Second round devastating knock out sees Cuellar defeat Juan Manuel Lopez

The fifth fight of the night was a scheduled 12 round bout for the WBA featherweight interim title between Jesus Cuellar (25-1, 19 KOs) from Buenos Aires, Argentina and Juan Manuel Lopez (34-5, 31 KOs) from Rio Pierdas, PR.  The 27 year old Cuellar came in with a reach of 71” while the 31 year-old Lopez with that of 69”.  Cuellar had a great deal of support from the crowd of 4,000 as many Argentineans had traveled to Las Vegas to watch the Mayweather vs Maidana rematch Saturday night.

Both fighters moved in at the start of the first round and met each other in their southpaw stance with a high guard.  Cuellar was pressuring forward, fainting with his hands and landing strong power punches.  Both connected with hooks at the same time but Cuellar was able to follow with three right hooks to the head.  By the time the round was over, a mouse had begun to form under Lopez’ right eye.

Round two began and both boxers began to flurry.  At one minute and 36 seconds of the second round Lopez was knocked out by Cuellar with a one-two combination and was unable to stand up.  In fact, he seemed to not even know where he was, such was the power of the punch from Cuellar.  Cuellar had landed a few quick hooks after the combination but a review of the tape clearly showed that Gonzalez was already out and was taking punishment as he was falling to the ground.

Charlo stops Gonzalez in the seventh

The fourth event for the night was an eight round middleweight bout between Jermall “Hitman” Charlo (19-0, 16 KOs) from Houston, TX and Norberto Gonzalez (20-5, 13 KOs) from Puerto Rey, Mexico.  The 24 year-old Charlo came in at 6’0” and a reach of 73.5” while the 33 year-old Gonzalez came in at 5’10” and a reach of 71”.  Gonzalez had never been stopped in his career.  Charlo had said he was interested in fighting Carlos Molina after this event.

As the first round began, Charlo came in with his left hand down while Gonzalez had a higher guard and was bobbing and weaving but backing up from the pressure.  Charlo exhibited his quicker hands in the first round, mainly by sticking the jab.  He also cut off the ring from Gonzalez very effectively while he stalked him and used a head-body combination.

The beginning of the second round found Gonzalez in trouble against the ropes but he was able to dig deep and fight his way out with a one-two combination.  He tried moving to his left and his right but was unable to evade Charlo.  Charlo landed a beautiful double jab and a straight right combination.

Round three found Charlo landing a low blow without much effect on Gonzalez.  He was warned by referee Kenny Bayless and the round continued.  Gonzalez began to show obvious signs of fatigue by puting his arms down and breathing with his mouth open.

Even though he had been warned about the low blow, Charlo landed another low blow in the fourth round.  This left hook had power behind it and actually dropped Gonzalez.  His face showed nothing but excruciating pain and it looked as though he might use the full five minutes allotted to him.  Bayless, meanwhile, took a point away from Charlo.

After the round, Charlo’s corner told him not to worry about the point deduction and to just relax.  He was instructed to forget about the body shots and just shoot uppercuts while Gonzalez was covering his face.

Charlo came out strong and determined in the fifth round with straights and backed Gonzalez. Gonzalez was not active at this point and was just protecting his face, however, a powerful right hand from Charlo dropped him and sent him through the ropes to the edge of the ring.  He did not land the punch but it had enough power behind it to make contact with Gonzalez’ gloves and knock him down as a result of squaring off and not having balance.  Gonzalez quickly got up with a smile on his face and continued taking punishment for the rest of round.  Charlo moved in for the kill but Gonzalez was saved by the bell.   The punch stats for the round were 40% landed for Charlo but only 11% for Gonzalez.

In between rounds Gonzalez complained to his corner of a cramp on his right leg and had it massaged.  The commentators believed this may have been a result of bad footing.  As round six began he came out swinging but showed no determination after that with the exception of a few one-two combinations and smothering Charlo.

After the end of the round, Charlo’s corner told him Gonzalez was ready to quit and to get him in the corner again.  They also tell him to use uppercuts when his guard was high.  Punch stats for the round showed Charlo landing 21% of his jabs and Gonzalez 14%.

Shortly after the seventh round began, Charlo took the advice of his corner to heart because he landed two straight rights, a left hook and an uppercut only for Gonzalez’ corner to stop the fight.  Charlo won by TKO at one minute and 23 seconds of the seventh round.

“J Rock” Williams gets decision win against Eliezer Gonzalez 

The third event of the night consisted of an eight round junior middleweight match between Julian “J-Rock” Williams Jr. (17-0-1, 10 KOs) from Philadelphia, PA and Eliezer “Pop” Gonzalez” (14-1-0, 9 KOs) from San Juan, PR.  Williams, who was wearing red, white and blue in honor of the 9/11 anniversary, is known to be a very active fighter and had a reach advantage over Gonzalez at 72.5”.

