Rafael Espinoza, the undaunted Mexican warrior, waited a whole decade for his shot at glory. And boy, did he grab it with both fists!
Espinoza (24-0, 20 KOs) clinched the WBO featherweight world title with a majority decision win against the Cuban sensation, two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez (13-2, 8 KOs). This upset unfolded at the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
Espinoza was using his height and reach like he’s got some extra-long secret weapons, keeping Ramirez at arm’s length (literally). But Ramirez isn’t one to back down easy. He takes a few rounds to get his groove, and bam! – lands a right hook in round five that sends Espinoza to the canvas. The crowd’s going wild, thinking Ramirez has this in the bag.
Just when you thought Ramirez was back in the driver’s seat, Espinoza, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, comes roaring back by round nine. This guy starts unleashing combos with the ferocity of a hungry tiger, completely flipping the script.
As the final bell was about to toll, Espinoza, in a moment of pure ‘now or never’, turns the heat up to 11 and drops an exhausted Ramirez like a hot potato.
The judges’ scores were 113-113 and 114-112, 115-111 in favor of our man Espinoza. And get this – he later drops the bombshell that he’s been fighting with a possibly broken foot since round two!
Meanwhile, Ramirez, ever the gentleman, tips his hat to Espinoza’s comeback and that critical knockdown. No sour grapes here, just pure class.
In the co-feature, Puerto Rican phenom Xander Zayas (18-0, 12 KOs) turned Spanish veteran Jorge Fortea (24-4-1, 9 KOs) into his personal punching bag, clinching a fifth-round TKO. Zayas, only 21 and already a force to be reckoned with, had Fortea eating canvas in the first round with a body shot that probably still has Fortea seeing stars.
Zayas played it smart, targeting Fortea’s weak spots like a sniper. Another brutal body shot in the fifth that had Fortea waving the white flag.
Zayas, in a moment of solemn respect, took a knee before his vanquished opponent, who was seated on the stool, offering a silent prayer in a gesture of sportsmanship and humility.
Brooklyn’s own Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (9-0, 6 KOs) thundered into the ring, squaring off against the seasoned warrior Jason Sanchez (16-5, 9 KOs). The second round was barely breathing when Carrington, with the stealth of a cat, unleashed a lead left hook that wobbled Sanchez. Like a relentless storm, Carrington hammered away, sending Sanchez to the canvas. Sanchez got up, but Carrington, smelling victory, launched another ferocious left hook. Referee Luis Pabon had seen enough and waved off the fight, handing Sanchez his first pro stoppage loss.
Carrington roared, “This was a message to the featherweights. I’m ready for any challenger!”
Richard Torrez Jr. (8-0, 8 KOs), the U.S. Olympic silver medalist, faced the gritty veteran Curtis Harper (14-11, 9 KOs). The 24-year-old southpaw, Torrez, came out swinging, but Harper stood firm, absorbing everything thrown at him. With a warrior’s cut above his left eye, Torrez shifted gears in the final round, blitzing Harper with a barrage that had the referee jumping in at 2:03 to call it quits.
Torrez exclaimed, “I knew I needed to go the distance, and Harper was as tough as nails. This is the kind of fight that sharpens my skills.”
“When I saw his mouthguard shoot out, I knew the end was near. Rounds and a knockout, a perfect night!”
In an eight-round tussle, Jahi Tucker (10-1-1, 5 KOs) and the Argentine powerhouse Francisco Daniel Veron (13-0-1, 10 KOs) couldn’t outdo each other, ending in a majority draw. Tucker, hungry to bounce back from his first defeat, found himself in a whirlwind against Veron, with scores declaring 77-75 Tucker and a double 76-76.
The Dominican sensation, Olympian Rohan Polanco (11-0, 7 KOs), toppled the towering Keith Hunter (15-2, 9 KOs) in a sixth-round TKO. Despite Hunter’s height and reach advantage, Polanco weaved and struck with the precision of a sniper. The sixth round saw Polanco turn up the heat, leading to the ref stepping in at 2:56.
In a split decision that had the fans on their toes, U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson (11-0, 5 KOs) edged out a win over Mexico’s Jimmer Espinosa (15-2, 14 KOs). Espinosa landed a stunner in the seventh, but Johnson’s speed and agility prevailed. The judges scored 77-75 for Espinosa, with 79-73 and 78-74 tipping towards Johnson.
Damian “Polish Hussar” Knyba (13-0, 7 KOs), a towering Polish prospect, clinched a unanimous decision victory over Michael Coffie (13-5, 10 KOs). The 6-foot-7 Knyba, with a reach as long as a summer day, kept Coffie at bay with sharp, long-range jabs. Judges scored it 80-72 twice and 79-73 in favor of Knyba.
