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Superfly 3 Proves a Success at Inglewood Forum
INGLEWOOD, Calif.-Fight fans clamoring for international flavor got their wish with Japan, Mexico, Philippines and Puerto Rico sending some of their best to the Inglewood Forum on Saturday.
A battle between Mexican warriors saw former world champion Juan Francisco Estrada (pictured) out-duel the taller Felipe Orucuta in an elimination bout for the WBC super flyweight world title. More than 4,000 showed up.
Sonora, Mexico’s Estrada (37-3, 25 KOs) emerged the winner by unanimous decision over Mexico City’s Orucuta (36-5, 30 KOs) but the two 115-pounders slammed each other repeatedly in the 12-round clash.
Estrada started quickly with left hooks and flashy combinations but once Orucuta established the long left jab the complexion of the fight changed drastically. Back and forth the two Mexican warriors exchanged especially in the seventh and eighth round.
One judge scored it 118-110 and the other two 117-111 all for Estrada.
“It was good to compete against a great champion. I thought the scores were a lot closer,” said Orucuta. “The atmosphere was great.”
The winner Estrada expects a world challenge next and was very satisfied with the contest.
“It’s was a good fight. Whenever you have two Mexicans in the ring you are going to have a good fight,” said Estrada. “Orucuta was taller than I am and very physical.”
It was like watching two other Mexican warriors, Carlos Zarate and Alfonso Zamora, 40 years ago in the same arena. In that fight Zarate won by knockout and a riot ensued. No riot took place on this Saturday.
Draw
In a slow moving fight Donnie Nietes (41-1-5, 23 KOs) attempt to win a third division world title was put on hold after his match with fellow Filipino Aston Palicte (24-2-1, 9 KOs) ended in a split draw. Their 12 round slow motion affair was for the vacant WBO super flyweight world title.
“Of course I won the fight. I’m very disappointed. I dealt with his height perfectly I hurt him and I controlled the fight. I wanted to unify. Now I can’t even leave the ring with my belt,” said Nietes.
Nietes seemed to be in control against the much taller Palicte but the lack of action may have allowed the fight to be in question. No knockdowns were scored and the world title remains vacant.
Ioka
Japan’s Kazuto Ioka (23-1, 13 KOs) showed little rust from a year absence to knock down and out-punch Puerto Rico’s McWilliams Arroyo (17-4, 14 KOs) and win the vacant WBC Silver super flyweight after 10 rounds.
It was an exciting slugfest.
Ioka caught Arroyo with a stiff right counter that floored the Puerto Rican fighter in the third round. The Japanese fighter began with a nonstop attack to the body and then moved it upward in the second half.
Though Arroyo had better success in the last five rounds of the fight, Ioka proved very elusive when necessary and was able to find the openings of the Boricua fighter. After 10 rounds the scores were 99-90, 97-92 twice all for Ioka.
“Very appreciative of the opportunity to fight in the US, this is exactly how I hoped it would be, the atmosphere was fantastic,” said Ioka. “The fight was exactly what I expected according to plan. I want to fight again on Superfly 4.”
Arroyo was gracious in defeat.
“A real tough fighter I thought it was a closer fight. I knew he was a top quality opponent and really showed me in the ring that’s what he is,” said Arroyo. “This was my third time fighting here against quality opponents. I look forward to more.”
360 Promotions director Tom Loeffler said that Ioka will most definitely return to the next Superfly series possibly in March 2019.
“He was very impressive especially since he had a year off,” said Loeffler of Ioka. “He was coming up two weight divisions against a tough fighter like Arroyo.”
Other Bouts
Mexico’s Brenda Flores (13-4-1) masterfully used a counter-punching scheme to out-box the constant rushes by Louisa Hawton (8-2) before a loud and supportive audience. It was reminiscent of last February when Anahi Torres handed the Aussie her first pro loss.
“I was a little afraid that because she was signed with the promoter of the fight card, that things would not go well,” said Flores. “But after every round I felt I showed enough to win.”