Gonzalez, wearing black with Puerto Rican colors, had said he had not had as many fights as he wanted due to managerial problems.  He also stated he came to Las Vegas to avenge the defeat of his fellow Puerto Rican Felix Trinidad by William’s fellow Philadelphian Bernard Hopkins.  In addition, Gonzalez was also trained by Felix Trinidad Sr.

The first round of the fight started out with both boxers meeting at the center of the ring, Gonzalez with his guard high and Williams with his left hand lowered almost in a teasing manner.  Gonzalez started stepping back as Williams pressured forward with a wider stance.  They both tried to feel each other out; typical of any first round activity, but they eventually started landing power punches almost in an attempt to end the fight early.  Before the end of the round, Gonzalez took a power left hook to the face from Williams.

Round two began by Williams effectively using his straight right as instructed by his corner to back up Gonzalez.  He was also sticking the jab with precision and Gonzalez did not seem to do much to avoid it.

The third round was interesting because Williams began bobbing and weaving more and began talking to Gonzalez.  As to what exactly he was saying, that is not know.  He began landing more punches with his quick hands and Gonzalez was able to land a one-two combination before the end of the round.  Punch statistics showed that both of them were even in punches landed at 29%.

Round four started out with both boxers getting tangled and referee Jay Nady breaking them up.  Williams’ corner instructed him to set up the knockout but Gonzalez continued to clinch.  A powerful uppercut by Williams backed Gonzalez.  As Nady tried to separate them again, Gonzalez tried to punch Williams in the back of the head as his back was turned to him.  Nady warned him for this and for holding, signs that he was becoming desperate.

As the fifth round began, Williams’ corner told him to throw more than one punch at a time but the most he was able to do in the round was land a big right hand.  The power punches for the round were at 47% for Williams and 28% for Gonzalez.  It was the half-way point of the round and Gonzalez was aware he was losing the fight but he was still trying to stay in it.

The eight and final round began and still no signs of fatigue from either fighter.  Both came out to finish strong.  Before the end of the round, Williams was able to land a fierce right hand before getting another one-two combination from Gonzalez.

Williams went on to win the fight by unanimous decision with a 35% rate of punches landed compared to 21% for Gonzalez.

Errol Spence stays unbeaten with convincing win against Bolanos

The second event of the night was an eight round middleweight bout between Errol Spence Jr. (14-0, 11 KOs) from Desoto, TX and Noe Bolanos (26-11-1, 16 KOs) from Obregon, Mexico.  Spence, the 24 year-old former 2012 Olympian southpaw is known for using his reach advantage and was clearly going to be able to do that in this fight.  He had a 72” reach compared to Bolanos’ 69”.

Round one began and Spence came in with a very high guard, almost hypnotizing Bolanos.  Bolanos came in with a decent guard himself.  They both came off to a very slow start in order to feel each other out.  Spence was looking for his range with his quick hands, particularly his almost invisible jab.  Bolanos, on the other hand, was not avoiding the punches.  He was moving to Spence’s left at times, as one would expect an opponent to do with a southpaw.  However, he still seemed to be hypnotized by Spence’s movement and was standing right in front of him at times.  Unfortunately for him, he was not able to find his reach and tag Spence.  Spence was very active throughout the round and was landing with precision and power.

In between rounds, you could hear Derrick James in Spence’s corner asking for the jab while Jesus Fuentes, in Bolanos’ corner, was telling him in Spanish to circle to the left.

The bell rang and round two began.  Bolanos was still missing on his punches and falling forward after losing his balance.  At one point, Spence landed a mean left hook and the crowd sounded as if though they felt it just like Bolanos.  Spence, however, kept his composure and did not look for the finish.  Spence, unlike Bolanos, was able to use his hand speed to block his punches as well as for attacking.

The round ended and there seemed to be some confusion in Bolanos’ corner.  He told referee Robert Byrd that he could not go on because he had injured his left hand during the round.  This was a point of comical relief for commentators Paulie Malignaggi and Brian Custer as they seemed to have believed that it was impossible for him to have hurt his hand since he never used it to block a punch.  They go on to say that that it was actually Spence’s hands that convinced Bolanos not to come out for a third round.  The fight ends and Spence wins by TKO.  Final punch stats for the fight were 45% landed by Spence and 25% by Bolanos.  Bolanos landed 14 punches throughout the fight.

Josesito Lopez prevails after defeating Rafael Cobos on an unanimous decision.  

