Bryan “Nino Maravilla” Flores scored an impressive 10-round majority decision over Starling “El Poli” Castillo to win the WBC Fecarbox Super Lightweight Championship in the main event of ProBoxTV’s “The Contender Series” from the Live! Casino Hotel Maryland in Hanover, Maryland.
Presented by Lamont Roach Sr (NoXcuse Promotions) and broadcast on ProBox TV, after a slow first two rounds, Flores (28-1-1, 16 KOs) of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, began to pressure Castillo (20-2-1, 13 KOs), working his way inside the Dominican southpaw’s longer arms to hammer the body and sap his strength.
Round after round, Castillo had fewer answers to deal with Flores, who stepped it up and battered him around the ring. By the final rounds, Castillo seemed to be in survival mode from the onslaught.
The scores of 95-95 draw, overruled by 98-92 and 96-94 Flores, were not a clear indication of the dominance Flores enjoyed throughout the contest. For instance, he outlanded Castillo 163-76 in power punches.
In the 10-round co-featured bout Rene “El Zurdo” Palacios (19-0-1, 10 KOs) Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico, scored an upset split decision over WBC #4-ranked featherweight Sulaiman Segawa (18-6-1, 7 KOs) of Silver Spring, Maryland, via Uganda, to win the NABF Featherweight Championship.
Palacios was the better fighter on the inside while Segawa relied on his well-placed punches from range. Although there were no knockdowns, Segawa was cut on the right eye in round four and Palacios finished the fight with a swollen-closed right eye.
Both southpaws could make a case for winning in the end, but the judges favored Palacios’ work by scores of 99-91 Palacios, 97-93 Palacios and an over-ruled 96-94 Segawa. Segawa landed more punches overall 180-177.
Local favorite Francois “The Franchise” Scarboro Jr. (12-0, 9 KOs) of nearby Cheverly, Maryland, won a 10-round slugfest by way of unanimous decision over Brandon Valdes (15-7, 7 KOs) of Rosemead, California, via Barranquilla, Colombia.
In a back-and-forth, high-intensity battle throughout all 10 rounds, the two super featherweights traded power shots with abandon. Both men came our firing from the onset. Scarboro appeared to rock Valdes late in the opening round with a series of strong right hands. Valdes was cut above the left eye from another right hand in round three.
Both fighters landed heavily and neither gave an inch in this entertaining battle. Scarboro, who was having his second fight in 70 days, won by scores of 96-94, 96-94 and 99-91. The valiant Valdes was taking on his fourth consecutive undefeated opponent.
WBC #15-ranked Jordan “Shortdog” White (20-2, 12 KOs) won the WBC International Lightweight Championship by scoring a tactical 10-round unanimous decision over a cautious Willie “The Thrill” Shaw Jr. (15-7, 10 KOs).
While the action was sporadic throughout, White, of Washington DC, managed to drop late-notice opponent Shaw, of Vallejo, California, with a well-timed right hand in round nine and pull away by scores of 99-90, 97-92 and 98-91.
In a tightly fought welterweight battle between skillful prospects, Thanjhae “The Tiger” Teasley (14-0, 6 KOs) of Allentown, Pennsylvania, scored a close eight-round split decision over Elijah “2 Tec” Flores (10-1, 4 KOs) of Redlands, California, via The Bronx.
The fight fell into a rhythm early with Teasley dominating the front half of the rounds and Flores coming on later. Both men had their moments and neither seemed badly hurt at any point. Teasley enjoyed a 130-124 advantage in landed punches by fight’s end.
The scores were 77-75 Flores, overruled by two scores of 78-74 Teasley.
Travon “The Sniper” Marshall (13-1, 10 KOs) of nearby Capitol Heights, Maryland, used a searing body attack to slowly break down and sap the will from fighting LAPD officer Eduardo Diaz (9-5, 3 KOs), stopping him in the sixth and final round.
The more offensively gifted of the two, Marshall stayed at range and controlled the action with his long right hand and thudding shots to the abdomen. With the punishment piling up and the tough Diaz looking tired, Referee David Braslow decided he’d finally seen enough at 2:41 of the round.
Undefeated welterweight Benjamin Johnson (7-0, 7 KOs) stayed perfect with an impressive three-round TKO over game, but outgunned, Mexican opponent Mario Meza (4-2, 3 KOs).
Johnson dropped Meza with a left-hand body shot two minutes into round three. A minute later, Meza took a knee from a strong right hand for a second knockdown and, when he rose, turned his back on Referee Jamaal Brown who immediately waved the fight off at 2:53
Towering welterweight prospect David “The Body Snatcher” Whitmire (11-0, 8 KOs) of Washington, DC put on an impressive exhibition of his formidable skills by raking Los Angeles-based opponent Jarrod Tennant (9-8, 4 KOs) to the head and body before dropping him twice and stopping him late in round three.
Approaching the end of the round, Whitmire finally knocked Tennant down with a strong right hand and then moved in with a two-fisted assault to drop and stop Tennant at 2:59.
Early Results:
DWayne Holmes (11-0, 6 KOs) TKO 4 (0:01) over Nestor Robledo (9-16-2, 7 KOs)
Ervin Fuller III (12-0, 6 KOs) UD (3x 59-50) over Eric Ruiz (17-13-1, 7 KOs)
Jeffrey Yu (9-2, 6 KOs) MD (60-54, 59-55, 57-57) over Brandon Gutierrez (5-4-2, 2 KOs)
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