Smith Dominates Hart; Nelson Remains Undefeated

By Matt Ward, Ringside

Top Rank Boxing returned to Atlantic City this evening with a night full of fisticuffs action, headlined by an entertaining fight between Philly’s Jesse Hart (24-4, 20 KOs) and Long Island’s Joe Smith Jr. (27-2, 21 KOs) for the NABO Light Heavyweight Title. The eight fight card was featured before a near capacity filled Etess Arena at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The card was televised on ESPN and streamed on the ESPN+ App.

Tonight’s action was the second straight night of boxing in a city that appears to be in the early stages of a boxing renaissance. Last night, Claressa Shields (10-0, 2 KOs) captured her third world title in a different weight class with a victory over Ivana Habazin (20-4, 7 KOs) at the Ocean Resort Casino.

Jesse Hart stepped into the ring looking to not only get back into world title contention, but to avenge fellow Philadelphian Bernard Hopkins' 2016 loss to Joe Smith Jr. Hart was coming off a unanimous decision victory over Sullivan Barrera, while Smith last fought and was defeated by Dmitry Bivol last March.

Both men entered the ring to the roars of their fans. Smith, a blue collar hero to Long Island boxing fans, immediately set his aggressive tone for the fight in the opening frame, a style that Hart, the son of Philly boxing legend Cyclone Hart, would have difficulty adjusting to throughout the ten round bout. Smith struck Hart's head with a hard left hand, and then opened up on his opponent to the delight of the Smith faithful, who chanted "Joe Smith." Hart wrapped up Smith to halt this offensive onslaught. In the second round, Smith stalked Hart around the ring, initially having difficulty cutting off the ring against his opponent. Smith adjusted to this challenge by clobbering Hart with hooks to the head. Smith later hurt Hart with a big right hand to his head.

In the third round, Hart came out swinging, landing a powerful combo highlighted with a big uppercut. Despite this offensive flash, Hart continued to have issues with Smith's aggressive, "in your face" style. Hart responded with good body work. In round four, both men fought hard in the blue corner, as Smith kept coming forward on Hart. Smith landed a series of big hooks to the head and body that put Hart on wobbly legs. Hart answered with a straight right to Smith's jaw that snapped his head back.

During the fifth round, Smith appeared to slow his fighting tempo down. This would change in the final 30 seconds of the round, when Smith hit Hart with a right hook to the head. Hart, in survival mode, wrapped Smith up. In the sixth round, Hart attempted to push the overly aggressive Smith back with hard jabs. Smith responded by putting his head down and abusing Hart's body with a variety of punches. Smith landed a hard right uppercut to Hart's jaw as the round neared its end.

Smith hammered Hart with big overhand rights during the seventh round. As the round neared its end, Smith knocked Hart down with a big right hand. Smith, smelling blood in the water, pressed the attack but was unable to finish off the tough Philly fighter. The eighth round showcased more of the same action, as Smith continued to walk down Hart around the ring.

In the ninth round, Smith punished Hart with a barrage of punches that lifted his opponent up on his toes. An accidental headbutt during the round provided Hart with a brief break in the action. In the tenth round, it should have been of no surprise to those in attendance that the two men did not touch gloves at the beginning of the round. A Smith right hook to the head sprayed sweat off of the head of Hart before the conclusion of action.

In what appeared to be a clear cut victory for Joe Smith, Jr. on national television, a poor scorecard by veteran boxing judge James Kinney provided the sport with yet another public black eye, and unnecessary negative attention to the scoring system. Two of the officials scored the bout 97-92 and 98-91 respectively for Smith, with Kinney scoring the bout 95-94 for Hart. This writer has a lot of strong opinions regarding the perceived recent surge in the poor quality of judging, especially in nationally televised fights. That being stated, these opinions will be reserved for another time and forum. It should be noted that New Jersey Athletic Commissioner Larry Hazzard Sr. needs to perform a thorough and fair review of this judges' scorecard before allowing him to judge another professional bout.

Nelson Remains Undefeated

The fun began when Steven Nelson (16-0, 12 KOs) walked to the ring in a "The Grinch" mask and matching green furry shorts for his ten round bout for the NABO Super Middleweight Title match against Cem Kilic (14-1, 9 KOs). Both men entered the ring not only looking to preserve their undefeated streaks, but continue a knockout streak that was at two for both fighters. The opening round was highly competitive, as both men, appearing to be evenly matched, exchanged big shots. In the second round, Nelson landed a series of effective body shots, followed by a series of big punches that Kilic had no answer for.

In the third round, Nelson picked apart Kilic with laser precision jabs. In the fourth round, Nelson punished his opponent with a left hook to the head. Later in the round, a Nelson left uppercut snapped Kilic's head back as the round ended.

Nelson tee'd off on Kilic with multiple straight right hands to the head in the fifth round. Nelson proceeded to bully Kilic with solid inside fighting throughout the sixth round.

Kilic hit Nelson with a nice left hand to the head in the seventh round. After a good start in the round, Kilic slowed down as the round progressed. In the eighth round, Kilic, realizing he was behind on the cards, fought well landing a straight left hand that snapped Nelson's head back. Despite a valiant effort, Kilic's corner had seen enough of the damage their fighter was taking over the course of the contest and threw in the towel at the 1:44 mark of the eighth round.

Magic Hands Adorno Sweeps Ibarra

Jeremy Adorno (4-0, 1 KO) secured the lone victory for the Adorno clan this evening with a unanimous decision victory over Fernando Ibarra (2-3). The two super bantamweight warriors put their speed on display in the opening round. In the second round, Adorno landed a big left hook to Ibarra's head that sent him crashing to the canvas. Ibarra pulled himself up from the canvas, dazed, but survived a barrage of punches from his opponent as time expired in the round.

Adorno put his speed on display in the third round, peppering Ibarra with a variety of shots to the head and body. Ibarra could not get anything going offensively because Adorno danced away from all pressure aimed in his direction. At one point, Adorno yelled at the ESPN commentators, "you like that?"

In the fourth and final round, Ibarra connected with an effective multi-punch combo that pushed Adorno into a neutral corner. Adorno looking to end Ibarra's offensive rally, wrapped him up. Adorno again went to his effective left hook in this round, connecting to the head and body. Adorno, confident he was ahead on the cards, cruised through the second half of the round. All three judges scored the bout 40-35 in favor of the undefeated Jeremy Adorno.

