Glendale, Arizona. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez climbed to bantamweight for the primary time and walked out a three-division world champion, knocking out WBA titleholder Antonio Vargas at 1:15 of the sixth spherical Saturday night time at Desert Diamond Area. The Matchroom Boxing card aired reside on DAZN.
Rodriguez improves to 24-0 with 17 knockouts and provides the 118-pound belt to the titles he beforehand held at flyweight and tremendous flyweight. It was his sixth consecutive stoppage throughout three weight lessons. Vargas, a 2016 U.S. Olympian who entered on an eleven-fight unbeaten run, falls to 19-2-1 with 11 knockouts.
The Struggle
For 4 rounds, this was an actual contest. Vargas, reinstated as WBA champion after Seiya Tsutsumi was declared champion in recess, got here ahead behind arduous combos down the center and caught Rodriguez clear extra usually than Bam’s opponents often handle. Rodriguez took the early pictures, stayed disciplined behind his jab, and used fixed shifting and southpaw angles to maintain resetting the vary.
The battle turned at first of the fifth. Rodriguez landed a straight left that dropped Vargas arduous and visibly harm him. To his credit score, Vargas held, smothered, and survived the spherical on his toes.
There was no escape within the sixth. Rodriguez rocked Vargas once more early within the spherical, then closed the present with a straight left on the finish of a mix that put Vargas down, first to a knee after which flat on his again. Vargas couldn’t beat the rely, and referee Don Flores waved it off at 1:15.
“He was more durable than I assumed,” Rodriguez mentioned afterward, crediting Vargas for rising from the primary knockdown and persevering with to battle again. As he put it by way of the night time, “he acquired up prefer it by no means even occurred.”
What’s Subsequent
Consideration turned instantly to a superfight with undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue, who fights simply 4 kilos north of bantamweight. Rodriguez, ranked at or close to the highest of most pound-for-pound lists, saved it easy: “I’m prepared for whoever, at any time when.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn urged Bam might take yet one more battle earlier than Inoue, probably a bantamweight unification towards WBO titleholder Christian “Chispo” Medina, however left little doubt concerning the greater goal. “That battle is inevitable,” Hearn mentioned of the Inoue matchup.
Co-Major Occasion
Within the ten-round co-feature, Arturo Cardenas (18-0-2, 9 KOs) defended his WBC Continental Americas tremendous bantamweight title with a unanimous choice over Phoenix’s Jordan Martinez (16-1-1, 15 KOs) in a rematch. The judges scored it 100-90, 98-92, and 97-93. Cardenas managed the motion behind physique work and stress, and the win positions him for a attainable title alternative down the road.
Girls’s IBF Light-weight Title
Elif Nur Turhan (14-0, 9 KOs) of Istanbul made the second protection of her IBF light-weight title, edging undefeated challenger Gabriela Tellez (7-1, 3 KOs) by unanimous choice over the total ten rounds. All three judges turned in 96-94 playing cards. The bodily stronger Turhan landed the extra telling energy pictures, whereas the 19-year-old Tellez had her greatest moments slipping inside to attain with the left hand. It was a aggressive, eventful battle that lived as much as its co-feature billing.
Major Card Opener
Elias Montoya Terraza (14-0, 9 KOs) of Phoenix opened the DAZN telecast with a dominant second-round knockout of Glendale’s Adrian Rodriguez (10-1, 6 KOs) at light-weight.
Preliminary Card
Trini Ochoa (22-1, 10 KOs) def. Cristian Perez Hernandez (12-5-1, 7 KOs) by KO, Spherical 2, tremendous light-weight
Xechal Xavier Esquivel (6-0, 5 KOs) def. Rayshawn Taylor (1-2-1, 1 KO) by KO, featherweight
Hector Beltran (8-0, 6 KOs) def. Shaquile Felicia (3-2, 1 KO) by TKO, Spherical 2 (2:53), tremendous welterweight
Ronny Alvarez (7-0, 6 KOs) def. Filip Stankovic (9-4, 6 KOs) by TKO, tremendous middleweight
Full Outcomes
Major Occasion, WBA Bantamweight Title: Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez def. Antonio Vargas by KO (Spherical 6, 1:15)
Co-Major, WBC Continental Americas Tremendous Bantamweight Title: Arturo Cardenas def. Jordan Martinez by unanimous choice (100-90, 98-92, 97-93)
IBF Light-weight Title: Elif Nur Turhan def. Gabriela Tellez by unanimous choice (96-94, 96-94, 96-94)
Light-weight: Elias Montoya Terraza def. Adrian Rodriguez by KO (Spherical 2)
Tremendous Light-weight: Trini Ochoa def. Cristian Perez Hernandez by KO (Spherical 2)
Featherweight: Xechal Xavier Esquivel def. Rayshawn Taylor by KO
Tremendous Welterweight: Hector Beltran def. Shaquile Felicia by TKO (Spherical 2, 2:53)
Tremendous Middleweight: Ronny Alvarez def. Filip Stankovic by TKO
