Our resident boxing writer Diego Morilla serves up a full weekend wrap-up of the most relevant boxing events in the worldwide scene. Every fight that matters is right here, in one place, and at one click away. Follow Morilla on Twitter at @MorillaBoxing
Las Vegas, Nevada, Jan. 10th
Jessie Magdaleno UD 8 Erik Ruiz, junior featherweights
The Magdaleno brothers are two of the most exciting prospects out there, with a fan-friendly style that has earned them a large following in their native Las Vegas and beyond. And Jessie (20-0, 15 KO) seems to be right on track to be the first one in the family to hold a world title after his brother Diego’s failure in his first try. This time, Jessie took care of a solid opponent in Ruiz (13-2, 6 KO), looking his usual dominating and determined self, outboxing and outmuscling his foe from his southpaw stance. Magdaleno did have to survive a few rocky moments, but just enough to turn this fight into a solid test on his way to bigger and better things. The scores of 80-72 on all cards was an afterthought after the scheduled 8 round distance.
The winner goes on to: Magdaleno seems ready for a title shot in the near future, and everything points towards a championship bout coming up for him in 2015.
Rodrigo Garcia KO 1 Jailton De Jesus, junior middleweights
Victor Pasillas UD 6 Karl Garcia, featherweights
A terrific pair of talented, unbeaten contenders was featured in the undercard. In the most spectacular result, Garcia (17-0, 12 KO) remained unbeaten with a demolishing stoppage over Brazil’s Jailton De Jesus (13-4, 11 KO) in the very first round, courtesy of a murderous left hook. Earlier on, Pasillas (9-0, 3 KO) took a unanimous decision win over journeyman Garcia (4-4, 1 KO) with a workmanlike performance, managing to do some damage in the process and taking the victory by scorecards of 60-54 (twice) and 59-53.
Tijuana, Mexico, Jan. 10th
Javier Mendoza TKO 2 Mauricio Fuentes, flyweights
Solid win by Mendoza (23-2-1, 19 KO), the current IBF junior flyweight champion taking on a non-title bout over a tough former world title challenger in Fuentes (17-4, 11 KO). Fuentes was no match for Mendoza, who dropped him twice in the second round to force a stoppage that materialized when Fuentes’ seconds entered the ring to force the end of the bout.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl8oARgJvn8
Edivaldo Ortega KO 3 Christian Esquivel, junior featherweights
Ortega (20-0, 11 KO) remained unbeaten with a quick demolition of his countryman Esquivel (27-6, 20 KO), in a promising performance for one of the fighters to watch in 2015. The southpaw Ortega has speed and power, and he used both to put his foe down midway through the third round in a superb display of talent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF_0u8FMiHE
Santa Ynez, Calif., Jan. 9th
Darleys Perez UD 12 Jonathan Maicelo, WBA interim lightweight title
Huge win by Perez (32-1, 20 KO), one of the most talented Colombian fighters around, in any weight class. In a division brimming with talent, Perez managed to continue putting his name in the conversation for bigger and better challenges with this progressive beating over a tough customer in Maicelo (21-2, 12 KO), who remained in the fight until the 11th round when he succumbed to Perez’s accumulation of punishment to drop to the canvas, and then barely survived a terrific last round. Perez scored an almost shutout with scorecards of 118-109, 118-108 and 120-107.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzOfkgScoVY
Francisco Santana KO 1 Kendal Mena, junior middleweight
Jarrell Miller UD 6 Aaron Kinch, heavyweights
Two contenders improved their records in solid fashion in the undercard. Santana (22-3-1, 11 KOs) scored mild upset with a demolishing stoppage over Mena (20-1, 11 KO), a previously unbeaten rising contender, after dropping him twice in the opening round. Earlier, a towering heavyweight in Miller (11-0-1, 9 KO) scored a solid decision over Kinch (5-4-2, 1 KO) with scores of 60-54 across the board.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBDUTn2aBQc
Cabazon, Calif., Jan. 9th
Ivan Redkach TKO 6 Yakubu Amidu, lightweights
A young star on the rise got a spectacular win. Redkach (18-0, 14 KO), a talented Ukranian southpaw, continued his unbeaten march with a terrific stoppage win over a very respectable Amidu (19-6-2, 17 KO) after laying a progressive beating on him during five rounds and then going out for the kill in the sixth, when Redkach dropped him twice to convince Amidu to remain on his stool at the beginning of the next round. Impressive win for one of the talents to watch in 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOOBQYavy3U
Ievgen Khytrov TKO 3 Maurice Louishomme, middleweights
Also from Ukraine, Khytrov (8-0, 8 KO) had an even easier time against a proven trial horse in the previously unbeaten Louishomme (8-1-1, 4 KO), looking superior in every department and finally battering him into submission at the beginning of the third round.
Alantez Fox UD 8 Patrick Day, junior middleweights
In yet another clash of unbeaten middleweights, Fox (14-0-1, 4 KO) got to keep his 0 with a hard-fought but lackluster majority decision over Day (9-1-1, 5 KO), with scores of 78-74, 80-72 for Fox and an even 76-76 on the third card.
New York, NY, Jan. 9th
Dusty Hernandez-Harrison UD 10 Tommy Rainone, welterweights
In the first event promoted by Jay Z’s RocNation Sports, Hernandez-Harrison (25-0, 13 KO) proved he is one of the fighters that will be looking to invade the talent-laden 147 lb division with his dominating win over a tough customer in Rainone (22-6-1, 4 KO). Hernandez-Harrison wanted the fight from the first round, and Rainone was barely able to mount an offensive in what turned out to be a dominant performance by Hernandez-Harrison, as demonstrated by his100-90 (twice), 99-91 points win.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJtxT_iaisk&spfreload=10
Tureano Johnson TKO 6 Alex Theran, middleweights
Johnson (17-1, 12 KO) is a talent on the rise, despite having lost his unbeaten record to Curtis Stevens last year, and he proved it once again with a decisive victory against the usually durable southpaw Theran (17-2, 9 KO), who visited the canvas twice and finally decided he had enough after only five rounds of brutal action. Johnson came out blasting and determined to get the stoppage during the fight, but he had to settle for a white flag by a battered and bruised Theran, who claimed a broken angle as the reason to stay in his corner at the beginning of round six.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vthwZd7q9qE
Andrew Hernandez DQ 3 Jerry Odom, super middleweights
Odom (12-1, 11 KO) was aiming to continue unbeaten in his first big-stage bout, but instead he suffered a heart-breaking disqualification after hitting the also unbeaten Hernandez (8-0, 1KO) on the floor after knocking him down legitimately, leaving the referee no choice but to stop the bout and award it to Hernandez. A rematch should be the right choice for both fighters in their next outing.
Chris Van Heerden UD 10 Cecil McCalla, welterweights
Freddie Roach-trained Van Heerden (22-1-1, 11 KO) wanted to be the one to give McCalla (20-1, 7 KO) his first defeat, and he achieved that with a superb boxing performance during 10 dominating rounds, with McCalla barely managing to land a few scattered bombs. The scorecards favored Van Heerden by 97-93 and 96-94 according to two judges, while a third one had an inexplicable 99-91 for McCalla.
