By: William Holmes
The America Bank Center in Corpus Christie, Texas was the host site for tonight’s Top Rank Boxing on ESPN offering.
The undercard featured several of Top Rank’s prized prospects. Teofimo Lopez, Jesse Hart, and Jose Benavidez delivered victories as expected on showcase bouts on ESPN News.
The opening bout of the night was between Jerwin Ancajas (26-1-1) and Israel Gonzalez (20-1) for the IBF Junior bantamweight title.
Many have been comparing Ancajas to Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao. Tonight was the first fight on US soil for Ancajas.
Ancajas, a southpaw, was able to back Gonzalez up with his sharp jab in the first round and scored an early knockdown with looping overhand left. Gonzalez was able to get to his feet and survive the opening round.
Ancajas unveiled his check right hook in the second round and went on the attack more. Gonzalez was able to land a few good shots in the third round, but Ancajas aggressive style was eerily similar to Pacquiao and was effective.
Photo Credit: Top Rank Boxing Twitter
Ancajas had doubled the number of punches landed by the fourth round and had Gonzalez stumbling in the fifth from a straight left hand.
Ancajas was steady and consistent in the sixth through eighth rounds, landing straight lefts almost at will and constantly testing the chin of Gonzalez.
Ancajas looked extremely comfortable in the ninth round and was landing almost at will. A straight right by Ancajas in the tenth round hurt Gonzalez which was followed by a straight left hand that sent him back to the mat.
He bounced on his feet for the referee when he rose before the count of ten, but Ancajas immediately followed that with a hard left hook that sent Gonzalez falling back down to the mat.
The referee immediately stopped the fight at 1:50 of the tenth round.
The main event of the night was between Gilberto Ramirez (36-0) and Habib Ahmed (25-0-1) for the WBO Super Middleweight Title.
Ramirez height advantage was glaring and Ramirez opened up with a good straight left hand. Ahmed was able to land a few shots of his own and looked like he game to exchange, but Ramirez was landing more combinations and heavy shots to the body.
Ahmed was short with most of his combinations in the second round and kept a tight guard for most of the round. Ramirez’s uppercuts were getting through.
Photo Credit: Top Rank Boxing Twitter
Ramirez suffered a cut above his left eye n the third round from a headbutt. Ramirez had Ahmed worn out by the third round and looked badly hurt.
Ramirez was snapping the head of Ahmed in the third round and battered him from corner to corner. The domination continued into the fifth round as Ahmed was just running away looking to survive.
Ramirez continued to land hard and heavy shots while Ahmed threw nothing in return in the sixth round. The referee looked close to stopping the fight several times before Ahmed’s corner finally told the referee to stop the fight.
Gilberto Ramirez was dominant with a knockout victory at 2:31 of the sixth round.