UNCASVILLE, CT – The Mohegan Solar Enviornment was electrical final evening, as CES Boxing introduced a stacked ‘Love and Struggle’ card broadcast reside globally on DAZN.
The cardboard had one thing for each boxing fan, together with 3 title bouts, a struggle of the yr contender, a heavyweight slugfest, and the rise of a feminine star.
In the principle occasion, “Speedy” Rashidi Ellis (26-1, 17 KOs) continued to indicate why he is likely one of the most averted welterweights on the planet, stopping former Ecuadorian champion Jose Angulo (16-10, 9 KOs) to win the vacant WBC US Silver Welterweight title.
Ellis instantly imposed his superior pace and method in rounds 1 and a couple of, repeatedly snapping Angulo’s head again behind stinging jabs and sharp proper fingers. The 28-year-old Ecuadorian started tentatively, overlaying up and shaking his head every time Rashidi landed.
“The Savage with a Smile” picked up the tempo in spherical 3, throwing dazzling mixtures and counter proper fingers that befuddled Angulo. Urged by his nook to let his fingers go, the Ecuadorian lastly started countering in spherical 4, making an attempt to again Ellis into the ropes. Sadly for Angulo, Rashidi boxed as successfully on the backfoot as he did going ahead, peppering Angulo with fast flurries in rounds 5 and 6.
The Lynn, MA native started placing extra sting in his punches in spherical 7, touchdown heavy pictures to the top that rattled Angulo and inflicting him to cowl up once more. After the spherical, Angulo’s nook determined that the Ecuadorian had sufficient, citing a perforated eardrum.
With the win, Rashidi believes that he’s knocking on the door of a world title alternative.
“I would like Brian Norman, Jr., Mario Barrios, or the winner of Ennis vs. Stanionis,” stated Ellis after the win. “Any of the champions. I’ve been prepared for my shot.”
Carlos Gonzalez and Alex Espinoza battle to a 10-round Draw
Within the co-main occasion, Carlos “El Gallo” Gonzalez (14-0-1, 13 KOs) retained his NABA Featherweight Championship with a 10-round draw towards robust Nicaraguan Alex “Supernova” Espinoza (23-6-3, 8 KOs).
Gonzalez, of Springfield, MA, first walked right into a boxing fitness center 2 and a half years in the past. The 27-year-old is a fast examine, nevertheless, profitable 14 bouts in 2 years whereas profitable the NABA title by knocking out fellow prospect Duke Micah within the course of.
Espinoza, a former WBC Worldwide Silver champion, was driving a two-fight win streak going into the bout. The struggle started with Gonzalez pressuring Espinoza in rounds 1 and a couple of behind laborious hooks and proper fingers. The extra skilled Espinoza upped the tempo starting in spherical 3, specializing in Gonzalez’s physique and interesting the Puerto Rican in spots.
The Nicaraguan was in a position to drive Gonzalez to field on the again foot in spherical 4, and the Springfield native responded with efficient counters in rounds 5 and 6. Regardless of being outgunned by the extra highly effective Gonzalez, Espinoza was in a position to set a quick tempo that visibly drained the much less skilled champion by spherical 7.
Gonzalez appeared to get his second wind in spherical 8, decided to press the motion behind stiff jabs and proper fingers. Espinoza got here roaring again mid spherical, touchdown left and proper uppercuts that pushed Gonzalez again. A proper hand from Gonzalez knocked Espinoza’s mouthpiece out, however the robust Nicaraguan once more dug deep.
The fighters left nothing to likelihood within the tenth and remaining spherical, buying and selling pictures in shut till the ultimate bell. After 10 nip and tuck rounds, the judges scored the bout a draw with scores of 97-93 for Gonzalez, 96-94 for Espinoza, and 95-95.
‘King’ Kevin Walsh ruthlessly dethrones Ricky de los Santos
In a extremely anticipated bout, ‘King’ Kevin Walsh (16-0, 9 KOs) received a conflict of attrition towards New England rival Ricky de los Santos (12-2, 3 KOs) to win the WBC US Silver Featherweight Championship.
It was a dramatic forwards and backwards bout between two males who have been coming off the largest wins of their careers: de los Santos by defeating Nathan Martinez final February to win the WBC title, and Walsh through a fourth spherical TKO of Irvin Gonzalez final November for the New England Tremendous Featherweight title.
Previous to the struggle, every man claimed he was going to win emphatically, with Walsh guaranteeing a knockout whereas de los Santos promising to ‘dog-walk’ the Brockton native. De los Santos drew his confidence from a 4 spherical sparring session the pair had 2 years prior, which Walsh dismissed as irrelevant.
