Curiel Stays the Course as DAZN Card Pushes On Without Rocha

Curiel Stays the Course as DAZN Card Pushes On Without Rocha

Last night’s card from California, televised by DAZN, moved forward under unusual circumstances.

Originally scheduled as a welterweight rematch between Raúl Curiel and Alexis Rocha, the main event was scrapped when Rocha was forced to withdraw late due to weight-cut issues. With very short notice, Jordan Panthen stepped in as a replacement, giving Curiel a new opponent and a very different stylistic puzzle.

Curiel handled the change with composure. Fighting over ten rounds at a catchweight after Rocha’s withdrawal, Curiel boxed patiently and consistently outworked Panthen to earn a unanimous decision victory. The judges’ scorecards read 97-93, 97-93, and 98-92, cementing a clear win despite the circumstances. With the victory, Curiel’s professional ledger improved to 17-0-1 (14 KOs). Panthen, making his second career defeat, dropped to 11-2 (9 KOs).

The undercard delivered solid action, beginning with the rematch of Jorge Chávez and Manuel Flores. Chávez (now 15-0-1, 8 KOs) emerged with a unanimous decision after ten competitive rounds, showing improved composure and ring control compared to their first meeting, which had ended in a draw. Flores moved to 20-2-1 (16 KOs) with the setback.

Ruslan Abdullaev (now 4-0, 2 KOs) provided one of the night’s more emphatic moments, breaking down Eduardo Javier Abreu (who fell to 14-2-2, 10 KOs) before securing a fifth-round technical knockout. Abdullaev’s steady pressure and punch selection proved decisive as the bout progressed.

Cayden Griffiths improved his record to 7-0, 6 KOs as he continued his development with a six-round unanimous decision over Lesther Espino (now 10-8, 8 KOs). Griffiths, who scored a second-round knockdown, effectively used movement and sharp combinations to keep the contest one-sided on the scorecards.

John Ramirez  followed with a gritty majority-decision win against Byron Rojas, a bout that swung back and forth before Ramirez did just enough down the stretch to sway two judges on a close night of scoring. Ramirez’ record increased to 16-1, 9 KOs and Rojas slipped to 29-6-3, 12 KOs.

Fabian Guzman closed out his night with authority, stopping Jose Gabriel Rodriguez in the sixth round after steadily wearing him down with sustained offense. Guzman’s work on the inside and body shots broke Rodriguez late. Guzman’s record now stands at 9-0, 8 KOs and Rodriguez’s record is 3-2, 2 KOs.

Earlier on the card, Ricardo Ruvalcaba (currently 15-0-1, 10 KOs) picked up a unanimous decision victory over Jonathan Jose Eniz (now 37-25-1, 17 KOs), keeping his professional career moving forward and preserving his undefeated standing.

To comment on this post in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE