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Steve KimESPN
Vergil Ortiz Jr. put on a dominant performance and stopped Samuel Vargas in the seventh round in the DAZN Card Main Event on Friday night at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California.
With the victory, Ortiz (16-0, 16 KO), 22, took another step to become a welterweight contender. He exhibited a complete set of skills and proved that he is more than a one-dimensional slugger.
“I hit him a lot in the body. I don’t know how he didn’t fall. He was hurt the whole time. I asked him,” Ortiz said. “I knew it was time to get him out. If he had passed eight rounds, he would have hurt himself more.”
From the beginning, Ortiz took control of the fight behind his powerful left jab, bleeding Vargas’s nose. Ortiz began to superimpose his attack with quick right hands on the top that surprised Vargas in the third.
Then in the fourth, Vargas (31-6-2, 14 KOs) was wounded by a series of quick punches that seemed to come in all directions when Ortiz seemed to be looking for an early end. Vargas survived the attack, but the punishment he absorbed was such that referee Jack Reiss called the ring doctor to watch him at the end of the third.
Vargas tried his best to stay active in the next two rounds, shooting inside, but most of his shots were blocked by Ortiz’s strict guard.
In the seventh round, Vargas was stung by another constant two-fist barrage from Ortiz. If they were not the right hands, there were left hooks or upper hooks that seemed to hurt Vargas. They arrived at a faster pace as the round progressed.
All along, Ortiz’s laser puncture had been hitting Vargas’s head all night.
While Vargas was hitting constantly, Reiss mercifully stirred things up for 2 minutes, 58 seconds in the seventh.
It was a great victory for Ortiz. Vargas is an experienced professional wrestler who has previously been detained only twice, by unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. and two-division champion Danny Garcia.
Ortiz said he would rate his performance against Vargas as a B-plus.
“He took it from me, the toughest opponent to date,” Ortiz said. “They beat my hands hitting him all the time, so when they’re healed, I’ll be back.”
Ortiz said he would like one more step in the competition, naming Garcia and former welterweight champion Keith Thurman as opponents he would like to fight.
“They are good opponents that I can beat,” Ortiz said. “I want to take risks. I’m not here to fight easily. I’m in the toughest division in boxing, so when I win a title, it will mean so much more.”
Mosley wins third consecutive
Shane Mosley Jr. defeated Jeremy Ramos in an eight round unanimous decision. The judges rated it 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73.
Mosley, son of Hall of Fame member Shane Mosley Sr., used his speed to overcome his enemy from the outside, then hit him in the middle with quick two-hit combinations. Ramos (11-9, 4 KOs) never constantly threatened Mosley, throwing only sporadic punches.
The victory was the third consecutive for Mosley (16-3, 9 KOs) since he lost to Brandon Adams in The Contender series final in November 2018 at the Forum in Inglewood, California.
Estrada scores KO’s quick win
Undefeated junior flyweight Seniesa Estrada needed just seven seconds to finish with a beaten Miranda Adkins.
When the opening bell rang, Estrada (19-0, 8 KOs) immediately surprised Adkins with a three-shot combination, then followed with a four-shot salvo, punctuated by a left hook that sent Adkins to the canvas.
“It was the result I expected,” said Estrada. “I respect her for coming into the ring with me while she was 5-0. If it wasn’t for her, she probably wouldn’t have had an opponent tonight, so I appreciate it.”
“I hope next time I can fight someone who is a world champion.”
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It takes Seniesa Estrada seven seconds to knock out Miranda Adkins in their DAZN fight on Friday night.
Adkins (5-1, 5 KOs), a late replacement for Jacky Calvo after Calvo suffered a knee injury, went undefeated in Friday’s fight. But four of Adkins’ victories were against opponents who debuted professionally, and the other against an enemy who didn’t win in two fights.
“I give Adkins a lot of credit because he stood up and got into a fight,” Estrada said. “Due to the COVID situation, we tried to get current champions, former champions, and Miranda was the only one who intervened to fight. I had more experience than professionals and amateurs, so I released my punches and I couldn’t stop.
“I want all the champions; I’m ready for that. At 105 pounds, 108 pounds or 112 pounds. I want Anabel Ortiz, who has the WBA title at 105, and Yesenia Gómez, who has the WBC title at 108. I I want a world champion fight. Marlen Esparza, I’ll give you a rematch. Come on! “
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