Strictly Business Boxing
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Rockin' Fights 46: Official Results

Packed Paramount Treated To Thrilling Night Of Fights  Caparello’s Left Hook Closes The Show

To Win WBC Continental America’s 

And NABA Gold Cruiserweight Championship!

(all photo credit: Star Boxing/James Patrick Cooper)

(February 24th) Fans are still reveling from the unbelievable action that unfolded at last night’s "Rockin' Fights 46," promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing at The Paramount in Huntington, New York. Fans were on the edge of their seat with a total of 5 knockdowns across the 7 fight card.

 

In the 10-round WBC Continental America’s and NABA Gold Cruiserweight Championship Main Event, SIMONE “THE ITALIAN TANK” FEDERICI (now 20-3-1 8KOs) fought former IBO World Champion, BLAKE “IL CAPO” CAPARELLO (now 32-4-1 15KOs). Both fighters started slow trying to find their range. In the second round, Federici started to pick up the pace and pressure Caparello, however, Caparello’s experience and ring prowess stifled Federici’s aggression. As the fight continued, like a skilled matador, Caparello allowed Federici to bull his way in, only to swiftly pull away his red cape, waiting for the perfect time to strike. That time came in the 5th round. Federici bulldozed in once more, causing Caparello to make a small shoulder hitch, followed by a perfectly timed short left hook that blasted Federici perfectly on the chin, crumbling him to the canvas, ending the fight. With the massive victory, Blake Caparello returns to Australia as the new WBC Continental America and NABA Gold Cruiserweight Champion.

 

In the co-main event, DANNY “EL GALLO” GONZALEZ (now 21-4-17KOs) defeated KEANE “ICEMAN” MCMAHON (now 7-4 4KOs) by unanimous decision in a dominating 8-round bout. Keane started the fight off strong by keeping Gonzalez at range with a powerful jab. As the fight progressed fatigue seemed to creep in. By the third round, Gonzalez started to find ways around the jab and began to apply constant pressure while he attacked McMahon’s body. In quintessential Gonzalez fashion, his gas tank did not fail him as he continued to pressure McMahon and drown him in punches. At the close of the 8th and final round, Gonzalez was declared the winner by unanimous decision.

The undercard was electric from start to finish. In what was a scheduled 8-round super middleweight bout, KAMIL BEDNAREK (now 14-0 8KOs) succeeded with a vicious third-round stoppage against VICTOR HUGO EXNER (now 11-15-2 5KOs). Almost immediately from the opening bell Exner stunned Bednarek and had him on skates. Bednarek gathered himself and began to outbox Exner. Bednarek kept his distance while working his combinations and dropped Exner two times in the second round, both with the exact same punch. It was only a matter of time, as Bednarek landed a flush overhand left that jolted Exner's head back and forced him to the canvas. Having seen enough referee Pat Sullivan stopped the bout at the 2:04 mark of the third round.

 

LOU “IL MARTELLO” MAIETTA (now 3-4-2) and TEVIN TERRANCE (now 1-1-1) quite literally brought the house down. The foundation of The Paramount shook as fans cheered for both men who were exchanging absolute bombs. Maietta started with good range and an effective jab. Terrance however persisted with impressive snapping left hooks that tested Maietta's chin. A perfectly thrown left hook to the body by Terrance was coupled with a barrage of punches to snatch the first round for Terrance. Maietta, however, was unfazed and showed tremendous grit and determination as the fight progressed and seemed to have taken the second round. As the fight continued Terrance's production slowed, and Maietta opened up, clearly taking rounds three and four. The exciting fan friendly scrap was scored a split draw, disappointing fans, ringside observers and commentators, all of whom felt the decision should’ve gone to Maietta.

"RUTHLESS" RONNY REYES (now 4-0 1KO) and MARKUS BOWES (now 2-4 2KOs ) put on an exciting display of wills, with Bowes unexpectedly bringing the fight to Reyes in the first round. However, in the second round, Reyes began to plant his feet and force Bowes to respect his power as he landed catapult right hands on Bowes’ chin. These bombs ultimately took their toll and slowed Bowes down, completely changing the pace of the fight. In the third round, Reyes begins to show why he is nicknamed “Ruthless.” Reyes dropped Bowes with a nasty body shot that could be heard from the far ends of the Paramount. Bowes managed to get up in time but the damage that shot did was noticeable for the rest of the fight. The fourth round showed significant heart from Bowes as he continued to stand no matter how hard Reyes hit him. While Bowes showed the heart of a warrior, Ronny Reyes would be declared the winner by unanimous decision.