Though Mexican fighters are known more for being aggressive, it was counter-punches that Flores utilized from the start. And she was successful. But Hawton felt she was the winner.
“She was on the run, I had her on her back foot,” said Hawton who is a former light flyweight world titlist. “I was pressuring her every round.”
Alexandru Marin (17-0, 11 KOs) edged Bruno Escalante (17-4-1, 7 KOs) to win the IBF Inter-Continental super flyweight title by split decision after 10 rounds.
Jonathan Esquivel (7-0, 7 KOs) floored Joan Valenzuela (5-10-1) twice in winning by knockout at 1:51 of the first round in a middleweight fight. Esquivel fights out of Anaheim, Calif.
Joselito Velasquez (6-0, 5 KOs) was the winner by unanimous decision after six rounds in a flyweight contest versus Jose Alfredo Flores (6-7, 3 KOs). All three judges scored it 60-54 for Velasquez who fights out of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City
Garry Jonas’ ProBox series returned to its regular home in Plant City, Florida, tonight with a card topped by a 10-round light heavyweight match between fast-rising Najee Lopez and former world title challenger Lenin Castillo. This was considered a step-up fight for the 25-year-old Lopez, an Atlanta-born-fighter of Puerto Rican heritage. Although the 36-year-old Castillo had lost two of his least three heading in, he had gone the distance with Dimitry Bivol and Marcus Browne and been stopped only once (by Callum Smith).
Lopez landed the cleaner punches throughout. Although Castillo seemed unfazed during the first half of the fight, he returned to his corner at the end of round five exhibiting signs of a fractured jaw.
In the next round, Lopez cornered him against the ropes and knocked him through the ropes with a left-right combination. Referee Emil Lombardo could have stopped the fight right there, but he allowed the courageous Castillo to carry on for a bit longer, finally stopping the fight as Castillo’s corner and a Florida commissioner were signaling that it was over.
The official time was 2:36 of round six. Bigger fights await the talented Lopez who improved to 13-0 with his tenth win inside the distance. Castillo declined to 25-7-1.
Co-Feature
In a stinker of a heavyweight fight, Stanley Wright, a paunchy, 34-year-old North Carolina journeyman, scored a big upset with a 10-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Jeremiah Milton.
Wright carried 280 pounds, 100 pounds more than in his pro debut 11 years ago. Although he was undefeated (13-0, 11 KOs), he had never defeated an opponent with a winning record and his last four opponents were a miserable 19-48-2. Moreover, he took the fight on short notice.
What Wright had going for him was fast hands and, in the opening round, he put Milton on the canvas with a straight right hand. From that point, Milton fought tentatively and Wright, looking fatigued as early as the fourth round, fought only in spurts. It seemed doubtful that he could last the distance, but Milton, the subject of a 2021 profile in these pages, was wary of Wright’s power and unable to capitalize. “It’s almost as if Milton is afraid to win,” said ringside commentator Chris Algieri during the ninth stanza when the bout had devolved into a hugfest.
The judges had it 96-93 and 97-92 twice for the victorious Wright who boosted his record to 14-0 without improving his stature.
Also
In the TV opener, a 10-round contest in the junior middleweight division, Najee Lopez stablemate Darrelle Valsaint (12-0, 10 KOs) scored his career-best win with a second-round knockout of 35-year-old Dutch globetrotter Stephen Danyo (23-7-3).
A native Floridian of Haitian descent, the 22-year-old Valsaint was making his eighth start in Plant City. He rocked Danyo with a chopping right hand high on the temple and then, as Danyo slumped forward, delivered the coup-de-gras, a short left uppercut. The official time was 2:17 of round two.
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Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim
Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11th straight stoppage tonight while successfully defending his unified super bantamweight title, advancing his record to 29-0 (26 KOs) at the expense of Ye Joon Kim. The match at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena came to an end at the 2:25 mark of round four when U.S. referee Mark Nelson tolled “10” over the brave but overmatched Korean.
