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Cuban heavyweight contender Frank Sánchez (17-0, 12 KOs) threw two violent right hooks to knock Julian Fernández (14-3, 11 KOs) through the ropes for a seventh-round knockout victory on Saturday night on the Canelo Alvarez-Callum Smith undercard. at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
It was an excellent knockout, a moment that many expected from Sánchez, although a little later than expected.
The 28-year-old started the fight strong, overwhelming Fernandez with his power. But he had a few mediocre rounds that allowed an outclassed opponent to stay in the mix even as Sánchez kept Fernández on the ropes for 11% of the fight, according to CompuTrack. In the end, Sánchez’s power was simply too much.
Sánchez, who regularly works with Alvarez and Andy Ruiz Jr. along with coach Eddy Reynoso, is knocking on the door to win bouts with the top 10 heavyweight contenders. Sanchez’s power is his calling card and he showed it accurately on Saturday by landing 48.5% of his power shots. However, as you progress, you will need more than just power to compare yourself to better fighters.
An improvement in aggression and technique may be necessary, but it was still another step for Sanchez as he scored what could end up being the knockout of the night.
Castro makes successful debut, stops Valdés in the third round
Junior lightweight prospect Marc Castro (1-0, 1 KO) defeated Luis Javier Valdés (7-6-1, 2 KOs) in his professional debut with a third-round knockout.
Castro came out anxious in Round 1, displaying frantic movement and a flurry of wild punches, but quickly calmed down in the second round after his corner told him to just slow down. That’s when Castro’s skill took over.
For Castro, 21, it was his precision power that was too much for Valdés. He landed knockdowns in Round 2 and Round 3. The latter came with a gentle combination of seven shots to the body and head that knocked Valdes down and left him unable to count 10 when the referee rejected it.
Castro had a highly decorated amateur career in which he became a two-time amateur world champion and also won multiple Silver Gloves, Youth Olympic Games and national championships. He began his professional career as the co-main event on a Canelo Alvarez card, a strong start to building a profile.
Ford dominates, stops Lopez in Round 7
Speedy junior lightweight prospect Raymond “Savage” Ford (8-0, 4 KOs) edged out Juan Antonio Lopez (15-8, 6 KOs) and used a quick right hook to score a knockout in the seventh round. The punch dropped Lopez to one knee and he missed the count of 10.
Ford controlled much of the fight, which included a knockdown in the first round, but received a test from Lopez, who showed some struggle by offering stiff resistance in the middle rounds. But in the seventh round, it looked like Lopez had no fight left after Ford’s right hook landed for the last time.
Ford, a southpaw from Camden, NJ, is just 21 years old and has already been a training partner with Shakur Stevenson, Jaron Ennis and Tevin Farmer. On Saturday, he consistently showed the speed that makes people believe on his positive side while receiving a good developmental test of a Lopez game.
Williams takes down Jones
Exciting middleweight prospect Austin “Ammo” Williams (7-0, 6 KOs) started the night with a dominant first-round TKO victory over Isiah Jones (9-4, 3 KOs) in a fight that lasted only. 91 seconds.
Williams surprised Jones with a brutal left hook that severely injured him, then Williams jumped on Jones with unrelenting body pressure before the referee wisely stopped the fight. Jones had never been stopped before, but Williams’ fast and powerful hands were clearly too much for him.
Williams was a sparring partner of Callum Smith prior to Saturday night’s fight against Canelo Alvarez. This was a huge stage for the 24-year-old southpaw from Houston who jumped late to his boxing career and hopes to take a step forward in competition in 2021.