 

In a 4-round super middleweight bout FRANKIE “MAGIC” MONACO (now 2-0) took on LEVAN LOUTSOUPITZE (now 0-3). While Levan had the height advantage, he didn’t capitalize on it, fighting mostly from the inside, allowing Monaco to dictate the action. Monaco took the advantage and managed to both outwork and frustrate Loutsoupitze, which ultimately led to Frankie "Magic" earning the unanimous decision victory.

 

Finally, in the opening bout of the evening, JOHN GJINI (now 11-0 10KOs) showed the crowd why he is yet to be defeated when he took on, MANUEL GUZMAN (now 8-10-1 5KOs) in their 6-round lightweight bout. Guzman caught Gjini off guard by coming out hard and fast in the first round. However, once Gjini got his footing, there was no turning back. Gjini started letting his hands off the leash and unloaded them into a worn-down Guzman forcing the referee to stop the fight in the 4th round as Gjini improved to 11-0.

 

Star Boxing CEO JOE DEGUARDIA had this to say about the night of fights, "Last night was a perfect snapshot of what we have built with the "Rockin' Fights" series since 2011. A thrilling night of fights brought action, drama and excitement to all of those who were in attendance and watching live on StarBoxing.TV. With three more "Rockin' Fights" in 2024, we can't wait to see you back on May 11."

ABOUT STARBOXING.TV:

STAR BOXING TV brings you live action, Star Boxing archives and countless hours of thrilling professional boxing with over 30 years of entertainment. Subscribe today and never miss another punch! StarBoxing.TV is available at home or on the go via Roku, IOS and Google Play app store, Amazon Fire and Web at www.StarBoxing.TV.

Tickets for the additional “Rockin’ Fights” 2024 dates are available (click here).

STAR BOXING FOUR "ROCKIN' FIGHTS" DATES IN 2024!

THE ACTION RETURNS TO THE PARAMOUNT IN A BIG WAY AS STAR BOXING BRINGS THRILLING FIGHT CARDS TO THE #1 POLLSTAR CLUB VENUE IN THE WORLD. TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW - (click here to buy).

Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing entire 2024 "Rockin' Fights" schedule, as the critically acclaimed fight series returns to The Paramount four times in the new year!

We are excited to continue the tradition of promoting thrilling fights at The Paramount with four new dates in 2024" said Star Boxing CEO Joe DeGuardia. "We have been able to develop world class champions via our "Rockin' Fights" series and will continue to do so in 2024 and beyond, while bringing fans thrilling fights."

 

ABOUT ROCKIN' FIGHTS

Created in 2011, the "Rockin' Fights" series has developed elite boxing talent and has produced former WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion, the "Common Man", JOE "THE BEAST" SMITH JR. (Mastic, Long Island 28-5 22KO's) and former WBO Super Lightweight World Champion, CHRIS ALGIERI (Huntington, NY 25-4 9KO'S), two of only four Long Island World Champions EVER. Renown for its consistency in producing thrilling fights, "Rockin' Fights" is not just a electric fight card every time out, but a spectacular, one of a kind event and atmosphere.

ABOUT THE PARAMOUNT:

Opening in September 2011, The Paramount was most recently ranked the #1 club worldwide. Located in Huntington, Long Island, New York, The Paramount – in concert with TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank® – hosts a variety of concerts, comedy, boxing, and other special events. Booked by Live Nation & utilizing Ticketmaster ticketing; The Paramount hosts over 200+ events per year. In just over 10 years, The Paramount has quickly established itself as the premier live entertainment destination on Long Island - the 20th largest U.S. media market (*2.5M HH-Arbitron: Nassau/Suffolk MSA). Boasting 90k+ Facebook fans, 36k+ Instagram & 16k+ Twitter followers, Pollstar Magazine recently ranked as The Paramount #1 Worldwide Club (*Year End ‘22) & nominated the venue as “Nightclub of The Decade”!

*NEW ARRIVAL*

 

STAR BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP HOODIE

 

Shop the latest Star Boxing gear that includes the new "Championship Boxing" design on your favorite hoodies, t shirts and sweatpants!

 

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ABOUT STAR BOXING TV:

STAR BOXING TV brings you live action, Star Boxing archives and countless hours of thrilling professional boxing with over 30 years of entertainment.

 

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For more information on the above fight cards and other Star Boxing related events follow @StarBoxing across all social platforms.