The Bronco Runs Over Head

Sonny Conto (6-0, 5 KOs) cruised by Curtis Head (5-5, 3 KOs) in a heavyweight contest that was scheduled for four rounds. Conto, the Philadelphia fan favorite, dropped Head to one knee with a left-right hand combo. Seconds later, Conto dropped Head again with a left hook that barely grazed his head. After pulling himself up to his feet for the third time in the round, Conto connected with a right hand to the body that again sent Head to his knee. By this point of the fight, referee David Franciosi had seen enough and called an end to the action at the 2:08 mark of the opening frame. Conto has now won five of his six professional fights by knockout.

Times Runs Out on Barbosa in Loss to Sandman

Chris "Sandman" Thomas (14-1-1, 9 KOs), Toms River, New Jersey, made quick work of Samir dos Santos Barbosa (37-17-3, 26 KOs), a veteran of 56 professional fights, in the first round of a fight scheduled for six rounds in the super middleweight division. Thomas crushed Barbosa with a big right hand to the face, that he followed up with a big multi-punch combo that sent his opponent stumbling back into the neutral corner. Despite appearing to still have some fight left in him, referee Sparkle Lee stepped in and stopped the fight at the 47 second mark of the opening frame. As the final decision was announced, the crowd expressed their dissatisfaction with the premature stoppage by booing loudly.

Adorno and Garcia Battle to Split Decision Draw

The elder Adorno was the first one of the Allentown, Pennsylvania-based brothers to walk to the ring this evening. He, like his younger brother Jeremy, entered the ring to the roar of an approving fan base. In the opening round, Joseph Adorno (14-0-1, 12 KOs) rocked Hector Garcia (14-7-4, 8 KOs) with big shots to the head and body, highlighted by big hooks to the body that made Garcia wince under the pressure. The two fighters had an excellent exchange midway through the round. Garcia absorbed a big left hook to the head and waived on Adorno for more.

Adorno fought more cautiously in the third round. Garcia tried to press the attack during this round, but Adorno responded with outstanding defense. In the fourth round, Adorno shook Garcia's head with two big left hands. In close combat, Garcia threw hard uppercuts, most of which were absorbed by Adorno's gloves.

In the fifth round, Garcia chased Adorno around the ring, desperately trying to land an effective shot through the guard with little to no success. In the sixth round, Garcia banged at Adorno's body with multi-hand uppercuts and hooks, shots that Adorno responded to with a big smile.

During the seventh round, Garcia broke down Adorno's guard with big hooks and uppercuts to the head and body. Adorno returned to his corner with blood streaming from his nose. By the eighth and final round, it was no evident to anyone watching that Garcia had come to fight. The round began with a big exchange of shots as both men let their hands go. Adorno popped Garcia's head back with a hard right hook. Adorno was on shaky legs as both fighters went shot-for-shot as time expired. The fight ended in a split decision draw with the judges scoring the contest 77-75 for Adorno, 77-75 for Garcia, and 76-76 a draw.

Bunch Wins No. Six by TKO

Trenton’s Shinard Bunch (6-1, 4 KOs) halted Dennis Okoth’s (4-3-1, 2 KOs) two fight winning streak with a unanimous decision victory over the Kenyan. The first round of the welterweight contest was a limited action affair, as both men felt each other out. With little success, the fighters tried to pick up the speed of the action in the opening seconds of the second frame.

To the displeasure of those in attendance, the third round was another slow round for the men. The fourth showed promise as Okoth answered the bell swinging wildly at Bunch, looking for a quick knockout. Unfortunately, that was the extent of the action in the round.

Okoth moved forward aggressively in the fifth round, but Bunch answered by wrapping him up. Halfway through the round, there was a good exchange between the two fighters near the center of the ring. In the final ten seconds of the round, Okoth slipped into Bunch, almost knocking him out of the ring into the timekeeper’s table. In the sixth round, after a brief exchange, Okoth walked to his corner and hung on the ropes. Referee David Franciosi looked bewildered at the exhausted fighter, and waived off the fight as the trainer, towel in hand, jumped up onto the canvas to attend to his fighter. The action, or lack thereof, was halted at the 2:40 mark of the sixth and final round.

Zayas Beats a Champion

In the opening bout of the evening, Xander Zayas (3-0, 2 KOs) defeated Corey Champion (1-2, 1 KO) by unanimous decision in a four round welterweight bout. Zayas, a high school senior, controlled the bout through all four rounds. In the first round, Zayas landed multiple right hands to Champion’s head, as Champion looked intimidated by his taller opponent. Champion answered the second round bell looking like a beat up man. Zayas stalked him around the ring and worked his opponent’s body to slow down his efforts to avoid him. As the round neared its end, Champion’s nose gushed blood.

In the third round, Zayas pinned Champion up against the ropes with a multi-punch combo. Champion squirmed out from under the pressure, but was visibly shaken from the onslaught. This round went on to be a shooting gallery for Zayas as he landed shots at will, all while smiling from ear to ear. The right hand was especially effective for Zayas during this round. At rounds end, Champion walked back to his corner with a crimson lower face. In the opening seconds of the fourth round, Champion ate a hard right hand to the face. Champion was on shaky legs throughout the round, and held on for dear life as the final bell rang. The judges scored the contest 40-36 twice and 40-35 all in favor of Zayas.

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Top Rank on ESPN+ Presents Murata vs. Brant Recap

Top Rank Boxing emanated from the Park Theater located within the lush confines of the Park MGM Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The stacked, nine fight, card was headlined by two title fights-Ryota Murata vs. Rob Brant for the WBA World Middleweight Title and Antonio DeMarco vs. Maxim Dadashev for the NABF Super Lightweight Title. In case you missed the action on ESPN+, here’s a recap of all the action!

Noah LaCoste (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. David Kaminsky (2-0, 1 KO)

Four Rounds, Middleweights

Decision: David Kaminsky via TKO in round 2

Adam Lopez (10-1, 4 KOs) vs. Hector Ambriz (12-7-2, 6 KOs)

Eight Rounds, Featherweights

Decision: Adam Lopez via TKO in round 8

Joseph Adorno (9-0, 9 KOs) vs. Kevin Cruz (8-0, 5 KOs)

Six Rounds, Lightweights

Decision: Joseph Adorno via UD

Vladimir Nikitin (1-0, 0 KOs) vs. Clay Burns (5-4-2, 4 KOs)

Six Rounds, Featherweights

Decision: Vladimir Nikitin via UD (59-55, 59-55, 59-55)

Nicola Cipolletta (14-6-2, 4 KOs) vs. Michael Conlan (8-0, 5 KOs)

Eight Rounds, Featherweights

Decision: Michael Conlan via TKO in round 7

This bout featured 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Michael Conlan, a native of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Conlan proved to be every bit the Olympic caliber athlete for the duration of the fight as he simply outclassed Cipolletta. Conlan continuously cut off the ring and the little offense that Cipolletta attempted to mount was reciprocated with Conlan’s vicious counter-punching ability. The referee finally called a stop to the action in round seven as Conlan had Cipolletta against the ropes mounting a devastating assault to his body-as he had done for the majority of the fight. In a brief, albeit unnecessary, display of showmanship, Cipolletta decided to do some push-ups in the middle of the ring followed by a short shadow boxing display…perhaps he should have used this excess energy to put forth some offense.

