By: Ken Hissner
Oscar de La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions on ESPN hosted Upper Marlboro, MD, WBC Youth Silver Super Featherweight champ Lamont Roach. Roach held on to his undefeated status and gained his second title the vacant WBO International title.
Super Featherweight Lamont Roach, Jr., 17-0-1 (7), from Washington, DC took on southpaw Deivi Julio “El Cabo” Bassa, 20-5 (12), of Monteira, COL, for the vacant WBO International Super Featherweight title. The bout was scheduled for 10 rounds.
Photo Credit: Miguel Rocha/Melissa Cervera/Luzairem Torres
In the opening round, it was all Roach. He used his jab to offset Bassa. As the ten second to go in the round sounded from the timekeeper Roach landed his best punch of the round a right to the chin of Bassa. In the second round, Roach continued boxing well but got hit by a left to the mid-section by Bassa. Roach came back with a right to the head of Bassa spinning him halfway around.
In the third round, Bassa landed a lead uppercut to the mid-section of Roach. A lead right followed by a glancing left to the head was followed by a right from Roach dropping Bassa. Roach jumped on Bassa who tried fighting back at the bell. In the fourth round, it was all Roach once again. At the end of the round, Roach had Bassa holding on at the bell. Bassa hardly landed a punch in the round.
In the fifth round, Roach continued pressing Bassa landing a big right to the head of Bassa. Roach has been looking for a knockout since the knockdown in the third round. Roach landed a hard right to the ribs of Bassa halfway through the round. Roach landed a left hook to the liver making Bassa’s legs wobble. In the sixth round, Bassa landed a low right giving Roach a little time to re-coup. Bassa slipped onto his butt and looked exhausted after getting up with seconds to go in the round. Bassa’s corner didn’t allow him to come out for the seventh. Roach won every round.
In a re-match Super Bantamweight southpaw Alexis Bastar, 11-1-1 (5), of Quintana Roo, Cancun, MEX, edged out Rigoberto Nava, 3-3-4 (0), of Mexico City, MEX, over 6 non-stop fighting rounds.
In the first round both boxers slugged it out non-stop inside from the opening bell with little to choose between the two of them. In the second round the slugfest continued. Bastar landed a right hook behind the head that stunned Nava. He was warned but the damage was already done.
In the third round Bastar landed a combination that rattled the head of Nava. Midway through the round Nava started going to the body of Bastar. It was a good round for Bastar. In the fourth round the referee took a point from Bastar who had been on the receiving end of low blows without warning.
In the fifth round Bastar took command obviously being upset from losing a point in the previous round. He had control until the final seconds of the round when Nava opened up. In the sixth and final round with the fight up for grabs both fighters gave it their all. Bastar rocked Nava with a left uppercut to the chin with a minute left in the round. There couldn’t have been a total of a dozen jabs in the entire fight. The referee was Jose Pacheco.
Scores were 57-56 by all three judges and this writer.
In the co-feature the former IBF Super Flyweight champion now a Featherweight southpaw Juan Carlos “Zurdito” Sanchez, Jr., 24-6-1 (11), of Sinaloa, MEX, defeated Florentino ”Violento” Perez, 11-4-1 (7), of Monterrey, MEX, over 8 rounds.
In the first round the more experienced and taller former champion Sanchez had his way pressing Perez. Perez hardly landed a punch. In the second round Hernandez rocked Sanchez with a counter right. Perez threw a right that wrapped around the head of Sanchez and a clash of heads Perez caused Sanchez to go down. The referee Florentino Lopez Cruz called it a knockdown. Both fighters exchanged uppercuts to the chin of one another just prior at the bell.
In the third round Sanchez came fighting back but not with taking several rights to the head. It was Sanchez taking the round at the end. In the fourth round Sanchez continued to have control with quite a bit of body shots from both fighters.
In the fifth round Sanchez continued working the body of Perez. Sanchez landed numerous right hooks to the head of Perez in the second half of the round. In the seventh round Sanchez continued to get the best of Perez but took several lead rights to the head. In the eighth and final round at the halfway point a right hook from Sanchez rocked the durable Perez. In the final minute, Perez had his mouth open gasping for air.
The scores were 76-75, 77-74 and 78-73 as did this writer.