In what could only be described as a huge mismatch, Bruce Carrington, floating somewhere between WBO #4 and WBC #7 in the featherweight rankings, dispatched Brayan De Gracia via an eighth-round TKO. Carrington flung De Gracia to the canvas in rounds five and seven before the referee mercifully waved off the sham in the eighth, saving everyone from further boredom. Naoya Inoue was in attendance, probably wondering if he accidentally walked into a circus instead of a boxing event.
Tiger Johnson, America’s junior welterweight hope, didn’t exactly set the world on fire but did manage to outlast Tarik Zaina over eight rounds. The judges seemed as disinterested as the crowd, scoring it 79-73, 78-74, and 77-75—all for Johnson, in what amounted to a glorified sparring session.
Andy Dominguez, the local flyweight, eked out what was labeled a majority decision over Cristopher Rios in an affair that had the excitement of a tax audit. The judges, perhaps out of pity or distraction, handed out scores of 76-76, 88-74, and 77-75.
Middleweight Jahi Tucker defeated Quincy LaVallais in a one-sided affair, with the judges all agreeing on an 80-72.
Xander Zayas showed why he’s the real deal in the main event. The Super Welterweight, now boasting a 19-0 record with 12 KOs, put on a masterclass. Weighing in at 153.4 lbs, the Puerto Rican fighter who trains out of Sunrise, FL, took on southpaw Patrick Teixeira, a seasoned vet with a 34-5 record and 25 KOs, also weighing 153.4 lbs. From the first bell, it was clear Zayas was in control. His footwork was smooth, his punches sharp and on target. Teixeira, hailing from Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo, Brazil, just couldn’t keep up. Zayas dominated every round, landing clean shots and controlling the pace. Zayas relied on more than just brute force. He showed off his ring smarts, mixing up his punches and keeping Teixeira guessing. By the time the final bell rang, it was obvious Zayas had won all ten rounds, making it a lopsided affair.
As for the undercard sideshows: Ofacio Falcon barely broke a sweat against Antonio Dunton El over six yawn-inducing rounds. Ali Feliz executed a first-round KO of Lemir Isom-Riley, perhaps the only merciful act of the evening, sparing us all from prolonged agony. Nisa Rodriguez managed to secure a win over Jordanne Garcia in a four-round middleweight snoozefest.
