Jamel Herring will face former two-division titleholder Carl Frampton sometime in January, Herring told ESPN.
Jamel Herring evidently has put a difficult bout with Jonathan Oquendo behind him.
The junior lightweight champ, who won by disqualification in a foul-filled fight on Sept. 5, will move on to a showdown with former two-division titleholder Carl Frampton sometime in January, he told ESPN.
Herring and Frampton were expected to do battle in November but the date was pushed back because of damage above Herring’s right eye.
“The timeline apparently now is that they’re looking at January,” Herring told ESPN. “I actually wanted to come back in December.”
Herring’s fight with Oquendo was brutal, as the Puerto Rican repeatedly butted the champion. A clash of heads in the fifth round, which was deemed an intentional butt, caused a cut above his right eye.
Finally, after Round 8, Herring had had enough. He told referee Tony Weeks that he couldn’t see out of the eye and the fight was stopped. It was declared a DQ because the cut resulted from a foul.
Herring was accused by some of quitting immediately after the fight.
He later said he had a scratched cornea and a damaged orbital socket, which he believes originated in a fight against Denis Shafikov in 2016, which Herring lost.
“I apparently had an old fracture in my face that didn’t properly heal right. That fracture probably came from the Denis Shafikov fight,” Herring told ESPN. “So I’ve been through worse. It’s not a matter of quitting.
“The doctor thought I had an old fracture that didn’t heal properly, so when [Oquendo] kept head-butting, it was basically shifting into my right eye socket, and that was also causing an issue. That’s what they put on the medical records, as well, on the notes.
“So it was basically the lens on my eye being scratched up and an old injury that was irritated again. … It wasn’t the blood like I thought it was, because my eye was so bloody. I thought it was the blood filling into my eye.”
Bob Arum, Herring’s promoter, told ESPN that pushing the Frampton fight back a few months was no issue.
“The guy has to heal, first, there’s no reason to rush it,” said Arum, CEO of Top Rank. “We’re going to be busy, we have a lot of shows, including the [Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury fight on Dec. 19]. So we’ll punt it to January. What’s the hurry?”
Jamel Herring will face former two-division titleholder Carl Frampton sometime in January, Herring told ESPN.
Jamel Herring evidently has put a difficult bout with Jonathan Oquendo behind him.
The junior lightweight champ, who won by disqualification in a foul-filled fight on Sept. 5, will move on to a showdown with former two-division titleholder Carl Frampton sometime in January, he told ESPN.
Herring and Frampton were expected to do battle in November but the date was pushed back because of damage above Herring’s right eye.
“The timeline apparently now is that they’re looking at January,” Herring told ESPN. “I actually wanted to come back in December.”
Herring’s fight with Oquendo was brutal, as the Puerto Rican repeatedly butted the champion. A clash of heads in the fifth round, which was deemed an intentional butt, caused a cut above his right eye.
Finally, after Round 8, Herring had had enough. He told referee Tony Weeks that he couldn’t see out of the eye and the fight was stopped. It was declared a DQ because the cut resulted from a foul.
Herring was accused by some of quitting immediately after the fight.
He later said he had a scratched cornea and a damaged orbital socket, which he believes originated in a fight against Denis Shafikov in 2016, which Herring lost.
“I apparently had an old fracture in my face that didn’t properly heal right. That fracture probably came from the Denis Shafikov fight,” Herring told ESPN. “So I’ve been through worse. It’s not a matter of quitting.
“The doctor thought I had an old fracture that didn’t heal properly, so when [Oquendo] kept head-butting, it was basically shifting into my right eye socket, and that was also causing an issue. That’s what they put on the medical records, as well, on the notes.
“So it was basically the lens on my eye being scratched up and an old injury that was irritated again. … It wasn’t the blood like I thought it was, because my eye was so bloody. I thought it was the blood filling into my eye.”
Bob Arum, Herring’s promoter, told ESPN that pushing the Frampton fight back a few months was no issue.
“The guy has to heal, first, there’s no reason to rush it,” said Arum, CEO of Top Rank. “We’re going to be busy, we have a lot of shows, including the [Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury fight on Dec. 19]. So we’ll punt it to January. What’s the hurry?”
Jamel Herring emerged victorious over Jonathan Oquendo on Saturday but might be at a crossroads in his career.
GOOD
Fighters who cut their teeth in the Cuban amateur school are often not much fun to watch. They’re generally technical wizards, guys who are more geared to boxing circles around you and winning fights than entertaining fans.
