This Saturday, a pair of 5th round knockouts catapulted the fight weekend into the stratosphere. One man retained his belt and the other lost his during New York Citys National Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend.
Lomachenko & Verdejo Deliver 5th Round Knockouts
(Vastly Lomachenko knocks out Roman “Rocky” Martinez, Photo Credit: AP)
Vasyl Lomachenko showed again why he is considered one of the best boxers on the planet as he racked up his second belt in stunning fashion. Stepping up in weight, the current WBO Featherweight champion delivered a crushing left uppercut and right hook that flattened Roman Rocky Martinez (29-3-3) early in the 5th round.
The Ukranian gained his second world title in only seven fights, picking up the WBO junior lightweight title. After a storied amateur career and two Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, Lomachenko (6-1) has now cemented himself as one of the baddest men on the planet.
In the co-main event, Felix Verdejo (22-0) remained unbeaten, delivering a flurry of shots to Juan Jose Martinez (25-3) in the fifth round that went unanswered. The referee had no choice but to stop the bout in the fifth after the onslaught, leaving the Puerto Rican to retain his WBO Latino lightweight title.
Molina, Jr. Outpoints Provodnikov in Great Boxing Action
(Molina Delivering Blows to Provodnikov, Photo Credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME)
John Molina, Jr. outpunched Ruslan Provodnikov in an all-action fight. Molina dominated the 12-rounder after unleashing his new weapon: a sharp and steady jab. Molina captured a surprising unanimous decision in the junior welterweight bout that featured fierce exchanges throughout.
Molina (29-6) and Provodnikov (25-5) promised a war during the pre-fight press conference and they delivered, surprising many with the volume of punches thrown. Previously, Moilina was more known for engaging in brawls than being a boxing technician, however, this fight proved otherwise.
People dont realize I had my amateur career in the pros, and now its my time to step out and shine,” said Molina in the post-fight interview. “I have a new trainer. Shadeed (Suluki) showed me how to throw punches and use my power.
(John Molina, Jr. Hugs Trainer Shadeed Suluki, Photo Credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME)
Molina threw nearly 1,110 total punches, including 643 jabs compared to just 265 for Provodnikov, who failed to close the range on his naturally bigger opponent. Molina takes the formerly vacant WBO International Super lightweight title
