The number three Ring Magazine Junior Lightweight Pugilist, Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy dominated former world title challenger, Fernando David “El Vasco” Saucedo as he won every round en route to a twelve round unanimous decision by three scorecards, 120-108. He also made his first successful defense of the Junior Lightweight International Boxing Federation Title that he won in July over former defending champion, Argenis Mendez.
Barthelemy controlled the action throughout this bout as he outworked and out landed Saucedo. He landed more effective and accurate punches, especially power shots which he connected on half of them.
Barthelemy never tried for the knockout, instead he seemed content to outbox Saucedo. Saucedo tried to press the action but he couldn`t get into any offensive rhythm due to Barthelemy`s great defense and because he wasn`t as active in throwing punches as he should`ve been.
“I felt great in this fight, my jab and combinations worked extremely well and my defense was good,” said Barthelemy. “I want to fight the best junior lightweight fighters in the world, especially Mikey Garcia.”
Barthelemy from Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Cuba remained undefeated and improved his record to 21-0, 12KOs. Florencio, Buenos Aires, Argentina`s Saucedo fell to 52-6-2, 8KOs and had his 14 fight unbeaten streak end. This was his first fight in the U.S.
DiBella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing Promotions promoted this Showtime Boxing Special Edition from the Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
Vanes “Nightmare” Martirosyan, the 2004 U.S. Olympian obtained an uplifting, emotional filled victory for the Goossen family, including his trainer, Joe Goossen whose brother and Martirosyan `s promoter, Dan Goossen, passed away last week from liver cancer, as he defeated Willie “The Great” Nelson by unanimous decision.
“I couldn`t believe it when I was told that Dan Goossen passed away. I got a bit tear eyed at the news,” said Martirosyan. “I was thinking of not fighting this bout but I remembered what Dan told his brother, Joe before he passed away and that was to go to Connecticut and win this fight and that is what I did. That inspirational message of his really carried me in the second half of this bout.”
The number three ranked Ring Magazine Junior Middleweight Fighter from Glendale, California by way of Armenia won all three scorecards, 97-93, 97-93 and 96-94. Martirosyan upped his record to 35-1-1, 21KOs and won for the second consecutive time, following his lone loss to world title holder, Demetrius Andrade. He also garnered the World Boxing Organization`s Inter-Continental Junior Middleweight Title. This was his most significant victory of his career after coming up short against Andrade and getting a draw with Erislandy Lara.
“I want to fight all the big names in this division like Austin Trout, Canelo Alvarez or a rematch with Lara,” said Martirosyan.
The Cleveland, Ohio native, Nelson dropped to 23-2-1, 13KOs. The former North American Boxing Federation Champion and number seventh ranked Ring Magazine Junior Middleweight Boxer lost for the first time in eight fights.
“I really thought I was up a round or at worse it should`ve been a draw. That was a tough loss for me,” said Nelson. “I still believe that I`m ready for any of the big names in the division.”
This was a battle of two top ten junior middleweights that lived up to their hype as they waged an absolute war of nonstop action where the momentum shifted back and forth. Nelson started the bout extremely well as he went on an all-out attack on Martirosyan. He pressed him for the first two rounds and connected on several powerful punches. Martirosyan came back at the end of the second round when he landed multiple right hooks that staggered Nelson.
Nelson and Martirosyan traded shots for the next three rounds before Nelson came back in the sixth and seventh round and connected on several effective combinations that backed up Martirosyan. Martirosyan took over the fight in the eighth round as he continued to get the better of the inside exchanges and landed the harder shots, especially the right hook that stunned Nelson on more than one occasion. He cut Nelson in the eighth round but Nelson badly bruised Martirosyan`s face.
Former NABA and USA light heavyweight champion, Tommy Karpency scored a stunning upset over former two-time light heavyweight world title holder and number five ranked Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight Boxer, “Bad” Chad Dawson, as he garnered a ten round split decision with two scorecards of 96-94 while Dawson received the other scorecard, 96-94.
This was a close back and forth bout where both fighters weren`t overly aggressive; however, they demonstrated great jabs and counter punching. Karpency landed the more powerful shots while Dawson had the better defense and landed the more accurate punches. Karpency started off strong as he dedicated the pace and outworked Dawson but Dawson stepped it up in the second half of the fight as he was more active and landed the better combinations.
