Fast Results from Frisco, Texas: Spence Demolishes Ocampo

It didn’t take long for Errol Spence Jr. to expose Carlos Ocampo as an unworthy title challenger. In a ring pitched in the indoor practice facility of the Dallas Cowboys, not quite 40 miles from Spence’s current home in the Dallas suburb of DeSoto, Spence (24-0, 21 KOs) successfully defended his IBF welterweight title on Showtime with a first round stoppage of his Mexican foe who was making his U.S. debut. In the waning seconds of the opening stanza, a withering left hook to the body sent Ocampo to his knees and he wasn’t able to beat the count.

Ensenada’s Ocampo, who came in undefeated (22-0), albeit against questionable opposition, was hoping to catch some of the magic that his Baja California compadre Jaime Munguia unleashed on Sadam Ali, but Errol Spence is no Sadam Ali. A 2012 U.S. Olympian, Spence has now won 12 straight inside the distance.

Spence’s dominant showing will serve to beat the drums louder for a match between him and Terence Crawford. Spence broached the subject last week after Crawford ran roughshod over Jeff Horn. “I just feel like I’m bigger, I’m stronger, I’m just as sharp, I have a better chin, I hit harder (than Crawford),” he said. “I’d just basically beat him up.”

They will eventually meet but it’s not likely to happen anytime soon.

In the semi-main, LA’s Danny Roman (25-2-1), the WBA 122-pound champion, won a workmanlike 12-round decision over previously undefeated Moises “Chucky” Flores who declined to 25-1. Roman, who won his belt and made his first defense in Japan, worked the body well and was fresher in the late rounds, leading to a wide decision on the scorecards (120-108, 118-110, 116-112).

TSS West Coast bureau chief David A. Avila, who has followed Roman’s career from the get-go, describes Roman’s style as “part instinct, part grit, and part technical prowess” and that was on display tonight.

This was the same Moises Flores who ended his last contest flat on his back and content to stay there after being nailed by a punch from Guillermo Rigondeaux that landed a millisecond after the bell ending the first round. It was originally announced as a win by KO for Rigondeaux, then changed to a win by disqualification for Flores, but ultimately declared a no-contest.

Tonight, Flores stayed upright for the full 12 rounds although he theoretically had less incentive to win after coming in over the 122-pound limit at the weigh-in, meaning that he could not claim the title even if he won the fight.

The TV lid-lifter between Javier Fortuna and Adrian Granados was a messy affair that ended in a “no contest” when Fortuna was unable to continue after being shoved out of the ring and hitting his head on an unidentified object. The rules stated that the bout had to go four full rounds to go the scorecards and it fell 10 seconds short.

Fortuna had his head immobilized in a neck brace before leaving the ring on a stretcher. Earlier in the round, the ref docked Fortuna two points; one for hitting behind the head and once for holding.

In another bout of note, former Cuban Olympian Yordenis Ugas won his seventh straight at the expense of Jonathan Batista who folded his tent in the second round. Batista has lost 13 of his last 16.

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