Nestor Bravo and Damian Lescaille Win Minor WBA Titles
In a junior welterweight contest for the vacant WBA Continental Americas title, Nestor Bravo’s (22-0, 15KO) perfect record remained intact with a victory over Will Madera (17-3-3, 10KO).
This fight was a tale of two halves as Bravo controlled the early rounds by fighting at mid-range by landing the jab and straight right hand. Moreover, his footwork and counterpunching were sharp.
In the second half, Bravo abandoned the jab and elected to fight in a phonebooth. It proved to be a mistake as Madera came marching back into the fight with a heavy body attack and painful uppercuts that turned the tide in his favor.
Bravo regained control down the stretch by working off the jab. Both fighters were tired from such a grueling battle. In the closing seconds, they threw caution to the wind and went to war until the final bell.
One judge scored it a ridiculous 99-91, with the other two seeing it 96-94 in favor of Bravo. There is no reason for him to be considered a prospect anymore. Ranked number eight by the WBA and WBO, its time for him to step it up and fight someone within the top 15.
DAMIAN LESCAILLE RALLIES LATE FOR THE VICTORY OVER HUGO NORIEGA
In a battle of Cuban welterweight prospects, Damian “The Punisher” Lescaille (5-0, 3KO) remained undefeated after winning the vacant WBA Continental title over Hugo Noriega (8-1, 5KO).
Lescaille came out throwing rapid fire combination punches that overwhelmed Noriega early. He also started using angles and foot placement to land counter shots.
Noriega finally took advantage of that 5-inch reach advantage by working the jab and landing the straight right hand. In the closing rounds of the fight, Noriega turned it up with pressure and volume punching that put his opponent on the back foot.
However, Lescaille changed levels by attacking the body and landed some punishing uppercuts, pulling away down the stretch.
In the final round, Lescaille was deducted a point for pushing down Noriega’s head. But he continued to attack and land the more telling punches until the final bell.
One judge saw it 96-93, as the other two saw it 97-92 in favor of The Punisher. This was a good win as Lescaille showed advanced ring generalship, defense, and ring IQ. With well-known trainer Ronnie Shields in his corner, he is ready to make some noise.