Yordenis Ugas falls into that category. He provides thorough victories, not thrills.
The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist gave Abel Ramos a boxing lesson on Sunday night at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, fighting behind his stiff jab and landing more than enough power punches to win the fight and a secondary welterweight title going away.
The judges didn’t see it that way, awarding him a curious split-decision victory (see WORSE below), but we saw what was saw: A skillful, seasoned fighter at 34 who demonstrated again that he can compete with anyone at 147 pounds.
Ugas’ abilities are obvious. He has average punching power at best but does everything else at a high level. That includes his defensive skills. He took a couple of big shots – the last one out of carelessness in the final seconds – but he was an elusive target for Ramos, who landed only 17% of his punches.
And I liked Ugas’ fire. He was intense, not mechanical like some technicians. He fought with controlled aggression, which told me that he’s both smart and hungry, that he still wants to be recognized as the best 147-pounder in his mid-30s.
I don’t know whether that will happen. The division is unusually deep in talent, with Errol Spence Jr., Terence Crawford and Manny Pacquiao leading the way. And fights are difficult to make, as we see every day.
However, if he gets his chance against one of the above or another top 147-pounder, you have to like his chances of having his hand raised. Some believe he was robbed when he lost a split decision to then-world titleholder Shawn Porter in March of last year.
The next time might be different. Ugas (26-4, 12 KOs) certainly has what it takes.
BAD
By the eighth and final round, Jamel Herring was fed up with Jonathan Oquendo’s tactics and the blood in his eye. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
I hesitate to criticize Jamel Herring after what he went through before and during his title defense against Jonathan Oquendo on Saturday.
The junior lightweight beltholder tested positive for COVID-19 twice, which resulted in two postponements of the fight. He battled through the virus to train for most of 20 weeks. And he was in with one of the roughest (dirtiest?) characters in the sport.
That’s why I sympathize with him.
The facts are the facts, though. He went to the dark side of boxing: He quit.
Oquendo was deemed to have employed intentional head butts throughout the fight, one of which caused a deep cut above his right eye that bled profusely. And by the end of the eighth round Herring was fed up.
The ring doctor asked Herring whether he could see, which is another way of asking whether he wanted to continue. He responded, “no.” Referee Tony Weeks had no choice but to stop the fight at that point, giving Herring a victory by disqualification.
“It just got ugly,” Herring said afterward.
Well, a lot of fights get ugly. Herring’s eye wasn’t swollen shut, which might’ve been a good reason to quit. He had blood in it. Boxers persevere with blood in their eyes all the time. They fight through inevitable adversity.
Herring didn’t do that. Instead, he threw his hands up and said, in effect, “It’s not worth it.” It was as if he decided at that moment that he was no longer willing to endure the rigors of the sport.
And, indeed, afterward, while indicating he planned to go through with a tentative fight with Carl Frampton, he hinted at retirement. He said he has already spent too much time away from his family.
Herring looked like a fighter with one foot in boxing and one foot out at the end of the fight with Oquendo. His words afterward gave the same impression. Maybe he’ll have a different outlook after processing his experience leading up to and on Saturday night.
Or maybe he’s done. You have to be all in to box.
WORSE
Yordenis Ugas (right) had his way with Abel Ramos, according to most of us. Sean Michael Ham / TGB Promotions
Crazy scorecards have always been a part of boxing and always will be. That doesn’t make them easier to accept.
Ugas gave a strong showing against Ramos, controlling what seemed to be a one-sided fight from beginning to end. The Cuban outlanded Ramos by a 2-1 margin, according to CompuBox.
That’s why the card of veteran judge Lou Moret was so shocking: 117-111 for Ramos, or nine rounds to three. Moret had Ugas winning the first two rounds and gave Ramos nine of the final 10. The other two judges had Ugas winning 115-113.
I had it 118-110 for the winner, which was similar to the scoring of others with whom I spoke Sunday.
I don’t believe the 115-113 scores for Ugas reflected what happened in the ring but I can see an argument for a seven-rounds-to-five card. Ramos fought Ugas on roughly even terms the final three rounds, all of which you could’ve given to Ramos. That means you’d have to find just two more to make it 115-113.
But nine rounds to three for Ramos? No way.
What are we to think?
One theory is that Moret, 76, is past it. I don’t subscribe to age discrimination but that’s a natural thought. More likely Moret just had an off – WAY off – day at the office, which happens to judges.