Guido Pitto (25-5-2, 8 KOs) vs. Esquiva Falcao (21-0, 15 KOs)

Ten Rounds, Middleweights

Decision: Esquiva Falcao via UD (100-90, 100-90, 100-90)

This contest pitted Esquiva Falcao, who won the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, for his home country of Brazil against Guido Pitto, a veteran of 32 professional fights. The pace of this fight was quite pedestrian for the first eight rounds as the fighters held an extended feeling out process with each other. Rounds nine and ten finally saw the fighters exchange some effective combos with a slight edge on the side of Falcao. Apparently the few flashes of action displayed by Falcao in the final rounds were enough for the judges to warrant a unanimous decision for him.

NABF Super Lightweight Title

Antonio DeMarco (33-6-1, 24 KOs) vs. Maxim Dadashev (11-0, 10 KOs)

Ten Rounds, Super Lightweights

Decision: Maxim Dadashev via UD (97-93, 96-94, 98-92)

The co-feature of this card pitted Maxim Dadashev (11-0, 10 KOs), as he made the first defense of his NABF Super Lightweight Title, against ring veteran Antonio DeMarco (33-6-1, 24 KOs). This contest marked Dadashev’s first title defense since he earned the then vacant title by way of a tenth round TKO of Darleys Perez back in June. DeMarco entered this bout on a two fight win streak-a unanimous decision over Luis Solis in February 2017 and a first round knockout of Eddie Ramirez in October 2017. It should be noted, however, that DeMarco was on the wrong side of three consecutive unanimous decisions prior to those victories albeit in the form of top level contenders that included Omar Figueroa Jr. and Jessie Vargas. 

Antonio DeMarco looked hungry for this fight and was the aggressor for the first eight rounds as Dadashev seemed uncomfortable in the ring with the southpaw. DeMarco displayed some signs of fatigue in the final two rounds as Dadashev capitalized by finally landing some power punches that DeMarco had no answer for. This appeared to be an extremely close fight where a split decision would have been plausible. Surprisingly, and much to the chagrin of the clearly pro-DeMarco crowd, Dadashev was awarded the unanimous decision to retain his title.

WBA World Middleweight Title

Rob Brant (23-1, 16 KOs) vs. Ryota Murata (14-1, 11 KOs)

Twelve Rounds, Middleweights

Decision: Rob Brant via UD (118-110, 119-109, 119-109)

The main event of the evening featured 2012 gold medalist Ryota Murata (14-1, 11 KOs) as he made the second defense of his WBA World Middleweight title against Rob Brant (23-1, 16KOs). Murata earned the title in October 2017 when he was victorious over Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam, a rematch of their May 2017 encounter which N’Dam N’Jikam took by split decision. Murata’s opponent, Rob Brant, entered the fight on the heels of a first round knockout of Colby Courter back in March of this year prior to which he suffered the only setback of his career-a unanimous decision loss to Juergen Braehmer in October 2017.

The first two rounds of this fight saw Rob Brant attempt to maintain a frenetic pace like he consumed a case of Red Bull in the locker room. Brant without a doubt threw a significantly greater number of punches than Murata as he attempted to establish the jab but Murata’s guard stood up well to this flurry. In rounds three and four we witnessed Brant slow his tempo down as Murata began to land crisp combos that Brant was unable to guard against. As we entered round five, arguably the best of the encounter, both fighters stood toe to toe landing several head-snapping power punches that showed each combatant to have a cast iron chin. Rounds six through ten were more evenly contested as Brant’s feverish pace slowed slightly, however, the championship rounds seemed to be the final nails in the coffin of Murata’s title reign. Brant repeatedly broke through Murata’s guard as he landed several stiff rights with sniper-like precision. The judges obviously appreciated how busy Brant was, or even at times only appeared to be when he could not break through Murata’s guard, as he won a rather lopsided unanimous decision to become the new WBA Middleweight Champion.

Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (5-0, 2 KOs) vs. Wilberth Lopez (23-9, 15 KOs)

Eight Rounds, Super Lightweights

Decision: Fazliddin Gaibnazarov via TKO in round 2

Fazliddin Gaibnazarov, winner of the 2016 gold medal for his native Uzbekistan, squared off with Tucson, Arizona’s own Wilberth Lopez in the final bout of the evening after the ESPN+ broadcast concluded. Gaibnazarov was simply too much for Lopez to handle as he wouldn’t allow him any breathing room repeatedly cornering him. The bout came to it’s rapid conclusion as the referee stepped in to save Lopez from any additional abuse in round two.

-Steve Ward

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Top Rank Boxing Featuring Bryant Jennings vs. Alexander Dimitrenko Recap

Top Rank boxing returned to New Jersey's entertainment capital last night, as a heavyweight bout between Bryant Jennings and Alexander Dimitrenko headlined an eight bout card at the Ocean Resort Casino.

The Main Event 

Bryant Jennings (24-2, 14 KOs) defeated Alexander Dimitrenko (41-4, 26 KOs) by way of ninth round technical knockout. The two men squared off for the IBF International and NABO Heavyweight Titles. In the early rounds, Jennings appeared to have problems adjusting to Dimitrenko's 6'7 frame.

In the opening round, Dimitrenko was the far more active fighter. In the second and third rounds, Dimitrenko punished Jennings with big right hands to the body. Jennings responded to one of these shots in the third round by shoving Dimitrenko into the red corner. Jennings backed his opponent up in the third with his jab, landing several shots to Dimitrenko's head.

In the fourth round, Jennings was knocked down with a big Dimitrenko right hand to the head. The fifth round was competitive, and saw both men land big shots that each fighter responded to with clinches.

As the seventh round approached its end, the two fighters exchanged good shots in the center of the ring. Jennings and Dimitrenko were back at it in the eighth round, as they traded big shots in the opening seconds of the round. Later in the round, Jennings knocked Dimitrenko down with a big left hand to the head. Dimitrenko recovered from this knockdown only to be sent to the canvas again during the round with what appeared to be more of a wrestling move than a punch. The veteran Russian heavyweight survived the round despite Jennings throwing everything at Dimitrenko besides the kitchen sink.

