On the undercard of the DAZN telecast from Orlando, Florida, headlined by Richardson Hitchins and Jose Zepeda in a twelve-round junior welterweight main event, fans witnessed an assortment of talent that could be classified as rising stars. Below are the results from the early action.
Opening the DAZN telecast we saw middleweight Austin 'Ammo' Williams defeat seasoned veteran former Gennadiy Golovkin opponent in Steve Rolls. The 27-year-old southpaw from Milwaukee, now based in Houston, proved that he is top-ten middleweight in a currently thin division by defeating a game opponent in a division that needs some new blood.
The early rounds were slow, but saw the speed and youth of Williams give him the edge. He strategically mixed in power shots in the subsequent rounds, finding opportunities to connect with strong left hands and right hooks. The bout was fairly even with Williams seemingly getting the better of the action. Though Rolls had moments none of which was sustained beyond a round here and there.
The bout marks the most notable win of Williams' career as the judges were in agreement scoring the bout 97-93 for Williams.
Welterweight Orestes Velazquez, the Miami-based Cuban boxer, continued his winning streak at Caribe Royale Orlando, as he secured his third consecutive victory at the venue. In his latest bout, Velazquez stopped Mohamed Soumaoro via an eighth-round technical knockout when referee Imelda Santos to halt the fight at 2:19. Despite neither fighter hitting the canvas, Velazquez was outlanding Soumaoro by quite a bit.
The majority of the contest unfolded in the mid-range, yet Soumaoro was unable to let his hands go probably based on Velazquez''s superior speed. In a spirited fight, Soumaoro would land big shots, but couldn't put together a sequence that could shift the fight. Though it appeared he rocked Velazquez, he was unable to pin him down and unloaded as his big shots would land one at a time. The final sequence saw Velasquez unloading on Soumaoro on the ropes in which the referee stepped in with some feeling the fight could've gone a bit longer. A big right hand from Velasquez staggered Soumaoro which led to the sequence of punches that halted the contest.
Junior middleweight Jeovanny Estela overpowered Luis Caraballo in the opening round of their bout as the local favorite Estela showed a difference in talent and ability. The crowd erupted in cheers as Estela made his way to the ring as Estela packed the crowd early in the evening. With a formidable left hand and a relentless assault, Estela sent Caraballo to the canvas as the bout was called off at 2:10 of the very first round.
Light heavyweight Khalil Coe, an undefeated light heavyweight picked up his third knockout victory of the year, as he stopped Evans. After two knockdowns the end came at 1:21 of the second round. It was hinted earlier this week that Coe could be fighting in a ten-round fight very soon.
The opening bout saw super flyweight Jasmine Artiga, an unbeaten southpaw from Tampa, get a one-sided victory over Josefina Vega. The most notable moment from the fight was Artiga's third-round knockdown as she controlled the bout with the better boxing technique and being the quicker and more athletic fighter. The judges gave her every round as they scored the bout 80-71 in her favor.
