Shakur Stevenson vs. Jeremiah Nakathila live results and analysis

Stevenson and Nakathila are within the ring, first spherical stars.

Nakathila is within the ring and Stevenson is strolling in now.

Outcomes:

Pedraza shines in TKO victory over Rodriguez

Jose Pedraza was at his finest Saturday, selecting aside Julian Rodriguez to earn an eighth spherical TKO victory.

Rodriguez’s nook instructed the referee they couldn’t proceed as his left eye was swollen shut and his proper eye wasn’t far behind it. The 32-year-old Pedraza (29-3, 14 KOs), of Cidra, Puerto Rico, was the higher fighter all night time, utilizing his veteran expertise to outbox Rodriguez.

“My expertise was an excessive amount of for him,” Pedraza stated. “I used to be hungrier than him, and he was simply one other impediment in my journey to develop into a three-division world champion. That’s my aim.”

It was well-matched struggle with a distinction in kinds. Rodriguez (21-1, 14 KOs) sought to make use of his velocity and energy to throw Pedraza off his recreation, however he might by no means harm him. Pedraza used precision punching, his intelligence, motion and jab to land successfully and dictate the tempo. Pedraza stated he felt Rodriguez weakening because the struggle went on.

It was a detailed struggle going into the eighth spherical — all three judges had it 77-75 Pedraza when the struggle was stopped — however finally, Pedraza’s fixed connections to Rodriguez’s eyes pissed off the 26-year-old out of Bergen County, New Jersey and finally ended his night time early.

As for the long run, undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor holds all of the playing cards within the division as everyone seems to be ready to see if he’ll stay there to defend his belt or transfer as much as welterweight in search of a matchup with Terence “Bud” Crawford.

“I would like all the massive names at 140 kilos. With this efficiency, I despatched a message to these massive names,” Pedraza stated. “The ‘Sniper’ is on the hunt. I wish to make historical past for Puerto Rico.”

No matter whether or not stays at 140 or not, Pedraza’s win Saturday moved his identify up the record of contenders worthy of a title alternative.

Rojas upsets McCreary

Manuel Rey Rojas scored the primary vital upset of the night time, dominating Tyler McCreary and scoring a unanimous choice win after eight rounds of motion. It was a really poor efficiency for the 28-year-old McCreary (16-2-1, 7 KOs) out of Toledo, Ohio. He was preventing for the primary time in 19 months, and it regarded prefer it.

The story right here is McCreary’s sudden fall from grace. He was thought-about to be a sizzling boxing prospect only a few years in the past, however he received dominated by Carl Frampton in November 2019. and McCreary hasn’t been the identical fighter. He regarded sluggish and ineffective for a lot of Saturday’s struggle.

It’s a serious win for Rojas (21-5, 6 KOs), of Dallas, who was the aggressor all through and successfully landed combos at will in opposition to the gun-shy McCreary.

Judges scored the bout 79-73, 80-72 and 80-72 for Rojas.

Bauza demolishes Edwards in second-round KO

Junior welterweight prospect John Bauza was on a mission Saturday night time, pulling down Christon Edwards thrice in path to a second-round knockout victory.

The 23-year-old Bauza (15-0, 6 KOs), of Catano, Puerto Rico, jumped on Edwards early, with a powerful proper hook being Bauza’s hottest type of punishment.

Edwards, 28, of Houston, had a number of moments within the struggle when he regarded unprepared. He forgot his mouthpiece and oddly paused halfway by the primary spherical attempting to get it. Edwards additionally received rotated awkwardly late in that spherical, and total, he regarded overmatched in opposition to Bauza.

It was the primary struggle in almost a yr for Bauza, however he regarded in nice type whereas incomes the knockout victory.

Zayas dominates Fryers for TKO win

Prime welterweight prospect Xander Zayas is the actual deal, and he placed on a present Saturday night time by scoring a third-round TKO victory over Larry Fryers.

The 18-year-old Zayas (9-0, 7 KOs) regarded very snug establishing his timing and punch choice. He unleashed six- and seven-punch combos on Fryers (11-4, 4 KOs), of Clones, Eire, who was getting pummeled and may be glad about the referee stoppage.

