It was billed to be a toe-to-toe action fight, and it lived up to it as Miguel Berchelt beatdown a game Miguel Roman to retain the WBC Super Featherweight title via 9th round stoppage at The Don Haskins Cinvention Center in El Paso, Texas.
The two landed heavy punches over the 1st part of the fight that saw several phone booth exchanges, with Brerchelt getting the better of the action.
In round six, Berchelt finally cracked Roman as he landed a hard right hand that sent Roman to the canvas. Seconds later it was a quick left-right combination that sent Roman down for a 2nd time.
Berchelt continued to pound away on Roman. The fight could have been stopped several times if not for Roman showing a tremendous heart and landing a right hand to keep him in the fight.
Roman finally broke for good in round nine as he was dropped by a barrage of punches. Seconds later, it was another nasty head combination that had referee Jon Schorle stop the bout at 2:58.
Berchelt, 129.6 lbs of Merida, MEX is 35-1 with 31 knockouts. Roman, 129.6 lbs of Ciudad Juarez, MEX is 60-13.
“This was the toughest of my four world title defenses,” Berchelt said. “I give my respect to Mickey as an opponent. The key was my body work. He kept getting up and fighting with all of his heart. He’s a valiant Mexican warrior.”
Said Roman: “I feel fine. I gave it 100 percent. I’ll be back.”
Three-time world title challenger Miguel Marriaga stopped Jose Estrella in round four of their scheduled 10-round featherweight bout.
In round three, Marriaga landed a perfect left to the face that sent Estrella to the canvas. In round four, it was a hard left to the body that sent Estrella riving in pain on the canvas for the 1-count at 2:43.
Marriaga, 126.5 lbs of Cartagena, COL is 27-3 with 23 knockouts. Estrella, 126 1/4 lbs of Tijuana. MEX is 20-15-1.
“He was a very tough and strong opponent,” Marriaga said. “I know he trained hard for this fight, but I trained harder. In the end, my experience was key in getting the victory. The plan was to attack the body and that’s exactly what I did. I knocked him out with a huge left hook to the body.
“I know that I have what it takes to become a world champion. I want to challenge for another world title!”
Robson Conceicao won an eight-round unanimous decision over Joey Laviolette in a super featherweight bout.
Conceicao, 130 1/4 lbs of Bahia, BRA won by scores of 80-72 on all cards, and is now 10-0. Laviolette, 129.5 lbs of Sackville, CAN is 9-2.
Conceicao said: “This is my second bout fighting eight rounds and I felt great. I always train hard and I am always in great physical condition. I feel like I’m prepared to go the 12-round distance. I want to face the best. I’m ready to battle against the champions of the junior lightweight division. I want Tevin Farmer, Miguel Berchelt, Alberto Machado, or Gervonta Davis. I don’t care who it is. I want a title!”
Saul Rodriguez remained undefeated with a 2nd round stoppage over Claudio Tapia in a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout.
In round one, Rodriguez landed a left to the body that put Tapia on a knee. Tapia’s left eye began to swell really badly. In round two, it was a left hook that sent Tapia to canvas. Seconds later a right hand ended things when Rodriguez scored a 3rd knockdown at 1:57.
Rodriguez, 135 3/4 lbs of Riverside, CA is 22-0-1 with 16 knockouts. Tapia, 137 lbs of Ciudad Mendoza, ARG is 28-19-4.
Rodriguez said: “I was anxious and excited to get back in there after such a long time out of the ring. It was a long time coming, but I did what I had to do and got the job done.”
Nicklaus Flaz took an exciting eight-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Sagadat Rakhmankul in a welterweight bout.
In round four, Flaz landed a hard right that sent Rakhmankul to the canvas. Rakhmankul came back in round five to land some crushing shots that rocked Flaz all over the ring, and even open a cut over Flaz’s right eye.
The two pounded it out in the last round with Flaz hammerimg Rakhmankul and almost scoring a knockdown.
Flaz, 147 1/2 lbs of Vaga Alta, PR won by scores of 78-73, 77073 and 76-75 and is now 6-1. Rakhmankul, 147.25 lbs of Oxnard, CA is 3-1.
Janibek Alimkhanuly took a eight-round split decision over Vaughn Alexander in a super middleweight bout.
Alimkhanunly, 163 1/4 lbs of Almaty, KAZ is 4-0. Alexander, 162.25 lbs of St. Louis, MO 12-2.
Zach Prieto needed just 45 seconds to dispose of Michael Andrews in their scheduled four round middleweight bout.
Prieto, 158 lbs of El Paso, TX is 4-0 with three knockouts. Andrews, 157 lbs of Pontiac, MI is 1-3.