In the ninth round, Jennings finished off Dimitrenko with a right uppercut to the jaw. To the crowd's delight, which included boxing royalty Bernard Hopkins and Lennox Lewis, the referee stopped the bout at the 1:56 mark of the ninth round. Jennings has now won five straight fights.

The Co-Main Event 

The co-main event of the card featured super middleweights, Jesse Hart (25-1, 21 KOs) and Mike Gavronski (24-3-1, 15 KOs). Hart, who defended his NABF Title, landed two big right hands to Gavronski's head in the opening frame. These shots appeared to hurt the fighter, who was later forced to clinch Hart, holding on for dear life, as the Philadelphian continued to hammer him with multi-punch combos as the round neared its end.

In the second round, Hart clubbed Gavronski with straight left hands and left hooks, forcing Gavronski to enter survival mode. In the final ten seconds of this round, Hart unleashed a barrage of punches that connected with his opponent's head and body.

Gavronski was knocked down in the third round with a right hand off of a jab. Gavronski pulled himself up from the canvas only to be finished off moments later with a brutal combo, highlighted by a hard right hand to the head. The referee stopped the fight at the 52 second mark of the third round. In the post fight interviews, Hart told ESPN that he wants a rematch with Gilberto Ramirez, the fighter who dealt Hart his one and only career loss.

Shakur Stevenson Victorious 

2016 Olympic Silver Medalist, Shakur Stevenson (8-0, 4 KOs) defeated Carlos Ruiz (16-5-2, 6 KOs) by unanimous decision in an eight round, featherweight contest. Stevenson fought cautiously in the opening stanza. In the second round, the Newark native caught Ruiz with a left hand that got his opponent's attention. Ruiz showed his toughness and solid chin by taking a big left hand to the head. Stevenson snapped the head of Ruiz back with a big left hand in the final 30 seconds of the round.

In the fourth round, Stevenson nailed Ruiz with a left to the head, the sound of which echoed through the arena. Stevenson controlled the tempo of the fifth through seventh rounds, doing enough to win the rounds.

In the eighth and final round, Ruiz, who realized he was behind on the cards, decided to put his foot on the gas offensively in the final minute of the round. This offensive spark proved to be too little, too late as Stevenson won on all three judges' scorecards by a score of 80-72.

Carto Wins #16 

Local fan favorite, Christian Carto (16-0, 11 KOs) entered the ring for his sixteenth professional bout to the roar of the crowd. Philadelphia's Carto fought Mexico's Javier Gallo (25-16-1, 13 KOs) in an eight round, bantamweight bout. Carto, who had the clear height and speed advantage, controlled the early rounds of the contest.

In the fourth round, Carto punished Gallo with a series of big punches, but the veteran kept fighting back. Carto connected with a big right to Gallo's head in the fifth round. Gallo's face showed the damage from the battle through five rounds. Both men exchanged big shots with one another in the sixth round. Carto controlled the final two rounds by landing bigger shots and being far more active than his opponent. The judges scored the bout 80-71, 80-72, and 79-73 for the winner by unanimous decision, Christian Carto.

LaManna Defeats Strode 

Thomas LaManna (26-2-1, 9 KOs) defeated Matthew Strode (25-6, 9 KOs) by unanimous decision in an eight round, super welterweight contest. In the first round, Strode landed a series of low blows on the Pride of Millville, New Jersey. Strode was the far more aggressive fighter in the first round as he attempted to lure LaManna into a brawl. LaManna came alive in the second round with a big multi-punch combo that was highlighted with a right hand to the head.

Strode pinned LaManna up against the ropes in the opening seconds of the third round, but LaManna, utilizing his speed, took control of the round. In the fourth round, LaManna snapped Strode's head back with a big right hand. LaManna broke down Strode in the fifth round, when the South Carolina native threw his hands up in disgust towards what he perceived as repeated low blows by LaManna. LaManna took advantage of his opponent's loss of focus by landing several shots to Strode's head that caused the fighter to stumble back to his corner as the round ended.

Strode continued to complain to the referee through the sixth and seventh rounds as LaManna cruised towards victory. In the eighth round, Strode was deducted a point for rabbit punches. During this round, Strode's corner, realizing their fighter was behind on the cards, yelled for him to "dig deep." Strode failed to do so as he lost on all three judges' scorecards by a score of 79-71.

Adorno Makes Quick Work of Mauras

By the end of his bout on Saturday night, Agustine Mauras (6-5-3, 3 KOs) looked like he didn't know what hit him. In the six round bout in the lightweight division, Allentown, Pennsylvania prospect, Joseph Adorno (9-0, 9 KOs) destroyed his opponent via a first round technical knockout. Mauras was sent crashing to the canvas after Adorno viciously beat his opponent with a series of big shots to the head and body. Mauras recovered from the knockdown only to be beaten up against the ropes with a barrage of punches. The referee saw enough of the massacre at the 1:39 mark of the opening round.

The Opening Bout 

Toronto's Oleksandr Teslenko (14-0, 11 KOs) defeated Avery Gibson (9-9-4, 3 KOs) in a six round, heavyweight contest. Gibson was down in the first round from a Teslenko multi-punch combo. The judges scored the bout 58-55, 59-54, and 60-53 for Teslenko.

The Bout No One Should Have Missed

To describe the lightweight bout between Jason Sosa (21-3-4, 15 KOs) and Reynaldo Blanco (14-5, 8 KOs) as a "battle" would be an understatement. In the walkout bout, both fighters left everything in the ring after eight rounds of action. The high quality of this bout can also be accredited to the Hall of Fame matchmaking of J. Russell Peltz.

Sosa went on the attack as soon as the opening bell rang. He connected with an overhand right that stunned Blanco, and opened the door for the Camden native to hunt for a knockout in the opening frame. To Blanco's credit, the tough fighter stayed on his feet and survived the round. Blanco, who was shaken up in the first round, got his second wind in the second round. The two men fought aggressively all the way up to the bell marking the end of the third round, forcing the referee to pull the two warriors apart.

In the fourth round, Sosa unloaded a multi-punch combo on Blanco in the blue corner, forcing the Puerto Rican to clinch Sosa to stay on his feet. Blanco was later deducted a point in this round. As the round neared its end, Blanco unloaded on Sosa with big uppercuts. Sosa, shaken up from the shots, battled back valiantly as the round ended. The two men went on to have a competitive and entertaining fifth round, in which both men beat the crap out of one another. By the sixth round, Blanco's face showed the damage of five violent rounds.