It’s the third win of the yr for Zayas, who’s making a great early case as boxing’s prospect of the yr.

Zayas, who takes nice delight in his Puerto Rican roots, received the win on Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend.

“It’s surreal, as a result of a few years in the past I used to be watching Shakur Stevenson on TV; now being right here, it exhibits that onerous work is paying off,” Zayas instructed ESPN this week. “Being Puerto Rican, representing Puerto Rico, having the individuals see me and present me love at this younger stage of my profession means a variety of to me. I can’t wait to convey glory to the island.”

Prime Rank has massive plans for Zayas going ahead. Most notably, it plans to pair him with high tremendous middleweight prospect Edgar Berlanga — in several bouts — on a Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend card at Madison Sq. Backyard subsequent yr. The best way Zayas and Berlanga have regarded, that may develop into a gradual plan for years to come back.

Lua edges Gonzalez in massive win

Junior light-weight prospects Bryan Lua (8-0, 3 KOs) scored the largest win of his younger profession in an action-packed unanimous choice victory over fellow undefeated prospect Frevian Gonzalez (4-1, 1 KO).

It was probably the most aggressive bout of the cardboard up to now, with two younger Prime Rank prospects every preventing to guard their “0.” On the finish of six rounds, it was the 23-year-old Lua, of Madera, California, who was simpler along with his combos, hurting the 20-year-old Gonzalez, of Cidra, Puerto Rico, in waves all through the struggle.

The judges scored the bout 58-56, 60-54 and 60-54 for Lua.

This bout was initially scheduled for February on the undercard of Oscar Valdez-Miguel Berchelt, but it surely was postponed after Lua examined optimistic for COVID-19.

Isley stops Evans earlier than heading to Olympics

Olympian and Prime Rank middleweight prospect Troy Isley was aggressive from the bounce. In the end, a bevy of glancing hooks and straights led to led to a fourth-round TKO of LaQuan Evans.

The 22-year-old Isley, of Alexandria, Virginia, improved to 2-0, 1 KO by strolling down and beating up on Evans (4-2, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia. Evans took challenge with the stoppage, however the bout was one-sided in favor of Isley, and Evans wasn’t very lively within the fourth spherical, earlier than the referee stopped the bout.

Isley will take a hiatus from professional boxing this summer season as he heads to Tokyo on June 29 to struggle for america within the Summer season Olympics. That honor is particular for Isley, who misplaced on the Olympics trials earlier than the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Video games as an beginner and believed he would by no means get one other probability after turning professional earlier this yr. However america determined to chill out their rule of not permitting execs to field within the Olympics and invited Isley to hitch the workforce after utilizing 2017-2019 world rankings to find out qualifiers for Tokyo.

Isley instructed ESPN this week he almost cried when he acquired the decision on June 6 that he made the U.S. workforce. He famous it’s been his dream since he was 7 years outdated to struggle within the Olympics.

He had already agreed to struggle Evans and determined to comply with by with the dedication regardless of the Olympics bid — and now Isley will get to move to Tokyo with a knockout win below his belt.

Goldston dominates Anthony in unanimous choice win

Make it 2-for-2 for 18-year-old Prime Rank welterweight prospects scoring unanimous choices wins to kick off the undercard. Kasir Goldston, of Albany, New York, used his 72-inch attain to cruise to a victory over Maurice Anthony.

Goldston’s most constant punch was a staggering proper jab the saved pushing the aggressive Anthony, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, again. When it was over, all three judges scored the bout 40-36 for the southpaw Goldston.

Tucker stays unbeaten with choice win over Barboza

Prime Rank welterweight prospect Jahi Tucker made simple work of Ysrael Barboza incomes an unanimous choice victory to open up Saturday night time’s undercard.

The 18-year-old Tucker (4-0, 2 KOs), who hails from Deer Park, New York, flashed motion and a productive jab whereas utilizing his size to land at will. Barboza (3-2-1, 3 KOs) had some early success getting inside the longer Tucker, however Barboza couldn’t compete along with his measurement or velocity. The 30-year-old out of Corpus Christi, Texas, survived all 4 rounds regardless of a average lower close to the precise eye.

All three judges scored the bout 40-36 for Tucker, who has registered all 4 of his professional wins over the previous 9 months.