By David A. Avila
Las Vegas, NV – Las Vegas welcomed its first major boxing event of 2024.
“It was a banger,” proclaimed Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya on Saturday about the first major card in 2024.
After waiting more than 17 months, Vergil Ortiz (20-0, 20 KOs) finally entered the prize ring and captured his 20th consecutive knockout in front of a sold-out crowd at the Virgins Hotel Las Vegas. The victim this time was Ghana’s Fredrick Lawson (30-4, 20 KOs).
The only problem was that referee Tony Weeks stopped the action just as it was about to explode. Fans couldn’t get the climax they sought. Almost, but not quite.
The Texas slugger Ortiz had been forced to pull out of several fights at the last minute due to a physical ailment in 2020 and 2021. Ortiz moved up in weight to the super welterweight division to rectify the problem that kept rearing its head during weight loss. The added pounds helped.
Ortiz looked slightly bigger, but the punches were crisp and deadly and Ghana’s Fredrick Lawson was trying to keep pace in the first round. After some dangerous exchanges it was apparent that Ortiz had hurt Lawson and was in killing mode with the African fighter pinned against the ropes.
Suddenly, referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight and fans in the audience were stupefied. The referee had stopped the fight 2:33 of the first round. He had previouly stopped a fight prematurely in 2023 that featured Borroso and Rolly Romero.
Whether it was the right decision or not, fans booed.
Ortiz shrugged off the early stoppage.
“When I was in the ring, I didn’t think it was the best stoppage,” said Ortiz. “As a fighter, I knew it was coming… he saved him,” said Ortiz about Weeks’ stoppage.
Golden Boy promoter De La Hoya said he was very pleased by Ortiz and the entire event that featured mostly super lightweight talent.
“Who else has that career with 20 knockouts in 20 wins,” De La Hoya said of Ortiz’s wish list that includes Tim Tszyu and any of the super welterweight standouts. “Whatever Vergil’s team wants.”
Other Bouts
Barroso
Venezuela’s Ismael Barroso (25-4-2, 23 KOs) proved his near world title win was not a fluke as he shocked England’s Ohara Davies (25-3, 18 KOs) with a first round knockout and catapulted himself into another world title position.
Barroso, a lethal southpaw, did not leave it to the referee this time.
After a tentative 40 seconds Davies fired a punch and was met with a sizzling counter left that paralyzed the British fighter and left him open for several more blows. Down he went. After slowly getting up, Davies looked numb when Barroso attacked again with more lethal shots and went down once again. After a long careful look, the referee stopped the fight at 1:53 of the first round.
Barroso turned things around in this fight. Ironically, Rolly Romero the WBA super lightweight titlist who benefited from a controversial stoppage against Barroso last year, was in the audience. In this instance Barroso was the victor and not the victim.
Barboza
In his first appearance with a different promoter Arnold Barboza (29-0, 11 KOs) used his technical prowess to batter away Xolisani Ndongeni (31-4, 18 KOs) behind a strong jab and uppercuts. It took eight rounds of battering until the trainer of the South African fighter stopped the super lightweight match at the end of the round.
Barboza gained his first win by knockout under his new promoter. The Southern California super lightweight formerly fought with Top Rank.
“I’m following whatever blueprint he wants me to follow,” said Barboza about his new promoter Oscar De La Hoya.
Curiel
Undefeated welterweight Raul Curiel (14-0, 12 KOs) faced his toughest foe and strategically worked Elias Diaz (12-2) round by round until striking with a potent three-punch combination in the fifth round that floored the San Diego fighter. Diaz was down but not out.
“He was a strong fighter,” said Mexico’s Curiel. “My trainer Freddie Roach told me to keep working him and breaking him down.:
Curiel kept using his jab and was able to catch Diaz repeatedly as he backed away with long left hooks and rights.
Soon Diaz began bleeding around the left eye and it was apparent that his vision was slightly impaired. Curiel kept snapping jabs and working uppercuts from both sides to keep Diaz thinking and in defensive mode.
After several more rounds of battering a four-punch combination convinced the referee to stop the fight with Diaz still standing at 1:06 of the eighth round.
Pro Debut
Emiliano Gandara (1-0) pounded away over Isaac Matamoros (1-2) dropping him with a single left cross from the southpaw stance. After beating the count Matamoros couldn’t survive a three-punch barrage at 2:11 if the first round of the super middleweight fight. It was Gandara’s pro debut.