Kim, raised in a Seoul orphanage, had a few good moments, but the “Monster” found his rhythm in the third round, leaving Kim with a purplish welt under his left eye. In the next frame, he brought the match to a conclusion, staggering the Korean with a left and then finishing matters with an overhand right that put Kim on the seat of his pants, dazed and wincing in pain.
Kim, who brought a 21-2-2 record, took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing Australia’s Sam Goodman who suffered an eye injury in sparring that never healed properly, forcing him to withdraw twice.
Co-promoter Bob Arum, who was in the building, announced that Inoue’s next fight would happen in Las Vegas in the Spring. Speculation centers on Mexico City’s Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC. However, there’s also speculation that the 31-year-old Inoue may move up to featherweight and seek to win a title in a fifth weight class, in which case a potential opponent is the winner of the Feb. 2 match between Brandon Figueroa and Stephen Fulton. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa/Fulton have different promoters, but the arrival of Turki Alalshikh, the sport’s Daddy Warbucks, has changed the dynamic. Tonight, Naoya Inoue made his first start as a brand ambassador for Riyadh Season.
Simmering on the backburner is a megafight with countryman Junto Nakatani, an easy fight to make as Arum has ties to both. However, the powers-that-be would prefer more “marination.”
Inoue has appeared twice in Las Vegas, scoring a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October of 2020 at the MGM Bubble and a third-round stoppage of Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels in June of 2021.
Semi-wind-up
In a 12-round bout for a regional welterweight title, Jin Sasaki improved to 19-1-1 (17) with a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3). The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.
Also
In a bout in which both contestants were on the canvas, Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3) edged out Misaki Hirano (11-2), winning a majority decision. A 28-year-old Osaka southpaw with a fan-friendly style, the lanky Shimomachi, unbeaten in his last 22 starts, competes as a super bantamweight. A match with Inoue may be in his future.
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Eric Priest Wins Handily on Thursday’s Golden Boy card at the Commerce Casino
Model turned fighter Eric Priest jabbed and jolted his way into the super middleweight rankings with a shutout decision win over veteran Tyler Howard on Thursday.
In his first main event Priest (15-0, 8 KOs) proved ready for contender status by defusing every attack Tennessee’s Howard (20-3, 11 KOs) could muster at Commerce Casino, the second fight in six days at the LA County venue.
All ticket monies collected on the Folden Boy Promotions card were contributed to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation as they battle wildfires sprouting all over Los Angeles County due to high winds.
Priest, 26, had never fought anyone near Howard’s caliber but used a ramrod jab to keep the veteran off-balance and unable to muster a forceful counter-attack. Round after round the Korean-American fighter pumped left jabs while circling his opposition.
Though hit with power shots, none seemed to faze Howard but his own blows were unable to put a dent in Priest. After 10 rounds of the same repetitive action all three judges scored the fight 100-90 for Priest who now wins a regional super middleweight title.
Priest also joins the top 15 rankings of the WBA organization.
In a fight between evenly matched middleweights, Jordan Panthen (11-0, 9 KOs) remained undefeated after 10 rounds versus DeAundre Pettus (12-4, 7 KOs). Though equally skilled, Panthen simply out-worked the South Caroliina fighter to win by unanimous decision. No knockdowns were scored.
Other Bouts
Grant Flores (8-0, 6 KOs) knocked out Costa Rica’s David Lobo Ramirez (17-4, 12 KOs) with two successive right uppercuts at 2:59 of the second round of the super welterweight fight.
Cayden Griffith (3-0, 3 KOs) used a left hook to the body to stop Mark Misiura at 1:43 of the second round in a super welterweight bout.
Jordan Fuentes (3-0) floored Brandon Badillo (0-3-1) in the third round and proceeded to win by decision after four rounds in a super bantamweight fight.
A super featherweight match saw Leonardo Sanchez (8-0) win by decision over Joseph Cruz Brown (10-12) after six rounds.
Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy
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