The first fight of the night was a scheduled eight round welterweight bout between Josesito “The Riverside Rocky” Lopez (33-6-0, 19 KOs) from Riverside, CA and Rafael Cobos (15-5-5, 3 KOs) from Tijuana, Mexico in which Lopez gained the unanimous points decision.  Lopez, who is currently ranked 11^th in the WBC welterweight division, was hoping to use this as a stepping stone after losses to Canelo Alvarez and Marcos Maidana.  He has won 3 fights since these losses.  He is hoping to fight Amir Khan by the end of this year.

As the first round began, Cobos came out very active with his jab but seemed to be very heavy on his front foot.  Lopez, who seemed to have the height and reach advantage, was setting the pace with his jab and trying to keep Cobos at a safe distance.  Cobos, however, did not seem deterred and kept moving forward and began to clinch Lopez.  Lopez used this time to connect with a few body shots.  For a few seconds, Lopez actually seemed to step back as Cobos attacked and they both traded and clinched once again before the bell rang.

Round two started off with Cobos complaining that he was getting hit behind the head and clinching Lopez more to avoid his punches.  At this point, referee Tony Weeks had to separate them in what would be one of many occasions throughout the fight.  Lopez was still able to connect, though, and landed a massive right hand to the head before the bell rang.

The third round of the fight began with Lopez putting more pressure on Cobos and aiming for the body.  In one instance, he threw a straight left to the body.  One can only speculate that he was hoping for a weaker mid-section on Cobos’ part and that this would lead to a finish.  Instead, Cobos continued to get tangled on purpose with Lopez to prevent further punishment.

At this point in the fight, Cobos still had a high guard and was bobbing and weaving but without much effect.  Lopez had a slightly lower guard and was coming in straight but was using better balance and foot-work to attack and evade counterpunches.  By the end of the third round, Lopez landed 37% of his punches while Cobos landed only 27%.

Round four did not see any sign of tiring on either side, however, Cobos was still not able to find his reach despite his spurts and flurries.  They both smothered each other for the most part until Lopez was able to land an uppercut to the chin and push Cobos to the ropes before the bell rang.

At the halfway point of the fight, Cobos turns the heat on and begins to increase the pressure, gains his confidence and faints punches.  He definitely does not seem shy at this point of the fight.  They both begin to pick up the pace and Lopez capitalizes on his left hook.  The statistics for this round showed 47% power punches from Lopez and 27% from Cobos.

The following round showed Cobos bleeding from his nose but not deterred from trying to win this fight.  In between rounds, Gerald Espinoza from Cobos’ corner instructs him in Spanish to use his overhand right.

Round seven of the fight showed Lopez increasing his tempo and Cobos lunging with his left hook but still missing for the most part.  He was also protecting himself more by lowering his elbows and moving them closer to his body, showing signs that Lopez’ strategy with his body punches had worked.  Most of the round still consisted of a lot of grappling.  At the end of the round, each boxer waited for the other to make a move.  When Cobos started off after Lopez, Lopez quickly landed a one-two combination.

The eighth and final round consisted of much of the same material throughout the rest of the fight: grappling and Tony Weeks breaking up the boxers.  At the end of the fight, it is safe to say Lopez never expected to go eight rounds with a B level boxer like Cobos.  This was actually not one of his best performances and at times seemed like a sparring session.  This is an indication he may have to go back to the drawing work and do some more work before he takes on the likes of Amir Khan.  The statistics for the fight overall fight showed Lopez with 30% punches landed and Cobos with 26%.  Lopez went on to win by unanimous decision.

– Nader Gamez / @NaderGamez

– Contributor for www.BehindtheGloves.com

Ishe Smith-Ryan Davis weights and photos

The day before Floyd Mayweather and Marcos Maidana square off on SHOWTIME PPV at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, former junior middleweight titlist Ishe Smith returns to the ring for the first time since losing his belt last September. Here are the weights and photos for the fight card that will take place at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, televised by Fox Sports 1. All photos courtesy of Hogan Photos.

Ishe Smith 154 pounds vs. Ryan Davis 153.4 pounds

Mickey Bey 133 vs. Alan Herrera 135

Jesus Cuellar 125 vs. Rico Ramos 125.2

Rau’Shee Warren 118 vs. Martin Alvarado 118

Robert Easter Jr. 135.5 vs. Carlos Cardenas 136

Jamel Herring 134.5 vs. Rogelio Casarez 136.5

Raynell Williams 131 vs. Joshua Arocho 130

Javonte Clark 148 vs. Miguel Rico 148

-Mark E. Ortega / @MarkEOrtega

-Managing editor at www.BehindTheGloves.com

ISHE SMITH, Former IBF Junior Middleweight World Champion

“The focus right now is on Ryan Davis. We’ve had a tremendous camp and I just want to thank everyone who has helped me get back into shape.

