Wednesday Night Fights returned to Plant City, Florida last night with a super featherweight contest between slick Georgian Otar Eranosyan and former Venezuelan world champion Roger Gutierrez.
The pair collided in a WBA world title eliminator on ProBox TV’s 12 round main event. The winner would move themselves in line for champion Hector Luis Garcia, who Gutierrez lost his title to last year.
The midweek action did not disappoint with both men hitting the canvas in an all action encounter. Eranosyan started the 1st round with his typical good footwork and varying combinations giving Gutierrez a lot to consider.
Gutierrez changed course quickly, returning at the beginning of the 2nd round with a renewed vigour. He came out swinging in the opening seconds of the round, catching Eransoyan with a right hand that sent him to the canvass. The Georgian was up on his feet immediately, but heavy pressure from Gutierrez nearly spelled an early night for his opponent. The Venezuelan came forward with long hard right hands and big left hooks that caught Eranosyan flush on many occasions. Eransoyan recovered after a minute slowing the pace, managing to arguably steal the rest of the round after a difficult opening 60 seconds, nonetheless the round went 10-8 to Gutierrez.
The slip up from Eransoyan proved to be a turning point in the fight, the decorated Georgian amateur took control from the 3rd round onwards despite some moments of danger from Gutierrez. Eransoyan got on the front foot not giving his taller rangier opponent a chance to plant himself when coming forward with the big shots that proved near fatal in the 2nd. Eransoyan’s pressure was relentless landing jabs, uppercuts and left hooks. However, he was caught with a dangerous right hand midway through the round.
By the 7th Gutierrez was looking evermore fatigued as Eranosyan’s pitbull style saw him land two big body shots in the opening minute of the round. The pair traded, with Eransoyan, again, coming out the better landing two shots to the head, a thudding left jab followed. Eranosyan could smell the end was near, exhibiting Roy Jones Jr. inspired tricks as he went after his depleting adversary.
Gutierrez was deducted a point for holding midway through the 8th. As the round closed out Eranosyan had his man pinned to the ropes and let loose a gluttony of shots to the head and body sending the Venezuelan to the canvass with 18 seconds to spare. Up on the 9 count, Eranosyan was back on him, landing more big shots. As the round ended there was some confusion as it appeared Gutierrez’s team were about to throw in the towel. After far too long a look from the doctor, the fight was declared over in-between rounds with Gutierrez in no state to continue.
Eranosyan improves to 14-0 (7 KOs) finding himself in the mandatory position for the WBA super featherweight world title, Gutierrez moves to 27-5-1 (21 KOs).
In the evening’s chief support saw Petros Ananyan come back from behind, down on the scorecards to knockout Cristian Baez (19-3, 17 KOs) in the 7th round of their super lightweight bout.