And I should mention that fights often look different at ringside vs. watching on TV. Moret’s card was separated by only two rounds from those of colleagues Zachary Young and Edward Hernandez Sr. It doesn’t look as outrageous from that perspective.
That said, the perception remains that Moret’s card was ghastly.
Now it’s up to the California State Athletic Commission to take action. If I were running the show, I would talk to Moret and find out how he arrived at his score. I might even sit down with him and have him score the fight again. I would explain my concerns. I would look at other recent fights he worked to determine whether there is a pattern of out-of-line scoring.
And then I would make a decision based on what I believe is best for the sport, which takes a hit every time we see one of these unfathomable cards.
Jamel Herring emerged victorious over Jonathan Oquendo on Saturday but might be at a crossroads in his career.
GOOD
Fighters who cut their teeth in the Cuban amateur school are often not much fun to watch. They’re generally technical wizards, guys who are more geared to boxing circles around you and winning fights than entertaining fans.
Yordenis Ugas falls into that category. He provides thorough victories, not thrills.
The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist gave Abel Ramos a boxing lesson on Sunday night at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, fighting behind his stiff jab and landing more than enough power punches to win the fight and a secondary welterweight title going away.
The judges didn’t see it that way, awarding him a curious split-decision victory (see WORSE below), but we saw what was saw: A skillful, seasoned fighter at 34 who demonstrated again that he can compete with anyone at 147 pounds.
Ugas’ abilities are obvious. He has average punching power at best but does everything else at a high level. That includes his defensive skills. He took a couple of big shots – the last one out of carelessness in the final seconds – but he was an elusive target for Ramos, who landed only 17% of his punches.
And I liked Ugas’ fire. He was intense, not mechanical like some technicians. He fought with controlled aggression, which told me that he’s both smart and hungry, that he still wants to be recognized as the best 147-pounder in his mid-30s.
I don’t know whether that will happen. The division is unusually deep in talent, with Errol Spence Jr., Terence Crawford and Manny Pacquiao leading the way. And fights are difficult to make, as we see every day.
However, if he gets his chance against one of the above or another top 147-pounder, you have to like his chances of having his hand raised. Some believe he was robbed when he lost a split decision to then-world titleholder Shawn Porter in March of last year.
The next time might be different. Ugas (26-4, 12 KOs) certainly has what it takes.
BAD
By the eighth and final round, Jamel Herring was fed up with Jonathan Oquendo’s tactics and the blood in his eye. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
I hesitate to criticize Jamel Herring after what he went through before and during his title defense against Jonathan Oquendo on Saturday.
The junior lightweight beltholder tested positive for COVID-19 twice, which resulted in two postponements of the fight. He battled through the virus to train for most of 20 weeks. And he was in with one of the roughest (dirtiest?) characters in the sport.
That’s why I sympathize with him.
The facts are the facts, though. He went to the dark side of boxing: He quit.
Oquendo was deemed to have employed intentional head butts throughout the fight, one of which caused a deep cut above his right eye that bled profusely. And by the end of the eighth round Herring was fed up.
The ring doctor asked Herring whether he could see, which is another way of asking whether he wanted to continue. He responded, “no.” Referee Tony Weeks had no choice but to stop the fight at that point, giving Herring a victory by disqualification.
“It just got ugly,” Herring said afterward.
Well, a lot of fights get ugly. Herring’s eye wasn’t swollen shut, which might’ve been a good reason to quit. He had blood in it. Boxers persevere with blood in their eyes all the time. They fight through inevitable adversity.
Herring didn’t do that. Instead, he threw his hands up and said, in effect, “It’s not worth it.” It was as if he decided at that moment that he was no longer willing to endure the rigors of the sport.
And, indeed, afterward, while indicating he planned to go through with a tentative fight with Carl Frampton, he hinted at retirement. He said he has already spent too much time away from his family.
Herring looked like a fighter with one foot in boxing and one foot out at the end of the fight with Oquendo. His words afterward gave the same impression. Maybe he’ll have a different outlook after processing his experience leading up to and on Saturday night.
Or maybe he’s done. You have to be all in to box.
WORSE
Yordenis Ugas (right) had his way with Abel Ramos, according to most of us. Sean Michael Ham / TGB Promotions
Crazy scorecards have always been a part of boxing and always will be. That doesn’t make them easier to accept.
