By: Sean Crose
Sam’s Town in Las Vegas and Bounce TV hosted a PBC card on Friday evening which featured Ladarius Miller going up against Dennis Galarza in a lightweight affair. First, though, Kevin Watts, 12-2, faced off against Juan Heraldez, 13-0, in a scheduled 10 round welterweight battle. Heraldez, known as a fighter to keep an eye one, dropped his man in the very first round. Watts got up, but Heraldez was able to continue dominating throughout the first half of the fight.
Photo Credit: Mayweather Promotions Twitter Account
The man’s effective jab and solid punches were telling the tale. Watts himself began to have some success in the eighth, but it was too little, too late. Heraldez ended up taking a well deserved Unanimous Decision win.
The next match featured the 22-7 Oscar Bravo and the 31-1 Sharif Bogere in a ten round lightweight match. Bogere’s more accurate and sharper punches told the tale in the first half of the match. He carried that success into the second half of the fight, as well. As the PBC broadcast team stated, Boegere’s jabs to the body were proving successful. Bravo came forward gamely, and actually looked rather effective in spots. Bogere, however, ended up looking like the more advanced fighter. It was no easy win, but Bogere’s Unanimous Decision victory was clearly well deserved.
It was time for the main event. Miller, 16-1, entered the ring riding a seven fight win streak and with the support of Floyd Mayweather’s Money Team. The 16-3 Galarza, on the other hand, was undoubtedly eager to move on from an April loss to Edner Cherry. The first round of the scheduled 10 rounder was simply a feeling out affair. The second round was nearly as cautious in nature as the first. The third round saw Miller firing and largely missing while Galarza hardly threw any punches at all. Gatti-Ward this was not. Round four consisted of both men feinting, firing once or twice every second or so, and tying each other up. Heading into the midway point of the fight, neither man had landed close to anything telling.
Things picked up in the middle rounds, with Galarza appearing more eager to pick up the pace. By the seventh, it was Galarza who was asserting himself by applying pressure on the smaller Miller. The final rounds saw a still cautious, but considerably more effective, Galarza getting the better of his man. Miller was able to contain Galarza to some degree with his jab, but he was never able to assert himself or mount anything impressive. Surprisingly, Miller walked out of the ring with a UD win.
As a walkout bout, the undefeated 4-0 Rolando Romero engaged in a scheduled six round lightweight affair with the 4-4 Javier Martinez. A stand up and fight boxer, Romero attempted to dominate his foe, but Martinez was more than willing to engage. Romero was still able to walk away with a UD win.