 

STARBOXING.TV SUBSCRIPTION PLANS

GOLD PLAN $14.97 - 3 MONTH ACCESS

Get StarBoxing.TV for three months under the Gold Plan! With this plan, you will have full access to the entire video on demand library that StarBoxing.TV has to offer, access to ANY live fight card streamed on the platform, the Star Boxing archive and 30+ years of championship fights.

*Value of $4.99 per month

*Once subscribed, this plan is guaranteed to never change in price

*Reoccurring subscription every three months

 

BRONZE PLAN $4.99 - 1 MONTH ACCESS

The Bronze Plan gets you one month access to the entire video library that StarBoxing.TV has to offer, including any new non-live fight cards or fights, the Star Boxing archive and 30+ years of championship fights.

*This plan does not include live fight cards

*Reoccurring subscription every month

 

PAY-PER-VIEW OPTIONS

Each live fight card will be available for pay-per-view purchase on a one-off event basis. This one time payment will give you access to the live fight card only.

*Cost of PPV may vary per event

*PPV access will come with 24 hours of unlimited replays

Star Boxing is pleased to announce the official launch of its new streaming platform, STARBOXING.TV. The StarBoxing.TV network brings you the action direct to your mobile device or in-home entertainment system through the IOS app store, Android Google Play store, Roku or Fire TV devices.  Simply search for "StarBoxing TV," download the application, create a login and begin streaming!

 

Current subscribers under the $14.97 “KO Subscription” get access to the entire StarBoxing.TV fight library and all of the above fight cards LIVE as part of their current subscription. Those not currently subscribed can purchase the “KO Subscription” to watch all three events live, or in the alternative, each event will have its own one time pay-per-view option.

 

The subscription based service allows you access to over 30 years of championship fights, the Star Boxing archive, including full bouts from your favorite boxers like Chris Algieri, Joe Smith Jr., Antonio Tarver, and many more! StarBoxing.TV is also the home of PPV live events, that may be watched FREE under certain subscription plans.

 

StarBoxing.TV is scheduled for an electric month of fights in March with three professional boxing cards streaming LIVE and free to current "KO Plan" subscribers and future "Gold Plan" subscribers. The action will take place across the globe on three different weekends and includes multiple championship fights.

 

STAR BOXING TV brings you live action, Star Boxing archives and countless hours of thrilling professional boxing with over 30 years of entertainment.

(to go to Star Boxing TV click on banner above)

About Star Boxing

Star Boxing, Inc. has been in operation since 1992. Founded by Joe DeGuardia, its President and CEO, Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world-rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit the official website at starboxing.com.

 

Star Boxing is among the highest regarded and most rapidly expanding boxing organizations in the country. Its premier stature is reinforced by its ability to develop talent and maintain a high profile within the industry and with its broadcast affiliates. Star Boxing regularly stages and televises premium quality boxing matches throughout the world. The swift ascendancy of Star Boxing is largely attributable to the sporting expertise and innovative business vision of the organization’s founder and President, Joe DeGuardia. As the son of a professional prizefighter, DeGuardia can truly boast a lifetime association with the sport of boxing. DeGuardia grew up in the Bronx, learning boxing at his father’s neighborhood boxing gym. He fought his first official bout at the age of nine, and won the Golden Gloves Welterweight crown in 1988, one year before his graduation from law school. Following his admission to the bar, DeGuardia joined the Bronx District Attorney’s Office as a prosecutor. He then went on to develop a successful, Bronx-based independent law practice.

 

Notwithstanding his work as a lawyer, DeGuardia always remained professionally active in the boxing world. This involvement became a full-time dedication in 1990, when he took over management of the Morris Park Boxing Club from his father. In his new capacity as chief operator of the club, DeGuardia transformed the business into one of the busiest boxing gyms in New York, while also using it as a base from which to launch his larger business as a top boxing entrepreneur. Star Boxing, the organization that evolved out of DeGuardia’s broad experience in the boxing industry, works on a flexible business model which enables DeGuardia to develop and promote both exclusive boxing events and boxers, as well as to put together joint-sponsorship events with other major promoters. Thus, there are many different components to his portfolio of promotional ventures. Recently, Star Boxing events have been among the highest grossing, most successful events in boxing, further solidifying its position as one of the most reputable companies in the sport. Among Star’s promoted fighters and events, the Antonio Tarver vs. Roy Jones Jr. trilogy was one of the most successful trilogies in boxing history, generating over 50 million in revenue. Star Boxing shows have been broadcast on both internationally and nationally on Pay-Per-View, HBO, Showtime, ESPN, HDNet, Telemundo and MSG, as well as on the internet, through collaborative efforts with GoFightLive.TV.

