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Virgin Lodges, Las Vegas – In a junior welterweight contest, former two division champion Jose Pedraza (29-3, 14 KOs) stopped beforehand unbeaten Julian Rodriguez (21-1, 14 KOs) in eight rounds.
The primary spherical noticed Pedraza boxing in a snug method, maintaining Rodriguez at a distance for probably the most half. Within the second, Rodriguez was doing higher and beginning to land some photographs. The best eye of Rodriguez was beginning to swell, as Pedraza would let his arms go when the motion would decelerate.
Pedraza was outlanding Rodriguez with numerous stiff punches within the third. Pedraza’s motion and fast punches had been presenting Rodriguez with numerous issues within the fourth. Throughout the fifth, Rodriguez was letting his arms go and touchdown some photographs, however the boxing abilities and the jab of Pedraza was nonetheless dominating the motion.
There wasn’t a lot of a change within the sixth, with Pedraza’s boxing abilities controlling issues. Throughout the seventh, Rodriguez was touchdown photographs right here and there – however not sufficient as Pedraza was nonetheless outboxing him. Within the eight, Pedraza appeared to harm Rodriguez with an uppercut and was working him over with punches. Each of Rodriguez’s eyes had been swollen.
The battle was stopped earlier than the beginning of the ninth, as Rodriguez was unable to see from the left eye.
Jose Pedraza knocked off a youthful, undefeated fighter Saturday evening to stay in competition for a junior welterweight title shot.
Puerto Rico’s Pedraza out-boxed Julian Rodriguez and received their scheduled 10-rounder by technical knockout when Rodriguez declined to go away his nook for the beginning of the ninth spherical. The skilled Puerto Rican veteran defended himself properly, successfully used his jab to maintain the highly effective Rodriguez out of punching vary and brought about extreme swelling beneath Rodriguez’s left eye.
Rodriguez winced when his reduce man, Jacob “Sew” Duran, utilized stress on the swollen space after the eighth spherical. He additionally informed his father/coach, Alex Devia, that he couldn’t see out of his left eye.
Devia then instructed referee Kenny Bayless to cease a bout ESPN televised from The Theater at Virgin Lodges Las Vegas.
“My expertise was an excessive amount of for him,” Pedraza stated. “I used to be hungrier than him, and he was simply one other impediment in my journey to grow to be a three-division world champion. That’s my aim.”
The 32-year-old Pedraza (29-3, 14 KOs), a former IBF junior light-weight and WBO light-weight champion, has received three straight fights since Jose Zepeda defeated him by unanimous choice of their 10-round in September 2019 at T-Cell Area in Las Vegas.
Combating Pedraza represented a steep step up in competitors for Rodriguez (21-1, 14 KOs), whose profession was stalled till two years in the past by a nagging damage to his left shoulder. The 26-year-old Rodriguez, of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, nonetheless hasn’t boxed past the eighth spherical of an expert battle.
“Because the battle went on,” Pedraza stated, “I may see him weakening, and I took benefit.”
Pedraza was forward of Rodriguez by the identical rating, 77-75, on the playing cards of judges Glenn Feldman, Patricia Morse Jarman and Tim Cheatham when their battle was stopped.
A tiring Rodriguez, with swelling round each eyes, tried to carry Pedraza at instances within the eighth spherical. Rodriguez landed to Pedraza’s physique with slightly below a minute to go within the eighth spherical and adopted up with a left hook up high.
Pedraza made Rodriguez miss wildly with energy photographs early within the seventh spherical, when he tried to stress Pedraza. Rodriguez’s proper hand knocked Pedraza off stability with about 20 seconds to go within the seventh spherical.
A left hand by Pedraza caught Rodriguez with simply over 1:40 remaining within the sixth spherical. Pedraza boxed numerous the sixth spherical from a southpaw stance.
Rodriguez’s proper hand landed with about 40 seconds to go within the sixth spherical. By the tip of the sixth spherical, Rodriguez had an abrasion beneath his left eye.
Pedraza snapped again Rodriguez’s head with a brief proper hand barely 50 seconds into the fifth spherical. Rodriguez landed a left hook with simply over a minute to go within the fifth spherical.
A left-right-right mixture by Rodriguez knocked Pedraza off stability with about 45 seconds on the clock within the fifth spherical.
Pedraza continued to maneuver and field properly firstly of the fourth spherical. A jab by Rodriguez landed barely a minute into the fourth spherical.
One other arduous jab by Rodriguez knocked Pedraza backward on the halfway mark of the fourth spherical. Pedraza’s jab labored properly for him later within the fourth.
Pedraza landed a proper hand rather less than 30 seconds into the third spherical. Pedraza’s left hook landed with simply over two minutes to go within the third spherical.
Pedraza landed a proper to Rodriguez’s physique within the ultimate minute of the third spherical. Rodriguez’s proper up high related a number of seconds later.
Rodriguez’s proper to the physique backed Pedraza into the ropes 1:20 into the second spherical. Pedraza caught Rodriguez with a proper hand in an alternate with about 50 seconds remaining in that second spherical.
Rodriguez snuck in a proper hand simply earlier than the bell sounded to finish the second spherical.
Rodriguez was the aggressor as quickly as their battle began, although he had problem touchdown clear photographs as a result of Pedraza defended himself properly within the first spherical. Rodriguez landed a proper hand to the facet of Pedraza’s head with slightly below a minute to go within the opening spherical.
Keith Idec is a senior author/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He will be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
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