a hard-earned draw last October in Sault Ste. Marie and are looking to take care of some unfinished business.