 

Through his leadership of Star Boxing, DeGuardia has secured a reputation as among the youngest and most dynamic first-tier promoters in the business. In addition to the guidance of DeGuardia, Star has several high-level industry executives, including matchmaker Ron Katz who is widely considered one of the best matchmakers of all time. Star Boxing is also a proud member of the Boxing Promoters Association (BPA), which was formed in 2009, and is made up of over thirty of the top US Promoters. The BPA was the brainchild of DeGuardia, and his efforts in forming the organization were recognized by the fellow BPA Members, who elected DeGuardia President of the Association. Star Boxing will continue with groundbreaking shows and concepts in the years ahead, as it continues its role as an innovative leader in the exciting world of boxing.

Star Boxing Delivers Unbelievable Action

At “Rockin Fights” 45 -From The Paramount

And New Alex Vargas & Wendy Toussaint Earn

WBA Continental USA Title Championship Titles!

(October 29th) Fans and fighters alike are still buzzing from the unbelievable action that unfolded at last night’s sold out "Rockin' Fights 45," presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing at The Paramount in Huntington, New York.  This unforgettable night of pugilistic prowess had fans on the edge of their seats, and it's safe to say that the stars aligned for an electrifying showcase of the sweet science.

 

In the main event, ALEX “EL TORO” VARGAS (now 14-0 5 KO’s, Bellport, NY) went toe to toe with JULIO “EL PANTERA” ROSA (now 8-4 4 KO’s, Orlando, FL) for the vacant WBA Continental USA Super Lightweight Title. Out of the gate, in a shock to the sold-out crowd, Rosa landed a perfectly thrown clean straight right hand that sent the undefeated Suffolk County Police Officer Alex Vargas to the canvas for the first time in his professional career. Facing such an adversity for the first time, Vargas responded well, centering himself and fighting his style of fight. While some rounds were close, and at times the fight became more of a battle of wills, Vargas settled in and edged out the close rounds with technical skills, fighting his way back to earn a unanimous decision victory and the new WBA Continental USA Champion. (78-73 x2, 77-74).

In the WBA Continental USA Super Welterweight championship co-main event, WENDY “HAITIAN FIRE” TOUSSAINT (now 15-2 7 KO’s, Huntington, NY) wasted no time getting to work as he staggered JERMONE “QUADRUPLE J” JONES JR (now 7-2 6 KO’s, Phoenix, AZ), in the first thirty seconds, before unloading an onslaught of punches. Both men would settle in, but Toussaint was a man on a mission, dictating the action and controlling the tempo of the fight. A Toussaint one-two combination at the end of the first round sent Jones to the canvas for the first time. Then with 29 seconds left in the third round, and Jones pinned in the corner, Toussaint dropped Jones for the second time. With just 2 seconds left in the third round, and another Toussaint onslaught, Referee Pat Sullivan stepped in to call a stop to the fight, declaring Wendy Toussaint the winner by TKO3, and the new WBA Continental USA Champion.

 

The undercard was electric from start to finish. In a 4-round super featherweight bout, Star Boxing’s ERICK “EL CANETE” PEREZ (now 2-0, Passaic, NJ) was cruising against KESLAIRE “X MAN” EXAVIER (now 0-1, Las Vegas, NV) when a picture-perfect check left hook landed clean on the button dropping Perez for the first time in his professional career. The sensational highlight reel blow landed Perez on the floor with 45 seconds left in the fourth and final round. However, the Mexican warrior showed he has the heart of a champion. To the amazement of the crowd, and everyone watching around the world on StarBoxing.TV and Swerve.TV, Perez somehow rose from the canvas and continued the fight as if nothing happened, launching a barrage of punches. The fight went to the cards and Perez won the unanimous decision victory (38-37 x3).

 

The 4-round light heavyweight bout between LOU “IL MARTELLO” MAIETTA (now 3-4-1, Bronx, NY) and FRANK “MAGIC” MONACO (now 1-0, Glen Cove, NY) quite literally brought the house down. The foundation of The Paramount shook as fans cheered on their fighter. Maietta opened the action right out of the gate, landing a right hand that caught the attention of Monaco. Monaco gathered himself and returned the favor as the fight continued to heat up. Each fighter had their moments in each round. Monaco landed his best punch in the third round when a solid right hand tagged Maietta. The fight went the distance and the extremely close fight went to the scorecards with Monaco edging out the victory with a majority decision. (39-37 x2 Monaco, 38-38 Draw).

