Regis Prograis Wins Over Zorrilla as Giyasov and Guzman Win Handily
WBC junior welterweight champion Regis “Rougarou” Prograis (29-1, 24KO) held on to the title in a boring victory over Danielito Zorrilla (17-2, 13KO).
This fight was promoted as a firefight but turned out to be a dud. Zorrilla came out boxing behind the long jab that gave the WBC champion issues throughout the fight. The referee missed a knockdown by the visiting Puerto Rican as Prograis pulled down Zorrilla after being hit by a straight right hand.
It was an uneventful contest, as Zorrilla’s game plan was to make it a boring boxing match instead of exchanging with the hard-punching champion. In round three, Prograis landed a left hand that dropped his opponent.
It became a nightmare fight to score as the action wouldn’t pick up until the closing seconds of the final round. In the end, one judge saw it 114-113 for Zorrilla, and two saw it 118-109 and 117-110 in favor of Prograis.
SHAKHRAM GIYASOV EASILY DEFEATS HAROLD CALDERON
In a battle of undefeated welterweight fighters, Shakhram Giyasov (13-0, 9KO) dusted off the ring rust of a one year layoff with a victory over Harold Calderon (27-1, 18KO)
Giyasov took control of the fight early by fighting well off the front foot and behind the jab. He went to the body on a few occasions. It was a one-sided fight as the Uzbekistani boxer was controlling Calderon with the jab, counterpunches, and constantly provided angles while in the pocket.
At one point, Giyasov began to fight with his hands down at close range, mocking Calderon for not being willing to let his hands go. The fans began to show their disapproval with boos as the fight was uneventful down the stretch.
Giyasov’s corner pleaded with him to turn up the pressure and be more aggressive. As the fight came to a close, he threw more punches but still only fought in spots until the final bell.
The judge’s scores were 120-108, 118-110, and 116-112 in favor of Giyasov.
JULISSA ALEJANDRA GUZMAN POWERS THROUGH RAMLA ALI
In a shocking feel-good story, super bantamweight Julissa Alejandra Guzman (13-2-2, 7KO) re-entered the title hunt with a huge victory over amateur standout Ramla Ali (8-1, 2KO).
Ali came out early behind the jab and was boxing well off the front foot. She was moving in and out, firing off fast combination punches that had Guzman a bit puzzled. In round two, she stunned the Mexican with a powerful left hook as the fight was looking to be one-sided early.
Being a former world title contender, Guzman quickly made the adjustment and started landing the overhand right while Ali circled into her power hand. In round five, she landed a painful right hand that sent her opponent to the canvas. Then in round eight, Guzman landed a crushing left hook that Ali couldn’t recover from.
Six months ago, Guzman couldn’t use the right hand, and her career was in jeopardy. Here, she picks up a good win and a chance to rematch WBC champion Yamileth Mercado.