Ugas gave a strong showing against Ramos, controlling what seemed to be a one-sided fight from beginning to end. The Cuban outlanded Ramos by a 2-1 margin, according to CompuBox.
That’s why the card of veteran judge Lou Moret was so shocking: 117-111 for Ramos, or nine rounds to three. Moret had Ugas winning the first two rounds and gave Ramos nine of the final 10. The other two judges had Ugas winning 115-113.
I had it 118-110 for the winner, which was similar to the scoring of others with whom I spoke Sunday.
I don’t believe the 115-113 scores for Ugas reflected what happened in the ring but I can see an argument for a seven-rounds-to-five card. Ramos fought Ugas on roughly even terms the final three rounds, all of which you could’ve given to Ramos. That means you’d have to find just two more to make it 115-113.
But nine rounds to three for Ramos? No way.
What are we to think?
One theory is that Moret, 76, is past it. I don’t subscribe to age discrimination but that’s a natural thought. More likely Moret just had an off – WAY off – day at the office, which happens to judges.
And I should mention that fights often look different at ringside vs. watching on TV. Moret’s card was separated by only two rounds from those of colleagues Zachary Young and Edward Hernandez Sr. It doesn’t look as outrageous from that perspective.
That said, the perception remains that Moret’s card was ghastly.
Now it’s up to the California State Athletic Commission to take action. If I were running the show, I would talk to Moret and find out how he arrived at his score. I might even sit down with him and have him score the fight again. I would explain my concerns. I would look at other recent fights he worked to determine whether there is a pattern of out-of-line scoring.
And then I would make a decision based on what I believe is best for the sport, which takes a hit every time we see one of these unfathomable cards.
Jamel Herring suggested that he needs to “tighten up” before his expected fight against former champion Carl Frampton.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.
***
Jamel Herring wasn’t pleased with his performance against Jonathan Oquendo on Saturday in Las Vegas. Although he retained his junior lightweight title, he didn’t do it in the manner he planned as he won via disqualification after numerous intentional head-butts by Oquendo in an odd and uneven performance Saturday night.
And now Herring isn’t quite sure what the future will hold for him inside the squared circle.
The champion took to social media to express his disappointment with his performance and suggest he needs to “tighten up” before his expected fight against former champion Carl Frampton.
I accept all criticism, I’m not going to run and hide from it. Nor will I celebrate or making any excuses about tonight. If anything I’m more frustrated, and I need to tighten up for Frampton, simple as that.
Herring may see his next defense pushed back because of a nasty gash he suffered against Oquendo. The cut, courtesy of a fifth-round head butt, caused the fight to be stopped when Herring proclaimed at the end of the eighth round that he couldn’t see.
Prior to that, his outing wasn’t the kind you’d write home about. He dropped Oquendo with a vicious uppercut in the third round but found himself in an unwarranted dogfight against a lesser-skilled opponent. Herring allowed Oquendo to suck him into his fight and made it much harder for himself than expected.
Later in the evening, Herring tweeted from the hospital seemingly unsure about continuing his boxing career after the underwhelming outing and showing what appeared to be a case of burnout caused by the demands of the sport.
Sitting in a hospital, alone, while being called out with all sorts of negativity is something else. I’m not angry, I’m not sad, just deep in thought. I will still fulfill my obligations against Frampton, but that fight may be my last. Lost too much time from my family as it is🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/xAxYPbU5Dk
It’s alarming for the 34-year-old champion to display this level of uncertainty while he’s in the midst of hitting his stride as a professional. Perhaps he was caught up in the moment and the feeling will pass. He may feel differently should he put on a better performance against Frampton. For now, though, there are concerns about how much longer we’ll see Herring in a boxing ring.
Jamel Herring suggested that he needs to “tighten up” before his expected fight against former champion Carl Frampton.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.
***
Jamel Herring wasn’t pleased with his performance against Jonathan Oquendo on Saturday in Las Vegas. Although he retained his junior lightweight title, he didn’t do it in the manner he planned as he won via disqualification after numerous intentional head-butts by Oquendo in an odd and uneven performance Saturday night.
And now Herring isn’t quite sure what the future will hold for him inside the squared circle.
The champion took to social media to express his disappointment with his performance and suggest he needs to “tighten up” before his expected fight against former champion Carl Frampton.
I accept all criticism, I’m not going to run and hide from it. Nor will I celebrate or making any excuses about tonight. If anything I’m more frustrated, and I need to tighten up for Frampton, simple as that.