 

DOMINIC BREEN (now 0-3, Staten Island, NY) and JOSEPH “GI JOE” ELZEY (now 1-0, Bronx, NY) put on an exciting display of wills, as the first round closed with a mele from both Elzey and Breen eating punches to dish out their own. Late in the second an overhand right from Elzey snapped Breen’s head back, followed by an overhand left and right that drew Breen back into the ropes, which referee Al LoBianco determined were holding up the hurt Breen, and declared it a knockdown. Ten seconds into the third, Elzey landed another overhand right causing a highlight reel knockdown and followed it up another power combination causing referee LoBianco to stop the bout at the 1:50 mark of the third round.

 

Finally in the opening bout of the evening, EMMANUEL ETIENNE (now 4-1 2 KO’s, Uniondale, NY) settled any questions with OLUWALE “HOLY WAR ANGEL” BAMGBOSE (now 0-2, Bronx, NY) in their 4-round cruiserweight rematch, as Etienne dropped Bamgbose with 18 seconds left in the second round with a vicious body shot followed by a devastating uppercut. Bamgbose was unable to continue due to a torn bicep. Etienne earned the win by TKO2.

 

Star Boxing, the longest running and most active promoter in New York once again solidified its reputation of thrilling action fights with "Rockin' Fights 45." From the moment the opening bell rang, fight fans were treated to an evening of pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat action that left no doubt as to why this series is so highly acclaimed.

 

JOE DEGUARDIA, CEO of Star Boxing, expressed his enthusiasm about the thrilling night of boxing, saying, "I've been in this sport for many years, and 'Rockin' Fights 45' was an adrenaline-charged, fan captivating show that was a privilege to promote.  Our team at Star Boxing is dedicated to bringing the best action fights to fight fans, and we will continue to build, develop and grow the sport from the ground level up, delivering memorable moments like last night. Congratulations to Alex Vargas and Wendy Toussaint on winning their respective WBA Continental USA Championships and to ALL the other combatants who make me proud to be a promoter in this great sport. We look forward to being back at the Paramount on February 23, 2024 for “Rockin’ Fights” 46!”

Joe Smith Jr. Thrills In Cruiserweight Debut!

(October 9th) (October 9, 2023) Former Light Heavyweight World Champion Joe Smith Jr. debuted in the cruiserweight division on Saturday night, October 7 against Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in a riveting ten-round clash that had fans on the edge of their seats at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, NV.

 

Broadcast globally on DAZN, the action-packed two-way battle between the warriors had fans once again feeling the strength and power that has made Smith Jr. a must-see attraction throughout his career. Scores from the judges’ (99-91), do not depict the outstanding fight nor give credit to Smith Jr.

Smith Jr. was returning to the ring following a rough 16-month period of personal heartaches including the murder of his younger brother Alex this past May. Stated Joe DeGuardia, President of Star Boxing, Smith’s longtime promoter, “We’re very proud of Joe’s performance last night, he continues to show that he is a top level, must see fighter even now at cruiserweight.”

 

“As for the judges, 99-91 is extremely disappointing and while ‘Zurdo’ may have pulled out the fight, this is no way warrants that scoring, nor does it reflect what everyone watching the fight witnessed. It is also troubling that if the fight had been a 12-rounder and Joe had won the last two rounds he still wouldn’t have gotten the decision, which amplifies why such scoring is concerning.”

 

“However, our focus is on the thrilling action that Joe provides in the ring – he’s back and I expect him to be even stronger in the near future and we will be seeking a rematch of this very exciting fight.”

Star Boxing’s Jersey City Fight Night

Brings A Special Night of Entertainment To Jersey City Rajon Chance & Jahyae Shine In Front of Packed House!

(March 6th) On Saturday night, fans packed White Eagle Hall for the thrilling debut of Star Boxing’s “Jersey City Fight Night.” The event was a unique thriller with fight action from start to finish combined with a unique melting pot atmosphere, live DJ entertainment and Star Boxing distinctiveness, all of which had fans buzzing from the start of the event through the end of the night. 

 

In the main event, RAJON “PICASSO” CHANCE had the crowd in an uproar as he put on an artistic masterpiece against veteran MARTIN DIAZ of Nicaragua. From the opening bell, Chance was in command, and eventually put Martin down with snapping right hand. Martin beat the count, but Chance’s offensive prowess proved to be too quick and powerful. Chance dropped Martin again after an onslaught late in the first round causing Martin’s corner to call off the fight. Chance improved to 8-0-1 6KO’s after an emphatic victory in his Star Boxing banner debut.

