A Night of Mismatches Turns Topsy-Turvy at Mandalay Bay; Resendiz Shocks Plant

“The Best Laid Plans….” Last month, Rolly Romero spoiled a rematch between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney. Tonight, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Jose Armando Resendiz ruined a grudge match between Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo. Resendiz, from the beach town of Guayabitos on the Mexican Riviera, came on strong, winning the last six rounds on two of the cards, to win a split decision that should have been unanimous. Two of the judges had it 116-112 with Oklahoma’s David Sutherland the outlier, giving the nod to the heavily favored Plant by a 115-113 score. With the victory, Resendiz claims the “regular” 168-pound title of the shameless World Boxing Association.

There were no knockdowns and none of the rounds were conspicuously one-sided, but Resendiz was the aggressor and he picked up the pace when he was confident that Plant’s punches couldn’t hurt him. He left his stool with a smile on his face for the final round.

On paper, this was a gross mismatch which would have harmonized with what came before it. Resendiz was 15-2 (11) coming in, but his previous fight was a 6-rounder in Guadalajara and Plant, who was physically bigger, was a former IBF world super middleweight title-holder whose only setbacks had come against the division’s big dogs – Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez. But tonight, Plant (23-3) looked older than his 32 years.

Semi-wind-up

In a match slated for 10, Jermall Charlo dominated brave but overmatched Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna, improving to 34-0 (23 KOs) after the ringside physician rescued LaManna from further punishment by telling referee Mark Nelson to halt the massacre after five rounds.

This match was such a mismatch that LaManna’s nose was reddened in the first minute of the fight. He was knocked down three times during the five rounds and ended the fight with wounds around both eyes.

Charlo, making his debut at 168, had fought only once in the last four years, that a 10-round decision over shopworn Jose Benavidez Jr here at Mandalay Bay. Problems outside the ring were the source of his inactivity. New Jersey’s LaManna (30-6-1) came in on a nine-fight winning streak since getting blasted out in the opening round by Erislandy Lara. However, those nine wins came against a motley assortment of opponents, some in matches that he himself promoted.

Other Bouts

Middleweight Yoenli Hernandez, the most advanced of the new wave of Cuban boxers, had no trouble with Delaware’s Kyrone Davis (16-4-1), winning every round in a match that was monotonous for its one-sidedness. Ranked #1 by the WBA whose champion is Erislandy Lara, Hernandez (8-0, 7 KOs) put Davis on the canvas in the second round with a combination followed by harsh jab, but Davis, coming off his career-best win, an upset of previously undefeated Elijah Garcia, stayed the course, a moral victory of sorts.

In the Prime Video opener, Isaac Lucero (17-0. 15 KOs) dropped and stopped countryman Omar Valenzuela in the second round. A second-generation prizefighter trained by Bob Santos, Lucero was making his first fight outside his native Mexico since his pro debut in 2019. Valenzuela’s impressive record (23-0, 20 KOs) invited skepticism as he had done most of his fighting in Tijuana.

Off-TV Prelims of Note

Precocious Mayweather Promotions prodigy Curmel Moton (8-0, 6 KOs) was extended the distance, but pitched a shutout over Renny Viamonte (4-2-1) in an 8-round lightweight contest

Filipino super bantamweight Carl Martin advanced to 26-0 (20) with an 8-round unanimous decision over Tijuana’s Francisco Pedroza (19-13-2).

Undefeated 22-year-old super middleweight John “Candyman Easter,” who began his pro career with seven straight knockouts, was extended the distance for the second time but won a 6-round unanimous decision over Andres Martinez (5-4), a native of Guinea.

Italy’s Christian Cangelosi, a super welterweight, improved to 11-0 (5) with an 8-round majority decision over Samuel Figueroa (13-3), a 34-year-old Puerto Rican southpaw.

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