Stephen Fulton Jr. showed his versatility as he outpointed and outpunched Angelo Leo to capture the WBO Super Bantamweight title at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.
In round one, Leo was cut over his left eye as the result of an accidental headbutt. The two fought inside for much of the bout, which would have seemed to favor Leo, but Fulton beat the now-former champion Leo at his own game as he was much quicker and active. Leo would attempt to work the body, but it was Fulton who showed the class in this bout.
Fulton landed 364 of 1183 punches; Leo was 262 of 810.
Fulton had answers for any and everything that Leo threw at him, and he cruised home with the victory and title by scores of 119-109 twice and 118-110.
Fulton of Philadelphia is now 19-0. Leo of Albuquerque, NM is 20-1.
Stephen Fulton Jr., Quotes:
“It feels good. I told you that I would engage more in this fight. I boxed a little but I engaged more to show him that I’m better than him at what he does best. They didn’t know I was going to come and engage in a fight like this. I’m used to dealing with fighting inside the gym, inside the ring. Everyone I’ve fought tried to bully me. This time I did to them what they try to do to me. And I got the job done.
“At some point I felt like I touched him but he didn’t show that he was ready to go although he might have been ready to go. His face showed that he was surprised by my punching power.
“I wore him down by attacking his body and pushing him back. I had to change the whole narrative, push him back and dropping those uppercuts in. That’s how I got the job done.
“From like the fifth round, that’s when I knew I was going to take off. I never got tired from engaging. This fight I was prepared and I knew that’s what I came to do. So by the fifth, I knew I was taking the fight away from him.
“Early on, I noticed he was landing a lot of good right hands as I was pulling back – and that’s one of the things my trainer told me not to do in the dressing room. I made the adjustments and smothered the shots to make sure I wouldn’t get caught again.
“I would like to fight another title-holder. I’d like to show I’m the best in the weight division. I am just a better fighter and I’m better at what he does. I just showed I was better overall and I’m going to continue to show that. I’m just lost for words right now. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer but I had to force the issue. I am a great body puncher. I’m so used to boxing but I had to show y’all the other side to me.
“After a year off, I feel I did a good job but I could be a lot better, a lot sharper. I want Luis Nery, Brandon Figueroa…I want all the champions. I want to be undisputed.
“It hasn’t hit me yet. When it hits me, I’m going to act the fool. Dancing, going crazy. This is a dream come true right now. I’m a world champion. Not everyone can be a world champion.
“This was the first fight I wasn’t really nervous. I knew I was in shape. I barely got tired. The ring rust was there somewhat but I kinda feel like I broke out of that. Just going through everything I went through, COVID and all, getting through that helped me.
“The bully got bullied. It always happens. I’m the new! The game plan was to box at first, but when I got in there and when I saw that I made a couple of mistakes and he was landing the right hand cleanly, I had to get a little dirty and fight his fight. I had to show him that I’m the better man to fight his style. I had to flip the script a little bit and I knew I had to continue to bang with him, and I did.
“Probably around the fifth or sixth round I started to see he was breathing a little heavy.
“There wasn’t any ring rust because of all the things I’ve been through; in 2020 we’ve all been through some crazy things and it’s been a rough year for all of us. But I felt that’s what changed my mind set and made me love the sport even more. Because I felt like I lost my opportunity and it gave me the chance to see that when something is taken away from you, you find that love and that love was boxing.
“It feels good because I’m the only world champion of any sport in Philadelphia. A lot more of us will have our hand raised, like Jaron Ennis and other talented fighters from Philadelphia.
“There’s a lot more that I can work on and I see that in the ring, but as long as I came and took the title from the world champion I just got to get back, and relax at this point.
“Maybe a unification belt is next. I want to pursue my goal of that and that’s why I was screaming ‘Undisputed!’ That’s what I want to do. That’s what I’m here for and what I want to do.
“I showed I was the better man. I met his promoter Floyd [Mayweather] at the Wilder fight, and he said he didn’t know me. But I bet he knows me now. I wish he would give me that bonus he said he was going to give Leo.”
“Philly, we back. That’s all I’ve got to say. I made my name in the books, I made history.”
Aleem Stops Pasillas in 11
Ra’eese Aleem won the WBA Interim Super Bantamweight Title with an emphatic 11h round stoppage over Victor Pasillas in a battle of undefeated fighters.
In round two, Aleem dropped Pasillas with a hard left hook. In round six, Aleem dropped Pasillas again with a left hook.
