BETHLEHEM, PA— Gabriel Rosado earned a shot at IBF Jr. Middleweight champion Cornelius Bundrage with a tenth round stoppage over Charles Whitaker at the Sands Casino
It was a feeling out first two plus minutes until Whitaker uncorked but missed hard right hand. Rosado was content in jabbing and moving. The action picked up in round two as Rosado landed a hard two punch combination that buckled Whitaker to the ropes. Whitaker responded nicely by landing a right on a charging Rosado. The two traded shots as the bell sounded. Round four saw the action pick up as Rosado continued to stalk his way and create two way action. At the end of the round, Rosado landed a crushing left that Whitaker took well. In round fie, Rosado nailed Whitaker with a perfect counter right that put Whitaker on the seat of his pants. When the action resumed Rosado went for the kill only to eat a hard left hook and right at the bell. Whitaker had some success to start round six as he became more aggressive but Roasado turned the tables as he kept Whitaker against the ropes and landed some hard shots on the ropes to end the round.
Rosado came out for blood in round seven as he stalked and landed yet another booming right that registered a second knockdown. Like the previous rounds, both landed some good shot to end the seventh. Whitaker had his best round in the ninth as he started to find a consistent home his right hand. Rosado landed a left and over hand right that dropped Whitaker for a third time. After a brief flurry, Rosado landed two thudding rights that slumped Whitaker to canvas for a fourth and final time and referee Steve Smoger stopped the fight at 1:50 of round ten
Rosado, 153 lbs of Philadelphia is now21-5 with thirteen knockouts. Whitaker, 152.5 lbs of Georgetown, Cayman Islands is now 36-13-2.
Sergey Kovalev remained undefeated by blowing out Lionell Thompson in round three of a scheduled ten round Light Heavyweight bout.
Kovalev landed a right that buckled Thompson in round one. A hard left and right buckled Thompson yet again in the second. At the end of the round, Kovalev landed a nasty two punch combination that crumpled Thompson to the canvas. Clearly shaken up, Thompson ate another hard right that dropped him just before the end of round two. Kovalev ended things seconds into round three as a straight right dropped Thompson on his knees and the fight was stopped at fourteen seconds of eound three
Kovalev, 173 lbs of Chelyabinsk, Russia is now 19-0-1 with sixteen knockouts. Thompson, 175 lbs of Buffalo, NY is now 12-2.
Antwone Smith scored a ten round split decision over previously undefeated hometown hero Ronald Cruz in exciting Welterweight clash.
Smith boxed very well in the early going as he mixed up combinations working off double and triple jabs. Cruz started
to get it going at the end of round three and into round four as he countered with hard shots in between little flurries by Smith. They started trading in the fifth with the crowd full behind Cruz. Cruz started his vqunted body attack in the round. Cruz landed a couple of Heavy blows just before the end of the round.
Smith steadied himself in round’s six and seven as he started boxing well by mixing up the combination’s. Cruz came back in round eight by turning southpaw and landing some heavy blows on the ropes by focusing on the body. Smith landed a boomnig right that momentarily rocked Cruz in the eighth. the two took turns gaining advantages in the final frame as the both the knew the fight could be in the balance
Smith won by scores of 96-94 on two cards and is now 22-4-1. Cruz, 146 lbs of Bethlehem, PA is now 17-1.
In a four round Lightweight bout, Jason Sosa scored a majority decision over Esteban Rodriguez.
Scores were 39-37 on two cards for Sosa while a third card read even at 38-38. Sosa, 132 1/2 lbs of Camden, NJ is now 5-1-3. Rodriguez, 134 1/2 lbs of Lebanon, PA is now 5-3-1.
In a six round slugfest, local favorite William Miranda scored a six round unanimous decision over Pedro Martinez in a Heavyweight clash.
The two fought at close quarters for most of the bout. Miranda scored a knockdown in round one from a double jab.
Mirada, 231 lbs of Allentown, PA won by scores of 59-54, 59-55 and 58-55 and is now 6-5-1. Martinez, 243 lbs of Philadelphia is now 6-7.
Jerome Rodriguez scored a four round unanimous decision over Kywayne Hill in a Jr. Welterweight bout.
Scores were 40-36 on all cards for Rodriguez, 140 lbs of Allentown, PA and is now 1-1. Hill, 142 lbs of Philadelphia is now 1-10.
Alex Sanchez scored a second round stoppage over Fitzgerald Johnson in a scheduled four round Jr. Middleweight bout.
Sanchez dropped Johnson twice in round two with the second coming from a hard body shot and referee Gary Rosado reached the ten count at 2:14
Sanchez, 155.5 lbs of Camden, NJ is 1-1 with one knockout. Johnson 160 lbs of Philadelphia is 3-7.
