Jeffrey Torres scored a first-round technical knockout over Israel “Filipino Tigre” Rojas in the main event. Referee Melissa Kelly stopped the junior welterweight bout at two minutes and fifty-nine seconds as Rojas was on unstable feet after getting knocked down for the second time in the round. Torres dropped Rojas via a right hook to the head and then a right hook to the body. He upped his record to 10-1, 6 KOs, and has won three in a row. Rojas dropped to 14-26, 5 KOs.
Photo: Emily Harney of Fightography
“I was breaking a little sweat and getting warmed up before I knocked him out,” said Torres. “We will talk to my team and see what is next for me. I will be ready to take out whoever they put in front of me.”
“Showcase” was promoted by Granite Chin Promotions, in association with Shearns Boxing Promotions from the Sheraton Hotel in Framingham, Massachusetts, in their first fight card of the year. It was only the second professional boxing card in Framingham. The main event and the twelve undercard bouts were televised live on bxngtv.com, in front of a sold-out crowd. Granite Chin Promotions’ next fight card is scheduled for March 19th in Derry, New Hampshire.
Denzel “Double Impact” Whitley obtained a third-round technical knockout over Alfred “Keenan” Raymond, in the co-feature. The welterweight prospect, who fought for the eighth time in the last thirteen months, improved to 8-0, 6 KOs. Raymond dropped to 1-1. Whitley knocked Raymond to the canvas via a right hook to the body and as Raymond fell to the canvas, he landed awkwardly on his right shoulder. He immediately grabbed his right shoulder in pain and referee Marcel Varela halted the bout at two minutes and thirty-five seconds when he saw that Raymond could not continue to fight. Whitley got the better of the exchanges and connected on more power shots in the bout. He also blooded Raymond’s nose from the second round on. Whitley’s next bout is scheduled for June 25th.
“I would give myself a C+ tonight because I should have started faster,” said Whitley. “He was a good opponent who brought it to me and that is what I needed. I am still undefeated. I am working my way up to eight rounds and fighting better competition.”
Up-and-coming welterweight, Josniel “TG” Castro (8-0-1, 6 KOs) and former WBC Youth world super lightweight champion, Juan Jesus Rivera Garces (18-27-1, 12 KOs) settled for a third-round no contest since the bout was halted before the fourth round. Referee Kelly stopped the fight at two minutes and thirty-seven seconds on the advice of the ringside doctor due to a deep cut over Castro’s left eye that was bleeding profusely. The cut was from an unintentional clash of heads. Castro, who was fighting for the seventh fight in the last nine months, controlled the fight as he aggressively stalked Garces around the ring and out-worked and out-landed him in the bout. Castro’s next bout is scheduled for March 25th, if his cut heals in time.
Stephen “Clubber” Langlais beat Scott “Scotty Bombs” Lampert via a second-round technical knockout. Langlais upped his record to 4-1, 3 KOs. He has won three in a row. Lampert dropped to 2-4, 2 KOs. Langlais scored two knockdowns in the second round from left hooks to the body. He also bloodied Lampert’s nose in the first round. Referee Varela stopped the light heavyweight bout at two minutes and thirty-seven seconds as Lampert struggled to beat his ten-second count. Langlais’ next bout is scheduled for April 22nd.
Laurent Humes knocked Juan Celin Zapata down four times in the first round, which forced referee Kelly to stop the super middleweight bout at two minutes and fifty-eight seconds. Laurent scored knockdowns from two left hooks to the head and then two left hooks to the body. He improved to 4-0, 4 KOs, with the technical knockout. Humes has yet to fight past the second round. Zapata fell to 6-21-2, 4 KOs. Humes’ next bout is scheduled for June 25th.
Junior middleweight Carlos Castillo defeated Antonio Chaves Fernandez via a six-round majority decision on the judges’ three scorecards (59-55, 59-55, and 57-57), in a fight that was not that close. He upped his record to 5-0, 3 KOs, in his first six-rounder. Fernandes dropped to 9-42-4, 3 KOs. Castillo landed pretty much whatever he threw in this one-sided bout. His next bout is scheduled for June 25th.
Steven Sumpter made quick work of David Rohn as he scored two knockdowns, one after the other, which prompted referee Kelly to stop the super middleweight bout at one minute and three seconds in the first round. Sumpter knocked Rohn down via a straight right and then a left hook, both to Rohn’s head. Sumpter improved to 4-0, 4 KOs, with the technical knockout. Rohn fell to 0-12-1. Sumpter’s next bout is scheduled for March 19th.
Maycon Oller scored an upset victory over previously unbeaten Jamer Jones via a second-round knockout. Oller landed several left, right combinations to Jones’ head which sent him through the ropes for a knockdown. Once action resumed, Oller connected on a couple more unanswered punches on a defenseless Jones, who had not recovered from the knockdown, so referee Varela stopped the junior middleweight bout at two minutes and forty-two seconds. Oller got his first professional win (1-3, 1 KO). Jones, who was dominating this fight before getting knocked down, dropped to 2-1, 2 KOs.
Cruiserweight Saul “The Spider” Almeida defeated Kevin “Lucky” Lewis via a technical knockout after Lewis’ corner stopped the bout at the end of the third round. Almeida won his first professional bout in nineteen fights (1-14-4, 1 KO). Lewis (0-1) was making his professional debut after sparring in over 300 gyms, mainly in the United States but also in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Ireland. Almeida out-worked and out-landed Lewis throughout the bout.
Anthony “Gentle Savage” Andreozzi (1-2, 1 KO) obtained the first victory of his professional career with a second-round technical knockout over Robert Bricks, who fell 0-9. He knocked Bricks down from a right uppercut in the second round and Bricks was unable to beat referee Varela’s ten-second count, so the junior middleweight fight was stopped at one minute and fifty-two seconds. Andreozzi dominated this bout, as he landed whatever he wanted, especially power shots. Bricks was deducted a point in the second by the referee for repeatedly spitting out his mouthguard. Andreozzi’s next bout is scheduled for March 19th.
Former 2018 National Golden Gloves silver medalist, Felix Parrilla stopped Ronny Arana in the first round of their junior lightweight bout at two minutes and seventeen seconds via a left hook to the body. Arana dropped to the canvas from the punch and could not beat referee Kelly’s ten-second count. The former four-time New England Golden Gloves champion kept his undefeated record intact (4-0, 4 KOs), with the technical knockout. Arana dropped to 0-5. Parilla’s next bout is scheduled for March 25th.
Eric Tudor obtained a dominating second-round technical knockout victory over Rynell Griffin. Tudor upped his record to 2-0, 2 KOs, in his second bout in two weeks. Griffin fell to 8-51-2, 2 KOs. Tudor landed numerous unanswered combinations on Griffin, who lay on the ropes defenseless, which prompted referee Varela to stop the junior middleweight bout at one minute and fifteen seconds.
Middleweight Larry “Slo Mo” Smith scored an upset ninth-round technical knockout victory over Manny “Shake Em’ Up” Woods. Referee Kelly stopped the bout at one minute and fifty-nine seconds on the advice of the ringside doctor due to a bad cut over Woods’ left eye that was bleeding. Smith improved to 13-50-2, 9 KOs. Woods dropped to 17-16-1, 6 KOs. Smith out-worked and out-landed Woods throughout the bout and bloody Woods’ nose in the fifth round, which continued to bleed for the rest of the bout. Woods was deducted a point in the seventh round by the referee for excessive holding.
