Photo Recap: Greg Outlaw tops Lee in DC; Rosado Upsets Glenn

Washington, DC: Over the weekend, No. 11 WBA Welterweight Contender Greg “SharpShooter” Outlaw (19-2, 11 KOs) inched closer towards a shot at a World Championship, beating back a spirited effort from Michael Lee (11-4, 7 KOs) over 10 rounds to earn his seventh consecutive win at the CareFirst Arena.

The matchup, which served as the co-headliner of DAVIS BOXING PROMOTIONS’ “The Grind in the Glory” card alongside a Super Bantamweight barnburner between Christopher “The Blueprint” Glenn (9-1-1, 3 KOs) and Erick Rosado (15-4, 11 KOs), was equal parts slugfest and gritty chess match, with both fighters bloodied by the final bell.

Here are 3 quick takeaways from Outlaw’s victory, Rosado’s upset win over Glenn, and other highlights from the Glenn vs. Rosado card:

1. The Outlaw–Kevin Cunningham partnership is paying dividends.

Since adding no-nonsense, veteran trainer, Kevin Cunningham, to his corner, Outlaw continues to show improvement.

After building an early lead on the scorecards, which forced Lee to box off his back foot for the initial rounds, Lee surged in the sixth round catching Outlaw with a solid body shot and follow-up flurry that opened a cut on Outlaw’s nose and left blood streaming down his face for the remainder of the round.

What stood out, however, was Outlaw’s composure. Cunningham steadied Outlaw between rounds, which helped the Maryland native regroup from this level one adversity, and he responded by regaining control and outworking Lee down the stretch, even opening a nasty cut over Lee’s eye late in the fight. Outlaw’s conditioning was especially evident in the championship rounds.

Outlaw secured a well-earned unanimous decision (96-94, 97-93, 99-91) to retain his North American Boxing Association USA welterweight title. But the technical refinements made under Cunningham watch have added a new dimension to Outlaw’s game and are bound to accelerate his path to a world title shot.

2. Rosado upsets Glenn by disputed decision.

After four rounds, Maryland’s Christopher Glenn had recovered from a slow start and taken control. But in the sixth, Erick Rosado landed a crushing uppercut that dropped Glenn. Although Glenn beat the count and finished the round, Rosado seized the momentum.

Glenn seemed to edge the final rounds with cleaner, higher-volume work, while Rosado’s pressure waned, effectively ceding the championship rounds to Glenn. Still, Rosado earned a narrow decision (76-75 twice, 77-74) to claim Glenn’s National Boxing Association super bantamweight title and hand him his first loss.

Both fighters disputed elements of the scoring in the post-fight presser — Glenn citing his control outside of the knockdown, Rosado believing he scored a second knockdown in the 6th round that would have left no doubts — but each expressed interest in an immediate rematch.

3. Keep an eye on boxing prospects Keith Saunders and Stephaun Hopps.

Undefeated prospects Keith Saunders (3-0, 3 KOs) and Stephaun Hopps (7-0, 6 KOs) delivered emphatic knockouts on the undercard, stopping Lucius Johnson and Kijonti Davis in the first and second rounds, respectively.

Although a handful of fighters impressed on the undercard, undefeated Middleweight, Keith Saunders (3-0, 3 KOs), and Super Middleweight, Stephaun Hopps (7-0, 6 KOs) shined, knocking out Lucius Johnson and Kijonti Davis, in the first and second rounds of their respective bouts.

Saunders’ viral KTFO of Johnson, punctuated by a mouthpiece-jarring left hand and filthy four-punch follow-up combo, has already generated buzz on social media as a dark horse Knockout of the Year contender. Both rising talents belong firmly on any prospect watch list ASAP!

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About the Author: 

Paul R. Jones! is a longtime boxing writer and ringside photographer. His articles, photographs, and commentaries have appeared online, in print, and in scholarly journals. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @boxingepicenter. You can also email him at prjones1@hotmail.com