A Blanco low blow in the seventh round temporarily stopped the action. Sosa recovered from the low blow and went on the attack, pushing Blanco into the ropes with a series of big shots. In the final round, Sosa knocked Blanco down with a right hand to the head. Blanco recovered from the knockdown, but found himself swarmed by Sosa, who by this point of the brawl, was looking to end his evening a little early. Sosa secured a second knockdown in the round just as the final bell rang, but Blanco again recovered from the knockdown. The judges scored the bout 78-70, 77-72, and 79-69 in favor of Sosa.

MW

Fighter Stats provided by BoxStat.co

Top Rank/ESPN Boxing featuring Jessie Magdaleno vs. Isaac Dogboe - Saturday, April 28th (Philadelphia, PA)

Bob Arum's Top Rank Boxing returned to Philadelphia on Saturday night. The nine bout card featured three fights that aired in prime time on ESPN. Top Rank teamed with Philadelphia-based promotion, Peltz Boxing Promotions, to bring an action-packed night of boxing, which featured several talented local fighters, to the Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University.

The main event featured a contest between Isaac Dogboe (19-0, 13 KOs) and Jessie Magdaleno (25-1, 18 KOs) for Magdaleno's World Boxing Organisation World Super Bantamweight Title. In the first round, Magdaleno knocked Dogboe down with a multi-punch combo, highlighted by a left hook to the head. Dogboe appeared to be shaken up after the knock down, but managed to survive the round. During the second round, both gladiators exchanged big shots. In the fourth round, Dogboe hurt Magdaleno with a right hand to the head, but the defending champion stayed on his feet. Magdaleno landed a big right hook on Dogboe's head as the round ended. Magdaleno was knocked down in the fifth round from a Dogboe right hand to the head. It looked like the end was near for Magdaleno, however, the world champ battled back. Dogboe, hoping to score the knockout, threw everything but the kitchen sink at Magdaleno, and appeared to come close to punching himself out before the round ended. To add insult to injury, Magdaleno taunted Dogboe as he connected on hard punch after hard punch. Dogboe pushed Magdaleno into the ropes with a barrage of punches in the sixth round. Magdaleno appeared hurt, but survived the round. Magdaleno survived another Dogboe offensive assault in the seventh round. In the tenth round, Dogboe, clearly frustrated by not scoring a second knock down in the bout up to this point, swung for the fences and connected on a number of hard punches to Magdaleno's head and body. Magdaleno was knocked down in the eleventh round by a Dogboe right hand to the head. Magdaleno, badly hurt, pulled himself up to his feet, only to be knocked out by a Dogboe left hand to the head at 1:38 of the eleventh round.

Philadelphia's Jesse Hart (24-1, 20 KOs), the son of local legend Cyclone Hart, fought Maryland's Demond Nicholson (18-3-1, 17 KOs) for the vacant NABF Super Middleweight Title. In the opening round, Hart pinned Nicholson against the ropes with a multi-punch combo. Nicholson managed to squirm out of the trap, and avoid any additional damage. Nicholson responded to this onslaught by hitting Hart with a right hand to the head that hurt the fighter as the bell signalling the end of the first round rang. In the second round, Hart landed a nice right uppercut, followed by a right hook to Nicholson's head. In the third round, Hart knocked Nicholson down with a left-right hand combo. Upon further review, it appeared that the referee ruled a slip a knockdown. Nicholson was later staggered by a Hart left hand to the head. The fighter was knocked down again during this round by a Hart right hand to the head. In the fourth round, a Hart hard right to the head forced Nicholson to desperately wrap up his opponent. Hart hammered Nicholson with right hooks to the head in the sixth round. Despite appearing to be overwhelmed by Hart during this round, Nicholson attempted to rally at the end of the round, as he connected with left hands to Hart's head as the men were engaged in close combat. A Hart right hand to Nicholson's head in the seventh was the beginning of the end for the fighter. The hurt fighter appeared to be knocked down, but referee Shawn Clark did not call a knockdown, unbeknownst to Nicholson, who actually dropped his guard and turned his back to Hart. Hart, smelling blood in the water, went on the attack with a series of punches. The contest ended after Hart connected on a left hook to the head of Nicholson. Nicholson fell to the canvas and was counted out at 2:26 of the seventh round.

The first televised bout of the evening featured an all Philly heavyweight contest between Joey Dawejko (19-5-4, 11 KOs) and Bryant Jennings (23-2, 13 KOs) for the Pennsylvania Heavyweight Title. For the most part, the fighting was up close and personal through the first four rounds. In the second round, Jennings hit Dawejko with a jab that snapped his head back. The two men exchanged blows in the center of the ring in the third round. During this exchange, Dawejko connected with a big left uppercut that caught Jennings in the jaw. In the fourth round, Jennings appeared to hurt Dawejko with a big right hand to the head. The first five rounds were anything but clean, as both fighters were warned numerous times for low blows. In the fifth round, the two men viciously exchanged punches, causing both exhausted men to hang onto one another. Towards the end of this round, Jennings snapped Dawejko's head back with a straight right hand. Dawejko was hurt in the sixth round by a Jennings' left hook to the head. Jennings controlled the tempo of the eighth and ninth rounds, forcing Dawejko's corner to have to "light a fire under their fighter's ass." Dawejko answered the bell in the tenth round throwing hard punches to Jennings' head and body. Jennings responded with a straight left hand to Dawejko's head that caused the big man to fall forward into Jennings, pushing him into the ropes. Dawejko was unable to regain his composure, and spit out his mouthpiece. After recovering his mouthpiece, Dawejko attempted one last assault on Jennings' before the match ended, but this attack did not have the results that the fighter so desperately needed to capture the state title. Jennings won on all three judges' scorecards by a score of 98-92.

Olympic Silver Medalist, Shakur Stevenson (6-0, 3 KOs), a product of Newark, New Jersey, squared off against Georgia's Patrick Riley (12-1, 6 KOs). This eight round, featherweight bout served as a step up fight for the talented young fighter, Stevenson. In the first round, Stevenson staggered Riley with a right hand to the jaw. In the second round, Stevenson put on an offensive clinic that ultimately broke down his opponent. Stevenson knocked Riley down with a right hook to the jaw. Riley pulled himself up from the canvas, but was pulverized with a Stevenson multi-punch combo that forced the referee to stop the massacre at the 1:35 mark of the second round.

