Ray Beltran stops Hiroki Okada in 9 rounds in an action packed fight!
Coming into this fight, there were questions surrounding Ray Beltran and how much he had left in the tank. Well those questions have been answered against Hiroki Okada!
Beltran and Okada gave the fans in Fresno, California one hell of a fight! The opening round would be the only uneventful round of the bout. Round two up until the stoppage was action packed with both men applying massive damage.
Round two stuck out for numerous of reasons. One was Beltran dropping Okada with a left hook, only to have his opponent come back and hurt the former champion with a sharp right hand. The beating was severe enough to score that round even regardless of the knock down.
As the fight wore on, both men would continue to trade damaging shots at close quarters. Beltran would clearly get the better of the inside exchanges. When the fight was fought at a distance, it was all Okada; using a quick jab followed up with straight rights.
Finally, the pressure of fighting on the inside with Beltran would catch up to the Japanese fighter. He would throw a right hand that hurt and dropped Okada, although, he who would make it back to his feet.
However, the effects were evident as moments later, Beltran would jump on his hurt foe and pour on the punishment. As a result, Okada would hit the canvas again, prompting his corner to throw in the towel.
With this win, Beltran picks up the WBC continental junior welterweight title. That pushes him closer to a title opportunity against WBC junior welterweight champion Jose Ramirez. At the very least, he has shown he is still a relevant name in the sport!
By: Jerrell Fletcher
