Ringside Recap: Wilcox Shines, Signs with Lennox Lewis

‘The Infamous’ Spencer Wilcox returned to the win column on Friday in Oakville, where he stopped Chilean veteran Cristian ‘El Tigre’ Palma in the sixth round of their eight-round main event on Tyler Buxton’s United Promotions pro-am card.

Wilcox (13-1, 6 KO), fresh off a credible quarter-finalist showing at the WBC Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia, was the sharper and more punitive of the two men while the crafty Palma (33-17-2, 7 KO) tried every trick in the book to stay in the fight.

A serious shot from Wilcox in the sixth sent Palma to the canvas for the sixth time — though only the second scored knockdown — and referee Mark Simmons waived the contest off after Palma rose unsteadily.

The Hamilton-born Wilcox announced a new managerial partnership with former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis, who was present at ringside, following the win.

Alekozai, Palacios Score Wins

Mississauga super lightweight Helmand ‘Savage Prince’ Alekozai ran his record to 16-1 (7 KO) with an eight-round decision over durable Argentine Gonzalo Manriquez (6-7-1) in the co-feature.

Alekozai dazzled early with combinations but seemed to lose some steam in the later rounds, with the younger Manriquez proving a game and strong-chinned opponent. The scorecards read 79-73, 79-73 and 80-72 in favor of the local Afghan-Canadian fighter — a fair reflection on the night.

Mexican welterweight Brandon ‘Showtime’ Palacios (3-0, 2 KO) rewarded his strong support with a big-time win, sending Argentina’s Juan Manuel Obelar (9-6-3) down and out with a vicious left hook in the third round.

Training under Canadian Boxing Hall of Famer Chris Johnson, Palacios shows promise and could hold significant power if he can consistently get down to 147 — where lots of interesting matchups are available domestically for the Toronto-based fighter.

Fight Grades

A- | A very respectable performance from the outgunned Gonzalo Manriquez earned him a share of the crowd’s approval after the co-feature — and quite possibly a return trip to Ontario in the future.

A- | While Spencer Wilcox admitted he would’ve liked to clear out Palma earlier, it was nonetheless a strong performance against a less-than-agreeable opponent for the budding super lightweight contender.

F | An issue with medicals for Quebec journeyman Alex Gagnon nixed his date with local prospect Deaquan Rumbolt, altering the fight card and lessening the local flavor.