In round nine, Pasillas showed some life, but then Aleem landed a left that made the glove of Pasillas touch the canvas for a knockdown. In round 11, Aleem landed a perfect left hand that sent Pasillas to the canvas and the fight was stopped at 1:00
Aleem, 121 1/2 lbs of Las Vegas is 18-0 with 12 knockouts. Pasillas, 122 lbs of Redwood City, CA is 15-1-1.
Ra’eese Aleem Quotes:
“I feel great. We had a good camp. I was dominant. I wanted to put an exclamation point with this performance. It feels absolutely amazing. It just confirms what I knew in my head, that I have elite power. He’s one of the top fighters in the division so to knock him out, it means I’m a true threat.
“I think a lot of people were sleeping on me and my power. I wasn’t surprised that I stopped him. I didn’t think he’d be able to go the distance with me. I think a lot of the fighters in this division should really be on notice.
“I wanted to knock him out. But I wasn’t necessarily trying to go for the knockout early. I was just seeing the openings and everything came together.
“It doesn’t matter who I fight next. I’m ready to fight any world champion. Whether it’s the winner of Leo-Fulton or if Murodjon Akhmadaliev wants to come out of hiding.
“Any current world champion that’s willing to fight, I’m ready. I’ve got the pen, send the contract. Whether that’s Brandon Figueroa, Akhmadaliev – he has two of the belts and is a tremendous fighter. He hasn’t defended his belts yet. Any one of those fights would be a great fight.
“I couldn’t feel his power. There wasn’t like one punch he hit me with and I was like, ‘Damn, I got to watch out.’ I knew he was a hard hitter but I didn’t feel his power tonight.
“I’m a diverse fighter. Coming into this fight, I didn’t know what kind of fighter I was facing. But I pride myself in being able to adapt. I’m not one-dimensional: I can brawl, I can box. I just took what he gave me.
“I was able to give him different looks. And being able to explode in those small spaces, I feel I was able to capitalize.
“Early on, I was touching him and he could feel my power. He was grunting when I hit him in the body. So I knew he didn’t want to be aggressive because he could feel it.”
Romero stops Sparrow in 7
Rolando Romero stopped late-replacement Avery Sparrow in round seven of their 12 round non-title bout.
Seconds into the fight, Romero dropped Sparrow with a hard left hook to the side of the head. In round six, Sparrow was deducted two points for low blows.
With the fight getting out of hand, the corner of Sparrow stopped the bout at 43 seconds of round seven.
Romero, 134 1/2 lbs of Las Vegas is 13-0 with 11 knockouts. Sparrow, 136 lbs of Philadelphia is 10-4.
Rolando Romero:
“I was very disappointed, I really wanted to fight Justin Pauldo. But things happen – at least I had another opponent.
“I fought a dirty fighter. He hit me with a dozen, if not more, low blows, back of the head, trying to wrestle but it is what it is. I got the victory. I dropped him with that hook in the opening round. I thought it would be over but he’s slick – he knows how to survive.
“I didn’t really get to showcase the angles. I believe it was the last round, I started letting off. My defense was sharp, I was just sharp in general. I wouldn’t say it was improvement from my last fight; just showing more of what I have.
“The person that fought Jackson Marinez wasn’t me. I had a bad camp, I didn’t do the things I was supposed to do. The big part, he fought scared and made it very difficult. Marinez was supposed to rematch me. He decided not to even though we offered more money.
“With Sparrow, he fought like a coward. He just wanted a street-fight because he knows he wasn’t going to do anything to me. It came to low blows, hitting behind the head. His corner did the right thing by stopping it. In that last moment before they stopped the fight, he was hurt again and there was a lot of time left in the round. He’s lucky they stopped it.
“You guys said you want to see me box and you saw me box. At the end, his corner quit and he fought like a coward. I boxed good.
“I thought I had him out in the first but he’s really good at surviving.
“I’m a growing fighter. I came into this game eight years ago, I started boxing late and didn’t have much of an amateur career. I’m learning on the job. The old me would have went in there to destroy him.
“Boxing fans are the most bi-polar people I’ve ever seen in my life. There are so many fighters that have gone through the things I’ve gone through. Boxing is a very toxic sport. I just want the best and I just want the best for the future. I hope I keep entertaining you guys because at the end, that’s all that matters—and entertaining myself.
“I want that WBC belt. That’s what I want. I want a fight with Devin Haney.”
