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Steve KimESPN
Arnold Barboza Jr. took a key step in securing a junior welterweight title shot Saturday by gutting a tough, hard-won 10-round unanimous decision over Alex Saucedo on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Teofimo Lopez Jr. undercard at MGM. Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. Barboza won by the scores 96-93, 97-92 and 97-92.
But it was not easy. Saucedo (30-2, 19 KOs) kept pushing and applying pressure, even earning a knockdown along the way. But ultimately, the difference between the two was Barboza’s versatility and his ability to box a bit more from the outside, landing punches on the move.
Barboza (25-0, 10 KOs) started the fight left-handed, leaving him vulnerable to Saucedo’s left hooks. The fight started at a rapid pace, with both men landing their share of punches. But over time, Barboza’s superior speed and quickness gave him an advantage.
When it looked like Barboza was breaking away from Saucedo on the scorecards, Barboza was sent to the canvas in the seventh round from a left hook as the two tangled a bit awkwardly with their feet. Originally ruled a slip, it was confirmed as a clean takedown by instant replay.
However, Barboza regained his composure and continued to box strategically to win the latter part of the fight and secure victory on the scorecards.
“This was like a championship fight for me,” Barboza said after the fight. “Everything is for my father [head trainer Arnold Barboza Sr.], I do not. I did this for the children and for my father. My dream is to get a house for my children. I got a lot closer today.
“I want a championship fight. No more bullshit. No more set-up fights.”
Berlanga’s KO streak continues
One of the most revealing streaks in boxing continued when super middleweight Edgar Berlanga stopped Lanell Bellows in the first round. In 15 professional fights, Berlanga has notched up 15 first-round KO victories.
Bellows (20-6-3, 13 KOs), a long-time veteran, had never been stopped in 28 professional fights. But from the beginning of the fight, Berlanga began to land the heavy blows, hurting Bellows and cutting him over the left eye.
Berlanga (14-0, 14 KOs) is a natural puncher, and everything he threw seemed to shake Bellows. As Berlanga began to collect his punches, both with his right and left hands, referee Robert Hoyle could be heard telling Bellows, “Show me something,” while Bellows was leaning against the ropes.
After a left hook broke Bellows’s head, Hoyle made the decision to dismiss the fight at 1:19 seconds into the round.
It was another powerful display of power from perhaps the most lethal young puncher in the sport.
Vargas shows speed, power in triumph over Castañeda
Josue Vargas made an impressive effort to comfortably defeat Kendo Castañeda in a junior welterweight battle. All three judges scored the fight for Vargas: 100-89, 98-91 and 99-90.
Vargas jumped to an early lead by dropping Castañeda with a left hand in the second round. Castañeda got up, dusted himself off, and kept fighting. But Vargas (18-1, 9 KOs) continued to control the action with a constant attack.
In the middle rounds, Vargas began landing right hooks to the body and quick punch combinations. While Vargas was occasionally cut by Castaneda (17-3, 8 KOs), he was never really threatened in this fight. His superior boxing skills and quick movements helped him control the entire match. Castaneda’s nose was bleeding for much of the fight, and as he ran the distance, he was never really in the fight.
Vivas stops Moralde in Round 1
José Enrique Vivas needed just 76 seconds to stop John Vincent Moralde in what was scheduled to be an eight-round featherweight contest.
Vivas sent Moralde (23-4, 13 KOs) to the canvas early with a short left hook as the two boxers traded on the inside. When Moralde got up, Vivas (20-1, 11 KOs) stepped up his attack by hitting Moralde with a hard right over the top that stunned him, followed by a left hook to the body that had Moralde covering himself with the ropes. At that moment, referee Enrique Colón decided to dismiss the fight.
Randall dominates Rivera
Quinton Randall defeated Jan Carlos Rivera by unanimous decision in an undefeated welterweight matchup. After six rounds, Randall prevailed on all three scorecards, with scores of 59-55, 58-56 and 58-56.
Rivera (4-1, 4 KOs), an aggressive southpaw, didn’t hesitate to step forward to attack Randall (6-1, 2 KOs). While Rivera was able to pin Randall to the ropes multiple times, most of his punches fell short, allowing Randall to box effectively and counter throughout the match.
Tucker remains undefeated with unanimous decision win
In the opening fight of the night, welterweight Jahi Tucker scored his second professional victory by throwing a four-round shutout over Charles Garner. All three judges watched the fight 40-36 for Tucker.
While the scorecards were clearly in Tucker’s favor (2-0, 1 KOs), it was not a brilliant performance. Tucker was the most active fighter and consistently outscored Garner throughout the fight, but Garner (1-1) had his moments.
What this fight really showed was that the 17-year-old Tucker still has a long way to go in terms of his professional development.