Herring may see his next defense pushed back because of a nasty gash he suffered against Oquendo. The cut, courtesy of a fifth-round head butt, caused the fight to be stopped when Herring proclaimed at the end of the eighth round that he couldn’t see.
Prior to that, his outing wasn’t the kind you’d write home about. He dropped Oquendo with a vicious uppercut in the third round but found himself in an unwarranted dogfight against a lesser-skilled opponent. Herring allowed Oquendo to suck him into his fight and made it much harder for himself than expected.
Later in the evening, Herring tweeted from the hospital seemingly unsure about continuing his boxing career after the underwhelming outing and showing what appeared to be a case of burnout caused by the demands of the sport.
Sitting in a hospital, alone, while being called out with all sorts of negativity is something else. I’m not angry, I’m not sad, just deep in thought. I will still fulfill my obligations against Frampton, but that fight may be my last. Lost too much time from my family as it is🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/xAxYPbU5Dk
It’s alarming for the 34-year-old champion to display this level of uncertainty while he’s in the midst of hitting his stride as a professional. Perhaps he was caught up in the moment and the feeling will pass. He may feel differently should he put on a better performance against Frampton. For now, though, there are concerns about how much longer we’ll see Herring in a boxing ring.
Jamel Herring defeated Jonathan Oquendo by disqualification Saturday in Las Vegas.
Jamel Herring’s journey to his title defense against Jonathan Oquendo on Saturday was filled with uncommon challenges. The fight was no different.
The junior lightweight champion, who had to overcome the coronavirus to step through the ropes, found himself fact to face with a human battering ram and he never really figured out how to cope with it in a fight everyone will want to forget.
Herring (22-2, 10 KOs) emerged victorious but only because of Oquendo’s head-first tactics, which ultimately led to his disqualification after Round 8.
“It just got ugly,” Herring said.
The fight was postponed after each of the two times Herring tested positive for COVID-19 but the virus couldn’t keep him down. He battled through the symptoms and, by fight time on Saturday in the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas, he said he felt 100 percent.
And he looked reasonably sharp beginning in the second round, when he adjusted somewhat to Oquendo’s bull rushes by timing him with punches, side-stepping him or holding when necessary.
Herring seemed to be taking control in the third round, when a left uppercut put Oquendo (31-7, 19 KOs) on his pants. The fourth was largely the same, with Herring getting the better of exchanges. Then, in the fifth, a clash of heads caused a deep cut over Herring’s right eye and changed everything.
Referee Tony Weeks ruled it an intentional foul, which would play a role in the conclusion of the fight.
From that point on, Herring struggled. Oquendo continued to push his way inside, to fight as roughly as he knew how, and a bloody-faced Herring was beyond frustrated. He had trouble seeing, he had no space to throw punches and the Puerto Rican challenger just never let up.
Finally, after Round 8, Herring’s trainer Brian McIntyre told Weeks that Herring’s vision was obstructed because of the damage above his eye. A doctor stepped in and asked Herring whether he could see. He replied, “no.”
And after a few minutes of discussion, Weeks had no choice but to stop the fight. Oquendo was disqualified because the fight ended as a result of his foul.
“We knew coming in he was going to be aggressive, with his head first,” Herring said. “He kept repeating it. Tony caught on. I didn’t want it to go on like that. … My team felt it was too much and they had to stop it. Whatever.”
Did Herring quit? After all, his eye wasn’t swollen shut. He merely had blood dripping into it, which boxers fight through all the time. Fans and pundits undoubtedly will debate Herring’s actions over the next several days.
The fact is he emerged with his title belt and he remains on track to face former two-division beltholder Carl Frampton, a fight Herring covets. Then he will be able to look forward instead of back at 20 horrible weeks of ups and downs and a horrible fight.
“I wasn’t too satisfied with my performance,” he said. “… I had never been in a situation where we had to stop a fight. It’s not always about getting a win; it’s how you look. It is what it is. [Promoter] Bob [Arum] told me to rest. It was a 20-week training camp. I still want Frampton next, in December or November.
“Physically, I was good. … I was never huffing and puffing. It just got too ugly. Over the second half of the fight, I just felt it was bad.”
Jamel Herring defeated Jonathan Oquendo by disqualification Saturday in Las Vegas.
Jamel Herring’s journey to his title defense against Jonathan Oquendo on Saturday was filled with uncommon challenges. The fight was no different.
