Another fight, another knockout. With a twist.
Efe Ajagba did what he was expected to do against journeyman Iago Kiladze on the Tony Harrison-Jermell Charlo card Saturday in Ontario, California. He won by stoppage. However, he had to overcome a knockdown and a determined opponent to do it.
Ajagba, the 6-foot-6 Adonis from Nigeria, put Kiladze down in the second round in what seemed to be the beginning of the end for the Georgian. Maybe it was. But it took a while.
Ajagba (12-0, 10 KOs) hurt Kiladze again in Round 3, leaving him on shaky legs. However, as Ajagba attempted to finish the job, Kiladze put him down with a straight counter right. Ajagba didn’t seem to be hurt but Kiladze certainly got everyone’s attention.
Kiladze (26-5-1, 16 KOs) went down one more time with a right about midway through Round 5. Again, Kiladze, clearly dazed but refusing to quit, managed to get up and continue. At that moment, Ajagba had to be thinking, “What do I need to do to get rid of this guy.”
In fact, that last knockdown did the job. Moments later, with Ajagba all over Kiladze, the underdog’s corner stopped the fight.
The right hand that put Ajagba down played no role in the fight but probably underscores the fact that Ajagba, a late starter, still has plenty of room to grow. His trainer, Ronnie Shields, told him very simply after that round, “Keep your hands up.”
It’s all part of the learning process for one of the top heavyweight prospects.
In another preliminary bout, one prospect went down while another might’ve emerged.
Carlos Balderas, a 2016 U.S. Olympian, was supposed to continue his ascent in the featherweight division against Rene Giron. The Mexican had other ideas.
Giron, coming off a decision loss to Michel Rivera in June, fought like a 126-pound version of Joe Frazier, putting the favorite down twice with hard left hooks. The second shot ended the action-packed fight in the sixth round of a scheduled eight-rounder.
The fight arguably should’ve ended after the first knockdown, which occurred in the final seconds of Round 3. Balderas, hurt badly, beat the count but couldn’t follow referee Ray Corona’s instruction to walk toward him. Instead, he stumbled backward.
Still, Corona allowed the fight continue. And seconds later the bell sounded to end the round and give Balderas (9-1, 8 KOs) more life.
In Round 4, things got brutal in a different way. Giron (14-1, 8 KOs) landed what appeared to be an accidental low blow that Corona allowed to pass without stepping in. Balderas then took matters into his own hands, purposely punching Giron below the belt. He got a warning and the fight continued.
In the end, however, none of that mattered. Balderas had recovered from the first left hook when another one hurt him and put him down in Round 6. He got up at around the count of nine, which wasn’t good enough for Corona, who stopped the fight.
Also, middleweight contender Hugo Centeno Jr. (27-3-1, 14 KOs) fought to a split decision draw with Juan Macias Montiel (21-4-2, 21 KOs).
And featherweight contender Jhack Tepora (23-1, 17 KOs) was stopped by veteran Oscar Escandon (26-5, 18 KOs) with a single body shot 1 minute, 30 seconds into their fight. Tepora had been unbeaten and Escandon, 35, had lost his previous three fights.
