by: Matthew N. Becher
Premier Boxing Champions started of a boxing rich day, with a lead up afternoon fight card, live from Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. Opening with a Jr. Middleweight title fight between Cornelius Bundgrage vs. Jermall Charlo, and culminating with a main event between Peter Quillin and Michael Zerafa in the middleweight division.
These afternoon fights are the lead up to PBC’s owner Al Haymon’s prize client, Floyd Mayweather Jr’s final Pay Per View fight later tonight on Showtime PPV.
Cornelius Bundrage (34-5 19KO) vs. Jermall Charlo (21-0 16KO): IBF Jr. Middleweight Championship
Cornelius Bundgrage came into this fight as the oldest Jr. Middleweight champion ever (42), as his opponent, Jermall Charlo was getting his first title shot at the young age of 25. The young fighter Charlo was the favorite in the fight and showed why immediately.
Charlo went to work quick putting Bundgrage down to the canvas with a nice counter right hand in the first round. Charlo then showed off his strong left jab, dropping the champion Bundgrage with that in the 2nd.
While the first two knockdowns didn’t seem to necessarily damage Bundgrage, a right hand by Charlo in the 3rd definitely did. Once Bundrage got up he tried tying up Charlo and trying to move away from the younger fighter. But it wouldn’t last long, the composed Charlo stalked Bundgrage and put down the Champ with a barrage of punches. The referee did not need to see anymore, forfeiting a count and waving off the fight immediately.
And the new IBF Jr. Middleweight Champion, Jermall Charlo.
Charlo TKO3 2:33
Peter Quillin (31-0-1 22KO) vs. Michael Zerafa (17-1 9KO): Super Middleweight
Peter Quillin is a former middleweight world champion with an undefeated record and a fight set up with fellow Brooklynite Daniel Jacobs in December. Michael Zerafa is a part time boxer, ranked 91st in the world and has never fought in the United States before. This fight was only supposed to end one way, with a sheep being led to the slaughter.
Quillin weighted 160lbs for the contracted 163lb match, but ended up rehydrating “unofficially” to 182 lbs. overnight. He was the bigger fighter to begin with and the more experienced. Qullin was the aggressor for the 5 rounds that the fight lasted. Zerafa ate some good shots in those rounds and amazingly showed some great resilience. Zerafa was even able to get into a couple of good exchanges, but none were ever actually affecting Quillin.
Quillin ended the fight in the 5th round after a barrage of punches, with the end culminating with a huge power right hand, which stopped the fight immediately. Zerafa was knocked unconscious and needed to leave the ring on a stretcher.
Quillin KO5