The junior lightweight champion, who had to overcome the coronavirus to step through the ropes, found himself fact to face with a human battering ram and he never really figured out how to cope with it in a fight everyone will want to forget.
Herring (22-2, 10 KOs) emerged victorious but only because of Oquendo’s head-first tactics, which ultimately led to his disqualification after Round 8.
“It just got ugly,” Herring said.
The fight was postponed after each of the two times Herring tested positive for COVID-19 but the virus couldn’t keep him down. He battled through the symptoms and, by fight time on Saturday in the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas, he said he felt 100 percent.
And he looked reasonably sharp beginning in the second round, when he adjusted somewhat to Oquendo’s bull rushes by timing him with punches, side-stepping him or holding when necessary.
Herring seemed to be taking control in the third round, when a left uppercut put Oquendo (31-7, 19 KOs) on his pants. The fourth was largely the same, with Herring getting the better of exchanges. Then, in the fifth, a clash of heads caused a deep cut over Herring’s right eye and changed everything.
Referee Tony Weeks ruled it an intentional foul, which would play a role in the conclusion of the fight.
From that point on, Herring struggled. Oquendo continued to push his way inside, to fight as roughly as he knew how, and a bloody-faced Herring was beyond frustrated. He had trouble seeing, he had no space to throw punches and the Puerto Rican challenger just never let up.
Finally, after Round 8, Herring’s trainer Brian McIntyre told Weeks that Herring’s vision was obstructed because of the damage above his eye. A doctor stepped in and asked Herring whether he could see. He replied, “no.”
And after a few minutes of discussion, Weeks had no choice but to stop the fight. Oquendo was disqualified because the fight ended as a result of his foul.
“We knew coming in he was going to be aggressive, with his head first,” Herring said. “He kept repeating it. Tony caught on. I didn’t want it to go on like that. … My team felt it was too much and they had to stop it. Whatever.”
Did Herring quit? After all, his eye wasn’t swollen shut. He merely had blood dripping into it, which boxers fight through all the time. Fans and pundits undoubtedly will debate Herring’s actions over the next several days.
The fact is he emerged with his title belt and he remains on track to face former two-division beltholder Carl Frampton, a fight Herring covets. Then he will be able to look forward instead of back at 20 horrible weeks of ups and downs and a horrible fight.
“I wasn’t too satisfied with my performance,” he said. “… I had never been in a situation where we had to stop a fight. It’s not always about getting a win; it’s how you look. It is what it is. [Promoter] Bob [Arum] told me to rest. It was a 20-week training camp. I still want Frampton next, in December or November.
“Physically, I was good. … I was never huffing and puffing. It just got too ugly. Over the second half of the fight, I just felt it was bad.”
Jesse Rodriguez put Rivera down three times before the fight was stopped at 2:03 of the first round Saturday in Las Vegas.
Trainer Robert Garcia says he has something special in Jesse Rodriguez.
That’s exactly how he looked against veteran Janiel Rivera on the Jamel Herring-Jonathan Oquendo card Saturday in the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas.
Rodriguez put Rivera down three times before the fight was stopped at 2:03 of the opening round of a scheduled eight-round junior flyweight bout.
Rodriguez (12-0, 8 KOs) hurt Rivera (18-7-3, 11 KOs) early and often. Rivera, a former title challenger, fell into the ropes after the first two knockdowns but collapsed to the canvas after the third, the result of three hard left hands.
The referee didn’t bother to count because Rivera obviously couldn’t continue.
“I told Robert in the locker room that this was the best I ever felt. I think that showed today,” Rodriguez said.
Jesse Rodriguez put Rivera down three times before the fight was stopped at 2:03 of the first round Saturday in Las Vegas.
Trainer Robert Garcia says he has something special in Jesse Rodriguez.
That’s exactly how he looked against veteran Janiel Rivera on the Jamel Herring-Jonathan Oquendo card Saturday in the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas.
Rodriguez put Rivera down three times before the fight was stopped at 2:03 of the opening round of a scheduled eight-round junior flyweight bout.
Rodriguez (12-0, 8 KOs) hurt Rivera (18-7-3, 11 KOs) early and often. Rivera, a former title challenger, fell into the ropes after the first two knockdowns but collapsed to the canvas after the third, the result of three hard left hands.
The referee didn’t bother to count because Rivera obviously couldn’t continue.
“I told Robert in the locker room that this was the best I ever felt. I think that showed today,” Rodriguez said.
