By: Sean Crose
Cameron Krael may have been viewed as a stepping stone opponent for for the 14-2 Jose Berrego, but the 14-13-3 super lightweight surprised quite a few people Saturday night at Sam’s Town in Las Vegas. After engaging in an exciting sea saw affair for ten straight rounds, the judges decided that the Las Vegas based Krael, by way of Hawaii, was worthy of the decision. And so the man who is considered a seasoned vet at the young age of 24, walked out of the ring on Saturday a surprise winner. Borrego’s camp was clearly unhappy, feeling their man had done enough to earn the victory.
Photo of Xavier Martinez-Credit: Mayweather Promotions Twitter Account
Krael, whose previous ring battle had been a split decision loss to the well known Erik Bone, credited his new trainer for helping his career reverse course. “My boxing,” Krael is quoted as saying afterward, “was on point tonight, that’s what I showed new to my game, thanks to my new coach Otis.” He taught me how to box, how to jab, and just stay in the outside pretty much.” Krael also said he was prepared for what his opponent had to offer. “I knew he was going to bring the pressure and I just tried to stay on the outside as much as possible.” After besting a man known as a legitimate up and comer, Krael was ready to move forward. “I’m ready for bigger things,” he claimed. “Whatever they got coming up for me, I’m ready.”
The card also saw Linell Bellows, 18-2-3, get bested by the 14-6 Christopher Booker, who walked away with the decision win. Bellows was coming off an impressive win over Lamar Harris last July. Ava Knight, the “Lady of Boxing,” fared better than Bellows, besting the 17-13-3 Nancy Franco by decision. Knight’s record now stands at 16-2-4.
Worthy of note – and of eyeballs – is the undefeated super featherweight Xavier Martinez, who notched up another victory, this one against the 22-9 Oscar Bravo. Martinez, who is only 20 years old, has already earned a record of 12-0 and is certainly worth keeping an eye on. Saturday’s card at Sam’s Town was the product of Mayweather Promotions, which oversees and guides the careers of many of the fighters who appeared in the ring, including the victorious Krael, the victor of the night’s main event. Sam’s Town is known to host Mayweather Promotions cards, as is a friendly venue to the sport of boxing.