The primary few rounds favored de los Santos’ slicker boxing, because the Pawtucket resident got here ahead behind a lead left hook whereas avoiding most of Walsh’s incoming. The tide turned in spherical 3, nevertheless, when Walsh landed a counter proper hand to the temple that surprised de los Santos. Walsh instantly went on the offensive, touchdown a sequence of rights and lefts, a few of which landed after the bell as neither the fighters nor referee Arthur Mercante Jr. may hear it over the loud chants of the boisterous crowd.
Walsh continued his offensive in spherical 4, however de los Santos regained sufficient of his composure to field successfully once more mid spherical and into spherical 5. After a forwards and backwards spherical 6, Walsh launched a counter proper hand in spherical 7 that dropped de los Santos face first to the canvas. By some means, the Pawtucket native was in a position to beat the rely. Walsh landed one other proper hand that precipitated de los Santos to stumble into the ropes. Mercante Jr. stepped in, inflicting Walsh to consider the struggle was over. Nevertheless, after taking an in depth take a look at de los Santos, Mercante determined to let the bout proceed. The 20 second respite allowed Ricky to outlive the spherical, however the finish was close to. Walsh landed two consecutive proper fingers early in spherical 8 that precipitated Mercante to right away waive off the bout.
Undercard Motion
Mike Fontanez (11-0, 7 KOs) stored his undefeated report intact, stopping ‘Prince’ Ray Oliveira Jr. (10-4, 2 KOs) in spherical 6 of their jr. middleweight contest. ‘The Blessed Southpaw’ was too quick and correct for Oliveira, controlling the space along with his jab and touchdown stinging counters.
Together with his father asserting from ringside, Oliveira Jr. tried his finest to drive the Nashua, NH native right into a slugfest. Fontanez started to push the tempo in spherical 4, touchdown a sequence of mixtures for each one shot thrown by Oliveira. Oliveira bounced again nicely in spherical 5, however Fontanez’s livid counter left fingers within the sixth and remaining spherical satisfied referee Arthur Mercante, Jr. to halt the competition at 0:47 of the spherical to forestall Oliveira from taking additional punishment.
When heavyweight prospect Ali Feliz (5-0, 4 KOs) confronted Robinson Perez (3-3, 1 KO) in July 2024, the two massive males traded leather-based for 4 rounds. Lower than a yr later, the Danbury, CT native destroyed ‘The Wolf’ in simply 1:39 of the primary stanza. Feliz rocked Perez from the beginning, touchdown lengthy proper fingers from a distance and quick hooks when in shut. An enormous proper hand precipitated Perez to stumble to the ropes, inflicting referee Eric Dali to wave off the competition.
Amelia Moore (2-0, 1 KO) made quick work of the usually sturdy Michelle Prepare dinner (3-6-2), stopping the New York-based Canadian within the 2nd spherical of their jr. welterweight bout. Moore, the Crew Fight League’s 2024 Rookie of the Yr, set a frenetic tempo from the opening bell, pressuring Prepare dinner behind quantity punching. The Colorado resident, a adorned novice who’s ranked #5 with the WBA after only one professional bout, trapped Prepare dinner within the nook in spherical 2 and launched a brutal assault that culminated with 2 highly effective left hooks to the abdomen that dropped Prepare dinner for the 10-count.
18-year-old phenom Joseph “J-Elite” Chisholm (4-0, 4 KOs) continued his assault on the Tremendous Bantamweight division, scoring his 4th straight first spherical knockout in as many fights towards Texan Bryan Cox (0-4). After assessing what his opponent needed to supply, the Stratford, CT native trapped Cox within the nook and fired off 23 unanswered punches punctuated by a pair of highly effective left uppercuts that crumbled the Texan to the canvas.
Anthony “The Enforcer” Nieves made his professional debut a profitable one, profitable a 4-round conflict towards Brazilian Joseph Almeida (0-1) in a Tremendous Middleweight contest. It was a aggressive struggle right through, however Hamden’s Nieves took management of the struggle from spherical 3 on to win a call by scores of 39-37 (3x).
Carlos Perez (3-0) made a powerful return to the ring after a 4-year absence, profitable a shutout choice over robust Guatemalan Edgar Sagui (1-2) in a jr. welterweight bout. “Carlito’s Method,” a Puerto Rican by means of New Haven, CT, used his superior attain to manage the stocky Sagui with proper jabs and lengthy left fingers. The 30-year-old was additionally in a position to damage Segui on a number of events with proper hooks to the physique and uppercuts to the top.
Within the opening bout of the night, Johnston, RI’s Kevin Mojica (1-0, 1 KO) received his professional debut towards Edelmiro Morales (0-1), stopping the Groton, CT native in spherical 3 of a welterweight contest.
Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Govt Author, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a ardour for Fight Sports activities and likewise a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s additionally a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.
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