“I’m very focused on the task at hand and I assured Leonard [Ellerbe] last year that I’d be back on this stage.

“We had a great year last year, but it didn’t end where I wanted it to. I know it’s on me to get there.

“All these other guys here in the Mayweather Camp have helped push me to this point and I’m looking forward to moving ahead.

RYAN DAVIS, Super Welterweight Contender

“This is a big event for me, I’m excited to be part of a big fight week here in Vegas.

“Ishe is a great professional fighter and I’m very excited to fight him.”

MICKEY BEY, Lightweight Contender

“I’m glad that I’m with the right team to bring my skills to the forefront. I know I have a tough opponent but I’m looking to be great.

“I’m looking for a world title fight and this is my road to get there. Make sure you’re there for a good show. If you can’t make it, DVR it because you’ll want to see it again and again.”

ALAN HERRERA, Lightweight Contender

“I’m thankful for this opportunity and I’m very well prepared for this fight.

“I’m going to leave everything in the ring.”

JESUS CUELLAR, WBA Interim Featherweight World Champion

“I’m here to give a good show on Friday.

“I’m looking forward to Friday and that night you’re going to see a champion from Argentina.”

RICO RAMOS, Featherweight Contender

“May 2nd we have a game plan and Jesus is a talented strong fighter but we’re going to stick to our game plan and come out with this victory.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“We have a terrific show on Friday at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. It is a great card from top to bottom.

“I’d like to thank everyone for promoting this great weekend. We work on giving you the best fights and this card will lead into the great event on Saturday.”

# # #

Smith vs. Davis, a 10-round super welterweight bout, is presented by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and is sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and GoldenRam. The Joint doors will open at 3:00 p.m. and the first fight begins at 3:15 p.m. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets, priced at $95, $65, $35 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now and available for purchase by visiting The Joint box office, calling 800.745.3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information, visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.FOXSports.com/FoxSports1, become a follower on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MayweatherPromo, www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, @ishesugarshay, @mickeybeytmt, @JesusCuellarBOX and visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions.com and www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing.

Full undercard announced for Ishe Smith-Ryan Davis show on Friday

LAS VEGAS (April 29 2014) – The state of Ohio will be well-represented on Friday, May 2, when Cincinnati’s Rau’shee Warren, Jamel Herring and Javonte Clark, Toledo’s Robert Easter Jr. and Cleveland’s Raynell Williams make the trip to Sin City to The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas as undercard bouts leading up to an exciting tripleheader featuring some of boxing’s best.

In the 10 round super welterweight main event, former World Champion Ishe Smith faces tough Illinois contender Ryan Davis. Also in action on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes will be rising lightweight star Mickey Bey who will meet hard-hitting Mexican veteran Alan Herrera in a 10-round matchup and in the televised opener, Argentina’s Jesus Cuellar squares off with former World Champion Rico Ramos in a 12-round bout for Cuellar’s WBA Interim Featherweight World Title.

Three-time United States Olympian Rau’shee Warren (10-0, 3 KOs) has been dazzling in his professional career, using speed, technique and ring savvy to leave his opponents unable to mount any offense against him. After five consecutive shutout wins, the 27-year-old bantamweight will engage in his first 10-round bout on May 2 when he faces Durango, Mexico’s Martin Alvarado (7-2, 6 KOs), a hard-hitting competitor eager to score the upset win.

Owner of four first-round knockouts, Robert Easter Jr. (9-0, 8 KOs) showed off his ability to go the distance in his last fight on January 25 when he shut out veteran contender Daniel Attah over eight rounds. The 23-year-old will return to Las Vegas on May 2 in an eight-round lightweight bout against Carlos Cardenas (20-7-1 13 KOs)of Barinas, Venezuela.

In an eight-round lightweight matchup, Warren’s 2012 Olympic teammate Jamel Herring (7-0, 4 KOs) returns to action for his second bout of 2014 when he meets Peten, Guatemala native Rogelio Cazarez (6-1, 3 KOs). The 28-year-old Herring is coming off of back-to-back victories over Lance Williams and Antonio Sanchez and he expects to add another win to his record against the 23-year-old Cazarez, who is riding a four-fight winning streak.
Rounding out this stellar card will be two four-round bouts will be Cleveland lightweight Raynell Williams (3-0, 3 KOs) faces Joshua Arocho (3-8-4, 2 KOs) of Vineland, New Jersey and Cincinnati welterweight Javonte Clark (1-0, 1 KO) takes on Mexicali’s Miguel Rico (2-5-1).

