BERTO AVENGES HIS 2011 LOSS WITH A FOURTH-ROUND KNOCKOUT OF ORTIZ
WILLIAMS JR. DEFEATS RODRIGUEZ WITH A STUNNING KNOCKOUT
Ortiz vs Berto – Berto wins by KO
It took Andre Berto five years to get a second crack at Victor Ortiz, the man who handed him his first professional defeat. Berto would need less than four rounds to exact his revenge.
Berto (31-4, 24 KOs) overcame a slow start – including a flash second-round knockdown – to earn a fourth-round stoppage of Ortiz (31-6-2, 24 KOs) in a 147-pound clash at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
The fight was a rematch of an April 2011 brawl in which each boxer hit the canvas twice, with Ortiz prevailing by UD to dethrone the unbeaten Berto in what was named the 2011 Fight of the Year.
The rematch of former 147-pound champions got off to a much slower start, with both men feeling each other out for much of the first stanza.
The round’s most poignant moment came in the final 30 seconds, when an inadvertent clash of heads opened a nasty gash on top of Ortiz’s forehead.
But with blood trickling down his face, Ortiz scored the bout’s first knockdown, dropping Berto with a straight left hand near the end of Round 2.
Berto sprung to his feet quickly, but Ortiz went on to win the third on two of the judges’ scorecards to seize command of the bout. That’s when the 32-year-old Berto, perhaps sensing he was behind, pushed down on the gas.
Midway through the fourth round, Berto blasted through Ortiz’s defense with a pinpoint right uppercut. Ortiz hit the canvas, and although he beat referee Jack Reiss’ count, he rose on unsteady feet.
When the fight resumed, Berto unleased a flurry of punches and pinned Ortiz against the ropes, sending him down once more. This time, Ortiz beat the count by a split second, but when Reiss asked him if he wanted to continue, Ortiz didn’t respond. That forced Reiss to wave off the bout at the 1:14 mark.
Rodriguez vs Williams – Williams wins by KO
Thomas Williams Jr. said he wanted to be the one to dethrone lineal 175-pound champion Adonis Stevenson. On Saturday night, the “Top Dog” proved he’s worthy of a shot at the top of the division.
Williams, a 28-year-old from Fort Washington, Maryland, stunned Edwin Rodriguez with a monster left hand in the final seconds of the second round to score a knockout in their scheduled 10-round fight.
With the win, Williams put himself in position to challenge Stevenson, perhaps as early as this summer.
There were a couple of moments early on when Williams looked like he’d finish the fight in Round 1, connecting with some strong right hands that hurt Rodriguez in the waning moments of the stanza.
Rodriguez, who was looking for his fifth straight victory and fourth consecutive stoppage, regrouped to control the start of the second round. But that momentum was short-lived, as big rights from Williams once again found their mark toward the middle of Round 2.
Then as the frame was about to come to a close, Williams crushed Rodriguez with a monster left hook that landed flush. Rodriguez crumpled to the canvas as the bell rang, and although he beat the count, referee Wayne Hedgpeth concluded the former title challenger was unfit to continue.
Photo Credit PBCBoxing
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