Photo credit: Al Applerose
Las Vegas, NV – Las Vegas welcomed its first major boxing event of 2024.
“It was a banger,” proclaimed Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya on Saturday about the first major card in 2024.
After waiting more than 17 months, Vergil Ortiz (20-0, 20 KOs) finally entered the prize ring and captured his 20th consecutive knockout in front of a sold-out crowd at the Virgins Hotel Las Vegas. The victim this time was Ghana’s Fredrick Lawson (30-4, 20 KOs).
The only problem was that referee Tony Weeks stopped the action just as it was about to explode. Fans couldn’t get the climax they sought. Almost, but not quite.
The Texas slugger Ortiz had been forced to pull out of several fights at the last minute due to a physical ailment in 2020 and 2021. Ortiz moved up in weight to the super welterweight division to rectify the problem that kept rearing its head during weight loss. The added pounds helped.
Ortiz looked slightly bigger, but the punches were crisp and deadly and Ghana’s Fredrick Lawson was trying to keep pace in the first round. After some dangerous exchanges it was apparent that Ortiz had hurt Lawson and was in killing mode with the African fighter pinned against the ropes.
Suddenly, referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight and fans in the audience were stupefied. The referee had stopped the fight 2:33 of the first round. He had previouly stopped a fight prematurely in 2023 that featured Borroso and Rolly Romero.
Whether it was the right decision or not, fans booed.
Ortiz shrugged off the early stoppage.
“When I was in the ring, I didn’t think it was the best stoppage,” said Ortiz. “As a fighter, I knew it was coming… he saved him,” said Ortiz about Weeks’ stoppage.
Golden Boy promoter De La Hoya said he was very pleased by Ortiz and the entire event that featured mostly super lightweight talent.
“Who else has that career with 20 knockouts in 20 wins,” De La Hoya said of Ortiz’s wish list that includes Tim Tszyu and any of the super welterweight standouts. “Whatever Vergil’s team wants.”
Other Bouts
Barroso
Venezuela’s Ismael Barroso (25-4-2, 23 KOs) proved his near world title win was not a fluke as he shocked England’s Ohara Davies (25-3, 18 KOs) with a first round knockout and catapulted himself into another world title position.
Barroso, a lethal southpaw, did not leave it to the referee this time.
After a tentative 40 seconds Davies fired a punch and was met with a sizzling counter left that paralyzed the British fighter and left him open for several more blows. Down he went. After slowly getting up, Davies looked numb when Barroso attacked again with more lethal shots and went down once again. After a long careful look, the referee stopped the fight at 1:53 of the first round.
Barroso turned things around in this fight. Ironically, Rolly Romero the WBA super lightweight titlist who benefited from a controversial stoppage against Barroso last year, was in the audience. In this instance Barroso was the victor and not the victim.
Barboza
In his first appearance with a different promoter Arnold Barboza (29-0, 11 KOs) used his technical prowess to batter away Xolisani Ndongeni (31-4, 18 KOs) behind a strong jab and uppercuts. It took eight rounds of battering until the trainer of the South African fighter stopped the super lightweight match at the end of the round.
Barboza gained his first win by knockout under his new promoter. The Southern California super lightweight formerly fought with Top Rank.
“I’m following whatever blueprint he wants me to follow,” said Barboza about his new promoter Oscar De La Hoya.
Curiel
Undefeated welterweight Raul Curiel (14-0, 12 KOs) faced his toughest foe and strategically worked Elias Diaz (12-2) round by round until striking with a potent three-punch combination in the fifth round that floored the San Diego fighter. Diaz was down but not out.
“He was a strong fighter,” said Mexico’s Curiel. “My trainer Freddie Roach told me to keep working him and breaking him down.:
Curiel kept using his jab and was able to catch Diaz repeatedly as he backed away with long left hooks and rights.
Soon Diaz began bleeding around the left eye and it was apparent that his vision was slightly impaired. Curiel kept snapping jabs and working uppercuts from both sides to keep Diaz thinking and in defensive mode.
After several more rounds of battering a four-punch combination convinced the referee to stop the fight with Diaz still standing at 1:06 of the eighth round.
Pro Debut
Emiliano Gandara (1-0) pounded away over Isaac Matamoros (1-2) dropping him with a single left cross from the southpaw stance. After beating the count Matamoros couldn’t survive a three-punch barrage at 2:11 if the first round of the super middleweight fight. It was Gandara’s pro debut.
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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