Smith vs. Davis, a 10-round super welterweight bout, is presented by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and is sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and GoldenRam. The Joint doors will open at 3:00 p.m. and the first fight begins at 3:15 p.m. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets, priced at $95, $65, $35 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now and available for purchase by visiting The Joint box office, calling 800.745.3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information, visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.FOXSports.com/FoxSports1, become a follower on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MayweatherPromo, www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, @ishesugarshay, @mickeybeytmt, @JesusCuellarBOX and visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions.com and www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing.

-PRESS RELEASE

Ishe Smith faces late sub Ryan Davis on May 2 Fox Sports 1 show

LAS VEGAS (April 24, 2014) – Former World Champion Ishe Smith will now face tough Illinois contender Ryan Davis on Friday, May 2 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. He will replace WBA Super Welterweight Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara after he pulled out from the fight to face Canelo Alvarez on July 12.

Also in previously announced bouts on the May 2 FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes’ broadcast will be rising lightweight star Mickey “The Spirit” Bey, who will meet hard-hitting Mexican veteran Alan “Explosivo” Herrera in a 10-round matchup and in the televised opener, Argentina’s Jesus Cuellar squares off with former World Champion Rico Ramos in a 12-round bout for Cuellar’s WBA Interim Featherweight World Title.

Ishe “Sugar Shay,” (25-6, 11 KOs), whose February 2013 win over Cornelius “K9″ Bundrage for the IBF Super Welterweight title was one of the most inspirational boxing stories of the year. Smith made his fans at home and around the globe proud as he became the first Las Vegas native to win a world championship. Smith lost his belt to Carlos Molina in a controversial split decision last September. On May 2, the 35-year-old is back on the ring against Ryan Davis and a step closer to another title shot.

East Saint Louis, Illinois’ Ryan “Dangerous” Davis (24-13-3, 9 KOs) is a 15-year professional and a fearless competitor who will fight anyone at anytime, earning him the respect of fans and his peers. A rugged brawler who has been in the ring with Zab “Super” Judah, Vanes “Nightmare” Martirosyan, David “The Destroyer” Lopez and solid undefeated star Mikael Zewski, the 35-year-old Davis is well aware that with a win over Smith on May 2, he will put himself back in position to make a run up the super welterweight ladder.

Smith vs. Davis, a 10-round super welterweight bout, is presented by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and is sponsored by Corona and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets, priced at $95, $65, $35 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now and available for purchase by visiting The Joint box office, calling 800.745.3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

A full undercard will be announced shortly. For more information, visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.FOXSports.com/FoxSports1, become a follower on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MayweatherPromo, www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, @ishesugarshay, @mickeybeytmt, @JesusCuellarBOX and visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions.com and www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing.

Erislandy Lara defends title against Ishe Smith on May 2

Golden Boy Promotions announced on Tuesday that it has finalized a card topped by WBA junior middleweight champion Erislandy Lara against former IBF champion Ishe Smith on May 1 in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The card will be televised on Fox Sports 1 and precedes the Floyd Mayweather against Marcos Maidana card on Showtime pay-per-view that takes place the following day at the MGM Grand.

“Ishe Smith talks a lot on the internet, let’s see if he fights as well as he talks,” said Lara (19-1-2, 12 knockouts) in the press release.

“I’m on a different level and he’ll know that as soon as the first bell rings. He’s fighting the best super welterweight in the world and the pressure is mounting on him so he’s trying to build himself up mentally. Come May 2nd I’m going to do Mayweather a favor and retire him.”

“This is a dream come true, not only fighting for a chance at claiming another world title, but to be doing it in front of my hometown fans and family is a blessing, I’m truly honored,” said Smith (25-6, 11 KOs) in the same press release.

“Lara was offered a chance to fight me back in 2012 and he turned it down to fight Freddy Hernandez instead. I will show him he was right in turning the fight down the first time. I’m ready to lay it all on the line to regain one of the super welterweight championships, come May 2nd I will turn his American Dream into an American Nightmare.”

Elsewhere on the card, Mayweather Promotions lightweight Mickey Bey (19-1-1, 10 KOs) squares off with Alan Herrera (32-5, 21 KOs) in a ten-round bout. Also, WBA interim featherweight champion Jesus Cuellar (23-1, 18 KOs) will defend his title against the Al Haymon-advised former junior featherweight titleholder Rico Ramos (23-3, 12 KOs) in a twelve-round bout.

-Mark E. Ortega / @MarkEOrtega