WBA KO Drugs fight night at Caribe Royale a huge success
On Sunday December 11, Boxlab Promotions hosted the first ever WBA KO Drugs fight card in the United States at the Caribe Royale in Orlando.
The card opened the WBA’s 100th convention and featured eight title fights. This special event took place in front of a packed crowd featuring many current and former boxing greats.
In the main event of the evening, Las Vegas, NV based Cuban Orestes Velazquez, (6-0, 6 KO’s) became the WBA International junior welterweight champion when Argentina’s Guillermo Crocco, 20-3-1, 6 KO’s) retired on his stool after the first round due to a shoulder injury. Although he only had three minutes of work, Velazquez’ all-around talent was evident.
Undefeated Argentinian powerhouse Francisco Veron captured the WBA Continental middleweight champion by impressively stopping previously unbeaten Leonardo Ruiz of California. Veron took the fight to Ruiz, overwhelming him with aggressive shots to the body and head. A battered and bloodied Ruiz was extremely game but took a ton of clean shots, forcing at 2:37 of round 5.
Veron is now 11-0 with 10 KO’s while Ruiz slides to 10-1 (7 KO’s).
Idalberto Umara, (8-1, 5 KO’s) captured the WBA Fedecentro lightweight champion by stopping Emiliano Garcia (18-9-1, 13 KO’s) of Argentina in the fifth. Umara, who resides in Miami and is originally from Cuba, dropped Garcia twice in round three and closed the show by scoring another knockdown in the fifth.
Official time of stoppage was 2:17.
Unbeaten local favorite Jeovanny Estela of Orlando scored two knockdowns in a six round beatdown of Colombian veteran Luis Eduardo Florez Estella, 10-0 (3 KO’s), landed at will but the game Flores hung tough till the final bell.
Scores were 60-52 on all three cards.
Welterweight Damian “The Punisher” Lescaille scored three knockdowns en route to a first round stoppage of 41 fight veteran Rondale Hubbert at 2:39. Lescaille, a Miami Beach resident originally from Cuba, is a blue chip prospect with a decorated amateur background.
Heavyweight Heinrich Cordoba knocked out Phillip Jean Seide at 2:59 of the first round. A bronze medalist at the 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships, Cordoba is now 2-0 as a pro with 1 KO.
“The Caribe Royale Hotel and Boxlab Promotions were proud to have hosted and put on the 2022 WBA KO Drugs show,” said Amaury Piedra of Boxlab Promotions. “It was a great turnout and as WBA President Gilberto Jesus Mendoza said Orlando has become the hub of boxing in Florida,” We’re happy to be a part of it and want to thank the other promoters from around the globe that had fighters on the show. The teamwork was second to none in making this event and convention the best ever!”
Boxlab Promotions’ next show will be announced shortly.
ADDITIONAL RESULTS:
NABA super middleweight title – Yamaguchi Falcao, (23-1-1, 9 KO’s) TKO 7 (:49) Ernest Amuzu, (26-7, 22 KO’s)
NABA middleweight title – Connor Coyle, (18-0, 8 KO’s) TKO after 7 Sladan Janjanian, (34-14, 24 KO’s)
WBA Fedecentro super middleweight title – Raiko Santana, (9-3, 5 KO’s) UD 10 (98-91, 97-93, 96-93) Joseph George, (12-1, 7 KO’s)
WBA Continental Americas junior lightweight women’s title – Kalliopi Kourouni, (12-3-1, 2 KO’s) DRAW 10 (97-93, 92-98, 95-95) Calista Silgado, (21-16-4, 16 KO’s)
BANTAMWEIGHTS – Melvin Lopez, (29-1, 19 KO’s) SD 10 (97-92, 95-94, 94-95) Jobert Alvarez, (20-4-2, 7 KO’s)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS – Sergio Martinez, (56-3-2, 31 KO’s) TKO 2 (2:35) Noah Kidd, (6-7-2, 5 KO’s)
LIGHTWEIGHTS – Alex Rios Vega, (5-0, 1 KO) UD 4 (40-36, 40-36, 39-37) Christopher Nelson, (4-23, 1 KO)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS – Ibrahima Diallo, (6-0) UD 6 (60-54, 60-54, 60-54) Carlos Cruz, (2-9, 1 KO)
For the latest boxing news to your Facebook notifications/feed click the following link Boxen247 Facebook
