This week’s Wednesday Night Fights was the Wednesday Night of Knockouts on ProBox TV. It delivered an action packed card at the Event Center from Plant City, Florida.
The main event of the evening was a featherweight bout between Saul “The Beast” Sanchez (18-2, 11 KOs) and Franklin “El Abuelo” Gonzalez (25-2, 25 KOs). The two fighters were both looking to redeem themselves after losing their previous fights.
Sanchez, hailing from Pacoima, California, lost a close fight against Eros Correa almost a year to the date, and hadn't competed since then. Before his loss, Sanchez won six fights in a row, two of them ending in quick knockouts against Frank Gonzalez and previously undefeated fighter, Ja'Rico O'Quinn. Gonzalez has lost twice in a row, with consecutive split-decision losses in his most recent fights. Gonzalez entered that bout with a point to prove, as all 25 of his wins had come via knockout, while his two losses had occurred through split decisions.
In the main event, Sanchez and Gonzalez both started off with guns blazing in the first round. Sanchez was landing constant body shots, while Gonzalez tried to be more methodical and precise with his power punches. In the second round Gonzalez seemed to have an edge, landing solid combinations, especially with a right hook to Sanchez’s head. However, from the third round onwards, “The Beast” took control of the fight with the instruction of his trainer, Edgar “Estrellita” Sasso, to work the body, sending Gonzalez to the canvas in the fourth round with a body shot. By the sixth round, Sanchez closed the distance and continued punishing Gonzalez’s body, sending “El Abuelo” to the mat three times, enough for referee Christoper Young to stop the fight at the 2:54 mark.
In a post-fight interview, Sanchez mentioned that he had never been punched so hard before this fight.
The co-main event was a lightweight fight between the Mexican, Oscar Alvarez Jr., with a perfect record of nine victories and seven knockouts, and Brazilian boxer, Jonathan “Maximus” Cardoso (15-1, 14 KOs). The fight was all action right from the start. Cardoso demonstrated his precision and power, rocking Alvarez’s head back and forth for three rounds until referee Michael De Jesus stopped the fight at 1:56 of the third round, when Alvarez’s corner threw in the towel. This is the Mexican fighter’s first defeat in his professional career.
The first fight of the night, in the super-featherweight division, was a Puerto Rican showdown between Dominic Valle (5-0, 4 KOs) and Carlos Rosario (6-1, 3 KOs). This was Valle’s first fight since November 2022, after dealing with some hand injuries. Valle didn’t seem too bothered by his hands, throwing constant combinations against Rosario. The fight was stopped by referee, Chris Young, at 2:59 of the sixth round, giving Valle the victory and allowing him to keep his undefeated record.
Once again, ProBox TV showcased the stars of the future in boxing. Catch the next Wednesday Night Fights on June 28th, when Pedro Guevara faces off against Miguel Guerera live from Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico.