Olympic Gold Medalist, Robson Conceicao (7-0, 4 KOs) fought Alex Rynn Torres (6-2, 3 KOs) in a six round, super featherweight bout. Conceicao, a Brazilian native, put his speed on display in the first and second rounds. He worked his opponent's body effectively throughout the second round. In the third round, Conceicao landed several big hooks to Torres' upper body. Despite being outclassed by Conceicao, Torres fought valiantly through the six round contest. All three judges scored the bout 60-54 in favor of Conceicao.

South Philadelphia fan favorite, Christian Carto (15-0, 11 KOs) faced Puerto Rico's Edwin Rodriguez (8-5-1, 4 KOs) in an eight round, bantamweight bout. Carto effectively used his jab in the opening frame, and ended the round by landing the first of many multi-punch combos on his opponent. Carto wore down Rodriguez in the second round by landing a series of big shots. At the end of the round, Carto landed a big straight right hand to the face of Rodriguez. Carto answered all Rodriguez punches in the third round with multi-punch combos of his own. Midway through the fourth round, Carto landed a big left-right hand combo to the head and body of Rodriguez. In the fifth round, Carto went on the attack again, as he pushed his opponent into the ropes with left and right hooks to the head and body. Rodriguez, a fighter who has never been knocked out, demonstrated his toughness by staying on his feet during the fifth round. Rodriguez went on the offensive in the sixth round. Both fighters had a nice exchange at the end of the sixth. The final two rounds were fairly close with both men landing effective punches. The judges scored the bout 77-75 twice, and 78-74 all in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Christian Carto.

Lightweights, Kent Cruz (14-0-1, 9 KOs) and Mohamed Rodriguez (11-4-1, 4 KOs) fought in an eight round bout. In the first round, both fighters felt one another out. Unfortunately this action-less round would set the tempo for a majority of the fight. Cruz landed a big multi-punch combo on Rodriguez to end the second round. Both fighters landed a series of big hooks in the fourth round. Cruz landed a right hook to the jaw of Rodriguez in the fifth, but was unable to gain momentum following the clean blow on his opponent. The judges scored the bout 78-74 for Cruz, 77-75 for Rodriguez, and 76-76 a draw. The contest ended in a split decision draw.

Philly fan favorite, Joseph Adorno (7-0, 7 KOs) made quick work of Mexico's Jorge Padron (3-2, 3 KOs) in a fight that was scheduled for six rounds in the super featherweight division. Adorno landed a right hook to the lower ribs of Padron, that sent him down to the canvas. It didn't take Padron long to decide that he had had enough of Adorno. The referee counted him out, and called an end to the bout at 1:11 of the opening round. Adorno has now won all seven of his professional fights by way of knockout.

In the opening bout of the card, Philadelphia's Marcel Rivers (5-0, 4 KOs) fought Ronald Logan (0-3) of New York in a four round, welterweight contest. Rivers controlled the first round of action by effectively landing good left and right hooks. Rivers was the aggressor in the second round. He landed a series of straight left and right hands to the head and body that chased his opponent into the red corner. Logan appeared to slip while avoiding his opponent's offensive onslaught. Despite slipping, Logan was unable to rise from the canvas. The referee stopped the fight at the :49 mark of the second round.

MW

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Joseph Adorno Interview

Luis Cortes caught up with Allentown's Joseph Adorno (6-0, 6 KOs) earlier this week at Joe Hand Boxing Gym in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia. This Saturday night, Adorno is looking for his seventh straight victory by knockout against Jorge Hugo Padron (3-1, 3 KOs) in North Philadelphia. 

Check out Luis Cortes' Bonus Round interview with Joseph Adorno on both SoundCloud and iTunes:

Bonus Round - Joseph Adorno Interview with Luis Cortes on SoundCloud

Bonus Round - Joseph Adorno Interview with Luis Cortes on iTunes

This fight is part of a nine bout card that will take place on Saturday, April 28th at the Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University. The card is being promoted by Top Rank Boxing and Peltz Boxing Promotions, and is headlined by a super bantamweight title fight between Jessie Magdaleno (25-0, 18 KOs) and Isaac Dogboe (18-0, 12 KOs). The boxing card also features a number of other popular Philadelphia area fighters including, Joey Dawejko, Bryant Jennings, Jesse Hart, Christian Carto, and Marcel Rivers. Three fights on the card will air on ESPN.

Tickets for this exciting night of boxing can be purchased over the phone by calling Peltz Boxing Promotions at 215-765-0922.

-Luis A. Cortes III

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Top Rank/ESPN Boxing Returns to Philadelphia on April 28th

On Saturday, April 28th, Top Rank Boxing and Peltz Boxing Promotions returns to the "City of Brotherly Love" with a nine bout boxing card, headlined by a super bantamweight title fight between Jessie Magdaleno (25-0, 18 KOs) and Isaac Dogboe (18-0, 12 KOs). The boxing card which will take place at the Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University features a number of popular Philadelphia area fighters including, Joey Dawejko, Bryant Jennings, Jesse Hart, Christian Carto, Joseph Adorno, and Marcel Rivers. Three fights on the card will air on ESPN.

Magdaleno is coming off of a knockout victory last April over Adeilson Dos Santos in Carson, California. His opponent, Dogboe, has won three straight bouts by knockout. The two undefeated fighters will square off for Dogboe's World Boxing Organisation World Super Bantamweight Title.

Philadelphia's Jesse Hart (23-1, 19 KOs), coming off of a February 3rd TKO victory over Thomas Awimbono, will fight Maryland's Demond Nicholson (18-2-1, 17 KOs) for the vacant NABF Super Middleweight Title. Nicholson last fought on August 25, 2017, when he defeated Josue Obando in Miami.

Philadelphia heavyweights, Bryant Jennings (22-2, 13 KOs) and Joey Dawejko (19-4-4, 11 KOs) will battle for the Pennsylvania State Heavyweight Title. This bout, which has instant classic written all over it, is expected to bring the city's boxing fans out in full force. Both fighters have had recent success in the ring. Jennings has won three straight fights by knockout, since losing to Luis Ortiz on December 19, 2015. Dawejko had a busy 2017, in which he won two bouts over Kelvin Nunez and Demetrius Banks, and fought to a draw against Rodney Hernandez.

