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June thirteenth, 2021

Mikey Williams
Shakur Stevenson mentioned it will be one-sided, and he stayed true to his phrase, rolling previous Namibian knockout artist Jeremiah Nakathila by way of unanimous resolution (120-107, 3x) to win the vacant WBO interim junior light-weight world title Saturday at The Theater at Virgin Resorts Las Vegas.
Nakathila (21-2, 17 KOs) had the peak and attain benefit however little else to bother Stevenson (16-0, 8 KOs), a former featherweight world champion seeking to conquer a second weight division.
Stevenson knocked down Nakathila with a lightning-fast proper hook within the fourth spherical, and the one-way visitors continued into the second half of the combat.
The knockout didn’t come, and Stevenson needed to accept the one-sided resolution. With Nakathila out of the way in which, he has larger names in thoughts.
Stevenson mentioned, “To be sincere, I didn’t actually like my efficiency. I felt I might’ve carried out loads higher, however it was an ungainly fighter. You had an ungainly fighter throwing laborious punches, and he is aware of seize and getaway. He was an actual awkward fighter. That’s all.”
“I attempted to {get him out of there} slightly bit, however I began getting hit with some strong photographs. I ain’t actually prefer it, however subsequent time I’m going to work on shifting my head slightly bit extra and step it up slightly extra.”
“If I had the selection, I’d take Oscar Valdez, but when I needed to beat up Jamel {Herring} to get to it, I’d try this, too.”
Pedraza Takes Rodriguez to Faculty
The youth was no match for expertise, as former two-weight world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza (29-3, 14 KOs) barreled his method into the junior welterweight world title image with an eighth-round stoppage over the beforehand undefeated Julian “Hammer Arms” Rodriguez (21-1, 14 KOs). Rodriguez’s left eye swelled up early, and following the eighth spherical, he informed his nook he might not see out of the injured eye.
Pedraza has now gained three straight bouts since dropping his junior welterweight debut to Jose Zepeda. On the stoppage, he held a 77-75 lead on all three judges’ playing cards.
Pedraza mentioned, “My expertise was an excessive amount of for him. I used to be hungrier than him, and he was simply one other impediment in my journey to change into a three-division world champion. That’s my objective.
“I would like all the large names at 140 kilos. With this efficiency, I despatched a message to these massive names. The ‘Sniper’ is on the hunt. I wish to make historical past for Puerto Rico.
“Because the combat went on, I might see him weakening, and I took benefit.”
OTHER RESULTS
Junior Light-weight: Manuel Rey Rojas (21-5, 6 KOs) UD 8 Tyler McCreary (16-2-1, 7 KOs). Scores: 80-72 2x and 79-73. Dallas native Rojas utilized the strain and registered essentially the most vital win of his profession. He dropped a unanimous resolution to Albert Bell two months in the past and rebounded finely in opposition to Toledo’s McCreary, a one-time prime prospect who has misplaced two in a row.
Junior Welterweight: John Bauza (15-0, 6 KOs) TKO 2 Christon Edwards (12-3, 6 KO), :40. In his first combat in practically a 12 months, Bauza fought like his trunks had been on hearth, as he dropped the Houston-based veteran Edwards thrice in 3:40 of motion. Bauza, from Cataño, Puerto Rico, scored his first stoppage since December 2017.
Junior Light-weight: Bryan Lua (8-0, 3 KOs) UD 6 Frevian Gonzalez (4-1, 1 KO). Scores: 60-54 2x and 58-56. In a battle of unbeatens, California Central Valley product Lua’s energy informed the story, as he repeatedly moved again his Puerto Rican foe. Lua has now gained three straight since coming back from a greater than a two-year layoff.
Middleweight: Troy Isley (2-0, 1 KO) TKO 4 LaQuan Evans (4-2, 2 KOs). 2:26. Isley, representing america on the Tokyo Olympics this summer time, slot in a last-round knockout earlier than his gold medal quest. Isley was dominating the motion till referee Russell Mora stepped with solely 34 seconds remaining within the four-rounder.
Welterweight: Kasir Goldston (3-0, 1 KO) UD 4 Maurice Anthony (3-2, 3 KOs). Scores: 40-36 3x. Goldston was impressed in his 2021 debut in turning again the hard-charging Anthony, who had gained two straight by knockout coming into the night.
ZAYAS
Welterweight: Xander Zayas (9-0, 7 KOs) TKO 3 Larry Fryers (11-4, 4 KOs), 1:02. The 18-year-old Puerto Rican prodigy added yet one more spotlight to his rising reel, as he battered Irish veteran Fryers from pillar to submit till referee Celestino Ruiz mercifully stopped the combat. After the stoppage, Zayas leaped on one of many impartial nook ropes and proclaimed, “That is Boxing. That is Prime Rank.”
Welterweight: Jahi Tucker (4-0, 2 KOs) UD 4 Ysrael Barboza (3-2-1, 3 KOs). Scores: 40-36 3x. The 18-year-old Tucker handed the stiffest take a look at of his younger profession, utilizing his superior athletic potential to close out Texas native Barboza.
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