Raul Curiel Wins Panthen Bout by UD; Still Wants Rocha Rematch
To begin the year in positive fashion, welterweight fighter Raul “Cugar” Curiel (17-0-1, 14 KO’s) defeated Jordan Panthen (11-2, 9 KO’s) by way of unanimous decision. As the match began, Panthen handled himself well and claimed a number of rounds. As the fight carried on however, Curiel wore Panthen down with a steady diet of sturdy body shots and almost dropped him in the ninth.
Despite Panthen being a late-replacement opponent, he provided a very game and competitive performance. Panthen was needed to fill in for the original challenger, Alexis Rocha (25-2-1, 16 KO’s). Rocha withdrew from the match due to medical reasons.
Rocha struggled to make weight for the duel and ultimately was hospitalized, necessitating the need to inject Panthen. Had they fought, Curiel and Rocha could have settled the matter of their December 14, 2024 majority decision draw. During his post-fight interview however, Curiel expressed respect and wished a speedy recovery to Rocha.
When asked, Cugar, currently ranked #3 (WBA), #5 (WBC), #7 (IBF) and #12 (WBO), energetically expressed his desire to still stage a rematch with Alexis Rocha. With that being the case, there is an excellent chance that we see Rocha and Curiel settle their unfinished business once and for all in their next at-bat.
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