The non-televised portion of the card consists of six solid match ups featuring several fighters who are no strangers to local fight fans. Philadelphia bantamweight prospect, Christian Carto (14-0, 11 KOs) will fight Puerto Rico's Edwin Rodriguez (9-4, 5 KOs) in an eight round bout. Olympic Silver Medalist, Shakur Stevenson (5-0, 2 KOs) will face Roxberg Patrick Riley (12-0, 6 KOs) in an eight round featherweight contest, that will be a step up bout for Stevenson. Undefeated super featherweight, Joseph Adorno (6-0, 6 KOs) of Allentown, PA will square off against Mexico's Jorge Hugo Padron (3-1, 3 KOs) in a six round fight. Philadelphia's Marcel Rivers (4-0, 3 KOs) will also be in action that night against a welterweight opponent who is yet to be announced.

The card also features eight round bouts in the super lightweight and super featherweight divisions. Mohamed Rodriguez (11-5, 4 KOs) will face undefeated super lightweight, Kent Cruz (14-0, 9 KOs), and Alex Torres Rynn (6-1, 3 KOs) will fight undefeated super featherweight, Robson Conceicao (6-0, 4 KOs) of Brazil.

Tickets for this outstanding night of boxing can be purchased over the phone by calling Peltz Boxing Promotions at 215-765-0922.

MW

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King's Promotions Presents Live Boxing Featuring Mykal Fox vs. vs. Manuel Reyes - Tuesday, November 21st (Bethlehem, PA)

The opening bout of the evening featured featherweights, Martino Jules (2-0) and Weusi Johnson (2-7). Johnson, a native of Wilmington, DE, was the aggressor throughout the first two rounds of action. Both men landed a series of good exchanges to open up the third. The fourth round was no different with both men fighting fiercely until the final bell rang. The judges' scorecards reflected the fact that this was an evenly matched and competitive bout. Allentown's Jules won a hard fought, four round, majority decision with one card scored a 38-38 draw, and two cards scored in favor of Jules, 40-36 and 39-37.

The second bout of the evening was between Allentown's Hector Bayanilla (2-0-1, 1 KO) and San Antonio's Jose Elizondo (2-4-1) in a four round bout. Bayanilla controlled the second round, in which he knocked down Elizondo with a double right hand to the head and body. Elizondo bounced back from the knock down to fight valiantly throughout the remainder of the contest. He reflected his toughness when he stayed on his feet in the third round after his opponent pushed him back with a series of hard left and right hooks to the body and head. The judges all scored the fight in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Hector Bayanilla (40-35, 39-36, and 39-36).

Heavyweights, Michael Coffie (1-0, 1 KO) and Ralph Alexander (0-2) fought in the third bout, a four round contest. The larger Coffie stepped into the ring looking to make a big statement in his professional debut. Coffie overwhelmed his opponent and the knockout came at 1:01 mark of the first round when Coffie connected with what appeared to be a left hook-right hand combo to the head of Alexander. Former New York State Athletic Commissioner, Randy Gordon, who appeared on an October 16, 2016 episode of our podcast, serves as Coffie's manager.

Light flyweights, Harold Lopez (2-0-1, 1 KO) Jerrod Miner (1-1) fought in an evenly matched and competitive four round fight. The two gladiators fought an action packed four round contest that proved to be a real crowd-pleaser. Lopez, the hometown fighter, walked away the winner via unanimous decision over the Philadelphian. One judge scored the bout 40-36, with the other two scoring the match 39-37.

The fifth bout of the evening featured Juan Sanchez (4-0, 1 KO) vs. James Early (2-2) in a four round featherweight contest. This fight was a showcase of wild punches and fatigue. Despite appearing to be fatigued at various points throughout the match, Sanchez kept dancing and maintained a slight advantage on the judges' scorecards. Sanchez won the bout by unanimous decision, winning all three judges' scorecards by a score of 39-37.

Top Rank signed fighter, Joseph Adorno (5-0, 5 KOs) fought in the evening's marquee fight, at least from the fan's perspective. His opponent in this super featherweight match was Corben Page (5-16, 1 KO) of Oregon. Adorno, the product of nearby Allentown, outclassed his veteran opponent from the opening bell. Adorno spent the first round of the four round contest feeling out his opponent, and landing the more effective punches. The second round was a different story, when Adorno put his power on display. Page was knocked down early in the round via an Adorno right hand to the head. As the round approached its end, Adorno connected on a series of left and right hooks to the body and head that left his opponent defenseless in the blue corner. Referee Gary Rosato called an end to the action at the 2:58 mark of the second round. Adorno, the winner by TKO, won his fifth straight fight by knockout.

The evening's co-main event featured an eight round, lightweight battle between Victor Vazquez (9-3, 3 KOs) and Ricardo Garcia (14-1, 9 KOs). Garcia hit Vazquez with a right hook that busted open his nose in the first round. Despite having blood running down his face, Vazquez ended the round with a vicious combo that pinned Garcia up against the red corner ropes. Garcia was knocked down in the third round, with a Vazquez right hand to the head. Vazquez appeared to score a second knockdown as the bell marking the end of the fourth round rang, but the referee ruled it a slip. In the sixth round, the referee appeared to miss another knockdown, after Vazquez connected on a right hook that sent Garcia to the canvas. This was also ruled a slip. In the eighth and final round, Vazquez sent Garcia down to one knee with a hard right hand to the upper body. Garcia recovered from the knockdown, to fight valiantly through the round. Vazquez, hungry for a knockout, pushed Garcia into the ropes near the red corner late in the eighth round, but was unable to knockout the tough fighter from the Dominican Republic. The judges saw the contest 75-75, 77-72, and 77-72. The latter two scores were in favor of the winner by majority decision, Yonkers' Victor Vazquez.

Fans were one fight away from having an eight fight card full of action... That's when the main event featuring Mykal Fox (15-0, 4 KOs) vs. Manuel Reyes (11-4-1, 5 KOs) happened. Fox, the taller fighter, clearly landed more punches over the course of the bout, but for the most part, these punches appeared to have little power behind them. Much of the main event was filled with the two fighters feeling one another out. The judges scored the bout 78-74, 80-72, and 79-73, all in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Mykal Fox.

*The scheduled super featherweight main event between Frank De Alba (22-2-2, 9 KOs) and Ivan Najera (17-3, 8 KOs) was cancelled after Najera weighed-in 15 pounds overweight.

MW

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Philly Fight Night - Burgin vs. Sparrow - Friday, March 11th (Philadelphia, PA)

On Friday, March 11th, I had the opportunity to cover live boxing ringside from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. The card was part of Peltz and BAM Boxing Promotions’ Philly Fight Night series, and featured ten professional boxing matches.