In the co-feature, undefeated super welterweight JAHAYAE “GOLDEN CHILD” BROWN and DENIS “BILLABONG” OKOTH, took home fight of the night honors in a thrilling, back-and-forth battle. Brown had the faster hands, but for what Okoth lacked in speed, he made up for it with heart, determination and mechanics, consistently answering Brown’s offensive exertions with his own. The sixth was pure madness punctuated by a perfectly timed Okoth right hand that buzzed Brown. In sensational action, Brown responded with an uppercut that had Okoth falling backward on unsteady legs. While the game Okoth had many moments, Brown continued to get the best of the exchanges. Brown improved to 13-0 9KO’s with a unanimous decision victory (80-72, 79-73, 78-74).

 

Paterson heavyweight, NORMAN NEELY wasted no time getting back in the win column with an evident strategy from the opening bell - seek and destroy. Neely barely allowed Nathan Bedwell to step foot in the ring before he pounced. Bedwell, tried to weather the storm, looking to land one big overhand right, but it never came. Neely dropped Bedwell twice before Bedwell’s corner stopped the fight. Neely improved to 14-1 9KO’s with the first round TKO victory.

 

In the opening bout of the evening, LOUIS “IL MARTELLO” MAIETTA and LEVAN LOUTSOUPITZE put on an exciting performance for the crowd. Maietta, a NYC Fireman, had perhaps his best performance to date as he fought effectively using his jab and working the body well in the winning effort. Maietta improved to 2-3-1 with a unanimous decision victory (40-36 x2, 39-37).

 

Star Boxing CEO, JOE DEGUARDIA had this to say about Jersey City Fight Night, “We are pleased that the fans enjoyed and embraced our lively and unique boxing experience at White Eagle Hall. The fights were entertaining and the fans gave us wonderful and positive feedback about the event experience. Rajon Chance looked sharp in his victory and Jahyae Brown was entertaining in a thrilling fight. We look forward to returning to Jersey City as we continue to grow our relationship with White Eagle Hall and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.”

Ashie Fought With the Heart of a Lion

But Rocha Proves To Be Too Much

Defends WBO NABO Title Via 7thRound TKO!

(January 29th) A WBO NABO Welterweight title bout was fought last night (Saturday) in Inglewood, California, and fans were thrilled when it turned into an all out brawl between GEORGE “RED TIGER” ASHIE (now 33-6-1), and ALEXIS “LEX” ROCHA (now 22-1).

 

Ashie’s will and determination to fight not only earned the respect of Rocha’s hometown fans, but also the respect of the DAZN commentators who were impressed with Ashie’s willingness and ability to trade with Rocha. Meanwhile, Rocha showed skill, power and why he is a top rated welterweight contender.

 

The fight was exciting from the opening bell. In the first round, Rocha controlled the action with combinations, but Ashie responded each time with his own punches laced with bad intentions. In the second round, Ashie’s check left hook was catching Rocha’s attention. Rocha and Ashie fought at close range as if they were in the proverbial phone booth. Rocha landed a brutal late third round right hook that floored Ashie, who surprisingly beat the count and survived the round.

 

Ashie spent most of the fourth round with his back to the ropes, fearlessly throwing all 146 lbs. of himself into every punch, seemingly unconcerned with whatever Rocha was launching in return. Rocha was landing and throwing the cleaner and crisper blows, but Ashie’s punches were not going unnoticed as both men continued to trade at will.

 

Ashie missed a right hand in the fifth round and wound up clashing heads with Rocha, causing a cut above Rocha’s left eyebrow. A possible turning point in the fight turned out to be a non-factor as two rounds later at 2:08 in the 7th, Rocha landed a picture perfect overhand right that crumpled Ashie, causing referee Thomas Taylor to immediately stop the fight.

 

Ashie raised his stock in defeat and was lauded by many for his competitive spirit in his first fight at welterweight (on 7 days notice). Certainly his performance showed he was in shape and training and kept himself ready for the opportunity, a testament to his respect for his profession.

 

Star Boxing CEO JOE DEGUARDIA had this to say about the fight, “We are proud of George and the determination he fought with, inspired by the heart of Ghanian fighters before him. He left everything he had in the ring and should be applauded for his toughness and desire to make this an entertaining main event. Credit to Alexis Rocha for a great performance and to Golden Boy for a putting on a wonderful show.”

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