Rashidi Ellis Defeats Alexis Rocha By Unanimous Decision
In a battle of unbeaten Golden Boy-promoted welterweight prospects, Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis (23-0, 14 KOs) defeated tough Alexis Rocha (16-1, 10 KOs) by unanimous decision (116-112 twice, 115-113).
“SPEEDY” BY NATURE
Ellis lived up to his nickname as he used his fast hands and feet to set the pace. A boxer by nature, the 27-year-old from Lynn, Massachusetts used footwork to create angles to land with quick jabs and combinations to the head and body during the first four rounds.
A southpaw, Rocha was the taller fighter and attempted to cut the ring off the ring and corner his opponent in an attempt to land straight lefts and right hooks to the body.
However, the uber-confident Ellis was able to maneuver away and land counter-punches while telling Rocha “you can’t hit me”.
TOO MUCH CONFIDENCE
The tide started to turn in the middle rounds as Rocha was doing a better job of cutting off the ring. In rounds five and six the 23-year-old from Irvine, California did an excellent job of switching up his foot positioning when on the attack.
He decided to go with quick shots to the head, focusing his power shots on the body.
As for Ellis, his activity seemed to dip a bit and was chastised in between rounds by his corner.
REGAINING THE UPER-HAND
“Speedy” bounced back in the eighth and ninth by re-establishing the jab from the center of the ring as well as nice counter left hooks, right hands, and uppercuts. He seemed to find a second wind over the last ⅓ of the fight, neutralizing Rocha’s attack and re-asserting the control he showed in the early rounds.
Overall, this was a solid and professional performance for Ellis. With the win, he captures the vacant WBC International Silver welterweight title.
Ranked in the Top 10 by the WBA and WBO at 147-pounds, he looks at 2021 as the year to put himself in position for a world title shot.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
Be the first to comment