Crazy KO’s Rios
It was a battle of well matched Super Bantamweights that delivered high intensity action and a crowd silencing stoppage. Hometown hero Ronny Rios 29-3 13KO’s faced Azat “Crazy” Hovhannisyan 14-2 11KO’s at the OC Hangar in Costa mesa, CA. From nearby Santa Ana Rios was at a crossroads having lost to WBC champion Rey Vargas and Hovahannisyan was fighting to show that he belonged in the higher echelon of the division.
Rios came out with bad intentions in the first round landing big shots early. Hovhannisyan landed a right hook that shook Rios at the end of the second to change the momentum leading to the third. Another right hand from Hovhannisyan shook Rios to the core and had him out on his feet until the bell saved Rios as he walked back to his corner on spaghetti legs. A grotesque welt formed on the temple of Rios caused by headbutts from a rushing Hovhannisyan.
An exchange of right hands early in the sixth round put Rios down on the seat of his pants to a dismayed crowd. Rios made it to his feet but the blistering onslaught from Hovhannisyan was too much for the Santa Ana native as Jack Reiss stepped in to save Rios at 1:12 of the sixth round.
Rocha Wastes No Time in KO1
It took Alexis Rocha 11-0 8KO’s less than a round to make a statement in front of his hometown fans against Miguel Dumas 10-2 7KO’s. With heavy hands Rocha blasted Dumas with a left uppercut dropping him like a sack of bricks. Duma would make it to his feet only to be promptly knocked down courtesy of a 1-2-3 punctuated by an uppercut at earning the stoppage at 1:49 of the first round.
The performance was just what the doctor ordered in his first major television appearance on ESPN for the prospect. Rocha said about his performance “I came in composed and relaxed, just ready for anything to happen. I never plan for a knockout.”
La Diva Rolls Garland
“La Diva” Maricela Cornejo 10-2 3KO’s got some televised swing bout time courtesy of Rocha’s quick KO. Lisa Garland 15-10 9KO’s of York South Carolina came to fight, moving up in weight to face Cornejo. Using a long jab followed by sound straight rights Cornejo boxed well until landing a sharp right hand in the fourth to prompt referee Raul Caiz Jr. to stop the bout at 1:09.
Cabrera Beats Gonzalez in Opener
Mexico’s Marvin Cabrera 7-0 5KO’s worked his left hand behind a stiff jab to open the action against fellow Mexican Sergio Gonzalez 6-5 2KO’s. Cabrera went down in the third from a punch that was more of a tangling of the feet. Referee Jerry Cantu ruled it correctly as a punch landed when Cabrera went down. A counter left sent Gonzalez down in the fourth to remind him who the prospect in the red corner was. Cabrera let Gonzalez off the hook and went back to measuring his offense and after eight the judges turned in cards reading 79-72 and 78-72 twice to give Cabrera his seventh win.
