Another great night to be in MSG. Tonight was the last Top Rank card on ESPN, and I was there to see it through. Here’s to hoping it went out with a bang—with great fights.
Steven Navarro vs. Christopher Rios
This one started out as a bit of a phone booth fight, with both fighters getting in really good shots. Rios definitely had the more eye-catching punches, but Navarro landed some hard, thudding shots of his own. By the second round, Navarro was busted up and had a cut open, but he fought through it well.
Rios is tough—Navarro can crack, but Rios kept walking through and punching right with him, pushing him back and outpunching him with hard combinations. As the fight went on, Navarro settled down and worked cleaner. In the end, he squeaked out a close unanimous decision (67–65 x3).
Yan Santana vs. Aaron Alameda
(Courtesy: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
Yan came forward, walking Alameda down and finding a home for his right hand and left hook to the body—and he hits hard! Santana chose to keep the fight on the inside, and he had plenty of success. His fast hands and steady output overwhelmed Alameda.
The biggest issue with Santana is that he constantly keeps his hands low. A sharper fighter with quick hands will be able to counter him with a right or a hook upstairs. Still, that can be fixed. On this night, he did more than enough to earn a shutout unanimous decision.
Juanma Lopez De Jesús vs. Jorge Gonzalez-Sanchez
(Courtesy: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
Juanma’s son did not get paid by the hour, and he fought like it. He blasted out Gonzalez-Sanchez in the first round, sending the Puerto Rican crowd into a frenzy.
Rohan Polanco vs. Quinton Randall
(Courtesy: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
Polanco had a very tough time against the spoiler style of Randall. He threw more punches, but had trouble landing cleanly, with many shots grazing the back and top of the head. At times, things got chippy—Polanco even hit Randall after the bell.
Randall, however, made no effort to put himself in danger of being stopped. As a result, Polanco cruised to an easy unanimous decision. The performance left fans divided about Polanco’s upside. We’ll see how he does as he climbs the ladder toward title contention.
Emiliano Vargas vs. Alexander Espinoza
(Courtesy: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
Vargas treated his fight like he wasn’t getting paid by the hour. In the very first round, he landed a hook that sent Espinoza crashing to the canvas. The referee quickly waved it off.
It was a statement win for Emiliano, who continues to generate excitement as he moves up the ranks toward tougher competition.
Bruce Carrington vs. Mateus Halta
(Courtesy: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
The local New Yorker Carrington had plenty of fans in the building, but what they got may not have been exactly what they wanted. Shu Shu had good moments, but Halta managed to catch him several times with right hands.
Carrington adjusted by attacking the body and landed several shots that clearly got Halta’s attention. Still, he often spent too much time admiring his work. He’d throw two eye-catching punches, then freeze instead of sustaining his attack. At times, the crowd grew restless and even booed during a couple of rounds.
Ultimately, Shu Shu outpointed Halta with ease to win a wide decision. The question remains: how will he look when he steps up against a champion? There will be believers, and there will be doubters. It’s up to Carrington to make everyone believe.
Main Event: Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia
The night closed with Xander Zayas’ chance to prove himself as a world champion. His opponent, rugged Jorge Garcia, was coming off a big upset win over Charles Conwell. Could lightning strike twice?
Not this time. Garcia spent most of the fight swinging wildly, while Zayas controlled him with steady one-twos. Garcia was hurt several times, but Zayas failed to capitalize fully. As the rounds wore on, the pace slowed—Garcia grew gun-shy, and Zayas seemed to fade slightly, possibly due to a tough weight cut.
Even then, Zayas cruised to an easy decision win. Afterward, he stated his desire to defend his title in Puerto Rico and called out Sebastian Fundora.
article written by King P
