Barboza, Torrez, and Cortes Please the Crowd On Navarrete vs Wilson Undercard!
Junior welterweight Arnold Barboza Jr (28-0, 10KO) dug deep against the two-division champion Jose Pedraza (29-5-1, 14KO). This was a fight where Barboza Jr earned his stripes in an action-packed, old lion versus young lion contest. Things started fast as Barboza Jr was controlling the tempo behind the jab. However, Pedraza came storming back in the second half by making it a war inside a phonebooth. Both men fought hard until the final bell as the crowd awarded them for their effort with a standing ovation. Two judges saw it 96-94 and one had it 97-93, all in favor of Barboza Jr. 3Kings Boxing agrees with the latter scorecard.
RICHARD TORREZ JR MAKES QUICK WORK OF JAMES BRYANT
Heavyweight prospect and 2020 Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr (5-0, 5KO) made veteran James Bryant (6-3, 4KO) quit on the stool. The fighter introductions lasted longer than the actual fight itself. Torrez Jr showed patience and fought smart before landing an uppercut that almost decapitated Bryant. Although the veteran survived the round, it was clear he was done. While sitting in the corner, Bryant couldn’t continue after suffering an injury to his leg, prompting the fight to be called off. Torrez Jr is coming along nicely and has shown growth in each fight as his undefeated knockout streak remains intact.
ANDRES CORTES MANHANDLES LUIS MELENDEZ FOR A SHUTOUT VICTORY
In a junior lightweight battle, Andres Cortez (19-0, 10KO) manhandled Luis Melendez (17-3, 13KO) for the victory. From the moment the bell sounded, Cortes was like a buzz saw, and his aggression was on level 10. He was landing punches from all angles and working the body from the beginning to the end of the fight. In the second half, it turned into a phonebooth dogfight as both fighters drew blood. Melendez tried to mount an offense, but the aggressive bodywork of Cortes was too much. All three judges scored it a shutout (100-90) for the young prospect, Cortes. 3Kings Boxing agrees with the judges.
By: Bo Bland
