Miguel Flores (19-0, 9 KOs) defeated Mario Briones (27-5-2, 20 KOs) by unanimous decision (98-92, 100-90, 100-90) in a 10-round contest on the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes fight card Tuesday night from the Dancehall in San Antonio.
Flores opened up the bout establishing the left to the body of Briones. Fighting out of Houston, TX, Flores controlled much of the action in the first, but Briones used his experience and had a nice exchange with Flores to close out the round.
Briones charged back hard in the second though, landing a left in the opening minute of the round that seemingly shocked Flores. Flores threw punches furiously trying to push Briones back and maybe even end it early.
Flores used much of the third and fourth to settle in and land heavy lefts to the body, clearly establishing himself as the stronger fighter. During the action, Briones suffered a cut that opened up over the left eye.
Briones, making his U.S. debut, was the victim of a low blow early in the fifth and took a few moments to regain himself. As the fighters continued, Briones’ cut opened more.
Flores, who was also showing signs of a small cut over his left eye, opened the round controlling the action in the sixth. However, Briones showed no quit and fought back to regain his confidence and advance to another frame.
The seventh round saw both fighters’ left eyes gush blood as the pair threw shots furiously, hoping to end the contest. Flores was hit below the belt, but both fighters showed tremendous will as they survived to extend the fight. The eighth went on as Flores and Briones exchanged toe-to-toe blows in the center of the ring.
Briones, who appeared to control the pace and distance for much of the ninth, had lots of success landing on the inside. But as the round came to a close Flores fought back refusing to be denied.
Flores opened up the tenth landing a determined double left to the body. The fighters’ heads collided shortly after the start of the round, causing both to take pause. Briones seemed the more seriously hurt of the two after the incidental head butt, but both elected to continue, taking the fight the distance.
The opening televised bout featured undefeated light heavyweight prospect Ahmed Elbiali (14-0, 11 KOs) winning an eight-round unanimous decision (78-74, 77-75, 77-75) over Andrew Hernandez (10-4-1, 2 KOs).
After finding their distance, both landed heavy blows in the first. Elbiali managed to connect on a big left hook as the opening frame came to a close.
Hernandez, coming off just two weeks of rest, looked sharp in the second round, landing his right repeatedly. But Elbiali came right back back with another left hook.
In the third, Hernandez controlled much of the round from the outside, backing up Elbiali with the jab to set up combinations. Hernandez landed a shot that seemingly stunned Elbiali and then followed with a flurry to close out the round.
Hernandez carried his momentum over into the fourth and used his experience to make things difficult for Elbiali. Elbiali stalked Harnandez, hoping that the big shot would connect, but failing to land on the big one. As the round came to a close, Elbiali ate another big right hand.
Elbiali, a native of Cairo, Egypt, came out aggressive in the fifth and then stunned Hernandez early in the sixth. Elbiali landed a flurry of punches before Hernandez was able to gather himself and continue. Elbiali, knowing he had Hernandez close, tried to end the fight, but Hernandez survived the punishment.
Both fighters showed signs of tiring as the seventh round wore on, and Hernandez seemed to let a fight that was well within his grasp slip away. More of the same continued in the final round of the bout as Elbiali showed his skill and confidence. Hernandez reminded Elbiali that they were still in a fight, landing a one-two with :30 left, but Elbiali proved too much for Hernandez.
The second televised bout showcased undefeated welterweight Bryant Perrella (13-0, 12 KOs) getting a technical knockout win over Ramon Ayala (23-6-1, 11 Kos) just :10 in to the third round.
Perrella was able to stun Ayala early and continued to use his left to back Ayala down. Perrella kept his distance in the first, staying calm and balanced. A frustrated Ayala retaliated landing a couple of blows after the bell.
The second round saw Perrella control the action, breaking Ayala down and getting the better of the exchanges while landing combinations throughout.
Ultimately the barrage of punches early on was too much for Ayala who retired between rounds before the start of the third.
Below is what the televised fighters had to say about their performances tonight:
MIGUEL FLORES
“The game plan was to box. In the middle rounds I fell asleep and fought a little too much on the inside, but we got the win tonight.
“My speed and my youth helped me get the victory tonight. My footwork was also very important in getting the win.
“The the only thing that frustrated me was I couldn’t knock him out. I thought I was going to get him out of there, but it was a great learning experience for me.
“Tons of people just saw who I am and how I fight. I want to thank PBC and FS1 & FOX Deportes for allowing me this opportunity to make a name for myself and help grow our sport.
“I don’t want to call anyone out, but I’m going be back to work soon. The featherweight division is going to mine, and by the time I get my shot at a title I’m going to be ready for the best.”
AHMED ELBIALI
“Things never go like we anticipate. My plan was to feel him out a bit more, but I hurt my hand in the first round. I don’t want to make any excuses, but I was hoping to be able to box him a little more.
“My biggest advantage tonight was my size, youth and power. He had the experience though, and he looked decent in spots.
“He was a smart veteran. He clinched a lot and did some things that crafty veterans know how to do.
“Fighting on a PBC card boosts my profile and is great for my career. I’m looking forward to my next PBC fight card.
“I really just want and need to improve with every fight. That’s all I can worry about. I’ve got to get this hand feeling better, but then work on making the adjustments to be better next time out.”
ANDREW HERNANDEZ
“I planned on stopping him. He’s a much bigger guy. I’m a natural middleweight, but it was a great chance to fight a quality fighter.
“I felt like I could have stepped on the gas a bit more, worked more on the inside. We also know that he’s a dangerous guy though, so you have to be careful.
“I thought that I did enough to win, but obviously the judges didn’t agree with me. I think the fans who watched think that I won, but I’ll be back.”
BRYANT PERRELLA
“I really wanted to just go in there and flow tonight, not rush to knockout. I was hoping to establish my jab and win round by round.
“The work and training that I put in got me here and helped me get the win tonight. I eat, sleep and breathe boxing. My strength, power and speed helped me a lot tonight.
“He jumped in and hit me a few times with his head, so that made me a little hesitant to get in there on the inside.
“Being able to fight on a BPC card is a blessing. Being able to do what I love to do, this is just a dream come true fighting on FS1 & FOX Deportes.
“I’d love to face some of the guys that I had strong fights with in the amateurs, Errol Spence Jr. being one of them. We have some unfinished business that we’ll have to take care of in the future.”
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