“This is unbelievable that I didn`t win this fight,” said an irate Dawson. “I separated my left shoulder in the third round and I still out jabbed and out landed Karpency and most of his punches I blocked.”
Adah, Pennsylvania`s Karpency, who took this bout on short notice, scored the most important victory of his career as he improved to 24-4-1, 14KOs. He won for the third consecutive time. This was a devastating loss for the hometown New Haven, Connecticut native who was making an attempt to win another world title. Dawson fell to 32-4, 18KOs and lost for the third time in his last four fights. If it`s true that Dawson separate his left shoulder early in the fight, it might explain why he didn`t fight as well as he should`ve.
“I`m going to get my left shoulder addressed and then I`ll be back in the ring. You haven’t seen the last of me,” said Dawson.
“Salomon King” Jonathan Guzman stopped Ennesto Guerrero with 2:53 in the second round after he recorded two powerful knockdowns, the second one, Guerrero couldn`t beat the ten count. Guzman has 17 knockouts in 17 bouts while Guerrero dropped to 17-13, 11KOs. The hard hitting bantamweight knockout artist from Santo Domingo, Domingo Republic is the former World Boxing Association`s Fedelatin Bantamweight Champion and is ranked number five by the North America Boxing Federation. Aqua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico`s native, Guerrero tried hard to hold his own but he was overmatched in this bout.
Joseph Elegele escaped with a six-round split decision over Jonathan Garcia in a close junior middleweight bout. Elegele won two scorecards, 58-55 and 57-56 while Garcia obtain the other scorecard, 57-56. Elegele was greatly helped with a Garcia point deduction in the six round for excessive holding. Garcia held for most of the round as he tried to stay on his feet after being badly staggered by a powerful Elegele combination. Garcia was more aggressive but Elegele landed the more precise and harder punches. Elegele from Winter Haven improved to 14-2, 10KOs. Garcia from Aguada, Puerto Rico, fell to 4-10, 1KO.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania`s Milton “El Santo” Santiago kept his undefeated record intact, 7-0, 3KOs as he registered a four-round unanimous decision victory over Arturo “Sonic” Santiago who dropped to 7-9-1, 4KOs, in a battle of lightweights. El Santo won all three scorecards, 40-35. Milton Santiago controlled the fight and landed whatever he wanted, while Mayaguez, Puerto Rico native, Arturo Santiago didn`t offer much in return as he covered up for most of the matchup. Milton Santiago who`s only 18 years old, recorded a knockdown in the first round and badly staggered Arturo in the second.
Middleweight, Kyrone “Shut it Down” Davis made quick work of Rick Morias as he scored two knockdowns in the first round before the referee stopped the fight at 1:36 in the round. Davis, the 2013 National PAL and Adidas National Champion from Wilmington, Delaware improved his unbeaten record to 5-0, 3KOs with the technical knockout win. Rick Morias, from Cleveland, Ohio fell to 1-2. Morias barely beat the ten count from the first knockdown and then Davis quickly attacked Morias and put him down again.
Stephen “Cool Body” Fulton crushed Isaac Badger over two rounds after which the referee stopped the bout at the end of the second round, giving Fulton the technical knockout victory. He had a knockdown in the first round. Fulton, a junior featherweight from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania made his professional debut. Lockwood, Missouri native, Isaac Badger, dropped to 0-3.
Earl” Flash” Newman, Jr. made a good professional debut as he won a second round technical knockout victory over Quitell Thompson. Columbia, Missouri`s Thompson fell to 0-3. The two-time New York Golden Gloves Champion from New York, New York dominated the first round and then turned up his offensive prowess in the second as he registered a knockdown which Thompson was extremely slow to get up but beat the count. Cruiserweight, Newman, Jr. continued to pour it on before the referee stopped the one-side bout at 1:56.
Heavyweight Paul Koon from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania recorded a first round technical knockout victory over Hector Hyde at 1:57, in his professional debut after he knockdown Hyde with a right uppercut and Hyde couldn`t get up before the ten count ended. Hyde, from Miami, Florida, dropped to 1-3.