The opening bout of the evening featured Philadelphia flyweights, Basyzbek Baratov (2-1-1) and Tyrone Arzeno (0-1-0). In four rounds of action, two judges scored the bout 39-37 in favor of the Baratov, while one judge scored the bout 39-37 for Arzeno. Baratov’s split decision victory spoiled Arzeno’s professional debut.

The second bout of the evening featured West Philadelphia’s Cassius Chaney (9-0-0, 5 KOs) and Lansing’s Tom Washington, Jr. (6-10-1, 2 KOs) in a six round heavyweight contest. Cassius Chaney won the fight via majority decision. Two judges scored the contest 59-55 in favor of Chaney, while one judge scored the bout a draw (57-57).

The third fight of the evening featured two Philadelphia flyweight fighters, Ernesto Almodovar (1-0-0) and  Steven Lopez (0-1-0), making their professional debuts. Almodovar controlled the bout through four rounds of action, and walked away the winner via unanimous decision. The judges scored the bout 39-36, 39-36, and 40-35.

Joseph Adorno (3-0-0, 3 KOs), a 17-year-old fan favorite from Allentown, defeated Mexico’s Marco Ocano (1-1-0, 1 KO) in a junior lightweight contest, scheduled for four rounds. The TKO victory came at the 45 second mark of the first round, after Adorno landed a brutal multi-punch combo that left Ocano dazed and defenseless.

Puerto Rican lightweight Victor Padilla (3-0-0, 3 KOs) faced Carlos Castillo (4-5-0, 3 KOs) of Tucson, Arizona in the fifth bout of the evening. Padilla dropped Castillo at the 48 second mark of the first round, and secured his third career win and knockout.

In the sixth contest of the evening, Isaiah Wise (4-1-0, 3 KOs) of South Philadelphia fought Jeffrey Wright (4-6-1, 4 KOs) of Milwaukee. Wise recovered from a second round knock down to defeat Wright via TKO, 32 seconds into the fourth round of a scheduled six round junior middleweight matchup. Referee Gary Rosato called an end to the action after Wise landed a vicious left-right combo to Wright’s body.

North Philadelphia’s Fred Jenkins Jr. (10-4-0, 3 KOs) faced Roque Zapata (3-1-3) of Culpeper, VA in a junior middleweight contest. Jenkins was knocked down in the first round by Zapata, who proved to be the more aggressive fighter through six rounds of boxing. All three judges scored the bout in favor of Zapata (59-54, 59-54, and 57-56).

The main event of the evening featured two tough North Philadelphia lightweights, Anthony Burgin (10-3-0, 2 KOs) and Avery Sparrow (6-1-0, 3 KOs). In the sixth round of the action packed eight round bout, Sparrow landed a right uppercut that sent Burgin to the canvas. Burgin recovered from the knockdown, and the two men battled through the remaining rounds. The judges scored the bout 76-75 (Burgin), 76-75 (Sparrow), and 77-74 (Sparrow). Sparrow, the winner by split decision, won his second straight bout.

Following the main event, there were two more four round contests. Super bantamweights Crystian Peguero (1-0-0, 1 KO) of Northeast Philadelphia and Alonzo Davis (0-1-0) of West Philadelphia faced off in a four round bout. In the third round, Peguero knocked out Davis with four body shots at the 2:12 mark.

The second and final contest of the evening, featured super middleweights Chris Thomas (5-0-0) of Beachwood, New Jersey vs. Mike Rodriguez (0-5-0) of Springfield, Massachusetts. Thomas defeated Rodriguez via unanimous decision after four rounds of boxing. 

MW

Hard Hitting Promotions’ “Friday Night Boxing” - Friday, February 3rd (Philadelphia, PA)

On Friday, February 3rd, I had the opportunity to cover live boxing ringside from the SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia. The card was part of Hard Hitting Promotions’ “Friday Night Boxing” series, and featured seven professional bouts in the lighter weight classes of boxing.

The card opened up with a four round super flyweight bout between Harold Lopez of Philadelphia and Argenis Armando (aka Lugo Perez) of Puerto Rico. Both fighters were making their professional debuts. Lopez knocked out Armando/Perez with a left uppercut 57 seconds into the first round.

In the second bout, Victor Padilla (2-0, 2 KOs) of New Jersey squared off against Tony Wilson (0-2) of Virginia. Padilla finished off Wilson with a combo that sent him to the canvas in the first round of a scheduled four round lightweight matchup.

The third bout featured super featherweights Joseph Adorno (2-0, 2 KOs) of Allentown, PA and Jonathan Hernandez (0-4) of Puerto Rico. Eighteen seconds into the first round of a scheduled four rounds, Adorno made quick work of Hernandez by landing a right hand that sent him face first into the canvas. Paramedics were called to the ring to check on the fighter, who remained lying on the ground for about two minutes after the hard right hand. Hernandez later left the ring under his own power.

Super featherweights Hairon Socarras (15-0-2, 10 KOs) of Miami and veteran Mexican fighter German Meraz (55-41-1, 32 KOs) faced off against one another in the fourth bout of the evening. In a fight that many believed would end with a knockout victory for Socarras, this six round match ended up going to the cards. Socarras scored an early knock down in the first round, but was unable to score the knockout on the veteran in the next five rounds. All three judges scored the bout 60-53 in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Socarras.

Branden Pizarro (3-0, 2 KOs), a 17-year-old Philadelphian, knocked out Abdiel Padilla (1-1, 1 KO) of Puerto Rico at the 2:42 mark of the first round of a scheduled four round fight. Pizarro landed a powerful body shot on Padilla that sent him to the canvas for the referee’s full ten count.

The co-main event of the evening featured Philadelphia’s Christian Carto (7-0, 6 KOs) and Tijuana, Mexico’s Sergio Najera (12-29-2, 6 KOs). The veteran Najera gave Carto a test through two rounds of action, by land several good shots. Carto effectively used his left jab throughout the fight, and in the third round landed a series good punches forcing the referee to put a halt to the match.

The main event featured popular Philadelphia fighter the New Ray Robinson (22-2, 11 KOs) and Nicaraguan fighter Edwin Palacio (12-5-1, 8 KOs). Palacio was knocked down in the first and second rounds, before being knocked out with a left hook to the head at 2:39 of the second round. Robinson has now won 11 straight fights.

Check out my post fight interviews with Philadelphia bantamweight boxing prospect Christian Carto and legendary Philadelphia cut man Joey Eye on SoundCloud and iTunes:

Bonus Round with Bantamweight Boxer Christian Carto and Cutman Joey Eye on SoundCloud

Bonus Round with Bantamweight Boxer Christian Carto and Cutman Joey Eye on iTunes

MW