Vergil Ortiz Jr. fough through adversity, but showed he is a legitimate contender to comeback and stop former world title challenger in round eight of their scheduled 12-round welterweight bout at the Star in Frisco, Texas.
In round two, Kavaiauskas hurt Ortz with a right hand, and set off a fiery exchange that looked like it sent Ortiz to the canvas but it was ruled a slip. In round three, Kavaliauskas hurt Ortiz again with a right hand, but this time Ortiz came off the ropes and fired off a left hook that sent Kavaliauskas to the canvas.
In round eight, Ortiz dropped Kavaliauskas three times. The first was a left hook to the body. The next two were from hard left hooks to the head and the fight was stopped at
Ortiz, 147 lbs of Grand Prairie, TX is 18-0 with 18 knockouts. Kavaliauskas, 146.1 lbs of Lithuania is 22-2-1.
Ortiz said, “I feel good. The fight started off slow in my opinion and I just had to adjust. After the second round, I had to adjust and try to find a way to wear him down. I started using my jab more and fought more intelligently. After the third round, I felt more confident because I knew that I could control the fight moving forward. But he is a tough guy, a very strong fighter, and I respect that he came to fight.”
“I came here to fight, I was sure I would stop him. I prepared myself so hard to be ready for this fight. I was 100% in shape, I was fast, I was strong. But you know, it is what it is, today he was stronger, he is a tremendous fighter. He has good power and good speed, good jab, good technique, he is a good fighter. I was thinking that I was going to end the fight in the second round, but he survived. He is a warrior,” said Kavaliauskas.
Gutierrez Decisions Alvarado; Retains 130 lb Title
Roger Gutierrez defended the WBA Super Featherweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision from the man he won the belt from Rene Alvarado in their trilogy bout.
Gutierrez, 130 lbs of Venezuela won by scores of 116-112 twice and 115-113 and is now 26-3-1. Alvarado, 129.2 lbs is 32-10.
“I hurt my right hand, it was very inconvenient because I feel like I could have ended the fight earlier. But I want to thank god we were victorious and that is the most important thing. I know Rene is a warrior, but we had a good fight today and we are happy to take on the next challenge, and perhaps fight Leo Santa Cruz,” said Gutierrez.
Alvarado stated, “I feel like I dominated the majority of the fight. I do not feel like the decision was fair. In the last round, I did get the cut on my left eye and I couldn’t see, but I know that I closed those two rounds.”
Alvarado Destroys Vazquez in 1
Light-Flyweight world champion Felix Alvarado destroyed late-replacement Israel Vazquez in the opening round of their scheduled 10-round non-title bout.
Alvarado landed a hard counter right that sent Vazquez down and out at 2:50.
Alvarado, 107.6 lbs of Managua, NIC is 37-2 with 32 knockouts. Vazquez, 107.6 lbs of Bayamon, PR is 10-5-2.
“I did feel a little unstable with the change of opponents and of course I would love to fight Eric Lopez, but unfortunately that didn’t happen due to the visa issues. Fortunately, we had a good training camp and we were prepared for Israel. Luckily the fight ended early enough where he wasn’t injured and I wasn’t injured,” said Alvarado.
Rincon Decisions Buzolin
George Rincon remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Nikolai Buzolin in a welterweight bout.
Rincon, 142.2 lbs of Dallas, TX won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 12-0. Buzolin, 143 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 8-4-1.
“He was a shorter fighter with a very awkward style and I had to be careful with those looping hands. There were a few things that I wish that I could have made more clear during the fight, but his style didn’t really help. Just happy that I was able to be here, fight in my hometown, in front of my friends and family. Glad we got the win and I plan to go back to the gym and keep getting better,” said Rincon.
Alex Martin won a 10-round unanimous decision over Josec Ruiz in a super welterweight bout.
Martin, 137 lbs of Chicago is 17-3. Ruiz, 135.4 lbs of Miami, FL is 23-5-3.
Martin said, “I knew that I hurt him with that body shot in the last round and he started to fold over. I still could have followed up with more body shots, but I am happy I got the win. I am ready to come back. I am motivated and just thankful to God for the opportunity.”
Alex Rincon remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Sanny Duversonne in a middleweight contest.
Rincon, 153.4 lbs of Dallas, TX win by scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74 and is now 9-0. Duversonne, 154.8 lbs of Avon Park, FL is 11-4-2.
“He was a tough warrior, you have to respect him. I knew he was going to be a durable fighter. I also knew that I needed to use my jab to counter his jab and set up the shot. But I feel good, I think it was about time I got some war wounds so people can believe I am a fighter,” said Rincon.
